30 Best Nightlife in The Cyclades, Greece

For more than 30 years, Galleraki has attracted happy, stylish, summer crowds. A compelling reason is its prime location, so close to the water in picturesque Little Venice that you may get sprayed when a boat passes, but it also serves some of the best cocktails on the island.

A prime spot above idyllic Naousa harbor is where you'll find Sommaripa Consolato, which infuses Paros tradition in its drinks. Instead of a mojito, try their creation—a sumito, which replaces rum with the local homemade island liquor called suma. A cool open space with picture-perfect views of the bay, it's a great place to watch the world strolling past, especially from the coveted balcony seat. During the day, stop by for a coffee accompanied by a homemade Greek cookie or a slice of cake.

This cool, whitewashed Cycladic-style space features a rooftop veranda perfect for sipping eclectic cocktails and admiring the view over to Paros. Siblings Argiro and Manos Fotis named this spot 520 for the bar code automatically marked on any products that are made in Greece.

In a pretty whitewashed building on the tip of the old harbor, Agosta is considered a local favorite for drinks and dancing the night away. Depending where you stand you'll get a stunning view of Naousa harbor or Agios Dimitrios Beach. Past midnight everyone heads for the two dance floors.

Small and perfectly formed, since 1986 ASTRA has kept up its exclusive, somewhat mature elegance. The clientele is upscale, and the drinks are pretty and expensive. Supermodels, rock stars, and royalty swing by when they're in town. The DJ spins house and funk, which is danceable, and not unbearably loud.

A few steps away from the nightlife bustle of Petrou Ralli's row of music-pumping bars, Baba Bar is still in the heart of the action, just slightly tucked away in a pretty little street that's lit by strings of soft white light bulbs. The bar's small, Cycladic-style interior can get packed with regulars that come back for their eclectic selection of cocktails with names like Pirate Martini, Rosemary Melon, Pina Rosa, and the signature rum Baba.

Babylon, next door to Jackie O', is its rival; Stratos and Jose have had bars on Mykonos for years. This one, with its electronic feel, attracts the lively and energetic. Everything from its drag shows to its theme parties will get the crowds roaring and dancing. DJs spin techno, high-energy, and chart toppers. When it gets too crowded the party spills into the street.

Caprice is a classic Mykonos bar in the heart of scenic sea-hugging Little Venice. Its simple whitewashed Cycladic interior has three rooms, but the two outer rooms are overflow seating areas for the typically jam packed, long and narrow bar room where all the action happens. It attracts a happy party crowd of both foreigners and Greeks that love to drink and dance to music hits that pump into the early morning hours.

This famous mega-club on the rocks above Paradise Beach is classic Mykonos. The huge dance space is spread over two levels, and in the peak of summer every inch is occupied. Famous international DJs spin and you can even moor your superyacht upto their floating platform for true VIP entry.

Boasting a caldera view, this popular bar with a terrace plays classical music. Order a Maria Callas cocktail and listen to the diva herself heralding sunset.

This sleek and chic sunken garden setting in the heart of town is shaded by large trees and greenery, adding some color to the monochromatic design. A restaurant in the early evening hours, after 11 pm it fills with glamorous drinkers who appreciate the cool surroundings. A dream for social media gadflies, it is eye-wateringly expensive and always extremely busy, but somehow it works.

A small empire has grown out of this bar just below Paraportiani church. Nicely decorated, it is a great spot to watch the sunset and drinkers remain to catch the nightly drag shows. Less LGBT than it used to be, it is still a fun place to be. If you have not had enough, visit their beach club on Super Paradise with a super restaurant, stay in their hotel, even take a ride on their private boat.

Jutting up next to a restored 16th-century Cycladic windmill, Kaktos is an open-air terrace bar on the edge of town where locals and visitors alike can sit back and enjoy a cocktail while taking in the view of Tinos Town and the Aegean Sea—perfect for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Koursaros, which translates to "Pirate," gets its share of summer party crowds each year. Its decor is a soft mix of dark wood and stone with vintage maps and seafaring artifacts that play into the bar's nautical theme. Its location, at the very corner by the harbor, has made it one of the most visible landmark nightlife spots in Tinos since 1987. Café by day, a DJ turns up the music at night spinning rock, funk, or jazz.

You can't miss this place; fuschia bougainvillea on the 400-year-old whitewashed building is mirrored by bright pink doors. Inside, Linardo's interior is impeccably maintained and cooly decorated—it has to be, considering that it's one of Naousa's top hot spots, where crowds gather until the early morning to listen to the coolest music on the isle.

Located across the street from the quiet marbled Miaoúli Square, this corner bar gets busy and loud around midnight, when the bouncer is securely in place and a line to get in may start forming. During the day, it's rustic interior is a calming place to have a coffee and sample their international menu.

Nightlife in Syros revolves around the eastern part of the harbor, along Petrou Ralli, where you may find people dancing in the street; Mammo Wine Bar is at the center of it. Café and restaurant by day—serving bruschettas, gourmet salads, and a variety of international and Mediterranean plates—the energy heightens when the sun sets. Its sleek, dark and modern space gets packed and comes alive once a DJ is called in to play mainstream dance music, and colorful creative cocktails and shots make the rounds. The wine continues to flow and there are 100 to choose from.

The Kioulafis family paid attention to every detail when renovating this family treasure, a simple Cycladic dwelling built more than a century ago. Tucked in the walls of Old Town, Meli and Kanela's bright turquoise door beckons you into its bar lounge and café space that's enhanced by soft lighting, creamy beige-and-white walls, and traditional charm. The name, which means honey and cinnamon in Greek, is a relaxing nightlife spot to chat over a rakomelo cocktail featuring honey and cinnamon, served with a large wedge of fresh orange.

A lively chunk of Naxos nightlife is set on the south end of the Old Town, where happening bars face the waterfront and gather packed crowds of party people. This is one of them, with ambient decor and DJs that pump mainstream dance hits. Peak season, the party teeters to the edge of the street, right above the sea, where extra bars are set up to accommodate the happy crowds.

The international, young party people that flock to Mykonos have packed this glamorous open-air club every summer season for fifty years. It has three stages that are designed to feature the world’s best DJs who fill its lineup each year. The club also operates a shuttle bus that runs from the bus terminal at Fabrika.

One of the oldest bars on the island, this cozy hideaway combines whitewashed walls with a stone-and-wood design and soft lighting. Great cocktails made from local ingredients should be taken on one of the handful of tables on the cobbled street outside.

Rhapsody is a cozy bar on Little Venice that never seems to get as packed as its neighbors, but still benefits from the same windmill views. Popular with locals, Greek music is often mixed in with the international hits.

Tinos Town has a nightlife district, but it only comes to life in the heat of the summer. Sivilla, located on one of the area's alleyways, churns out both Greek pop and international mainstream dance hits.

A staple of the Mykonos bar scene since 1978, the renowned Skandinavian encompasses two buildings and an outside seating area. The music in the three bars ranges from classic rock to pop to dance, but it is always rowdy, crowded, and great fun. Dancing on the bar at 3 am is a Mykonos rite of passage.

A balcony overlooking the caldera is a prime spot in Ia for drinks and light snacks, and the pastries are considered the best on the island.

One of the most popular beach bars in Mykonos is set on Paradise Beach, where the party starts every afternoon in the peak summer season. The international, young, and looking-for-fun crowd heads to the outdoor bar to dance in the sand, on tables, and by the sea. The music is loud, mainstream, and fun, the people are happy, and the watermelon cocktail is famously strong.

The most famous spot on the island for cocktails and sunset views sits at the top of Plaka and looks out on a horizon peppered with isles. Front-row tables get claimed early but you can stand and enjoy the views as the sun fades into the sea.

If it's too busy inside, buy a can of beer from the mini-market and stand by the courtyard of the church of the Panagia Korfiatissa---the view is just as good.