According to Greek legend, it was Poseidon, the god of the sea, who turned the Cyclades nymphs into islands — a stroke of luck for today’s travelers, who can cruise through this tranquil, picturesque archipelago with Peter Sommer Travels. Join an intimate group of no more than 18 guests aboard the handcrafted Aegean Clipper, a 12-cabin sailing gulet. Cruising to the Cyclades embraces the beauty of both the Dodecanese and Cyclades chains, with rarely-visited destinations such as remote Astypalaia, Nisyros and Anafi. The itinerary also includes Santorini, a volcanically active group of islands in the southernmost area of the Cyclades that was explored by Jacques Cousteau in the 1970s as the possible location of Atlantis.

Highlights take in the 1,500-year-old church of the Panagia Drosiani, ancient marble quarries at Flerio where never-finished statues litter the ground, the marble Portara gateway leading to a long-lost temple on Naxos, the tiny island of Levitha, the Chozoviotissa monastery and the archaeological museum at Pothia. The 15-day cruise is for a small group of no more than 18 travelers and begins on April 30, 2016. Prices start at £3,775 (about $5,858) per person, based on double occupancy. Included: accommodations and full board, airport transfers on the first and last day of the tour, all crew services onboard, land entrance fees and tips, expert-led excursions and onboard WiFi where available.