Places

Santorini

A volcanic island with villages on top of steep cliffs over a flooded crater. Famous for sunsets, wine and dark-sand beaches.

Mykonos

Lively island known for windmills, a lantern-lit old town and beach clubs. Gateway to ancient Delos.

Naxos

The largest Cycladic island: green valleys, marble villages, long sandy beaches and great farm food.

Paros

Relaxed central island with pretty fishing harbours and the best ferry links in the Cyclades.

Antiparos

Small, laid-back island 7 minutes by boat from Paros.

Milos

Volcanic island with white moon-like rocks, colourful fishing houses and sea caves reachable by boat.

Crete

Greece's largest island — almost a country of its own, with four regions, high mountains, gorges, Minoan palaces and some of Europe's best beaches.

Gavdos

Europe's southernmost point — very remote, wild camping and juniper beaches.

Rhodes

Large sunny island with a walled medieval old town (UNESCO) and a hilltop acropolis at Lindos.

Kos

Flat, bike-friendly island with long beaches and ruins in the middle of town.

Symi

Tiny island with a harbour of colourful neoclassical houses — classic day trip from Rhodes.

Patmos

Peaceful island where St John wrote the Book of Revelation — a UNESCO monastery crowns the hill.

Karpathos

Rugged island with a mountain village where women still wear traditional dress.

Kalymnos

World-famous rock-climbing island and historic sponge-diving town.

Corfu

Green island with a Venetian old town (UNESCO), two fortresses and many small bays.

Paxos

Small olive-covered island with three pretty harbours and sea caves.

Lefkada

Connected to the mainland by a bridge — dramatic white-cliff beaches on the west coast.

Kefalonia

Large mountainous island with turquoise beaches, caves and wine.

Ithaca

Homer's home of Odysseus — small, green and peaceful.

Zakynthos

Famous for the Shipwreck beach, blue caves and nesting sea turtles.

Aegina

Closest island to Athens — pistachios, a hilltop temple and an easy day trip.

Agistri

Tiny pine-covered island with clear water, next to Aegina.

Poros

Green island separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait.

Hydra

Car-free island: stone mansions, donkeys and swimming off the rocks.

Spetses

Elegant pine-covered island with horse carriages and sea captains' houses.

Skiathos

Lively island with over 60 sandy beaches surrounded by pine trees.

Skopelos

Pine-covered island where Mamma Mia was filmed — calm, green and family-friendly.

Alonissos

Heart of a national marine park — dolphins, monk seals and quiet beaches.

Skyros

Distinct island with wild ponies and a hilltop white town.

Lesvos

Large island of olive groves, ouzo, hot springs and a petrified forest.

Chios

Home of mastic: medieval villages decorated with geometric patterns.

Samos

Green, mountainous island with sweet wine and the birthplace of Pythagoras.

Ikaria

Famous for long life, all-night village festivals and hot springs.

Lemnos

Flat volcanic island with sand dunes, a big castle and lots of sand beaches.

Thassos

Green island close to the mainland with marble beaches and mountain villages.

Evia

Greece's second-largest island, joined to the mainland by bridges. Forests, hot springs, few foreign visitors.

Salamina

Big local island next to Piraeus — site of the famous ancient sea battle.

Attica

Athens and its coast: the Acropolis, museums, city neighbourhoods and the Athens Riviera, plus the main ferry ports.

Peloponnese

Ancient sites, castle towns and stone villages: Olympia, Mycenae, Nafplio, Monemvasia and the wild Mani peninsula.

Central Greece

Mount Parnassus, ancient Delphi, the ski village of Arachova and harbour towns on the Corinthian Gulf.

Thessaly

Monasteries on rock towers at Meteora and the green Pelion mountain, where villages run down to the sea.

Epirus

Mountains, stone bridges and the Zagori villages, the lake city of Ioannina and the coast at Parga.

Macedonia

Thessaloniki's food and history, Mount Olympus, the Halkidiki beaches and lake towns like Kastoria.

Thrace

The far north-east: old-town Xanthi, the Evros delta and the ferry port to Samothraki.