All corners of the Mediterranean dazzle come summer, but for me, Greece will always be the greatest seductress. Her sun-drenched islands, which have played muse to poets, artists, writers and painters for centuries, are my siren call.
A summer spent hopping from island to island, across the Ionian Sea or the Saronic Gulf, around the Cyclades or Dodecanese, is a summer well spent. But where to start? With so many islands with such varied, compelling characters, it can feel a little Sophie’s Choice.
Whether you’re seeking spiritual nourishment or wild romance, a family getaway or a dose of culture, here are the best Greek islands to try this summer — no Mykonos in sight.
Ithaca
Best for: Yoga lovers and spiritual nourishment
Sitting pretty in the Ionian islands, its mountainous slopes covered with a lush, year-round blanket of pine and cypress trees, and olive groves that tumble into its gin-clear bays — it only takes a matter of hours to appreciate why Odysseus was so determined to return to Ithaca.
Stay on its north-western edge at Itha108 (itha108.com), a yoga and creative retreat with spellbinding views across to Kefalonia and beautiful interiors that are a love letter to its founder Ingrid’s travels. When you’re not finessing poses, drive across the island to the postcard-perfect village of Kioni for a simple taverna lunch and swim at Cemetery beach, before dinner at Rementzo in nearby Frikes port.
Serifos
Best for: Wild romance
Serifos has a singular beauty, all rugged and wild, its steep hillsides pockmarked from its days as a mining island. As you drive away from its handsome hilltop Chora, its whitewashed buildings become sparser and you feel as if you’ve been let in on a well-kept secret. Bed down in Mega Livadi, where you’ll find Faros Villa and its Guest House (dikahospitality.com), perched like an eagle’s nest above this sheltered bay, with sea views from every window. There is little else to do but sleep, swim and eat — there are two tavernas you can easily walk to — and repeat. If you must leave, head up to town just before sunset for al fresco drinks in the main square and set aside a day to hire a boat, dropping anchor at the picturesque Ganema for a fresh fish lunch under the shade of olive trees.
Syros
Best for: Cultural buzz
Overshadowed by its ritzier Cycladic neighbours (Santorini and Mykonos) until now, Syros is the island of the moment. The marble streets of its elegant capital Hermoupolis buzz all year round and its brightly coloured Venetian palazzos are energised with music, art and culture. At the centre of its new wave is the design-conscious Hotel Aristide (hotelaristide.com), a boutique hotel-come-art gallery set in a neoclassical mansion in town. It feels more like a private home, one where your hosts — sisters and owners Jasmin and Oana Aristide — have impeccable taste and the best rooftop terrace in town. Bookend your days with a dip at the “urban beach” beneath the hotel, and make sure you get a booking at Mazi, a seafood restaurant set in the bougainvillea-strewn ruins of an old pottery factory.
Paxos
Best for: Groups
Next door to the bigger, busier Corfu, Paxos is a charming — and tiny — Ionian island that is well suited to those travelling en masse. Deliciously lacking in hotels and resorts, its three picturesque harbour towns and pebble beaches are surrounded by beautiful, pale stone houses that are fit for families or a group of friends.
Nestled between Lakka and Loggos in the north, you’ll find the Italianate villa Coolcat (scottwilliams.co.uk), whose sublimely layered terraces and gardens have 180-degree views of the sparkling blue waters Paxos is known for. Better still, you’re perfectly positioned for afternoons at Ben’s Bar on Monodendri beach and dinners in Lakka come the evening. For something a little special, charter a yacht or speedboat to take you across to Antipaxos for lunch one day at Bella Vista.
Antiparos
Best for: Switching off
A firm favourite of Lord Byron, Seventies hippies and Tom Hanks, Antiparos is quietly making a name for itself as the island where the style set go to switch off. Secluded coves and sandy beaches are surrounded by open fields and ramshackle farmhouses, while charmingly low-key tavernas sit alongside beach bars. On its western coast at Livadia Bay is The Rooster (theroosterantiparos.com), the passion project of Athanasia Comninos who fell under the island’s spell while on holiday. Each of the rustic-luxe suites has its own pool and days here are spent drifting from spa to garden restaurant to bar. A day lounging at Beach House is also a must, making your way through the cocktail menu as the light starts to fade.
Tinos
Best for: Authentic village life (and wine)
Twenty minutes on a speedboat from Mykonos brings you to Tinos, an island which couldn’t be in further contrast to the party capital of the Cyclades. Off the beaten track, it has a strong religious backstory and pilgrims still arrive in their droves annually to be healed. It’s also home to 45 traditional villages — marble-clad Pyrgos and the ampitheatrically-built Kardiani are well worth a visit — as well as sweeping beaches and a nascent viticulture. Base yourself at Xinara House (xinarahouse.com), an eccentrically converted old bishop’s home in the rural heart of the islands, which sits in the shadow of an arresting mountain. Playful interiors are complemented by a spectacular outdoor dining pergola, a pool carved out of the rocks and a vineyard. Book in for lunch on the water at Thalassaki while you’re on the island.
Hydra
Best for: Art lovers
On Hydra, the only modes of transport are boat, donkey or your own two feet, which can make it feel wonderfully stuck in time. Set in the Saronic Gulf, only separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow sliver of water, this magnetic island and its crescent-shaped harbour have been enchanting artists since the Sixties, from Leonard Cohen to Juergen Teller.
Every summer, the island’s old mansions, schools and even an old slaughter house (curated by Greek art collector Dakis Joannou) are transformed into exhibition space and there’s an intense, transient glamour in the air. Sleep in the Bratsera Hotel (bratserahotel.com) or the Artist’s Studio (hipawayvillas.com) on the steep sides of cosmopolitan Hydra town, enjoying swims and sundowners at Hydronetta and the best food on the island at TéchnÄ, in between art fixes. Be prepared to walk up a lot of steps.
Patmos
Best for: A scene
If you’re looking for a scene, and Mykonos isn’t your style, Patmos is the most stylish bet — but with no airport and long ferries from Athens, you have to be committed. Part of the string of Dodecanese islands, it has a rich Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, with the architecture to prove it. Add in sandy beaches and a particularly chic Chora, with cobbled lanes and lively squares, you can see why the people have fallen for Patmos. Stay in Villa Vista overlooking Scala Bay (hipawayvillas.com), so you can dip in and out of the action in town, where you should make time to visit the 11th-century Monastery of St John before hitting Benetos for dinner.
