The Mediterranean’s fifth-largest island was the birthplace of the oldest civilisation in Europe, blossoming in 2700 BC. To get to know the Minoans you can venture through Bronze Age archaeological sites across the island, and call in at the phenomenal Archaeological Museum in the capital, Heraklion. These Minoan palaces and cities blur the lines between …
Villages infused with the scent of jasmine and bougainvillea, a magical Medieval UNESCO-listed old town, superlative beaches with glistening waters: There are hundreds of reasons to come to Rhodes, but we’ll try to condense the tally to just 15. The largest of the Dodecanese islands in the southern Aegean, Rhodes has architecture that looks like …
The extraordinary island of Santorini in the Southern Aegean is on the eastern chunk of a collapsed caldera. Its villages have whitewashed cave houses with blue doors, carved in tiers at the top of menacing dark cliffs. These west facing settlements like Oia, Fira and Imerovigli enjoy front-row views of one of the world’s most …
The second-largest Ionian Island has seen the Byzantines, Venetians, French and British come and go over the last 1,000 years, and all these cultures have left something behind. If you need a place to begin, try the World Heritage Old Town of Corfu City, which is guarded by two mighty Venetian fortresses that withstood everything …
Mention Mykonos and a few images will spring to mind, whether it’s celebrities sunbathing on yachts, bright white Cycladic architecture or paradisiacal beaches. One of the most popular islands in the Aegean, Mykonos has a fun-loving, cosmopolitan atmosphere and is well-established as a gay-friendly destination. You’ll want to spend as much time as possible in …
A volcanic island with a big natural harbour and rich geology, Milos has been mined for millennia for minerals and material like obsidian, sulphur, and gypsum. The island’s geology gives rise to coastal sights that photos can’t do justice, like Sarakiniko and Kleftiko, and the kind of beaches that can make you gasp. In the …
In the Thessaly Valley, Kalambaka is a town watched by the surreal rock formations of Meteora. With wisps of greenery, these gigantic sandstone and conglomerate pillars are up to 400 metres high and topped with monasteries that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The columns were separated by earthquakes and then shaped by wind …
The largest island in the Cyclades, Naxos is also the most fertile, growing olives, potatoes and citrus fruit on its hills. Mount Zas, the highest peak in the archipelago traps clouds, creating more rainfall for agriculture and is a satisfying climb if you’re the hiking sort. The capital is Naxos Town (Chora), on the northwest …
Only four kilometres off the coast of Turkey, Kos is the third-largest island in the Dodecanese. As a key administrative centre from Classical Greece to Roman times, the island is littered with ancient ruins. Many are right on the edge of Kos Town, where the Agora has hundreds of years of history and a rebuilt …
Right at the centre of the Cyclades, the island of Paros is a holiday destination cherished for its phenomenal beaches and cute Cycladic villages of snow-white houses. Parikia, the main port is a knot of winding streets below a castle made from re-used marble from an ancient temple, while the small fishing port at Naoussa …