1. The
perfect Greek island - Oh, that old one again. Well, actually
Skopelos is the business says Matt Rudd. "If you do want to
break the fabulous monotony of beach life, you can walk up into the forests,
have a snoop around a hilltop chapel, spot birds – I don’t know. Some people
even come to Skopelos on walking holidays. Weirdos."
2. Three
go wild on Paxos - "If olive trees were cathedrals, the Paxos
trees would be Notre Dame – elaborate, vast, gnarled, ancient and heavily
buttressed. They sprawl, fantastically," enthuses Stanley Stewart in a
tribute to the smallest Ionian island.
3. Simple
values in the Greek Cyclades - The lesser known islands of Kimolos
and Kythnos are as unspoilt as you're going to get in Greece, says Nigel
Summerley - "short of visiting uninhabited islands that are home only
to rocks and temporarily visiting goats put out to graze."
4. Back
to the Greek islands - in style - Illustrator David Smith, an old
Greek hand, returns again to the islands, this time Lefkada and Meganissi in
the Ionian Islands - and this time in style. "The backpack has long
since gone. The waist band is expanding the back is stiffening. Fastening
ones shoelaces now counts as exercise."
5. Chic
and boutique in Ithica - The island is packed with trendy bars and
boutique hotels, says Annabelle Thorpe. "Downtown Vathy. It’s not a
phrase I expected to hear on Ithaca. But perhaps our hotel should have given
me some clue that there is more to the island than pastoral bliss."
6. The
tough little Greek islands - The Little Cyclades are no places for
softies - but they are one of the greatest travel treats left in Europe for
the adventurous holidaymaker, says Nigel Summerley. "Before leaving
Amorgos, we accepted its greatest challenge: walking eight miles along its
central range of mountaintops."
7. Insider's
guide to Cephalonia - Resident Mary Gold is your guide to the
largest of the Ionian Islands. "We looked at 13 destinations before
building a villa here and we’ve never regretted it. Cephalonia was slow to
bite the tourism apple and as a result, the islanders learnt a lot from
other people’s mistakes."
8. Trailblazing
Crete - Away from the crowded resorts, Stuart Wavell finds a wilder
side to go walking. "Dozens of wooden hives, painted in dual colours,
were a reminder of the honey that was once exported from Candy, as the
island was known to the Venetians. The music of bees and the wind’s sighs
turn paths into soundtracks."
9. Zakynthos,
where the turtles rule - Midnight flights, hyper children - it's
worth it for the beauty of the island and the protection of its wildlife,
says Emma Haughton. "Within minutes a small head breaks the water for a
moment before submerging again, leaving me almost light-headed with
excitement."
10. Greek
island hopping - Dana Facaros, author of the Cadogan Guide to the
Greek Islands, selects three routes to take in the Ionian Islands, the
Dodacenese and Cyclades.
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A part from the islands,worthly of a visit is the greek region of Macedonia in northern Greece.Full of archeological sites such us Dion(the sacred capital of Macedonians-a greek Pompei),Vergina(the ancient capital of Macedonia where you can visit the Tomb of Alexander's the Great son and father).In Macedonia you can also taste the Byzantium,the region is a unique mosaic of byzantine art,cities like Veria,Thessaloniki,Kavala,Kastoria,Edessa,Naousa are a extraordinary example.There is also the sea of Macedonia at Chalkidiki peninsula,
Yiorgos Arafailidis, Veria, Greece
Never mind the islands. Why not go to the mainland? The Peloponnese has fabulous mountains, beautiful scenery, and more archaeological sites than you can cover in a fortnight. The locals are less interested in your money, and as long as you avoid the English enclaves of Stoupa and Tolo, you will find Greece for the Greeks rather than Greece for the tourists. Go in the festival season and watch a play in the 3rd century BC amphitheatre at Epidavoros; visit the citadel that was the centre of the Mycenean civilisation; run down the track at Olympia or be seduced by beautiful Nafplio - once the capital of Greece.
Al Menzies, Fareham, UK
Aegina is a must! not only is the island itself absolutely wonderful and home to the temple of Aphia, one of the most spectacular of the surviving doric temples as well as important bronze age sites, but it is also just a short boat ride away from the Piraeus, Athen's main harbor.
Kayleigh, St. Andrews,
Turtles on Zakynthos? Fat chance!! Having been there for 2 weeks we never saw one. I suspect they are a bit of a myth to drum up trade for an otherwise rather boring Island. Try Sifnos, that really is a rather magical place.
Russell Conway, London, England
Stay well away from Andros in the Cyclades. One of the most inhospitable excuses for an island in all of the Meditteranean. Even if you can deal with the unpleasantness of the locals, you'll spend most of your holiday wondering why you bothered you chose a place so at the mercy of the wind, that even a simple trip to the beach becomes a tortous ordeal. Avoid like the plague!
Louis, London,