Which is the liveliest greek island

Crete is famous for its olive oil and dishes like dakos rusks topped with tomato, olive oil and cheese and myzithra sweet cheese, used in pastries. Horta wild greens provide seasoning for fish or roast lamb. Like other Ionian islands, Corfu was never successfully invaded by the Ottoman empire, and its cuisine remains Italian-flavored.

You may also like: Everything you need to know about island-hopping in Greece Unique flavors to savor when in Greece How to get around in Greece. Be the architect of your own trip as you discover the best things to do in Greece through insider tips, suggested itineraries and handy maps. Crete, Corfu or Kefallonia: find the perfect Greek island for you. Chris Deliso.

Jennifer Carey. Rhodes — Delos — Corfu — Patmos. Share this story:. Places from this story Greek Islands Greece Region.

Crete Greece Region. Kefallonia Greece Region. Skiathos Greece Region. View more. Amsterdam, NL. Discover five things you probably didn't know about the city. Stari Grad, Croatia. Stari Grad is located in the sunniest island in the Adriatic. San Sebastian, Spain. San Sebastian is a wonderful city to get lost in and explore.

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Poznan, Poland Poznan combines a unique heritage with rich cultural offer. Colmar, France Colmar is really a condensed version of the Alsace region. Rome, Italy A region with a great deal to offer: history, nature, good food Lisbon, Portugal There are so many things to see and do in Lisbon! Madeira, Portugal Discover these enchanted islands… happiness is so near! Porto, Portugal The colourful streets of Porto are waiting for you!

Madrid, Spain The Spanish capital makes everyone feel right at home. Zagreb, Croatia A large city which managed to stay romantic and safe. Zadar, Croatia Experience the most beautiful sunset in Europe! If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Lord Byron was on to something when he waxed lyrical about the Greek islands. But with more than to choose from, which ones are the very best Greek islands?

Here regular isle-hopper Rachel Howard reveals the ones to get in a speedboat for in The colourful 19th-century city of Ermoupoli is built on twin peaks — one Orthodox, the other Catholic, the heritage of a long Venetian occupation. Syros hosts festivals of animation, dance, digital art, film, classical music, jazz and rembetiko, the Greek blues popularised by local musician Markos Vamvakaris.

A few rembetiko joints have survived in the upper town, Ano Syra. But the most splendid legacy of the shipping industry are the manor houses in Vaporia and Poseidonia. The beaches are slightly less splendid — with the exception of Delfini, Varvarousa, and Aetos in the wild north. But fabulous seaside tavernas abound: Ambela for fresh fish; CIliovassilemar on Galissas beach for samphire and sea-urchin salad and rockfish soup; Allou Yallou in the pretty seaside village of Kini for lobster with orzo.

In Ermoupoli, the finest places to eat and drink are along Androu Street: Ousyra ousyra. Perhaps the prettiest restaurant of all is Mazi a vine-covered courtyard festooned with bougainvillaea.

Before you leave, stock up on loukoumi rose-tinted Turkish delight and San Michalis cheese from Prekas delicatessen , and visit Zylo for hand-made wooden sunglasses. Where to stay on Syros: On the waterfront in Vaporia, Xenon Apollonos has just three bedrooms with stencilled ceilings, period furniture, and the sea framed in floor-to-ceiling windows. Hotel Ploes , a palazzo on the rocks, is the next best thing.

Five Star Greece has a glorious selection of historic mansions, estates and smart villas to choose from. Sifnos owes its foodie reputation to its most famous descendant, Nicholas Tselementes, who wrote the first Greek cookbook in Forget souvlaki and moussaka: here, chickpea croquettes and stewed capers are taverna staples.

Traditional dishes are slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven at To Meraki tou Manoli, a local institution on sheltered Vathy bay. In postcard-pretty Artemonas, all roads lead to Theodorou, purveyors of nougat wafers and almond sweets since You can eat in your bikini at Omega 3, where locally foraged and fished ingredients are given an exotic twist: baby-calamari tempura, smoked eel in chilled melon soup with wasabi, and chickpea sorbet with wild apricot jam and pine nuts.

Lobsters are plucked straight from the sea at Heronissos, then served with spaghetti on the jetty. It's just the right balance of low-key luxury and unspoiled authenticity. Rather like Sifnos itself. Where to stay in Sifnos: With its cliff-top infinity pool and soft-focus sunsets, Verina Astra is effortlessly sexy.

Verina Suites on Platis Gialos beach is more family-friendly. Kamaroti is an effortless crowd-pleaser with its green lap pool shaded by olive trees, mid-century modern touches, and deliciously unpretentious Greco-Spanish menu. Sifnos House , a boxy little number overlooking the low-key port of Kamares, is steps from a sandy beach and a charming strip of seaside tavernas.

Read our guide to Sifnos : the most delicious Greek island. You know when Dakis Joannou, Greece's foremost art collector, is on Hydra. His yacht, Guilty , is painted in gaudy 'camouflage' by Jeff Koons. Every summer, Joannou invites big hitters such as Matthew Barney and David Shrigley to create site-specific installations in the Greek island's old slaughterhouse.

Even the school is commandeered for exhibitions in the summer holidays. Car-free and protected by a preservation order, Hydra has always been the artists' muse of the Greek Islands. Athenian artists take up residence at the School of Fine Arts, one of the vast, grey, stone mansions overlooking the horseshoe harbour.

Musicians of all stripes rehearse and record at the Old Carpet Factory , an 18th-century residence whose double-height ceilings and underground cistern have incredible acoustics. Less than two hours from Athens, Hydra fills up with chic Greeks at weekends. They come to disconnect and slow down, but also to see and be seen. Wily cats and weary donkeys patrol the back alleys, but all the action happens along the waterfront.

Oh look! Who cares if there are barely any beaches? You can always find a slab of sun-baked rock from which to leap rock from which to dive into the clearest water in the world. If a pool is a priority, check into atmospheric Bratsera.

To get in with the art crowd, stay at a leading local Artist's Villa like the one pictured , available through Hipaway. See our full guide to Hydra, Greece. Everyone knows the Venus de Milo which has stood in the Louvre since the 19th century.

Those in the know jealously guard their treasured island, and especially its 70 or more beaches — surely the most diverse and dramatic coastline of all the Greek Islands. Little by little, though, Milos is being discovered. Instagram is saturated with no-filter shots of the undulating white cliffs at Sarakiniko, the bottle-green swimming hole at Papafragas, and colourful, rickety syrmata, tiny boat houses wedged between rock and sea.

As the 11,year-old mining industry is gradually giving way to tourism, several chic hotels have made an appearance. Go now, before the trickle of visitors turns into a tide.

Where to stay on Milos: With a wooden deck and sunbeds shaded by billowing sails, Salt is like staying on a boat floating above the bay of Pollonia. The four simple white suites at family-run Captain Zeppos are right on the sea and the home-made breakfast is superb.

For a serene retreat, check into Skinopi Lodge , three discreet villas on a hillside estate facing the horizon. At the end of a rough dirt road, the ultra-minimalist Milos Cove is even more remote — a stylish hideaway for kicking back and doing absolutely nothing. Read more about Milos, Greece.

The sleeper hit of the Cyclades, Serifos is the summer retreat of interior designers and architects who prefer to keep the sandy beaches to themselves. One French home-owner is so protective of her hideaway that she tells all her friends she summers on nearby Sifnos. Better still, rent a motor boat from the laidback harbour, Livada. And all less than three hours from Athens. Where to stay on Serifos: Hipaway Villas has a characterful collection of waterfront villas poised above private coves.

Cocomat Eco Residences is a mini-resort repurposed from old mining cottages, right on sandy Vagia beach. In high winds, the fast ferries stay grounded and the slow boat takes upwards of eight hours from Athens. When you disembark at Katapola, a sleepy harbour lined with great little fish tavernas our favourites are Prekas and To Mouragio , a sign announces: 'Welcome to Amorgos.

Nobody will find you here. This craggy Cycladic island has always attracted loners, hikers, divers and pilgrims, who shuffle up the cliff face to the Monastery of Hozoviotissa, a sliver of white dangling metres above the sea. The water here is a million shades of blue and so startlingly clear you can see every sea urchin lurking on the rocky shore. Even the sage-scented hiking trails are called Blue Paths, because the sea and sky are visible in all directions.

With a population of under 2,, the locals are outnumbered by shaggy goats that blend in perfectly with the burnished landscape and hippie vibe. But you don't have to be a recluse to fall for Amorgos. There are plenty of all-day, late-night bars where Amorgos groupies meet, summer after summer: Jazzmin, in Hora, for backgammon and cocktails; Pergalidi in Langada for herbal infusions and jazzy tunes; Seladi in Tholaria, with giddying views and a telescope for stargazing. Where to stay on Amorgos: There are very few hotels on Amorgos, beyond basic rooms to let.

Amorgos Holiday Homes has two cute cottages for rent. Read more about Amorgos, Greece. One of the tiniest Ionian islands, Paxos packs a big punch. In laid-back Loggos, on the northeast coast, star-spangled evenings are spent on the waterfront terrace of Taxidi bar, where the owner, Spiros, often jams with local musicians.

Protected from the wind but with a lively social scene, the main port of Gaios is characterised by Venetian architecture and a high quota of stylish Italians, who own pale stone villas hidden in the wooded interior or on the crest of the limestone cliffs along the western shoreline. Paths through vineyards and orchards trickle down to bays with sea so clear it looks retouched. Where to Stay in Paxos: There are hardly any smart hotels on Paxos, but dozens of very desirable villas to choose from.

Scott Williams specialises in scene-stealers designed for big group getaways, which often come with their own boat and private beach. Alternatively, you can charter their teak ketch, Circe, for day trips or overnight adventures. Their well-connected reps can arrange restaurant reservations, private chefs and picnics on secret beaches. Five Star Greece also has some exceptional villas on Paxos, including Paxos PTR, a huge estate with degree views and wonderfully idiosyncratic interiors.

Cooing American and Chinese honeymooners line up to take selfies as the sun sinks behind Santorini 's caldera, the flooded volcanic crater. A volcanic explosion blew out Santorini's heart 3, years ago, leaving black-sand beaches, vertiginous cliffs in psychedelic hues, and swirling rumours about Atlantis in its wake. The eruption also preserved the ancient city of Akrotiri under layers of ash, and created fertile ground for exceptional Assyrtiko grapes and Vinsanto wines. Sample them at Sigalas and Vassaltis wineries, paired with delicate dishes that let the grapes sing.

Apart from a boat trip to the smouldering crater of Nea Kameni and hot springs at Palia Kameni, there's not much to do but gaze at the mesmerising views from your suite, dangling on the edge of the caldera.

The best hotels in Santorini are concentrated in Oia and Imerovigli, but the inland village of Pyrgos is up-and-coming. Go for a twilight Bellini at Franco's or supper at Botargo, with views that will leave you light-headed. Emborio is a smaller and even prettier village, with a smattering of old-school coffee shops and Airbnbs. For a glimpse of Santorini before the onslaught of cruise ships and Instagrammers, explore the quieter south but keep your discoveries to yourself.

Where to stay in Santorini: Trendier pretenders come and go, but Perivolas is still the most stylish and peaceful place to stay.

The collection of suites at The Vasilicos , the former summer house of a larger-than-life art collector, still feels very much like home, due to charming staff and effortlessly classy interiors. Near the gravelly black shores of Perivolos beach, Istoria makes up for the absence of caldera views with a slick slate pool, superb restaurant and huge rooms.

Shooting a World War II film on an island flattened by an earthquake in sounds even crazier. And yet Captain Corelli's Mandolin put under-the-radar Kefalonia Cephalonia in the spotlight in The dramatic scenery still lives up to the hype: milky-white Myrtos beach, the island's pin-up; pine-fringed Horgota beach; and the giddying heights of Mount Ainos, a national park where deer and wild horses roam. Outdoor Kefalonia organises four-wheel-drive safaris, if you can't face the hairpin bends.

Surprisingly, the two prettiest seaside villages - Assos and Fiskardo - didn't make the cut. But the yachting set has discovered their photogenic charm.