MYKONOS
It may seem perverse to include this glitzy party island, but those in the know – including Linda Evangelista and Sharon Stone – enjoy its azure-blue waters from a base in the relatively undiscovered Ornos Bay. Away from the gleaming white buildings and jostling crowds of Mykonos Town, the recently reopened Santa Marina hotel encourages a far more tranquil sojourn on the ‘island of the winds’, which was brought to the fore in the 1960s by Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Grace Kelly. While others are revelling in the north, you can opt for a cooling dip in the aptly named Oasis Pool or a lunch of the freshest seafood on the colourful terrace above the hotel’s sweeping private beach. From here, it’s also easy to travel the picturesque back-country roads to secluded Agios Ioannis beach, which is a good spot for windsurfing and other aquatic adventures. Where to stay: Santa Marina Resort & Villas, a Luxury Collection Resort (www.santa-marina.gr).