11 Simple pleasures

Simos beach, where twin crescents of dunes form an hourglass in the turquoise sea, is irresistible. But you have to work to get there; Elafonisos is in the southeast Peloponnese, a short ferry hop from Pounta, which is a fourhour drive from Athens airport or just under three hours from Kalamata.

All the hotels are small, including the Elafonisos Resort (from £82, B&B). There are other gorgeous sandy beaches but only one ‘sight’, the world’s oldest submerged city, 5,000-year-old Pavlopetri, so bring your snorkel. Elafonisos is no longer a secret, but it’s not spoiled; Elafonisos Eco, the first environmental association on a Greek island, is dedicated to keeping it that way. pavlopetri.org elafonisoseco.org elafonisosresort.com

Below: Handmade apple pies on the far-flung island of Karpathos