12 Quick escape

This tiny, pristine teardrop of an island sits a mere 50 minutes from Athens. The high-speed ferry zips first to the island of Aegina and then 10 minutes further to the even more remotefeeling shores of Agistri.

The island is easily walkable, with a dense blanket of pine trees offering welcome shade. In July and August, Agistri’s pair of harbours, Skala and Megalochori, thrum with sunseekers who come for the island’s radiant waters. June and September are the ideal months to visit for fewer crowds and warm seas. Head for beaches such as Draghonera and Aponissos in the west, or closer to Skala there’s clothing-optional Chalikiada Beach, backed by cliffs.

Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights, Rhodes