GIDAKI, ITHACA

GREECE

NATURAL BEAUTY 10/10 Some of Greece’s most famously beautiful beaches are striking slices of brilliant white set beneath sheer, chalky cliffs. This white-pebble wonder is one of the easiest to access.

TOWEL SPACE 7/10

Small ferries ply the short route to Gidaki. It pays to arrive by 11am to snag a sunbed, though the long, narrow strip offers room for everyone and provides a front-row view of the sea.

LOCAL AMENITIES 2/10 Unlike the better-known Navagio beach on Zakynthos, there is a beach bar on Gidaki, serving snack food and drinks. If you haven’t an umbrella, afternoon shade is provided by the cliffs. Keep in mind there are no lavatories.

GENTLE WATERS 7/10

This bay shelves gradually and gets deep enough for a swim through beautiful shades of teal. It’s very calm and not prone to waves, though jelly shoes are advisable to walk on the pretty pebbles.

THINGS TO DO 3/10 Children are left to their own devices, collecting pebbles, building towers, skimming stones and snorkelling. The boat ride here is good fun and children will find the final approach towards the cliffs exciting.

The Mentor Hotel (00 30 2674 032433; hotelmentor.gr) offers doubles from £48 per night. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London to Kefalonia from £44 return. Daily ferries run from Kefalonia to Ithaca, taking 20 minutes and priced from £11 per person for a one-way ticket

Covid rules There are currently no restrictions on entry to Greece