THE GREECE HOTLIST

13 PLACES PERFECT FOR LATE SUMMER AND EARLY AUTUMN Which Greek destination is right for YOU?

2021-09-01 -

There is nowhere quite like Greece for variety and its mainland and islands both offer up a plethora of travel experiences. Its landscapes transist from milk-white shores to wild mountainscapes in the blink of an eye, and each city, island and village has a history far longer than any guidebook can quickly explain.

Whether you’re after a hike, bike or paddle along the coastline or want to spend your time exploring the many ancient castles, monasteries and archaeological sites, there is an adventure to be found in Greece to suit almost every type of traveller. But where to start? We’ve made it easy for you and rounded up Greece’s hottest last-minute escapes for late summer and autumn exploration. Which of these 13 Greek destination will you choose?

1 PELION PENINSULA

Curled like a scorpion’s tail around the Pagasetic Gulf, the Pelion Peninsula is a lush brushstroke of coastal hill country sweeping off the eastern side of the mainland.

Beyond regional capital Volos, the pinethick foothills of Mount Pelion mask stone-built villages, medieval monasteries and wild trails, all filtering down to quiet fishing ports and deserted sandy beaches. It feels like an open secret; it’s just that the crowds never bother to show up, so you’ll get it largely to yourself.

Volos makes for a lively introduction to the peninsula, a student town with a mythic past: this is, after all, where Jason’s Argonauts were said to have set off to find the Golden Fleece. It’s also a jumping off point for the prized beaches of the north.

But the Pelion Peninsula is also prime walking country. Most of the hill villages are linked by trails, with Tsagarada flanked by a circular hike looping orchards and cobblestone paths. To admire some of the region’s many waterfalls, start in Chania to walk through the virgin beech forest where you will find waterfalls and running streams under the shady canopy. The more adventurous may prefer the day’s trek from Makrinitsa (known as ‘Pelion’s balcony’ for its sweeping views) to Veneto, taking in the abandoned 16th century monastery of Sourvia en route.

Alternatively, there’s always the 60km South Pelion Trail. Starting from Kato Gatzea, near Volos, it tumbles across the forested heart of the peninsula and down to the Aegean-lapped shores of Platania. Along the way it passes through Milies, where a 60cm-gauge railway that was constructed in 1903 still chugs up to Ano Lechonia, passing over old stone bridges and offering views of tree-covered gorges.

2 EPIRUS COAST (PARGA-TO-PREVEZA)

The Epirus region, in the far northwest, is known to travellers for its cliff-top monasteries, dizzying gorges and bear-trekked mountains. For locals, however, the Ionian coast is the star here. It’s Greece’s unique take on the Amalfi, all colourful fishing villages and craggy beaches but with ancient cities and mythic rivers thrown in for good measure.

At Parga, this riviera starts to shine. The town lies across the lush ridges and golden sands of the Kryoneri bay, cobbles ramping up to a Venetian castle that looms above. It’s a fine setting, edged by sea caves, river springs and the (disputed) remains of Nekromanteio, a temple to the dead, which lies on the banks of the Acheron river – the mythic gateway to Hades.

The Acheron is a thrill to explore today, either on kayak or horseback, fording its foreststudded banks down from the mountains. Alternatively, skim the coast south to the blue fjord of Syvota, a small village sprinkled with emerald islets, perfect for exploring by kayak.

End your trip in Preveza, on the mouth of the Amvrakikos Wetlands, part of the Amvrakikos Gulf, a vast national park. Explore the gulf by boat to spot birds such as ibis and heron as well as dolphins. Don’t miss the gulf’s famous shrimp or the roe, Greece’s answer to caviar. In town, the bustling bazaar and trio of castles offer plenty to explore. Nearby, the ruins of the city of Nikopolis, built by the Roman emperor Octavian after his defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, are little known to outsiders and make a fitting finale to any tour of the region.

3 HALKIDIKI

Pearl-white sands and glistening waters are the calling card of Halkidiki, yet this north-eastern corner of mainland Greece defies most expectations.

Yes, the region is wrapped in idyllic shores, with the peninsulas of Kassandra and Sithonia the star attractions. The latter is the quieter of the two, but in its cobbled villages, underwater ancient town (Toroni), remote cape and offshore archipelago (Vourvourou), there’s plenty to do besides lie in the sun.

Explore beyond the coast and you’ll find a region with a long history. The remains of Olynthos and Stageira (birthplace of Aristotle) point to its Classical heyday, but the caves at Petralona prove these lands were inhabited long before then, around 700,000 years ago.

To the east lies Mount Athos, an independent monastic state, and amid its cliff-top trails, gardens and hermitages are 20 Byzantine monasteries, cloaked in high walls. Only a handful of men (and men only) can visit each day, though many boat tours offer a more distant, panoramic encounter.

Inland, little has changed in Halkidiki for centuries. Wander the mademohoria, or ‘ironworker’, villages to admire the Macedonianstyle architecture of the buildings. Or just stretch your legs in the timeless forests of Mount Holomontas, its slopes furred in dense holm oak and pine, while raptors hunt overhead.

4 KEFALONIA

Few realise how beautiful the Ionian island of Kefalonia (Cephalonia) is. It boasts hidden shores of bone-white sands, vineyards stretching for kilometres across the Robola valley, and shady trails wrapping the black fir forests of Mount Ainos (1,628m).

Peaceful escapes are never far away here. The red cliffs and craggy bays of the Paliki Peninsula wrap hills that ripple to clifftop monasteries. Explore golden bays that are best reached by boat (Petani) and tiny villages where the tavernas serve – and sing! – deep into the warm summer evenings.

There are surprises everywhere. Near Sami, you can float the cenote-like Melissani cave, where shafts of light filter past roots in the collapsed ceiling to strike the cerulean waters below. Or head north to the cliff-wrapped sands of Myrtos, named in just about every list of the finest beaches in Greece.

The far north of Kefalonia is well worth a visit. Here the road rises to hug maquis-tufted cliffs high above the coast, revealing tiny villages like the elegant Assos, where colourful houses skirt a shallow pebble bay, above which the ruins of the old kastro still glower menacingly.

Next, visit Fiskado to admire its Venetian architecture. Stroll its streets to pass pastelhued houses, grand mansions and the still intact harbour and old town. The island’s capital, Argostoli, is also a great place to see Venetian architecture, as well as the Cyclopean walls wrapped around its old town and the music-filled and restaurant-lined Plateia Valianou (Central Square).

5 CRETE

It’s difficult to think of Crete as just an island. It often feels more like its own country, stoic and stately, wrapped in history, culture and wild countryside. From high mountains (Ida is over 2,450m) and impressive walking country in the Samaria Gorge, to the relics of the Minoans – often described as the earliest civilisation in Europe – it’s a rugged, mythic world apart. And then there is the food.

Dakos salads (filling bowls of tomatosoaked rusks), myriad cheeses and

kalitsounia pies (fried filo pastry parcels often stuffed with cheese and herbs, served with honey), all washed down with a glass of fiery raki (brandy), are part of the backbone of Cretan cuisine. Hoover them up at rustic tavernas in coastal villages such as Sfakia or the fishing port of Sissi.

The cities are just as appetising. Maze-like Chania is burrowed with labyrinthine alleys and colourful Venetian mansions, Heraklion comes wrapped in grand fortifications, while the streets of Rethymno seem to chart the island’s story as you stroll from early Byzantine relics to fortified castles from the Ottoman conflict, with tales and theatre in almost every cobble.

But you’ll find history across the whole island, such as the Palace of Knossos, the mythological setting for King Minos’ labyrinth. Or visit the coastal ruins of Spinalonga, a Venetian walled settlement that became a leper colony in its later years. Beyond, lie lagoons (Balos), paradisiacal shores (Elafonissi), numerous uninhabited isles and rough mountain trails.

6 LIPSI

Nestled in the northernmost fringes of the Dodecanese, hours from Rhodes and Kos, Lipsi, with its blue-domed churches and white houses, has all the charm of an unexpected find, with a laid-back vibe and gentle pace of life. The main village skirts an old harbour where the terraces of seafood restaurants stitch the dock and a busy bakery churns out sweet-smelling bread and pies. The hill-top centre is actually a short clamber away, up cobbled slopes beneath blue-shuttered windows. It’s a pleasant walk, as is much of the island, with its low hills easily covered on foot.

It’s little wonder that, for the ancient poet Homer, this was the land of Calypso, a nymph who entranced passersby. The beaches here are truly beguiling, and most are less than an hour’s stroll from town, as you skitter past olive groves and copses of shady cypress to sandy Kambos or breezy Platis Gialos. The further east you go, the fewer people you’ll see, as the roads end and a patchwork of sun-dappled coves and hidden bays take over.

Above town at the top of Kastro Hill sits the island’s acropolis, although Lipsi’s most famous sight is further on. Every August, pilgrims flock to the church of Panagia toy Harou for a procession of its icon of the Virgin around the island and to see the annual blossoming of the dead bouquet of flowers on the icon. As part of the celebrations, a 24 hour feast takes place.

Make the most of the daily boat tours and escape to the nearby islets of Makronisi, Aspronisi, Tiganakia, Marathi and Arki to enjoy their unspoiled sands and crystalline waters.

7 ZAKYNTHOS

Zakynthos has a rather boisterous reputation, but beyond its bars you’ll find unexpected wildlife, boutique stays, a wild coastline and a laidback capital where the strains of kantádhes still pour from tavernas late at night.

Spend some time exploring the island’s main town, and don’t miss the steep hike up cobbled switchbacks to reach the remains of the castle (dating back to the 15th century) above, from where you can enjoy rewarding and revealing views across the verdant ridges inland.

To the south-east, the forest-wrapped beaches of Vasilikos make for a quiet escape. Many are home to nesting loggerhead turtles, although these are best spied on boat trips to the breeding grounds of Marathonisi Island, with many cruises also stopping at Cape Keri so you can swim in the sea caves.

Boats are a great way to see Zakynthos. The sands of Navagio (“Shipwreck Beach”) are only reachable by water, with visitors deposited by the wreck of the MV Panagiotis and free to wander its golden shores beneath the chalk-white cliffs. Then there’s the Blue Caves, a series of limestone arches where the morning light bounces off the water to dazzling effect.

A worthy alternative is to drive inland, hugging the craggy west coast and wooded hill country. Here the old villages of Kiliomenos and the valley-dwelling Loucha offer a peaceful retreat of artisanal co-ops, vineyards and old monasteries. A far cry from most people’s first impression of the island.

8 RHODES

When the Roman author Pliny the Elder saw the remains of Rhodes’s great Colossus, toppled by earthquakes, he declared that, ‘even lying on the ground it is a marvel’. The island still has the power to impress, no more so than in one of the greatest medieval citadels of Europe. To wander Rhodes’s Old Town is to lose yourself among its Byzantine relics. Summit its grand walls, parade the seven inns of the Street of the Knights, then finish in the Palace of the Grand Master. Dating back to the 14th century when it was first built by the Knights Hospitaller, the castle has had a fascinating and compelling history over the years which can be learned about at the two museums held within the castle walls.

South of the capital, the coast takes over. Golden beaches run the eastern shores down to the eye-catching cliff-side village of Lindos, home to a grand acropolis. Steep steps rise from its covered market, passing old captain’s houses-turned-bars, to the remains of its ancient city, peering imperiously out to the Aegean beyond.

Inland, rocky springs and the ghost town of Eleousa lie at the foot of Mount Profitis Ilias. Eleousa was built by the Italians in the early 1900s, and makes for an excellent stroll. Or continue to the west coast where the windbattered castles of Kritinia and Monolithos guard a shoreline of wild, monstrous crag.

Finish among the protected sweetgum forests of Petaloudes, aptly dubbed the ‘Valley of Butterflies’, which is home to millions of Jersey tiger moths. They plaster the sticky trees every summer, feeding on the resin but are easily startled, so tread lightly.

9 LIMNOS

Rolling dunes, petrified forests, Mars-like rocks and one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Limnos has a setting to rival any other island in the Aegean, yet it still seems to escape the notice of most travellers.

Venture to its northern coast and you’ll find the only desert in Greece. When the wind whips up, its dune sands shift like an ocean, their finely etched ripples breaking on the white lilies that bloom on their fringes.

Also in the north of the island, you’ll find the snowball-like boulders of Cape Falakro, which are just as unusual, some so perfectly spherical they look like they have been rolled by hand. And then there’s the caves hidden at the top of Kakavos mountain, which reveal a roof-less chapel inside an old hermit’s shelter, built discreetly to hide it from passing raiders.

There’s even wildlife here. The salt flats of Aliki Lake are an unforgiving place in summer, but later in the season they fill with thousands of flamingos hot-footing the shallows, while the sea caves of Mikro Fanaraki are a common refuge for Mediterranean monk seals, often spotted playing in its waters.

Even capital Myrina has its wild side. Walks up to its Byzantine castle reveal not only ruins but also the free-roaming deer living among them, fed and watered by locals. Finish back on Myrina’s old harbour, where tavernas dish up fine seafood and heaving bowls of rooster with flomaria, a thin, noodle-shaped pasta well washed down with a glass of local wine.

10 KOS

From the hot-water sands of Therma to the chalk-white shores of Kefalos and the south-west coast, it’s easy to see why Kos caught the imagination of the beach crowd. Yet this Dodecanese island has a history and charm beyond its shoreline, and one best discovered on two wheels.

Capital Kos Town is filled with cycle lanes that trickle past the harbour and old city walls down to its Crusader-built fortress. As you scroll on through, the Italian bombast of its 19th-century redevelopment slowly unravels to reveal older Middle Eastern influences, recalling the island’s long occupation.

The city’s real treasures date from further back, however. In the suburbs lie excavated Roman houses, a restored odeon, gymnasium and agora, and an asklepieion. The latter was built to honour Hippocrates, the famed Greek physician who hailed from Kos and was said to have taught under a plane tree that ( just about) still stands in front of the Loggia mosque.

Outside the capital, there’s plenty to see. From the salt lake of Tigaki, which fills with flamingos in winter, a loop inland takes you past vineyards, through hill country and back to town. On the way, visit the remains of Old Pyli, a rock-top castle with views of the mountains and the coast; the artisanal boutiques of Zia village; and the ghost town of Haihoutes, which was abandoned in the 1970s but has since sparked to life with B&BS and a taverna making the most of the trails nearby. A grand escape.

11 SKIATHOS

Lying on the western edge of the Sporades archipelago, life in Skiathos revolves around the coast, with some 60 beaches that run the gamut from white pebbles to milky sands, all swaddled in boutique hotels and thick forests of pine. Koukounaries, a thin arc of sand lapped by azure waters, is perhaps the best known of the beaches here, but there are dozens knitting the south coast that are just as impressive. For something a little more remote, try Lalaria, a lonely northern cove edged by tall limestone cliffs that can only be reached by boat charter.

Offshore, trips to the nearby islets of Tsougria and Arkos reveal yet more isolated shores and sheltered coves perfect for snorkel safaris and shore dives. But you needn’t escape the island for a bit of quiet.

Twenty-six well-marked hiking trails, just shy of a combined length of 200km, crisscross Skiathos. The inland trails see few other travellers, especially in the hilly north-west where sun dappled paths emerge blearily on hidden monasteries. Alternatively, walk to the ruins of the medieval kastro that once sheltered the entire island within its walls.

These days, most locals live in capital Skiathos Town, a labyrinthine mass of whitewashed alleys that found fame as a filming location for Mamma Mia!. Slick terraced restaurants line the harbour either side of the

Bourtzi, a ruined fortress on a tiny forested peninsula, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better spot to end the evening.

12 KOUFONISIA

It wasn’t that long ago since the islands of the Lesser Cyclades were almost completely secret. 30 years ago, Koufonisia (meaning ‘hollow islands’, named after the gaping caves that used to trick pirates into thinking the islands were hollow) was little known. Today, its main island, Ano Koufonisi, is likened to Mykonos in summer, when capital Hora swells with visitors. But go later in the season and you can see it how it used to be.

Ano Koufonisi is the main stop here, with its surge in visitors having fuelled its chic stays and eateries. Despite this, the island still feels like a forgotten corner. You could walk it in hours, and cars are unnecessary. Hire a bike or stroll trails to the long white sands of Pori and Fanos, where the clear waters are perfect for snorkelling. Alternatively, take a dip in the turquoise waters of the Piscina natural pool.

Koufonisia isn’t just one island. Boats to neighbouring Kato Koufonisi reveal a pretty port, a handful of pristine beaches and abandoned houses, now used for storage by fishermen. No one lives here permanently and there are few facilities, although this is positively metropolitan compared to the nearby Keros.

Boat trips around Keros skirt what was once a centre for the Cycladic people. Today, it’s an important archaeological site and exploration is off limits. You’ll have to content yourself with exploring its rugged coastline, with the pit stops en route to swim the sea caves of tiny islet Glaronissi making for fine compensation.

13 MILOS Milos is the overlooked middle child of the Cyclades. Yes, it has fine beaches, volcanic springs, and the

Venus di Milo was found here. But with Santorini next door, it’s been largely left undiscovered by the majority of travellers.

What makes Milos so special is where you can’t go – at least by car. Its whole western side is given over to a nature reserve created to protect its endemic species (watch out for the local vipers). The volcanic coast is pocked with coves, beaches and sea caves, such as Kleftiko, an old pirate hideaway only reachable by boat – or for the really adventurous – by foot.

Over at Sarakiniko, a narrow inlet of clear water is wrapped in snow-white rock, creating a wild moonscape. Then there’s the old fishing villages, where you can stay in traditional

syrma atop boathouses: Klima is surrounded by history with a Roman theatre and the ruins of Fylakopi, the ancient centre of obsidian trading in the Cyclades, nearby.

Dating back even further are the catacombs of Tripiti, a network of burial chambers created around the 1st century AD. Some 2,000 Christians were buried here until landslides sealed it off. It’s only a short trip to nearby Plaka, one of the prettiest white-washed villages on the island, and every inch as charming as Santorini.

Whichever escape you choose, you’ll not be disappointed. So get planning and discover your own corner of Greece, your way…