Welcome to the Greek Islands
The Greek Islands ignite the imagination and satisfy the soul with a history laced in mythical tales and told through ancient, sun-bleached ruins.
Experience Island Life
Sink your toes deep into the sand and listen to the warm Aegean lap the shore like you have nowhere else to be. This is island life. Soak up the majestic beauty of Santorini or indulge in the pulsing nightlife of Mykonos. Wander through lush wildflowers in spring or laze on isolated sandy coves in summer. Become acquainted with the melancholy throb of rembetika (blues songs) and the tang of homemade tzatziki. The days melt from one to the next, filled with miles of aquamarine coastline blessed with some of Europe’s cleanest beaches. Many travellers simply settle down and never go home.
Satisfy Your Appetite
On the islands, you'll often be fed like long-lost family from traditional dishes heaped with pride. Island hopping is a culinary adventure and a tour of regional cuisine. Each island's local cheese is unique, and its wild greens and honey distinct. Head to a harbour to watch the daily catch tumble from the fishermen's nets, and look for people collecting wild produce on the hillsides. On many islands, you'll encounter the Italian legacy of pasta with a Greek slant, like rich sauces with mussels steamed in ouzo. On others, the Ottoman past surfaces in spiced sweets and pastries.
Time Travel
Surround yourself with the ancient ruins of Delos or wander through the reconstructed Minoan palace of Knossos and you can almost sense the ancient Greeks moving alongside you. The spellbinding city of Akrotiri, dug out from beneath the ash of Santorini's massive volcanic eruption, and the medieval walled city of Rhodes let you step through a window into times past. Beyond these celebrated sites are the quieter ruins scattered on nearly every island, filled with mystery and often overgrown with wildflowers – from the enormous marble statues of Naxos to the colourful 2nd-century mosaics on Kos. Greek ruins are as impressive as they are numerous.
Get Active
The islands sit like floating magnets for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. Wander along cobbled Byzantine footpaths, hike into volcanoes, kayak with dolphins, watch for sea turtles and cycle through lush forests. The Greek islands are also an excellent place to try new pursuits, with some of the world’s top kitesurfing, diving and rock climbing locations. With wide, open skies and a vast and varied landscape that begs to be conquered, it's easy to understand how so many myths of gods and giants originated here.
Why I Love the Greek Islands
By Korina Miller, Writer
I was marooned on Tilos – a speck of an island adrift in the Aegean. My ferry had been cancelled and warm rain fell in torrential sheets, drenching me to the bone. This was not my island dream. I made my way to a beachside pub, housed in a turn-of-the-century stone building. Inside I was welcomed unceremoniously into the old boys' club with a shot of ouzo that slid down my throat like liquid sunshine. Someone picked out a tune on a guitar as singing filled the room. Island life comes in many guises but the warmth and the welcome are universal.
