Uncovering the best of the Greek islands

The Independent

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00:00Hello and welcome to Travel Smart. Today we're going island hopping around Greece.

00:07The warm waters of the Ionian and Aegean Sea provide the ideal seascape.

00:14Enticing beaches, waterside tavernas and unrivalled archaeology mean the 200-plus

00:23Greek islands are ideal territory. But which is the best Greek island for you?

00:30I'm ready for this, I need you all in. I'm ready for this, so darling hold my hand.

00:40Wherever you go good food and wine are assured and one destination is a kind of one island

00:48fits all. It's the biggest of them, Crete.

00:52The highlights are strung out mainly along the north coast. Let's begin in Harnia in the west,

01:02an ancient port city steeped in history with a gorgeous harbour. It also has the gateway airport

01:09for western Crete and is handy for pretty Rethymnon, a tempting family location with a good beach.

01:18Crete's capital, Heraklion, is far from a postcard perfect island city but it's worth staying

01:24overnight so you can visit the Minoan Palace complex of Knossos just south as soon as it opens at 8am,

01:32with the place largely to yourself. The archaeological museum in town is also worth a few hours.

01:40Continuing east, my favourite resort is Elunda draped across a lovely bay. From here you can make excursions

01:49to the former leper colony on the island of Spinalonga and the pretty port of Ayas Nikolaus.

01:56For a real escape, explore the southern shore of the island. Back in the west of Crete,

02:05take a hike along the gorge of Samaria, a challenging one-day adventure.

02:12In the south-eastern Aegean, the 12 main islands of the Dodecanese each has its own appeal. The largest,

02:19Rhodes, has a fascinating capital, with layers of history stretching back through millennia.

02:24The harbour was the location for one of the wonders of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes.

02:33You could drive around the island in a day but it's well worth staying overnight in beautiful Lindos,

02:38location for a spectacular acropolis overlooking the fishing port.

02:43Frequent flights operate to and from Rhodes as well as Kos to the north. Both islands have ferry

02:49connections to the Turkish mainland too, but the remaining isles in the Dodecanese are all much

02:55quieter. Any Greek island without a direct flight from the UK offers a more authentic experience.

03:01Our favourites are Simi and Helki.

03:07The Cyclades group includes two of the most popular Greek islands. Mykonos, which unquestionably has the

03:15most classy and expensive nightlife. And Santorini, where the sunsets are unmatched.

03:25Santorini is basically a fragment of a volcano. The main town, Thera, is perched on the lip of the

03:32crater with startling views. The island also has the closest Greece gets to Pompeii in Italy, in the

03:40shape of the ruins of Agrotiri, destroyed when the volcano erupted 3,600 years ago. At the other end of

03:49the island, you can explore the exquisite village of Ia, tumbling down a hillside into the turquoise Aegean.

03:58Among the other Cyclades, Paros is a good choice for an island hopping base. It's big and busy enough to

04:05have plenty of amenities and has good links to pretty Antiparos as well as Naxos, a good choice for

04:13stepping off the beaten track and doing some hiking, possibly with yoga and massage to follow.

04:23On the other side of mainland Greece, the Ionian islands have a strong Italian influence.

04:28Corfu, relaxed and accessible, is a perennial favourite. Besides plenty of beaches,

04:34the island is home to the 93-mile Corfu Trail. It's divided into 10 sections so you can experience

04:40it just as a day hike. Corfu town is arguably the single most interesting island capital.

04:49Two Venetian fortresses protect its harbour. The island was ruled from Venice for four centuries

04:54and gives the town an Italian feel. Explore the original Campiello quarter with tottering houses

05:01and cobbled squares. The Jewish quarter, rather newer but equally picturesque. And the huge Spionada,

05:08a bustling main square edged with gently crumbling Venetian palaces, as well as a cricket pitch.

05:14Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands and has plenty of wilderness as well as tempting beaches.

05:20Much of the main town, Agostoli, was destroyed in a catastrophic earthquake in 1953.

05:26The port of Fiscado, which largely survived the seismic event, has more appeal.

05:31Barely 10 miles separates Kefalonia from Xanti, and a ferry sails between the two in summer.

05:37Xanti, also known as Zakindos, is well worth exploring by car. Besides the big resorts in the south of the island,

05:45notably Luganas, there are hilltop towns, soaring mountains and some exceptionally blue waters.

05:51So Simon, this week's question comes from me. Very simply, what are the notable Greek islands that we

05:59haven't touched on? There's so many of them, and basically any island that you cannot fly to direct

06:07from the UK is always going to be a very different experience. And there's a couple that I'm

06:12particularly fond of. The first one is Poros. Now this used to be actually quite a popular package

06:19destination, and I think it will be coming back in that role soon. It's just 75 minutes by high-speed

06:26ferry from Piraeus, the port for Athens. But when you get there, it's a beautiful little island,

06:33a few Athenians on holiday there, but it really feels like a pace of life hasn't really changed

06:40since the 1950s. And then at the other end of Greece, I think possibly the northernmost island

06:48of all, Thassos is just lovely. It feels very different. It's clad in pines. But of course,

06:57wherever you go in Greece, there will be an island for you, and I'm still trying to get around them all.

07:02That's all from this episode, but do get in touch with your personal favourite Greek island.

07:10And for more news, reviews, and travel inspiration, head to our website.

07:14You might also want to listen to my daily travel podcast. Goodbye.

07:23I'm ready for this, I need you all in. I'm ready for this, stop down and hold my hand.

07:37All right.

07:50You

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