From the moment you lay eyes on Diakofti port, straddling a rocky headland with dashes of Caribbean-style sand on either side, this isle on the edge of the Peloponnese begins to work its magic. Legends say that Kythira was the birthplace of Aphrodite – Greek goddess of love. A cold beer halfway at Kodylenias Resto offers visions of the Peloponnesian mountains topped with windmills across the strait. At sunset, be sure to stroll the coastal path westwards to Vlychos Beach. The main town might get busy with day-trippers from Athens during the peak season, but you’re more likely to meet a Greek goat than a tourist if you hit the hiking trails through the pine groves to wonderful Prophet Elias Monastery. And the main town, also called Hydra, filters out to a Mars-like backcountry of vermillion-tinged hills and farms.

Cars are traded with pack donkeys (no automobiles are allowed!). It’s famed for its sleepy character and rocky complexion. Hydra (pronounced id-ra) rises to the peak of Mount Eros like a watchtower over the Aegean Sea. Hand-roasted coffees are served at La Frianderie and the good-vibes retreat of Live Bio offers rentals with a stunning view across the straits. The backcountry hosts crumbled temples and even the sanctuary where the famed orator Demosthenes committed suicide back in 322 BCE! For something a little more local, pay a euro for the ferry over to Galatas. The main town is a lively mosaic of flower-strewn cottages and quayside tavernas. Ditch the traffic-clogged lanes of the capital and you could soon be lazing on Love Bay’s pine-fringed sands or swimming in the shadow of an orthodox hermitage at Monastiri Beach. Just an hour’s catamaran from Athens, it’s also eminently accessible. Poros (no, definitely not Paros!) is the pearl of the Saronic Gulf.

And then there’s Mount Oros, with a summit towering 532 meters over the Saronic Gulf. The archaeology digs at Kolona are a window into the ancient city state that once made its home here. You won’t want to miss the haunting silhouette of the Temple of Aphaia on the eastern headlands, especially at sunset. But push beyond those and there’s a large isle speckled with wondrous temples and jaw-dropping lookouts. Yes, the main town and its nearby coves are a playground for day-trippers. Catch a speedboat from Athens, and you could be pulling into the vibrant port in the time it takes to finish a feta pastry. AeginaĪegina’s worth a mention for its sheer proximity to Piraeus. Explore the hidden jewels of this much-loved corner of Europe with its sleepy fishing villages, quaint olive farms, clothing-optional beaches, and more whitewashed tavernas than you can shake a saganaki cheese at! Get ready to go off the beaten path in Greece. We’ll guide you from the rustic Dodecanese chain on the cusp of Turkey all the way to the chalk-white coves of the Ionian isles. There are plenty of other Greek islands: you just might not have heard of them yet. Ditch the pulsing party towns of Mykonos. Dodge the snorkeler-filled lagoons of Crete.

Greek hidden islands