Vacation rentals on the Greek Islands

An island-hopping vacation offers you the best chance to take in as many fabulous Greek Islands as your time allows. Most flights lead to Athens, from where you can easily catch a boat to the island group of your choice. The Cyclades in the north are home to some of the most popular islands, including Mykonos, the most glamorous of the Greek Islands, and Santorini with its iconic cliff-side sunsets and black-sand volcanic beaches.

In the Dodecanese islands to the south you will experience the historical influences of the plethora of cultures that have passed through. Its highlight is Patmos, where life is in tune with the monastery bells where St John experienced his Revelations. The Ioanians to the west are slightly cooler than the rest and boast abundantly forested mountains and countless olive and cypress trees. The group includes the romantic island of Kythira with its unspoiled wilderness and countless hiking trails.

The party scene on the Greek Islands is centred around Mykonos, which is famous worldwide for its enormous all-night clubs. Clubbers simply cannot miss the mega open-air club of Cavo Paradiso, where thousands of people dance to the beats of international DJs under the Greek stars. Make sure to book a table in advance! For a club/lounge bar hybrid, check out Atsra, known for its eclectic crowd, unique atmosphere and character. The vibe is more casual in the early evenings, but at dusk it becomes a hip joint where you can rub shoulders with people from all walks of life.

With literally thousands of beaches to choose from on the Greek Islands, is there one that could be called the very best? Yes, there is! And it is Crete’s Elafonissi Beach, named one of the world's top 25 beaches on TripAdvisor! Elafonisi is actually an island separated from the coast of Crete by a shallow, warm lagoon and a sandbar. It boasts brilliant white sand with pink hues and turquoise lagoon-like waters that ripple as they pick up the breeze. It is a widely exotic place, a natural reserve and a shelter for rare loggerhead sea turtles!

Naxos is a mix of winding alleyways and gorgeous waterfront scenes with a vast countryside filled with mountain villages, unspoiled beaches and heritage sites.

Butterfly-shaped Astypalaia’s hilltops are covered with historic whitewashed villages and it boasts one of the most picturesque towns in the Aegean, named Chora, with a castle and blue domed church towering over the town.

Instead of the whitewashed villages so prevalent on the Greek Islands, Symi’s capital town of Ano Symi comes replete with neoclassical colorful buildings that descend the hill slopes to the water’s edge.

Located on the largest Greek island of Crete, there is an undeniable raw beauty to this 16 kilometre canyon, with its soaring cliffs and needlenose passageways, and it makes for one of Europe’s most spectacular hikes.

Situated on the island of Skopelos, you can climb the same steps up to the church where the wedding was held in this much loved film. Worked up an appetite? Nearby there are some fantastic tavernas serving fresh seafood and traditional offerings like moussaka and souvlaki!