Your GREEK ISLAND GUIDE

Find the perfect Hellenic summer getaway with our round-up of sun-soaked isles

SKIATHOS

OUR PICK FOR Beach bums 
THE ISLAND Emerald pine-wooded

Skiathos, memorably featured in the original 2008 lm Mamma Mia!, is endowed with over 60 beaches – a surplus of silky sand in exquisite settings that few islands can match. Most of the beaches are on the south coast, culminating in Koukounaries, a stunning mile-long crescent of cream-colored sand and shallow turquoise waters, backed by a wooded lagoon. The island’s one town, Skiathos Town, is a jewel. Embracing a bijou harbor, it’s packed full of top-notch restaurants, bars, and night spots.

THE STAY Peacefully isolated on a cliff overlooking the sea, yet only a minute walk from the buzzing heart of Skiathos Town, Chrysoula’s Guest House was originally the summer villa of a wealthy family. The 10 guest rooms, furnished with marble and dark wood, ooze traditional character – and many of them have balconies and enchanting views over nearby islets. You can walk a few minutes to the nearest beach, or if you can’t wait to take a dip, swim straight from the rocks below. Double rooms at Chrysoula’s Guest House from £102, including breakfast; skiathoscluborsa.gr

SANTORINI

OUR PICK FOR Romantics

THE ISLAND Santorini is unmatched for sheer otherworldly beauty. Molten white villages and bubble-domed churches ooze over the island's tremendous curl of blackened cliffs. Endless views stretch over the waters of the immense inky blue caldera, formed around 1650 BC when the island blew its top in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in history.