A Luxury Guide to Greek Island-hopping

When to go

If you're after the best beach weather, go for the summer months. But if you're happy to trade a few degrees of warmth for fewer crowds, May and September are great times to visit. If you're thinking of April or October, bear in mind that there may be a reduced ferry service in some places.

Which islands to choose

There are thousands of Greek islands, but if you want a little luxury with your island-hopping holiday, here are some great combinations…

Mykonos & Santorini

Mykonos and Santorini are in all likelihood Greece's chicest islands. they've got commonly Greek appropriate appears – all whitewashed homes trimmed with hot-crimson bougainvillaea and churches topped with sapphire-blue domes – and greater than their truthful proportion of luxurious lodges and connoisseur restaurants.

In Mykonos, spend your days flitting among the island's sandy seashores; attempt incredible paradise for an energetic vibe, Aghios Ioannis for a nonviolent experience, and Psarou for something among the two. Because the sun begins to set, plot a direction for little Venice. This waterside location of Mykonos city has the fine sunset views (and cocktail bars). On Santorini, it's all approximately the perspectives, with the island's west-coast towns perching atop dramatic cliffs that forget a sunken volcanic crater. Save an evening for oia (the sugar-dice village you'll have seen on all of the postcards) and a day for exploring the volcano by means of a boat.

Santorini's capital, Fira, is a great forestall for a piece of buying. The shops and boutiques are located just back down the cliff side, so even as you're mooching via the cobbled alleyways and surfing the lace kaftans and delicate filigree jewellery, you'll trap a glimpse the Aegean sometimes.

Mykonos, Santorini & Crete

Why stop at two? Mykonos, Santorini and Crete make a brilliant island-hopping combination. Including Crete to the mixture gives you the risk to discover the grand Minoan palace of Knossos and the mysterious islet of Spinalonga. For a taster of massive-city life, spend some hours walking the cobbled streets of Rethymnon; in case you'd alternatively take matters slowly, are trying to find out laid-returned villages like Aghios Nikolaos or Plaka.

Rhodes & Kos

The maximum famous islands within the Dodecanese make a high-quality pairing. Start off in Rhodes. It's supposedly the sunniest spot in Greece and has plenty of postcard-worthy seashores that will help you make the maximum of it. Earmark a day to explore Rhodes town – its antique zone is a medley of medieval, Venetian, Byzantine and ottoman homes. For the second leg of your island-hopping vacation, you'll head north-west to Kos. There's history to uncover in Kos town and the historic archaeological site of asklepion, however, it's the golden sandy beaches that surely shine right here.