Crete
From its western tip – crowned by Chania’s Venetian harbour, maze of shopping alleys and the flamingo-pink sands of Elafonissi Beach, to its eastern toe, home to Sitia’s authentic tavernas and the exotic palm-tree-lined sands of Vai, idyllic escapes are two a penny on Greece’s largest island.
For a miniature version of Chania only with fewer crowds, head for Rethymnon, where feet-in-the-water tavernas serve luscious local treats, cobbled lanes are lined with ritzy boutiques selling Greek designer wares and golden sand beaches invite brine-bathed lounging. Alternatively, fix your sights on Agios Nikolaos, a lost-in-the-past resort with old-style kafenions, glorious glittering seascapes, and a so-called bottomless lake (it’s actually 64m deep).
Where to stay: Combine health and plenty of hygge at five-star, adults-only sanctuary Minos Palace, which has its own sandy beach, dramatic views over jet-setter-loved Mirabello Bay and a state-of-the-art spa offering science-based longevity treatments.
Kimolos
If you dream of being castaway on a near-deserted beach, surviving on honeyed grapes and syrupy wine and swimming clothes-free in seas the colour of a peacock’s feathers, then tiny atoll Kimolos, a 15-minute ferry hop from Milos, is the one to choose.
Scattered in remote spots across the island, syrmata fishing huts where fishermen once hauled in their boats in the stormy winter months have been repurposed as bijou accommodation bang on the beach. If you can tear yourself away from lazy, hazy days and endless moon-silvered nights living your own private idyll, explore capital Chora’s cat-prowled alleys, snorkel out to see the submerged ruins of an ancient Mycenaean city from Ellinika’s near-deserted sands, or revel in rom-coms shown beneath star-jewelled skies at fishing hamlet Goupa’s open-air cinema.
Where to stay: There are only a handful of places to stay on this 36 km² island, but repurposed syrmata Thalassa Beach House is your best bet if you long to wake every the morning and step directly out onto your own shell-strewn secluded cove.
