9.0
Greek Islands · €€€
Perivolas Lifestyle Houses
Cave houses above the caldera at Oia, for adults, with the airport transfer included
Adults onlyOwn transferPanorama viewPrivate poolSmall and personalVery quiet
Greece · 2 hotels
Greek Islands
Choose the island first, the hotel second
Best months
SeasonThe islands run from Easter to late October, with June and September offering warm sea, open hotels and none of the August crowds.
AirportsAthens is the hub for ferries and domestic flights, while Santorini, Mykonos, Heraklion, Chania, Rhodes and Corfu take direct seasonal flights from most of Europe.
No other destination in Europe makes the choice of island matter more than the choice of hotel. Santorini and Mykonos hold the cave suites with private pools and the design houses that photograph well, while Paros, Sifnos and Folegandros keep the small family run places where the owner meets the ferry. Crete has the grand beachfront resorts with kids' clubs and their own transfers; Corfu and the Ionian offer green hills, calmer water and villas among olive groves. Adults only houses are common on the Cyclades, dogs are welcome more often than the brochures suggest, and almost everything is by the sea.
The season is short. Hotels open around Easter and close in late October, and the meltemi wind cools July and August on the Aegean. Insiders travel in June or September, take the ferry rather than the flight for the quieter islands, and book the room with the outdoor shower over the one with the bigger pool.
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