A World Traveler’s Guide to Greece

I first traveled to Greece for a friend’s wedding almost 20 years ago on the stunning island of Kythira, which sits between mainland Greece and Crete. In those days it was remote and difficult to get to but worth it for the beautifully secluded beaches accessed solely by boat, dining under festoon lighting by the water, a ceremony in a tiny church at the top of a hill. It really was like something from Mamma Mia!

In 2015 I revisited Greece and the island of Aegina, where I fell in love with the Saronic Islands (a little cluster close to Athens including Aegina, Salamina, Hydra, Spetses, Poros and Agistri) and have been returning at least once a year since then.

A lot of people do day trips to the Saronic Islands from Athens: these islands are where the Greeks have their summer houses and the pace of life is much slower, simpler, more relaxed. I find it so grounding.

When choosing which of Greece’s islands to visit you have to decide between three areas: Aegean (Saronic and Cyclades island clusters) Ionian (Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia) or Mediterranean (Crete, Rhodes, Kos).

I’ve never come across a nicer place for sea swimming than Greece: the Aegean Sea in particular is so fresh with crystal-clear water that has a high magnesium content that is really good for your skin and nails.

You can fly directly to many of Greece’s larger islands (Crete, Santorini, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos) from Ireland but I love navigating by sea, so I fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus Port in the city. There are lots of ferry hopper websites (ferries.gr, ferryscanner.com) but be careful, they tend to charge a very high premium for online tickets. If traveling at peak times, buy your tickets at the port the day before.

Any time between May and October (even early November) is good to visit, but July and August can get incredibly hot. I love May on the Saronic Islands, the start of summer — warm sea, not too hot that you can’t be active during the day.

I would base myself on Aegina, Hydra or Spetses and explore from there. The Poseidonion Grand Hotel on Spetses is one of my favorites and has a wonderful bar. I also like the luxury suites at Mare Monto.

On Aegina, the Angelina Aegina has a lovely pool and great staff, while Perdika Mare is a more budget guesthouse. Both are close to the fishing village of Perdika. On Agistri, I really like Aktaion Beach Boutique Hotel & Spa.

If staying a night or two in Athens at the start or end of your trip, the Four Seasons Astir Palace south of the city is fabulous.

In Greece, it’s no surprise that fish is everywhere and we tend to eat a lot of fresh fish on the islands — whatever is landed daily, often caught that morning and served that day as fresh as possible. We go for a lot of calamari and squid as well as traditional Greek meze dishes.

If you can, and have the budget, get out on a boat. Take a tour to a remote spot: you will probably see dolphins — and jump in yourself. Greece is best explored by boat and being on the water.

Maybe it’s a cliché, but the Acropolis is a must-visit in Athens: book a guided tour. For shopping on the islands, Hydra and Aegina are probably best. Though a popular activity, I feel the spa experiences on the Greek islands are more basic compared with Irish/UK standards.

If I had to describe The Saronic Islands in one sentence? Blue skies, blue seas, great seafood, and pure chill-out- an idyllic island escape.

Check out Suzanne’s interview with The Times click here