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An easy and rewarding day trip, only half an hour from Athens, with pleasant beaches, famously tasty pistachios, the Temple of Aphaia, and Agios Nektarios, one of the largest churches in the Balkans.

A favourite of Greece’s shipping magnates; golden-beached Andros is lovely, exclusive, and expensive. The Goulandris Museum of Modern Art holds world-class exhibits every summer.

This tiny islet off Aegina is even more of an escape from it all. Quiet beaches, clear beautiful water, a handful of small hotels and fish tavernas, and not much else.

Huge Evia is the perfect island for hikers, with green mountains and long trails winding through inland villages. At the northern tip, posh resorts cluster around restorative thermal springs. (see Evia)

Here, a wealthy, overdeveloped beach-resort and flashy night-life vibe prevails. There are plenty of designer shops and expensive cafés to sit in while sporting new purchases by day, and trendy summer clubs to dance in by night.

Lovely Hydra town, its cobbled paths winding among old mansions clustered around the clear-watered harbour, is one of Greece’s most beautiful spots. Its popularity as a celebrity getaway and movie backdrop hasn’t dampened its charm.

Mostly barren and much less picturesque than the other Cyclades, Kythnos does have one thing going for it: healing thermal springs that are said to be the best in all the Aegean.

Bathers come year-round to take the warm, therapeutic waters of Lake Vouliagmeni, a large thermal spring that maintains a steady temperature of 22–25°C (70–77°F). The source of the clear, half-fresh, half-salt waters is still unknown, but devotees say there’s no doubt about their healing properties. It’s a great place to swim, especially on cold winter mornings, flanked by a high rock face on one side and trees on the other.

Overlooked by most tourists, Poros is famous for its fragrant lemon groves. Pass over Poros town to walk in the dark woods and bright groves of Kalavria.