Greece in August

Kefalonia is the largest Ionian island and the most grown-up: mountains and fir forest, cave lakes, pastel villages like Fiskardo and Assos, and cliff-backed beaches such as Myrtos. Rent a car, slow down and plan on a week.

Greece’s largest island is almost a country of its own: Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, Venetian harbours in Chania and Rethymno, gorges in the White Mountains and lagoon beaches like Balos and Elafonisi. Plan for distance, and for more than a week.

The largest of the Cyclades and the most self-sufficient: marble villages, mountain farms, Archaic temples and a west coast of long, shallow sandy beaches. Naxos suits families, walkers and anyone who wants the Aegean without Mykonos prices.

Skopelos is the slower, greener neighbour of Skiathos: a steep white harbour town, pine-framed pebble bays, plum orchards and the clifftop chapel from Mamma Mia!. No airport, so it rewards people who like the journey.

Three pine-covered peninsulas south of Thessaloniki: busy, sociable Kassandra, greener Sithonia with its turquoise coves, and the monastic republic of Mount Athos. Northern Greece’s beach playground, and an easy drive from Romania.

Paxos is a small, olive-covered island south of Corfu with no airport: three harbour villages, a cliff-lined west coast full of sea caves, and a short hop to Antipaxos and the turquoise water of Voutoumi.

Wheat fields, volcanic rock and some of the longest sandy beaches in the Aegean. Limnos has an airport, a castle full of deer, one of Europe's oldest excavated towns and almost no crowds outside August.

The island you drive onto over a bridge. Evia is 180 km long, with thermal springs at Edipsos, a gorge running off a 1,398 m mountain to the sea, and beaches that Athenians keep to themselves at weekends.