Greece in July

Corfu is the green northern Ionian island that Venice shaped: a UNESCO-listed Old Town of arcades and fortresses, olive-covered hills, pebble coves in the northeast and long sandy beaches in the west and south.

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.

Lefkada is the Ionian island you can drive onto: a short bridge from the mainland leads to white-cliffed west-coast beaches like Porto Katsiki, a calm sailing coast around Nidri and the windsurfing bay of Vasiliki. Ideal for road-trippers.

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.

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.

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.