Even in today’s well-traveled world, there is still a genuine thrill to picking up a map of the Greek Islands, finding one you’ve never heard of and hopping on a ferry there pronto. These islands of Homeric myth and spellbinding beauty have never lost their ability to fire imaginations and conjure adventure. Step off the plane or boat and the stress slips instantly away in the heat-haze, as life calms and your only decision is which taverna to choose for a two-hour lunch and whether or not you prefer your beach with sand or pebbles.
Despite the call to unplug and do nothing, each of these distinctly individual islands is ripe for exploration: Venetian forts, volcano climbs, icon-crammed monasteries high on mountaintops, and vineyards producing wines as they’ve been made since antiquity will all tempt you away from the lounger. From the lush olive-cloaked Ionian Islands to the stylish, whitewashed Cyclades, read on for our absolute favorites.