Six island groups, six different holidays

Greece has more than 200 inhabited islands, but couples mostly choose from six groups. They differ in landscape, food, distance from Athens and, in July and August, how hard the wind blows.

1. 01 Cyclades Meltemi: strong The white-and-blue islands everyone pictures, and the quieter ones next door that most visitors miss. Best: Late May to June, and September to early October.
2. 02 Dodecanese Meltemi: moderate Knights’ castles, Italian-era harbours and the warmest, longest season in the Aegean. Best: May to October; Rhodes stays warm into November.
3. 03 Ionian No meltemi Green, Venetian and mostly out of the meltemi’s reach. Greece’s other sea. Best: May to early October.
4. 04 Sporades Meltemi: moderate Pine forest down to the waterline, a marine park, and an easy trip from the mainland. Best: June to September.
5. 05 Crete Meltemi: moderate Almost a country of its own: Minoan palaces, high gorges, Venetian harbours and the best food in Greece, some say. Best: April to early November, among the longest seasons in Greece.
6. 06 Saronic Meltemi: light Islands close enough to Athens for the same day, sheltered when the Aegean blows. Best: April to October; good on weekdays out of season.