The unspoilt northeast of Greece’s largest island offers a restorative mix of uncrowded beaches, authentic tavernas and extraordinary views Sometimes, when you travel, you arrive somewhere so ridiculously picturesque, so dictionary-definition of how you expect the country to look, that you half suspect it was built as a film set, or has been “Disneyfied” specifically for tourists. I get this feeling when I walk on to the small, horseshoe-shaped bay at Mochlos, Crete. Half a dozen restaurants, all cobalt wooden chairs, whitewashed tables and blackboards offer gyros and freshly caught fish. On t ..read more

Unlike its noisy neighbour Mykonos, this peaceful island is known for its laid-back cafe-bars, taverna dinners and ancient footpaths that link beautiful villages We are staying in the House of Light (from £62 a night, £90 in summer, sleeps three, on Airbnb), which is a work of art where even the shower drains through locally handcrafted ceramic. I pad along barefoot to the terrace and sit down on the stone bench in the sun, looking across a field of daisies, poppies and mallow to the crumbling dovecote. As with all the villages of Tinos, Kato Klisma is busy in the summer months, says our host ..read more

Islands and mainland towns south of Lefkada are perfect for a relaxed mooch between idyllic beaches and pretty port towns There’s this place I know. It’s at the southern end of a flamingo-flanked canal winding through the wetlands that separate Lefkada from the Greek mainland. The canal is unremarkable, but bear with me. You cruise past the wading birds and the old guys fishing, through the channel markers, by a ruined Venetian fort. Look ahead, breathe it all in. This spot, for me, holds a promise of adventure. To port are the Acarnanian Mountains, looking barren and beautiful. Before you, th ..read more

Deep snow, icy pools and cosy hotels in timeless stone villages … this is a magical time in Zagori and Greece’s mountainous north “Daisy,” I say, eyeing the snowy peaks rising heroically before us. “I’ve a feeling we’re not at sea level any more.” The little terrier sniffs at a biting cold wind. Imposing peaks called the Towers of Astraka dwarf the small hamlet of Papigo, which is perched at roughly 1,000 metres and reached by a road of hairpin turns. The 2,400-metre ridges are part of the Tymfi massif in the mighty Pindus mountains, which extend south-east like a sturdy backbone from Albania ..read more

Travelling overland from London to Greece allows time to soak up the atmosphere and scenery as you ride through France, Switzerland and Italy There’s been a rockslide somewhere in the Maurienne Valley, deep in the French Alps. By the time I’m due to set off on an intricately planned, early autumn European rail trip from London to Athens, nearly a week has passed since the incident. My intended path through France, Italy and then on to Greece via sea had relied on a connection from Lyon to Milan passing directly through this region. Now the route is out of action and it could be months before t ..read more

The Dodecanese island of Astypalea is waving goodbye to petrol and diesel in a groundbreaking project that has been welcomed by local people After my seven-hour ferry journey across rolling azure seas, it’s a relief to be back on land. Along with a handful of locals returning from Athens laden with boxes of bougatsa custard pies and neat bags of shopping, I’ve arrived on the Dodecanese island of Astypalea – known as the butterfly island because of Mesa Nisi and Exo Nisi, its two wing-shaped islands linked by a narrow strip of land. You can break the journey in Naxos or Mykonos. But despite th ..read more

On our off-season break in Kos, we talk about friends, boys, college, and I realise one-on-one time is beneficial to our relationship and her wellbeing ‘Slipping through my fingers all the time / I try to capture every minute …,” mourns Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! as we drive along a dusty road lined with goats and olive trees to Kefalos beach. I glance over at my girl – rosy cheeks, sun-kissed hair, phone glued to hand – and I’m overcome with emotion and involuntarily snort tears down my face. “Mum, are you actually crying?” laughs Lola. “You’re so soft ..read more

A new Which? survey reveals that visitors are starting to look beyond the old overcrowded favourites such as Barcelona and Málaga Ask for a lineup of the most popular European coastal destinations and you might expect the usual suspects: Venice, Lisbon and Nice. Travellers from the era of the Grand Tour might have added Biarritz and Naples – but a survey of 3,500 readers by consumer organisation Which? suggests that visitors are starting to look beyond the old favourites and discover new destinations. The Spanish Mediterranean port of Valencia was the surprising winner in a recent poll that lo ..read more

Charles Worthington, who has styled Sarah Jessica Parker and others, could get record sum for Greek island home The celebrity hairdresser Charles Worthington is attempting to sell an eight-bedroom villa on the Greek island of Mykonos for €50m (£43m). If the house – which features an infinity swimming pool, whirlpool, gym and entertaining space for more than 200 guests – achieves the huge price tag it will be the highest price ever paid for a property on the island, which is known as a popular summer party destination for gay people from Europe and the US. Worthington, who has over the years be ..read more

A burgeoning farm holidays movement on the Peloponnese lets producers make extra income while offering visitors a glimpse of the country’s slower side In a large sunlit kitchen on Eumelia farm, an idyllic agritourism and wellness retreat set amid the endless olive groves of Greece’s southern Peloponnese, my classmates and I take turns using a long dowel-like rolling pin to stretch and roll balls of dough that we hope will become filo pastry. It won’t be the flaky, paper-thin kind sold frozen in supermarkets though; the pastry we’re striving for is two to three millimetres thick, the kind you’r ..read more