Greece’s numerous islands are best known for their idyllic beaches, taverns and laid-back lifestyles.

However, those who want to explore more of the places they visit should know that in Greece they will find, in addition to secret beaches, wonderful local products, historical buildings, hidden paths.

National Geographic has selected 25 Greek destinations for 2023, encouraging travelers to discover them.

Walking through the gorges and mountains of Crete, in addition to its beauties, you will also get acquainted with its myths. Walk around in its villages you will taste unique Cretan recipes. “According to Greek mythology, Zeus was born on this island in a mountain cave, and Theseus challenged the Labyrinth to kill the Minotaur,” according to National Geographic.

Its rugged mountains and beaches Kefalonia attracted travelers for decades. Plus, as Greek wine gains a foothold on the international market, the island’s unique varieties are another reason to visit.

For the perfect escape from busy Athens, head to Spetses, according to National Geographic.

“The central square is paved with pebble mosaics and is dominated by a statue of a woman dressed in traditional costume with a pistol in her hand. it’s about her Laskarina Bubulina, Greek heroine Revolution 1821. Not far from her family home there is now a small museum dedicated to her legacy,” says editor Dana Flashlight.

Newlyweds love the Cycladic island of Santorini, where whitewashed villages and domed churches rest on blackened rocks, offering stunning views of the bottomless caldera that formed around 1620 BC. as a result of one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the world in the last 10,000 years.

To the west of Santorini, Milos was formed by a volcanic eruption. “You must take a boat around its most remote and whitest beaches.”

Just a two hour boat ride from Athens, Hydra is known as an artist’s island with galleries, studios and cultural festivals that bring the atmosphere to life. No cars are allowed on this island and you will not see billboards or scooters.

This is the most remote island of the country, where only 300 people live permanently.

“I’m here to meet the grandmothers as part of my research for my next book, Yaya, a collection of their recipes. The reason is simple: in Kastelorizo they meet Greek and Turkish customs and culture, which means that some of the most interesting dishes in Greece are cooked here,” says editor Anastasia. Miari.

The beaches on the southwest coast of Mykonos are considered some of the best in the Mediterranean for partying. If you are not interested in such entertainment, head east to discover a different picture of islets and sandy coves.

Walk west around the cape to the next Mersini beach, the least crowded in Mykonos.

Immersed in the deep blue Aegean Sea between Crete and Rhodes, Karpathos seems to belong to another era. This unspoilt, remote spot in the Dodecanese is known for its white sand beaches lined with pine trees.

According to National Geographic, Kythera resembles “old Greece”. In the south of the Peloponnese, family hotels are close to sandy beaches and street taverns. In old cafes you can hear the sound of backgammon dice.

Simos Beach, where two sand dunes form an hourglass in the turquoise sea, is irresistible. NG

This tiny unspoiled island is only 50 minutes from Athens. To explore it, you need to go through it. June and September are ideal months to visit as there are fewer people during this time.

“Queen” of the Sporades magnet for beach lovers. It’s also the perfect choice for those looking for alternative accommodation, thanks to the many new hotels that have opened and stand out with their distinct aesthetics.

“In Rhodes, every child is fascinated by the Old City with its walls, moats and the Grand Master’s palace built by the Knights of St. John.”

Isolated and wildly beautiful, Ikaria is known the world over for its high life expectancy. Over 30% Icariota they live to be ninety, usually free from chronic disease and dementia, many of them live to be 100 years old.

In the Sporades island complex, Skyros is an island with deep blue bays lined with pine trees. It is known as the home of the endangered skyre horse. It is also known for its thriving handicraft tradition dating back to the Byzantine era.

Kos was the birthplace of Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, in the 5th century BC. His students founded the Asclepius, the most important healing sanctuary in the ancient world, where relaxation was part of the cure. Today, the “cure” that visitors to Kos seek can be found on its sandy beaches.

Homer’s characteristics of “narrow”, “stony”, “unsuitable for riding” perfectly describe Odysseus’s Ithaca, reports NG

Most visitors to the country’s second largest island are Greeks, but few, even among the locals, know Lichadonisia. These seven uninhabited islets off the northwest coast of Evia, covered in lush greenery of volcanic origin, are nicknamed the “Seychelles of Greece” because of the blues and greens of the shallow sea.

It is located next to Lefkada and between Corfu and Zakynthos. However, most people don’t take the time to discover this “pristine” island, according to National Geographic.

For decades, Ios had a reputation as a haven hippie and party island. “However, in 2014 things began to change. Now the tasteless souvenir shops in Chora are a thing of the past, and the bars of the island are different elegant design their”.

Alonissos is close to cosmopolitan Skiathos, but it couldn’t be more different: rustic, sparsely populated, wooded and peaceful. The island is home to endangered seals and falcons, while dolphins and whales swim in the open sea.

The position of Corfu has always attracted so much EGreeks as foreign tourists. Its heritage and history are reflected in every street of the island’s atmospheric Old Town. Its two fortresses and many mansions “testify” to four centuries of Venetian occupation.

The Greeks call the large island in the northern Aegean, Chios, “Mirovolo” (“Fragrant“) because of its citrus fruits and wild herbs, but mainly because of the mastic trees that only grow there.

The largest island of the Cyclades, over the centuries has produced a large amount of food thanks to its fertile soil and fresh water sources. The temple of the goddess Demeter of the sixth century is a symbol of this supremacy. In the villages of Naxos you will find mountain vineyards, taverns and markets.

Source: National Geographic/ Photo: Shutterstock