An interesting article by the Telegraph!
Greece: Insider's guide to the Peloponnese, Ionian Islands and Crete
Robin Gauldie reveals the best beaches and resorts in the Peloponnese, Ionian Islands and Crete, both off the beaten track and right in the mainstream.
The Peloponnese http://www.bestofgreece.co.uk/el/locations/best_of_peloponnese
There's lots of variety in southern Greece. Ancient Olympia, Corinth, Mycenae, Epidavros and Tiryns lure classicists, while medievalists are drawn to the crumbling castles and Venetian-Byzantine ghost towns of Mystras, Monemvasia, Koroni and Methoni. The pretty harbour town of
Navplio – all red tiles and pastel stucco – is the perfect base for exploring the antiquities of the Argolid. The tower-villages of the Mani peninsula stand in a world of their own, and for
Best beaches
Stoupa and Kardamyli, next to each other on the south coast, are small, low-key resorts. Krani, west of the regional airport at Kalamata, has turned into a purpose-built resort of mid-priced apartments and small hotels. Almost undeveloped sweeps of sand can be found around Pílos, on the west coast.
Perfect days out
From Navplio, rent a car to visit ancient Mycenae, Argos, Tiryns and Epidavros, four of the most impressive archaeological sites in Greece and – for much of the year – surprisingly uncrowded.
Perfect packages
Ionian Islands http://www.bestofgreece.co.uk/el/locations/best_of_corfu
There's more to the Ionian than overcrowded Corfu. Cephalonia has postcard-pretty villages at Fiskardo and Assos, though it's short of great beaches. Its tiny neighbour, Ithaki, has the prettiest little harbour town in the Ionian but, like Cephalonia, it's beach-poor. Levkás is the place for windsurfing and sailing holidays, with yacht flotillas cruising through an archipelago of tiny islands that includes the Onassis clan's private bolt-hole, Scorpios.
Best beaches
Zakynthos has the Ionian's best beaches, at Laganas and Kalamaki, which inevitably draw the crowds. Vasiliki, on the south coast of Levkás, is a low-key little resort with a long sweep of uncrowded sand and shingle. Skala, near the southern tip of Cephalonia, is another relatively undiscovered stretch of sand and clean pebbles stretching down to bright blue water.
Perfect days out
The Ionian Islands aren't over-endowed with must-see attractions, but the glowing blue lake inside the Melissani cavern in the centre of Cephalonia is worth a visit. For a longer excursion (involving an overnight stay) take the ferry from Zakynthos or Cephalonia to Killini on the mainland, then travel by bus or taxi to the ruins of ancient Olympia, about an hour's drive away.
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Crete
Best beaches
Crete's best beaches are on the south coast. Matala – once a hippy haven, still agreeably laid-back – has a crescent of yellow sand; those in search of an all-over tan hike over the headland to nearby "Red Beach". Heading west, Plakias has a huge stretch of shingly sand, Sougia stands on a long strip of clean pebbles, and Paleochora has a sheltered, shallow sandy bay, good for young children.
Perfect days out
The island's top attraction is Knossos, the ancient Minoan city excavated and (somewhat imaginatively) reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans. Roman-Hellenistic Gortyna, near Matala, is worth a look, but the island's other big Minoan site at Festos is an anticlimax.
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