These islands are proof that the Olympian gods knew what they were doing when they came down so often to earth.
By Alexander Lobrano, Town & Country
MYKONOS
[post_ads]It’s no surprise that this island’s cerulean waters, sandy beaches, and 16th-century windmills on a ridge above town have been drawing everyone for decades. The miracle is that the enduring chicness of Mykonos has not destroyed what made everyone fall in love with it in the first place. Little wooden fishing boats painted with evil eyes to ward off misfortune still bob in the harbors, and tavernas like beachfront Fokos serve the same simple, delicious dishes. So whether your taste runs to Barolo and white truffles or a cold beer and taramasalata with rebetiko on the radio, Mykonos will make you happy.
[post_ads]It’s no surprise that this island’s cerulean waters, sandy beaches, and 16th-century windmills on a ridge above town have been drawing everyone for decades. The miracle is that the enduring chicness of Mykonos has not destroyed what made everyone fall in love with it in the first place. Little wooden fishing boats painted with evil eyes to ward off misfortune still bob in the harbors, and tavernas like beachfront Fokos serve the same simple, delicious dishes. So whether your taste runs to Barolo and white truffles or a cold beer and taramasalata with rebetiko on the radio, Mykonos will make you happy.
Stay
Cavo Tagoo is a quiet boutique hotel with a gorgeous infinity pool on the edge of Mykonos town. Outside town, Santa Marina Resort & Villas has a well-equipped beach, tennis courts, and three pools, one for children.
Eat
Kiki’s Taverna, on Agios Sostis beach, has no sign, phone, or electricity—and a cult following. Sea Satin Market draws a mostly Greek clientele for fish cooked to order from a display case.
In the Know
On the desirable south shore, the Platis Gialos and Ornos beaches are often less crowded, and popular with families.
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Cavo Tagoo is a quiet boutique hotel with a gorgeous infinity pool on the edge of Mykonos town. Outside town, Santa Marina Resort & Villas has a well-equipped beach, tennis courts, and three pools, one for children.
Eat
Kiki’s Taverna, on Agios Sostis beach, has no sign, phone, or electricity—and a cult following. Sea Satin Market draws a mostly Greek clientele for fish cooked to order from a display case.
In the Know
On the desirable south shore, the Platis Gialos and Ornos beaches are often less crowded, and popular with families.
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HYDRA
The only visible drama inthe sleepy port of Hydra on most mornings during the summer is a few fuchsia slashes of bougainvillea on the whitewashed houses that huddle around the harbor. That’s because no one is awake then, having stayed at a café until 3 a.m. with newly made friends—perhaps a videographer from Berlin or a gallerist from Sydney—solving the problems of the world over copious amounts of retsina or ouzo. You can hire a water taxi to take you to one of the pebble beaches, but otherwise you walk everywhere (cars and motor scooters have been banned from Hydra). When it’s too hot to do that, seek shade and the company of a good book, maybe by the poet-musician Leonard Cohen, who lived on the island in the 1960s. Although indifferent to celebrities (with the possible exception of Sophia Loren, who filmed Boy on a Dolphin here), the islanders loved Cohen, and they affectionately mention him before even thinking to recite others on the endless list of other famous fans of their island— Richard Burton, Mick Jagger, and patron of the arts Pauline Karpidas, to name a few.
Stay
The 10-room Orloff Boutique Hotel is family-run and occupies a recently renovated building that dates from 1796; book the honeymoon suite, which has a small private courtyard, or Suite 4.
Eat
Everyone from the Beatles to Bardot has dined at Omilos. Two good rough-and-tumble tavernas are Kodylenia and Xeri Elia; a third, Papagalos, mixes terrific cocktails and has views of the harbor.
In the Know
Tour the island on horseback with Harriet Jarman, a young Englishwoman who has lived here since she was a child.
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The 10-room Orloff Boutique Hotel is family-run and occupies a recently renovated building that dates from 1796; book the honeymoon suite, which has a small private courtyard, or Suite 4.
Eat
Everyone from the Beatles to Bardot has dined at Omilos. Two good rough-and-tumble tavernas are Kodylenia and Xeri Elia; a third, Papagalos, mixes terrific cocktails and has views of the harbor.
In the Know
Tour the island on horseback with Harriet Jarman, a young Englishwoman who has lived here since she was a child.
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SANTORINI
It may sound like hyperbole, but Santorini, born circa 1600 BC from a cataclysmic volcanic explosion, is one of the most impossibly romantic places on earth. Beyond primal beauty, sugar-cube architecture, and spectacular sunsets, there’s also the island’s rich archaeological past. Excavations of Akrotiri, a 3,500-year-old Minoan settlement buried under volcanic ash, are ongoing and make for an excellent half-day excursion. And talk about historical romance: Santorini likely inspired the myth of Atlantis.
It may sound like hyperbole, but Santorini, born circa 1600 BC from a cataclysmic volcanic explosion, is one of the most impossibly romantic places on earth. Beyond primal beauty, sugar-cube architecture, and spectacular sunsets, there’s also the island’s rich archaeological past. Excavations of Akrotiri, a 3,500-year-old Minoan settlement buried under volcanic ash, are ongoing and make for an excellent half-day excursion. And talk about historical romance: Santorini likely inspired the myth of Atlantis.
Stay
Among the main villages, Oia is preferable to clifftop Firá, which can be overrun with cruise ship passengers. Perivolas takes your breath away—spring for a room with a plunge pool—as do the stunning views from white-on-white Katikies Hotel.
Eat
Argo serves tasty modern Greek cuisine in an open-air setting. Ambrosia has vertiginous views and locavore dishes, while Taverna Katina, by the water at Ammoudi, is simple perfection, with fish cooked to order.
Shop
Artist Dimitris Koliousis paints traditional icons in a grotto-like studio.
In the Know
Go for drinks before or after dinner to stylish Hasapiko a.k.a. Marykay's, after its owner.
Among the main villages, Oia is preferable to clifftop Firá, which can be overrun with cruise ship passengers. Perivolas takes your breath away—spring for a room with a plunge pool—as do the stunning views from white-on-white Katikies Hotel.
Eat
Argo serves tasty modern Greek cuisine in an open-air setting. Ambrosia has vertiginous views and locavore dishes, while Taverna Katina, by the water at Ammoudi, is simple perfection, with fish cooked to order.
Shop
Artist Dimitris Koliousis paints traditional icons in a grotto-like studio.
In the Know
Go for drinks before or after dinner to stylish Hasapiko a.k.a. Marykay's, after its owner.
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