Greece island hopping: A guide to the best routes and how to explore Greek culture
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With 227 inhabited islands in total and six main island regions, Greece offers almost too much choice. Lucy Thackray lays out some of the best routes to help you plan your next island-hopping adventure. Greece’s wide scattering of differently sized, culturally distinct islands makes it a dream for a multi-stop trip. Come May and June, ferry services ramp up for summer, with hops between different islands taking as little as 20 minutes.
![[Hydra: Tiny but glamorous]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/05/19/15/newFile-4.jpg)
Some islands are vast and ripe for exploring, requiring a taxi, hire car or moped to get across their width. In others, you’ll simply find a bijou port and a forested interior, fringed by rocky or sandy coves you can stroll to. Wherever you go, you’ll find waterfront tavernas, petite churches, hushed beaches and sunkissed portside bars. Plus, there are Greek Isles hotels that will seriously make you want to linger.
![[Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/05/19/15/newFile-5.jpg)
Read more: Forget summer holidays – this popular European capital is so much better in winter. Close to the capital of Athens and its port, Piraeus, these islands huddled around the Greek mainland are fab for a first go if you’re not sure island hopping is for you. Spend a few cultured nights in the capital, then hop on the ferry to nearby Poros, just over an hour away: here you’ll find a smart little red-roofed port topped with a clock tower and a handful of hotels and apartments. Dine by the waterfront, then go off in search of the emerald waters at Love Bay.
![[Agiofili Beach on Lefkada]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/05/19/15/Agiofili%20Beach%20Lefkada%20credit%20Lucy%20Thackray.jpg)
Just a 35-minute boat ride from here is Hydra, a tiny but glamorous speck which has attracted artists, musicians and photographers since the Sixties. Bask in its romantic port and sunset bars, then walk the coast road to find secret pebble bays, or take a boat trip to its quietest corners.
