Dubai, UAE based airline Emirates announced it will launch a new daily service from Dubai to Newark Liberty International Airport, via the Greek capital city of Athens, starting on 12 March 2017.
The new route complements Emirates’ existing four daily flights between Dubai and New York’s JFK airport, by offering global travellers with another convenient access point to the popular New York Metropolitan area.
Emirates’ new Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will also provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the United States and Greece – a service that does not exist today and has not existed since 2012. The airline will operate a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER powered by General Electric GE90 engines on the route, offering 8 seats in First, 42 seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy class, as well as 19 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said: “The Greek Government and Athens International Airport approached Emirates some time ago to consider serving the route between Athens and New York. After careful review, Emirates concluded that extending one of our Dubai-Athens flights to Newark would be commercially and operationally feasible. We are pleased to be able to help meet a strong consumer need long neglected by other airlines, and we would like to thank the authorities and our partners in both the US and Greece for their support of the new route.”
Sir Tim added: “The availability of high quality, daily international air services is essential for the development of business and cultural ties. Trade, especially in high-value and time-sensitive products, will be facilitated by the ample cargo capacity on Emirates’ Boeing 777 aircraft. We also expect tourism to receive a major boost from the availability of daily flights year-round.”
Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism of the Hellenic Republic said: “Within the framework of our excellent cooperation, and in line with our common goal for the growth of tourism between our two countries as well as the expansion to long-haul markets, I would like to thank Emirates for having positively considered our request to launch a new Emirates itinerary connecting Dubai with New York via Athens all year round. This strategic choice substantially supports our efforts at the Ministry of Tourism to enhance the already increasing flow of visitors to Greece from the United States and the UAE on a yearly basis, travelling either for leisure or business purposes.”
Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council said: “The Greek-American community has long been anticipating the reestablishment of year round direct travel between Greece and the United States. For this moment to arrive thanks to Emirates – the world’s top airline – is special indeed. Greece’s economic comeback is going to have to include year round tourism and easier business travel. The new Emirates route makes this possible. The Greek-American community will be thrilled with this new itinerary, and we thank Emirates Airline for establishing its route and for its endorsement of travel to Greece.”
The United States and Greece have long maintained close economic relations as well as a strong national security alliance. For decades, the United States has advocated policies that promote and foster economic growth and further opportunities for U.S. investment in Greece. The United States is also home to the largest overseas Greek community in the world, numbering approximately 1.3 million, and the New York City metropolitan area has the largest community of Greek Americans in the country.
In addition to serving the large Greek-American population in the New York City metropolitan area, the availability of one-stop same-plane service to Dubai will offer a convenient alternative to travellers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa.
Vouliagmeni lake near Athens, Greece. Photograph: Alamy
A few miles from Athens lies a seaside idyll where great beaches and local charm are still undiscovered by British visitors
Wednesday evening, it's just before midnight and I'm in the Athenssuburb of Glyfada. At Lemoni in Kyprou Street – the most popular of the new, post-crisis breed of taverna – there are few vacant tables. Out on the pavement, four tall pine trees are corseted in gold lights. Lavender and sweet peas spill from planter boxes made from Artemis wine crates. Greek couples and groups are smoking, sipping cloudy ouzo over shared platters; there are families with young children busting curfews.
A hundred metres further down the road, at Soleto, cafe society is at full tilt. Cars are double-parked (a bit of a Hellenic habit) and the trees are lit up like it's Christmas as Athenians venerate the holy trinity of life: caffeine, cigarettes, mobile phone. It's a scene full of kefi, a Greek word that means joyful spirits.
Something has changed of late. Two years ago, every visit to Glyfada (25 minutes from the Acropolis) meant seeing a freshly abandoned shopfront; now, the tumbleweed feeling has gone and there's a tangible pulse of optimism in this cosmopolitan, seaside town, capital of the Athenian Riviera.
Few visitors to Greece realise that less than 10 miles south of the city centre – and still defined as Greater Athens – lies this photogenic stretch of mountains, mineral lakes, seaside resorts and sandy beaches with blue-flag certified clean waters. You won't find the "Athenian Riviera" on any Google map (yet); it's more of an idea. The words are local shorthand for the 35 miles of coastal road that connect the seaside retail hub of Glyfada to Cape Sounion and the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon on the Attica peninsula.
Between Glyfada and Cape Sounion is a run of characterful seaside towns, each with its own flavour, feeding directly off the coastline-hugging Poseidonos Avenue: Voula, Kavouri, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Agia Marina, Lagonissi, Anavysso, Saronida. At any one of them, you can experience the kind of island magic that many people come to Greece for, without having to set foot on a ferry: from shopping and nightlife in flamboyant Vouliagmeni to unspoiled craggy beaches in down-to-earth Agia Marina.
The drive from Glyfada to Sounion (just over an hour) has a coarse drama and stirring physicality reminiscent of Australia's Great Ocean Road. To your left, the landscape is by turns bucolic and resort-like. To your right, there's a constant, hypnotic sweep of Aegean Sea, the nearby Saronic Gulf islands etched coyly against the horizon.
Many of the most alluring stretches of this coast have been privatised, and beach access fees of €6-€8 are prohibitive to the average Greek on a monthly salary of €800 and one mayor went on a hunger strike against the carving up of prime coastline. So locals tend to seek out the free beaches (without facilities) or one of the numerous beach cafes, which will let you occupy a sun lounger for the price of a coffee or a toasted sandwich. Purists head for the scenic coves and headlands between Vouliagmeni and Agia Marina. In summer, look out for where Athenians have left their cars en masse by the side of the paraliaki (the main coast road) to reach the best local swimming spots below.
Young Greeks jumping from rocks near Glyfada. Photograph: Epoca Libera Epoca Libera/ epoca libera/Demotix/Corbis
The Athenian Riviera's best asset is how off-grid it remains. Yes, there are the trophy venues such as Jackie Onassis's beloved Astir Palace resort in Vouliagmeni, but there is also a compelling rawness, an authenticity that you can't always find on more popular Greek islands, with their tourist hordes.
In most Athenian Riviera suburbs, ancient traditions such as the laiki agora (street markets), where you can come away with the week's news and a huge tub of Kalamata olives for a couple of euros, are still an essential way of life. And in theplateias (town squares), there are still places where two people can eat to bursting point and get change from €30.
I am frequently humbled by the generosity and neighbourly spirit of the working Greeks in the area. Recently, facing a €400 bill after a fulsome group dinner at one of our favourite spots, and a broken card machine, the owner shrugged easily. "Don't worry," he said. "Just come back and fix me up sometime next week." Shop owners almost always take the time to chat with children (and ply them with sweets), or to help with the (unfortunately frequent) parking space predicaments.
There's also the sense of singular spots yet to be discovered. Last summer, our eighth here, we stumbled upon a wonderful secluded beach cafe bracketed by a pine-studded cove in Vouliagmeni. Even long-time locals can't agree on its exact name. All you need to know is that you take the third left after the Margi hotel at 11 Litous Street, then a short drive down a dirt track until you reach a canopy of Moncafe umbrellas.
There, you can snorkel in clear shallow waters surrounded by darting fish. Sit all day unharried over a lone frappe coffee. Or enjoy a lunch of fresh calamari and Greek salad while fishing boats bob and children lure baby crabs into buckets at the shoreline. All the time not quite believing that you're still in Athens.
GLYFADA
The upscale district of Glyfada, 16km from Athens, is the most commercial of the Riviera suburbs, thanks to the old airport and a former US military base, which cleared out in the 1990s. Because of its high density of cashed-up expats, pop stars and politicians, Glyfada is sometimes dubbed the Hellenic Hamptons. But its character is also strongly nuanced by the many Greek families who have lived here for generations – in the days when it was an unassuming seaside town (long before the tram line connected it to Syntagma Square and Piraeus in time for the 2004 Olympics).
What to do
The Balux leisure complex is one of the Riviera's best days out. Balux resembles something Richard Branson might have designed to entertain famous pals but with a democratic, welcoming feel and unexpectedly friendly rates (and door policy). The cavernous glass-fronted clubhouse is well-appointed for the "all-day hang", with rugs, rocking chairs, gaming stations and an inviting library annexe (and no one hassling you to buy anything). Entry and parking are free, although the plush loungers lining the beach (the best in Glyfada) cost about €8 to hire (including a drink). You can order wood-fired pizzas or sprawl on the lawn of the adults-only pool at the original Balux next door.
Cocktail at the Balux House Project, Glyfada PR
You'll definitely get a kick out of a night at one of the area's open-air cinemas. The main one, Alpha Odeon, has English-language screenings of mainstream films, usually starting around dusk at 9pm, with a second screening around 11pm. Just be prepared for the Greeks who see it as a social outing and continue to chat and use their phones.
Where to eat
A wave of enthusiastic, post-financial-crisis startups, particularly in the leafy side-pockets of Kyprou and Laodikis Streets and Esperidon Square, is creating a jazzy SoHo village heartbeat in Glyfada. Affordable and stylish new grillhouses such as Lemoni and Moouu Quality Meats, where a generous serving of sliced oyster blade steak costs just €10, are rapidly reinventing the straight-from-central-casting Greek taverna.
Springing up everywhere, too, are Manhattan-feel eateries and cosy microbars: Esperidon Square's Food Mafia, where the menu hero is the granulated burger; the Vein Cheese and Wine bar on Botsari (the baked katsikisio goat cheese with goji berry marmalade, €6, trumps all).
The main Glyfada laiki, held each Thursday along several blocks on Lazaraki Street, opposite Agiou Konstantinou cathedral, is a sensory – if chaotic – pleasure. Amid Mediterranean sound and fury, you will find Greek specialities such as mountain tea, honey, olive oil, or a dolmades roller for making your own stuffed vine leaves at home.
Where to stay
The modern, and bizarrely named, Congo Palace on Poseidonos Avenue, stands just across the road from the sea in central Glyfada. The pool area is large and lovely and there is a bus-stop directly outside the hotel with connections to Athens city centre.
VOULIAGMENI
Beach huts at Vouliagmeni. Photograph: Alamy
Ten minutes down the coast is Vouliagmeni, the Riviera's crown jewel and probably the best place to base yourself for a longer holiday. With its manicured boulevards, private beaches and nautical clubs, compact Vouliagmeni is easily the most self-aware Riviera postcode. But it's also a great natural beauty that can be explored on foot.
What to do
There are numerous scenic trails: some on Mount Hymettus directly above the main cafe strip, another tracing the green curves of the Astir Palace peninsula. Meanwhile, Lake Vouliagmeni, almost hidden from view behind Poseidonos Avenue, is a natural treasure that is bewilderingly under-promoted. Open year-round, the lake is a vast sunken limestone cave fed by underground mineral currents, and at a constant 24C. Many locals gripe about the €8 entrance but wading through the brackish grottos, with tiny black fish (kalogries) nudging your toes, you feel like you're in an exclusive spa town.
Where to eat
Directly opposite the lake is Labros, a fish restaurant that has been a Vouliagmeni institution since 1889. You get get prime views of Vouliagmeni Bay from the roomy terrace. The statement dishes, midopilafo (mussel rice with raisins and pine nuts) and garithes saganaki (shrimp pan-fried with tomato and feta), are consistently good (a meal for two with wine costs around €45-€50) and there is the added entertainment of watching young Greeks cliff-bomb from the taverna's popular diving rocks.
Just around the bay in Kavouri, beachfront Garbi restaurant has a loyal following thanks to its potent sunset views and outstanding meze. High notes are the wined eggplant, zucchini balls with avocado sauce, and grilled octopus (dinner for two with wine costs around €40). Two of the Riviera's nicest free beaches (Megalo Kavouri and Mikro Kavouri) are also in Kavouri, within walking distance of Vouliagmeni.
Where to stay
The Vouliagmeni Suites have a great central location, a nice pool and contemporary rooms. The Margi boutique hotel, in central Vouliagmeni, remains a top pick for glamour minus the price tag. In summer, the slick pool bar with its louche double loungers and super-size-me pillows becomes a destination in itself. Its just-launched Baku taverna also provides a welcome time-out, serving "new Greek gourmet" dishes such as lamb with chickpea puree and kalamon olives.
VARKIZA
People do swim in the sea in Glyfada. But most Greeks prefer to go further afield where the beaches face south and are more protected from Athens. In the shabby-chic fishing port of Varkiza, 17 miles south-east of Athens, you will find two of the best private beaches: Yabanaki and its neighbour, Varkiza Resort, both easily accessed by the E22 bus. They form a 500-metre sprawl of sandy beach with clean, shallow water. Yabanaki is a family-pleaser with excellent watersports, wide, grassy flanks and a superb taverna, Yalo Yalo (no phone, don't miss the €7 octopus meatballs). The smaller, hipper Varkiza Resort attracts more of a Mykonos crowd. At each beach, you pay around €7 to get in (less on weekdays). There's not much else to do here but that's part of the charm.
ANAVYSSOS
A rowdy long lunch by the sea is a summer weekend staple for Athenians and Anavyssos, 32 miles from the city, is a popular Sunday destination. The relaxed town is famous for two things: windsurfing and its seafront fish tavernas. You're in the right place when you spot the waiters endangering their lives by dashing across the street to collect orders from the kitchens.
The kingpin taverna is Akrogiali, where the hospitable Panayotis prides himself on the freshness of his barbouni (red mullet). Given its price of around €55 a kilo, though, you may want to stick with cheaper fish such as kolios (mackerel) orgavros (anchovies) – both delicious grilled or fried.
CAPE SOUNION
At sunset … Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. Photograph: Sergio Amiti/Getty Sergio Amiti/Getty Images/Flickr RF
When ancient Athenians sailed home from battle, their first glimpse of civilisation was the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, erected around 440BC. With the actual temple now roped off, you may not be able to get close enough to read the swooning graffiti of Lord Byron, still visible among the Doric columns. But standing up there on a clear day, you can see the other two points of the Greeks' "ancient holy triangle", formed by the Acropolis, 44 miles away, and the Temple of Athena on the island of Aegina. There is a magnificent stillness at Sounion that you don't experience at the Parthenon.
Most Greeks avoid the temple cafe, scenic though it is, and eat at one of two tavernas on the small crescent of beach below. The upper one, Elias, gets the taxi drivers' vote. As you sit there at sunset, watching the seagulls wheel against Poseidon's silhouette, the contrast with Athens could not be greater. (Entrance to the Sounion ruins is €4.)
This is a sleepy, mostly residential, place, where the only overnighters tend to be honeymooners staying at the ritzy, modern Aegeon beach hoteldoubles from €110), sometimes after marrying in the shadow of the temple.
How to hit the beach Athenian-style
Riviera fish restaurants price their speciality fish by the kilo (bones and all), which can blow the bill unexpectedly high. Most people find that half a kilo of fish, rather than a whole kilo, is sufficient for two people.
When dining in fish tavernas, avoid ordering anything that once walked on land: the meat dishes here are often average. Carnivores should stick to the grill houses – where they use the best cuts for souvlaki, kontosouvli(rotisserie-cooked pork hunks) and kokoretsi (organ meats wrapped in intestines).
• Taxis in Athens are cheap and plentiful and most drivers speak basic English. Generally speaking, you should pay about €1 per minute. Taxi Beat is a free Greek phone app which you can use to contact your preferred driver. Several council-run bus lines also serve the coastal road. Pick up the Athens public transport pocket map at the airport when you land.
• The coast road gets jammed during summer weekends – especially on the sections around Varkiza and Vouliagmeni. Avoid typical Greek travel times by setting out from the capital no later than 9am.
• Some establishments claim not to accept credit cards and will insist on being paid in cash. Ask before ordering to spare embarrassment.
Art beat … the port town of Hydra became popular with musicians and artists in the 1960s. Photograph: Alamy
These Greek islands south of Athens make a great holiday on their own, or a relaxing extension to a city break. Andrew Bostock picks the best places to eat and stay, and things to do on and off the beach
The Argo-Saronic islands hug the coast between Piraeus, the port of Athens, and the Peloponnese, the stunning southern mainland of Greece. They could easily fill a holiday on their own but, combined with Athens and the mainland, would make for a trip that summed up the very best of Greece.
Having said that, and unless you’re keen to see the site where the Greeks defeated the Persian navy in 480 BC, Salamis is probably not worth the effort. Aegina (an hour by ferry from Athens) is a much better bet. The classical temple of Aphaea is everything you imagine a Greek temple to be and is far less visited than some.
Heading south around the Peloponnese coast, the islands become more upmarket and expensive, and are best out of season. Poros, only a long stone’s throw from the mainland, attracts some package tourism but is beautiful, nonetheless, and a great base for exploring the famous sites on the mainland (the theatre of Epidaurus and Mycenae among them).
Hydra ramps up the stakes, not even allowing cars or bicycles to spoil the island’s tranquillity. If you can afford it, its charms are obvious and have not gone unnoticed by the world’s artists, writers and musicians.
Spetses, a little further on, is an outpost for the remaining rich Greeks and the yacht crowd. Away from them, the interior is almost entirely unpopulated and hiking will allow you to savour the mysterious atmosphere that inspired John Fowles’ The Magus. Lastly, Kythira is strictly part of the Ionian islands, but is most easily reached from the Peloponnese. If you can make it here, you will be rewarded with one of the most authentic and beautiful Greek islands there is.
All prices are for one week’s accommodation for two in August, with breakfast unless otherwise stated. Prices in other months can be considerably cheaper. Greek taverna prices are remarkably similar, and if anything have gone down in the past few years. You can expect to eat well for €15-€20pp. Where a restaurant is cheaper or more expensive it is stated.
Where to stay Aeginitiko Archontiko This 12-room hotel sits by the castle-like Markellos Tower in Aegina Town. There is a distinct Anatolian feel to it and Rena, the owner, has filled it with antiques and trinkets. Everything has a friendly, old-world feel – down to the authentically creaky beds. It’s a warm hearted place and the local breakfast is a treat. •£350, +30 22970 24968, aeginitikoarchontiko.gr
Where to eat Dromaki Right on the town beach, just south of the harbour, this taverna has a clean modern take on traditional style. If you sit outside you’re right on the sand. It offers well-executed local dishes and, as always, it’s worth looking out for the daily “oven dishes”. •Akti Toti Hatzi 4, +30 22970 24445
What to doThe Temple of Aphaea is on the other side of the island from Aegina Town, not far above the unlovely resort of Agia Marina. Don’t be put off: this is one not to miss. Almost as elegant as the Parthenon itself, the classical ruin has the advantage of relatively few visitors and a lovely setting in an olive grove. The views are pretty great, too.
Where to stay Rosy’s Little Village The little island of Agistri is just beyond Aegina, only 45 minutes by hydrofoil from Piraeus, but if you know where to go it can be a magical place. Rosy’s is a good example of this, set around a rocky cove studded with swimming platforms. Accommodation is simple but comfortable and welcoming. •£350, breakfast extra, +30 22970 91610, rosyslittlevillage.com
Where to eat Parnassos Rosy’s does pretty good food, but visitors should also head up to Metochi, the village in the hills just above it. Walk through the windy alleys and your nose should lead you to Parnassos, a family-run taverna. The food is good, but even if it weren’t, the views from the rooftop terrace make it worth the trip. •+30 22970 91339
What to doThere’s not a lot to do on Agistri apart from chilling out. If you want to stir, Rosy’s can lend you bikes or kayaks, and offers trips in its motorised fishing boat. They also run various courses, such as yoga and shaitsu, as well as live music nights.
Poros Town
Karavalos restaurant
Where to stay The Lemon Tree House Poros, only 350 metres from the Peloponnese mainland, is a small Greek island-pair linked by a causeway. The main town takes up most of the smaller island and is a buzzing place facing a narrow strait full of boats. The terrace of this well-designed self-catering villa – which sleeps six comfortably, 10 with sofabeds – just above the harbour is a great place to observe the comings and goings. •£1,895, 020-8941 1700, havenonearth.co.uk
Where to eat Karavolos Just behind the cinema (follow the laughing snail signs – this is what karavolosmeans), this well-known taverna offers a warm welcome from hosts Theo (in the kitchen) and Maria. It serves all the usual favourites plus, of course, stewed snails. •+30 22980 26158
What to doThe mainland is a five-minute, €1 boat ride from Poros Town. Book a tour, or hire a car to explore world-famous sites such as the theatre of Epidavros, the ancient ruins of Mycenae and Nafplio, one of the most elegant towns in Greece. Other delights include the Devil’s Bridge canyon behind ancient Troezen, a lemon forest, and the volcanic landscape of the Methana peninsula.
Kalavria, Poros
Sirene Blue Resort, Kalavria
Where to stay Sirene Blue Resort For a bit more peace and quiet, stay on Kalavria, the larger Poros island. The Sirene is in a gorgeous location above its own beach and large swimming platform. There are great views from the balconies, a swimming pool, tennis courts, roof terrace restaurant/bar and good facilities for kids. •£700, +30 22980 22741, sireneblueresort.gr
Where to eat Paradisos This large rural tavern is in the village of Foussa, roughly in the centre of the island. It caters for tour groups but has a reasonably authentic Greek Night and does good local dishes. They are particularly proud of their wild rabbit (best sampled in a stifado – stew with sweet onions) and homemade bread. •3km from Poros Town, before the Temple of Poseidon, +30 22980 23419
What to doVayionia Bay, on the north coast of Kalavria, is one of the best beaches on the island, and one of the quietest – an important consideration on this sometimes busy island. There’s a beach cafe and sunloungers in the summer.
Hydra Town
Sunset restaurant
Where to stay Hydra Hotel Hydra got its wealth from its merchant fleets and this mansion, now a boutique hotel, once belonged to one of its magnates. Later on it was a school, and the large classrooms have now been converted into luxury suites. It’s a fair walk to get up here, but the views are well worth the effort. •£750, +30 22980 53420, hydra-hotel.gr
Where to eat Sunset Eating out on Hydra can be an expensive affair by Greek standards, but you tend to get what you pay for. Sunset is a prime example, and would be worth it for its setting alone – no guessing when to come to experience its full glory. Fortunately the food, a blend of Italian and Greek focusing on seafood, is rather fine as well. •+30 22980 52067, sunsethydra.com, expensive
What to doJust wandering the car-free alleys of town is joy enough on Hydra. After the decline of its merchant fleets, the island was rediscovered by Greek and foreign artists and musicians during the 1960s – Leonard Cohen still has a house here – and there are always exhibitions or cultural events to stumble upon.
Where to stay Petroleka Pension There are some amazing places to stay in Hydra Town, from boutique hotels to private villas with butlers. For accommodation on a budget you may need to go a little further afield. The little village of Kamini is only a 10-minute walk away, or a short water taxi ride. The Petroleka has a studio for two and a two-bedroom apartment; both are simple but well done, and sit just above the crystal waters of the pebble beach. •£400, +30 69779 46429, petrolekapension.gr
Where to eat Ke Kremmidi To eat cheaply, best head back into town. Although a bit smarter than most, Ke Kremmidi is essentially a kebab joint. A couple of sublime lamb-filled pittas each (more than enough for most appetites) and half a litre of wine will set cost a grand total of €15. •+30 69726 05126, cheap
What to doApart from the coast either side of Hydra Town, most of the island is wild and uninhabited. It does reward those prepared to go hiking, however. There are local maps available and many of the routes are signposted, though it’s best to get local advice. To complete the experience, get a water taxi to pick you up from one of several coves that you can trek to.
Spetses Town
Orloff Resort
Where to stay Orloff Resort Not far from the waterfront is this extremely chic hideaway. It’s in the grounds of a 19th-century mansion, but you wouldn’t guess this from the white-washed buildings set among olive trees and round a lovely pool. •£1,070, +30 22980 75444, orloffresort.com
Where to eat Clock The harbour area of town, called the Dapia, is where most things go on, but some of the restaurants can be surprisingly pricy. For something a bit different, Clock, on the main square, does good burgers and fries as well as that rarity for Greece, a tasty pizza, all at low prices. •+30 22980 72259, cheap
What to doA single road makes a loop round Spetses, and it can be used to explore the island’s many beaches. One of the most popular is the sand and shingle bay of Ayia Anargyri., on the opposite side from Spetses Town. There is a taverna and watersports centre here, but for the best adventure, explore Berkiris’s cave, beyond the western end. Follow the path and then the steps down into the back of the cave, then dare yourself to swim out through the narrow exit. Islanders hid in the cave when the island was invaded by Albanians in 1770, and it was also a refuge for a wounded British pilot in the second world war.
Where to stay Niki Rooms Kythira often feels like the Greece of 20 or 30 years ago. Niki, in the beautiful hilltop capital of Hora, is a sprawling complex of whitewashed buildings with all manner of rooms, studios and apartments. Rooms are plain but do have aircon and can be an absolute bargain. •£125, +30 27360 31488, kythirarooms.gr
Where to eat Zorbas This grill house is so old-fashioned the waiters still dress in white shirts and black waistcoats. In the summer it opens a terrace on top of a roof just down the lane. •+30 27360 31655
What to do Just down the hill from Hora is the little port of Kapsali, with a beach that’s sandy at one end, shingle at the other. In the distance the rock of Hytra can be seen jutting out of the sea: it’s one of the reputed birthplaces of Aphrodite. Captain Spiros will take you there on his glass-bottomed boat, which has a surprising turn of speed, and then lead you for a swim through its caves.
Aroniadika, Kythira
Xenonas Fos Ke Choros
Where to stay Xenonas Fos Ke Choros Albert and Anita, a Dutch couple, run these superb apartments and studios in the centre of the island. They are also experts on local hiking routes, and run olive-picking holidays in October and November. •£500, +30 69807 29399, agreekisland.com
Where to eat Panaretos Just up the road is Potamos, now the main hub of the island. There’s a market on Sunday mornings in the main square, and you get a ringside seat from this taverna. The market is as much a social event as anything else, and this is a superb place to have an early lunch and people watch. •+30 27360 34290
What to do
One spot not to miss is Paleohora, the medieval capital of the island. Now mostly in ruins, it is worth a visit for the stunning views as it is almost entirely surrounded by deep gorges. The lazy can even drive here (although it is dirt road for the last bit).
Getting there
The islands are best approached by flying to Athens and then either driving into the Peloponnes or getting the ferry or hydrofoil from Piraeus. Kythira can be reached directly from Piraeus as well, but it’s more fun to explore the Peloponnese and then get a ferry from Neapoli (daily). Another option is a budget flight to Kalamata and a ferry (weekly in season). There are also flights from Athens to Kythira for those in a rush.
