Holidays in Greece 2022/2023

• Pure natural drama everywhere you turn
• A charming, unhurried way of life
• Delicious traditional food and drink
• Picturesque whitewashed sugar-cube villages

There are few pleasures that are as simple, yet so satisfying, as the gentle sound of a wavelet lapping a sandy shore. The Greeks should know, they've got a word for it: flisvos. For the rest of us, a sun-drenched beach and waters as smooth as olive oil are often the first things we think of when picturing Greece.

With 6,000 islands (over 200 of which are inhabited) set like precious gems in the Aegean and Ionian seas, there are plenty of opportunities for you to have your own flisvos moment. But Greece is far more than a luxury holiday to a pretty postcard. After all, this is the cradle of western civilisation and ancient ruins can still be seen peppered across its islands, bleached by the sun over thousands of years of existence and alive with mythical tales shared across generations. Charming local life still rules supreme on Greece's islands today, from their sugar-cube villages to tavernas serving seafood caught the very same day. The locals themselves always have a glass-half-full attitude and are quite possibly the friendliest people you'll ever meet. They'll always greet you like a friend they've known for decades – they have a word for that, too: philoxenia.

Each island brims with its own unique, charming character. Santorini has its iconic blue domes and dramatic volcanic landscape, Mykonos boasts its whitewashed windmills and lively atmosphere, Paros remains delightfully undiscovered and Crete hides a rugged hiking-friendly core and tangle of fascinating history. But if there's one thing we should learn from Greece's locals, it's that life should never be complicated. This is especially the case on its beautiful islands, where pure delight is best found in foamy waves delicately lapping a cream-coloured beach.

Greece is well known for its excellent summer weather, with sunshine and skies as blue as Santorini's domes virtually guaranteed from the end of April right through to October. From November to March, most hotels and resorts on Greece's islands close for the off season.

May is when the islands begin to look their very best, with the water warm enough for a paddle but temperatures are not too hot for exploring the sugar-cube villages of Santorini or hiking Crete's rugged core. As you move into the traditional summer months the temperatures rise but even during Greece's peak months of July or August the heat is never unbearable. it's perfect for taking it easy, like relaxing on a powder-soft beach in Mykonos or enjoying a freshly made local lunch in Crete – just how the locals like it.

Even though the weather is a little cooler, April and September are both brilliant times to visit Greece. We call these two months our 'secret season', where you can still enjoy sunny skies in plentiful supply but the crowds have either yet to arrive or have already left. A thanks to its southerly position in the Mediterranean, Crete's summer season extends into the whole of October to be an even later option for a sunny autumnal holiday.