Greece is a place I return to often – at least once a year – and dream about even more. There’s a certain magic to it: ancient, sun-baked lands scattered across the Aegean and Ionian Seas, where democracy, mythology, and some of the world’s best food and wine were born. The islands are wildly diverse – some pine-covered and Venetian style, others dry, whitewashed and windswept – but the challenge is always the same: how to get around. With so much to see, staying in one place isn’t an option.

The Greek summer lingers from April to November, and with one of the shortest GCC-Europe flights around, it’s easy to visit in summer. After many trips, to Athens, the Cyclades, Ionian islands and more, our most recent visit we wanted to find the perfect balance. The brief? A mix of islands and city, no internal flights, and no seasick ferries. What I found was the perfect week-long itinerary – blending luxury, culture, food, and nature – with options to suit every budget. No boats, no planes. Just fly in and out of Athens, and let Greece do the rest.

Featured image, courtesy of Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens

Near+Far’s Greece itinerary for summer 2026

Days 1-3: The Athenian Riviera 

The best stays

• For timeless glamour, a luxury beach resort, and the best facilities in Athens: Four Seasons Astir Palace. The icon of the Riviera, and largely considered the best hotel in Greece. Come for a heavy dose of glamour and nostalgia and the best of Four Seasons. fourseasons.com
• For a city break or fuss-free modern escape, cool vibes and co-working: Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens – the Athens Riviera (and perhaps the city itself’s) coolest new hangout from the lifestyle group who operates properties in Seattle, Palm Springs, New York, Brooklyn, Kyoto, Sydney and Toronto. Expect a hark back to the ’70s, with classic mid-century interiors, a Greek modernist facade, killer coffee shop and cocktail bar and the ‘swim club’ – open for both hotel guests and external with day passes. acehotel.com
• For a five-star boutique stay in pine trees (with SLH credentials): The Margi. Open since the ’60s, The Margi in Vouliagmeni offers a chic blend of Mediterranean charm and urban convenience. A short journey from Astir Beach and the new marina, the boutique property features an organic farm, a candlelit poolside restaurant and spa. themargi.gr

All of my Greek adventures, and any Greece itinerary, likely starts in Athens – a capital undergoing an exciting revival and a hub for art, literature, design and hospitality. Its hotels are plentiful and its sights are legendary. This time, we stay just one night, visiting the Clumsies – a World’s 50 Best Bar hangout for trendy locals – wonder the cobbles of Kolonkaki and have brunch at some of its hundreds of incredible cafes and coffee shops. But the real odyssey starts 30 minutes south of Athens. 

Bordering the Aegean Sea, a string of coastal neighbourhoods make up the capital’s most exclusive hangout, the Athens Riviera. This stretch of pine-covered hills, charming coves, beach bars and marinas has long been the weekend escape for jet-set Athenians. While many shiny new properties have emerged, one hotel still commands the top spot, a position it’s held since the 1960s, when it hosted everyone from the Onassiess to Bridget Bardot and Grace Kelly. The revamped Four Seasons Astir Palace is an Athens institution and a part of the city’s elite fabric. It’s the most luxurious in the city, perhaps in the country, occupying a cove in the seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni.

The Four Seasons Astir Palace remains the gold standard of luxury here — a fixture of Greek hospitality as iconic as the Parthenon. Spread across a private peninsula, the resort feels like its own island: part brutalist monument, part coastal sanctuary, surrounded by dense pine forest and impossibly clear water.

Accommodations span from the main heritage building to the sleek Nafsika wing (our pick for its minimalist interiors and sea views), and a collection of low-slung bungalows tucked into the hillside, each secluded by olive trees and bougainvillaea. Sitting beneath a striped awning with coffee in hand, looking out over the rocky coastline, it’s easy to forget you’re still within reach of one of the world’s most dynamic capitals.

The hotel’s atmosphere shifts with the time of day — serene mornings give way to lively lunches by the pool; evenings settle under moonlight with the sound of waves and faraway music from yachts anchored in the bay.

Beyond the resort:

• The newly opened Astir Marina, just a short buggy ride from the hotel, brings with it designer boutiques, coffee shops and fine dining — a polished new chapter in this storied neighbourhood.
• Glyfada, a short drive away, offers buzzy nightlife and high-end dining.
• Nearby Island Club Restaurant, set dramatically into the rocks, revives the glamour of mid-century bouzouki nights and draws a loyal crowd every summer. @islandathensriviera
• Ten Twenty Club – a ‘new country club’ where racquet sports and wellness meet on the Athenian Riviera. Apply for a year-long, or ‘holiday’ membership to enjoy top-tier courts, wellness classes and a vibrant community in a chic setting. @tentwentyclub

Days 3-7: The Saronic Islands

After three languid days at Astir Palace, we make the 45-minute drive to the port of Piraeus, where ferries depart daily to Greece’s dozens of inhabited islands. While large ferries transport you to the Cyclades, slick Athenians wait to board the streamlined Hydrafoil. They’re heading to the Saronic islands, the nearest island group as close as 20 minutes from Athens: Poros, Aegina, Spetses, and our favourite, beautiful timewarp, which is Hydra.

Our favourite islands

Hydra

Best for: Car-free charm, artists, neoclassical beauty

• Don’t miss: Sunset cocktails at Hydronetta; a wander through the Leonard Cohen trail (he lived here in the ’60s).
• Vibe: Elegant, bohemian, and utterly photogenic.
• Highlights: No cars allowed—donkeys and water taxis do the heavy lifting. Think stone mansions, narrow lanes, and chic cafés.
• Popular with: Artists, writers, day-trippers from Athens, and slow travelers.

Spetses

Best for: Sophistication, pine forests, and stylish seaside living

• Vibe: Upscale and romantic with a laid-back buzz.
• Highlights: Horse-drawn carriages along the promenade, neoclassical mansions, and a lively port.
• Popular with: Athenian weekenders, yachters, and honeymooners.
• Don’t miss: Dinner at Orloff restaurant; a bike ride around the island.

Poros

Best for: Lush scenery, accessibility, and traditional charm

• Vibe: Friendly and relaxed, with a green landscape and elegant town center.
• Highlights: Poros is technically two islands—connected by a narrow bridge—with pine-covered hills and charming waterside tavernas.
• Popular with: Families, sailors, and those looking for an easy escape from Athens.
• Don’t miss: The clock tower view; seafood by the waterfront.

A week in Hydra…

Overlooking the Peloponnese in a bay of islets, Hydra (pronounced ‘EE-dra’) was made in the 1950s by the likes of Sophia Loren and Leonard Cohen. Loren, who filmed 1957’s Boy on a Dolphin here, and Cohen, was a long-time resident. There are no cars here, just donkeys, and nothing to do but eat, swim and sleep. 

The Hydrofoil from Piraeus reaches Hydra in around 90 minutes. As the ferry pulls into the harbour, pastel townhouses and crumbling mansions line the hillsides, while water taxis idle beneath the cliffs, ready to take guests to outlying coves.

We check in at Bratsera Boutique Hotel, set in a 19th-century sponge factory just a few minutes’ walk from the port. Its stone walls and shaded courtyard lend an old-world charm, but inside, the rooms are thoughtfully restored, and the small pool — one of the few on the island — offers a quiet reprieve after warm walks along the coastline.

What to do

Hydra asks little of you. Swim, read, eat, and wander. The beaches are few, but beautiful — Mandraki Bay to the north, or the cliffside rocks by Hydronetta Bar, where metal ladders descend into clear blue water. At most seaside bars, you’ll find locals taking dips between ice-cold beers and plates of grilled octopus or tzatziki and pitta.

In the evening, climb to the old windmill, now a chic cocktail bar with impeccable palomas and Aegean views. The mood is relaxed but refined — stylish without being showy. You’ll see the best sunsets on the island from here.

Art & culture:

Just around the coast is the former slaughterhouse, now a minimalist exhibition space run by the DESTE Foundation. When we visited, Jeff Koons’ towering bronze Apollo sculpture greeted visitors above the cliff, while the cells below hosted an installation by George Condo — a surrealist reflection on identity, loneliness and fame. This unexpected juxtaposition — contemporary art in a crumbling stone structure — captures the island’s essence: unassuming, yet quietly avant-garde.

Hydra’s position means ferries are regular and on time, linking visitors with other islands and lesser-trodden mainland ports. Slinging our suitcases across the cobbles, we head to the port to board the Hydrafoil for the Peloponnese – the Greek coastline home to Kalamata, some of the country’s best wineries, farmland, and endless ocean views. Our ferry is 90 minutes to Porto Heli, which happens to be just a 15-minute drive from, arguably, Greece’s most visually striking hotel. 

A stop in Spetses

We pull into Spetses, made famous on screen as the departure port in 2019’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Spetses is old money – it’s the place where Athenian society has been vacationed for decades – and a microcosm of this vibe is the Poseidonion Grand Hotel. It’s here where Onassis courted Jackie Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli and Tennessee Williams enjoyed visits. Today, it’s the place to see and be seen for an aperitivo or elegant dinner on the waterfront. Spetses glamour, like Hydra, is the creation of Greek tobacco tycoon Sotirios Anargyros, who restored the Poseidonion, planted pine trees and encouraged Athens’ old money to holiday here – though there are shiny new hangouts like Bikini or Bar Spetsa where a young, jet-set crowd converge.

Don’t miss:

• A drink at the Poseidonion Grand Hotel, where Onassis once courted Jackie Kennedy. Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minnelli were also guests. @poseidonion
• A younger crowd gathers at Bikini and Bar Spetsa, where Aperol spritzes flow long after sunset.

Days 7-9 (or longer): the Peloponnese

We sail onwards back to the mainland and Porto Heli and Amanzoe – a modern-day Mount Olympus. Amanzoe sits on one of Greece’s most beautiful landscapes, the Peloponnese – a coastline known for its wineries, farmland, and staggering mountain ranges. The resort sits on a high elevation, offering 360-degree views from its acropolis – onto the sea, neighbouring Greek islands, like Spetses, and the coastal towns. 

• By ferry: From Hydra or Spetses to Porto Heli, followed by a 10-minute drive.
• By car: Around 2.5 hours from Athens, via a mix of highways and winding coastal roads.

From the moment you arrive, the resort feels like a world apart. A central pavilion is flanked by Doric columns and water features; lavender and olive groves carpet the hillsides. Pavilions and villas are spaced widely apart, each with a private pool, outdoor lounge, and panoramic views over sea and countryside.

Our pavilion overlooked a patchwork of olive trees and distant islands. One evening, the tennis court had been transformed into an al fresco taverna, with bouzouki players, local wine and a family-style feast under the stars — a reminder that luxury here doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Amenities:

• A sprawling main pool that feels more lake than lap lane.
• A serene beach club just down the hill, reached by shuttle.
• A glass-walled yoga pavilion and Pilates studio with views over the hills.
• Excursions available: wine tasting, pottery, horse riding, and day trips to nearby islands.

Despite its seclusion, it’s easy to head into Porto Heli for dinner, or back across the water to Spetses for the afternoon.

Need to know

From Athens, it’s a 30-minute drive to the Athens Riviera. The port of Piraeus is a 40-minute drive away, and runs regular ferries to the Saronic islands – Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina and more – before carrying en-route to the Peloponnese port or Porto Heli.

This article originally featured in Near+Far Volume III

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