10 best crowd-free Greek islands greece coastlines

Greece is the word on everyone’s lips and, fingers crossed, its sun-kissed beaches will welcome us back soon. All these places offer a taste of true Greek culture

With the end of lockdown in sight, holiday bookings to Greece are surging, as people plan what will be some of the most-anticipated holidays ever. For a really restorative taste of Greek life, though, it’s worth swapping the limelight locations for places where mass tourism hasn’t obscured the essence of Greek culture: hospitality and a soulful way of life.

These 10 stunning island and mainland destinations offer a more nourishing side of Greece. These are places where people take pride in offering hospitality – in line with the ancient custom of filoxenia, love of strangers – and where things are done with meraki, love and soul.