British summer may be coming to a close but in the beautiful Mediterranean, the sun will keep shining.
Greece is a stunning holiday location, with a plethora of islands to choose from with each offering something different depending on how your perfect holiday looks.
However, it can be busy, as people flock to the country to live out their Mamma Mia dreams – so how can you get the Greek experience without the crowds?
Easy – you go to the islands less travelled. One of these is the tiny archipelago of Koufonisia which is made up of three small islands – Ano Koufinisi, Kato Koufonisi and Keros.
Ano Koufonisi has a fast-growing reputation for tourism but travellers will still find it fairly uncrowded.
This island is so tiny that you can walk the entire island in just four hours and its beautiful beaches are all accessible on foot from one to the other – just make sure you bring some comfortable walking shoes.
Due to how small it is, entertainment options are limited to what nature provides. Swimming and sunbathing are perfect ways to while away the hours on Ano Koufonisi, and many of its beautiful beaches are naturist beaches so you can let it all hang out if you so desire.
There is no public transport on the island, but some accommodations will let you hire bikes to explore on.
Antiparos is another lesser known Greek island – just a hop skip and a jump from the bustling Paros, this 35 square kilometre island offers an easy day of walking and exploring its secluded beaches and coves.
Antiparos has some jaw dropping beaches despite its small size and you can easily reach it by ferry from the mainland of Paros.
For people who want culture from their holiday, why not hop over to Milos? This volcanic island is where the iconic Venus de Milo was first discovered.
It has more than 65 beautiful beaches to choose from – including one with otherworldly volcanic rock formations that are perfect for adventurous holidaymakers to jump off into the clear blue sea below.
If you grow tired of sunning yourself and swimming, you could check out Milos’s Archaeological Museum which houses a replica of the Venus de Milo – the original is now housed in the Louvre in Paris.
Another island perfect for culture lovers is Ithaka, famed for being the home island of Odysseus. Today, it’s a peaceful island paradise which offers a host of hiking and cycling trails as well as stunning beaches and caves – including the Cave of the Nymph, where Odysseus is said to have hidden the gifts he brought home from his epic travels to the lands of the Phaecians.