Over 1400 islands are flung across the Aegean and Ionian seas, 160 of which are permanently inhabited. There's no such thing as a typical Greek island, as each has its own characteristics. The Ionian Islands lie off the west mainland coast and stretch from Albania to the Peloponnese. They tend to be greener and more fertile than other islands, and include Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

Southeast of Athens lie the Cyclades, many of which are popular holiday islands such as Mykonos, Paros and Santorini. The Sporades lie further north and include Skopelos and Skiathos, whilst to the northeast near the coasts of Turkey and Bulgaria lie the Aegean Islands of Thassos and Lesvos. The last group are the Dodecanese which also border the Turkish coast further south and include Rhodes and Kos. The largest and most southerly of the Greek islands is Crete, renowned for its striking mountains and glorious coastline.

Half of the ten million strong population live in Athens, with one million inhabiting those lovely islands. There's a high proportion of immigrants, many of them Albanian. Tourism is the main earner of foreign currency, followed by agricultural products such as olive oil, citrus fruits, and raisins. The climate is dry and sunny in summer with over 3000 hours of sunshine a year, but there's plenty of rainfall in winter to freshen up the countryside.

Greece Holiday Destinations

Looking for holidays in Greece? Our Greek holiday destinations include Corfu Crete Halkidiki Kefalonia Kos Rhodes Samos Santorini Skiathos Thassos Zakynthos