2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

160 The Australian Women’s Weekly | OCTOBER 2019

W

e allknowthestarof

MammaMia!wasn’t

actuallyMerylStreep,or

eventheABBAsoundtrack

• it wasthedazzling
  location!The 2008 moviewaslmedon
  severalislandsaroundGreece,withthe
  picture-postcardclearbluewaters,sparkling
  whitewashedbuildingsandendlesssunshine
  providingtheultimatebackdrop– and
  makingusallimmediatelywanttobooka
  one-wayticket.If shiftingyourlifethereis
  toohard,planninga Greekislandgetaway
  is thenextbestthing.Hereareourfour
  favouriteGreekislandstovisit:
  SANTORINIWithitsdazzlingpanoramas,
  romanticsunsetsandsparklingbeaches,
  it’shardlysurprisingthatSantoriniis on
  somanypeople’sbucketlists.Morethan
  1.5millionpeoplevisiteveryyear,making
  it oneofthemostpopularoftheislands.
  TheKamariresortfeaturesa blackpebble
  beach,anopen-aircinema,ancientruinsand
  a café-linedpromenade.Needwesaymore?

MILOFordramaticbeautyandInstagram-

worthyscenerywithouthordesoftourists,

Milois theplacetogo.Withperhapsthe

widestrangeofbeachesamongtheislands,

theremainsofa hugeamphitheatre,a pretty

capitalwithlabyrinthinestreetsandsuperb

seafood,it’soneofGreece’sbest-keptsecrets.

NAXOSAncienthistorianHerodotus

describedNaxosas “thehappiestofthe

islands”,andwecanseewhy.Hereyou’ll

ndmileaftermileofpowderysand

beaches,makingit a havenforfamilies.

Theislandis mountainousandgreen

withplentyofwalkingtrails,andyou

canhiketothesummitofMtZas

andexploreruins.

MYKONOSAninuxofsupermodels

andsuperyachtsoverrecentyears

havemadethisislandsynonymous

withpartiesandfun– Greece’s

answertoIbiza.Minglewiththejet

setastheyarriveonyachtsandprivate

planestodineat thebeachclubsand

gourmetrestaurants.

Travel

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES AND ALAMY.

Spotlight

G

s

Jaw-dropping seascapes and charming towns make

Greece an island-hopper’s paradise. We play favourites.

Santorini by day is

pretty spectacular,

with cascading

whitewashed buildings

and blue-domed

churches winding

down to pristine

turquoise waters. But

come sundown, fi nd

yourself a spot on the

waterfront and watch

the islands take on

a whole new level of

beauty as the buildings

glow in pinks, oranges

and yellows. Prime

sunset viewing is in

Oia, where thousands

of tourists fl ock and

applaud the moment

the sun dips below

the horizon.

on the

THE WOW

FACTOR