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