Seven underrated Greek destinations to head to for October sunshine

As Greece feels the impact of overtourism due to rising visitor numbers, it’s still possible to find idyllic, lesser-visited spots. Olivia Campbell consults some seasoned travellers about their favourite places to escape to

The small harbour of Kioni, Ithaka, in the Ionian Sea. (Getty/iStock)

For decades, Greece has been enthralling travellers with its ancient sites, colourful buildings and thousands of islands – each more idyllic than the last.

You only have to go on social media to see the iconic whitewash buildings of Santorini, the crystal blue waters of Crete or one of Athens’ many ancient sites. With such an abundance of stunning areas, it’s no surprise the Balkan country saw more than 40 million visitors come to its shores in 2024, and adding €21.7bn (£18.9m) to the economy last year alone.

But this popularity comes with a cost.

The country is grappling with serious overtourism and increasingly strained infrastructure – which is only set to worsen as visitor numbers rise.

But, given that Greece is made up of thousands of islands and geopgraphical areas that see just a tiny fraction of tourists the main sites do, it doesn’t have to be this way.

From Paros to Hydra and beyond, our travel desk have traversed across many of Greece’s hidden gems that are just crying out for tourists. We’ve rounded up some of the best.

Paros offers beautiful beaches and excellent cuisine, while retaining a laid-back charm (Getty/iStock)

Paros

If you’ve ever seen pictures of Paros on social media, you’ll be forgiven for mistaking the sparkling white-wash buildings and miles of picturesque buildings for Mykonos. But, as freelance writer Fiona McIntosh has found, this Aegean Sea gem is the island “that Mykonos used to be before it was bedazzled by the superyacht set”. She says: “After spending nine days on Paros, swimming in the translucent Aegean, eating some of the best food I have ever had in Greece and bombing around almost empty roads (it was shoulder season), the only question mark I had was why there were so few Brits on the island.”

Fiona McIntosh takes in the view over Vikos Gorge in Greece (Supplied)

Zagoria National Park

If you don’t want to suffer through the increasingly scorching summers Europe is seeing, then an autumn trip to take in one of the country’s many pristine mountain ranges is a great option. Zagoria National Park, nestled among the steep and snowy slopes of the Tymfi mountains, is a very different kind of Greece, writes McIntosh.

“It’s the sort of place you come to for a complete reset in nature – you are swamped by the kind of untouched wilderness you didn’t know still existed in Europe. Within the 390-square-mile geopark, bordering Albania, the only signs of civilisation are ancient stone bridges left behind by the Ottomans and 46 villages, which are little more than small clusters of stone cottages … It’s that kind of place.”

The blue waters of Kioni, Ithaca, in the Ionian Sea (Getty/iStock)

Ithaca

The island of Ithaca – a place of legend of magic – makes an excellent choice to escape the unrelenting crowds of the main tourist destinations. The small Greek island (featured in Homer’s Odyssey, no less) sits in the Ionian Sea and is known for its serene natural beauty. Victoria Harper, writing about a recent visit, says, “Ithaca is an island of hidden gems – it hosts the crown jewels of beautiful, unspoiled beaches lapped by warm, blue waters. Known for its verdant landscapes and stunning coastlines, Ithaca is as magical as I had imagined.” You can read more about her adventures here.

Hydra’s sunsets are magical and come without the crowds of Santorini (Getty)

Hydra

Just over an hour from Athens, the idyllic island of Hydra offers all the charm of its Cycladic cousins without the chaos and crowds. On her fourth visit, travel writer Rebecca Hall says: “Stepping off the catamaran onto Hydra’s ancient harbour feels like entering a living painting – an island caught between myth and a Mediterranean daydream. Unlike the high-energy crowds of Santorini or Mykonos, Hydra is calm, considered and blissfully car-free … Even on my fourth visit, Hydra still waves her magic wand. I don’t think I will ever tire of her hidden coves, whitewashed alleyways leading to bougainvillaea-bright courtyards and the proud neo-Classical mansions standing testament to the island’s naval history.”

Lake Vouliagmeni, Greece, is fed by natural, thermal spring water (Getty/iStock)

Edipsos

Sometimes you need to take a page out of the Ancient Greek playbook to deal with modern life – and what better way to banish burnout than with a trip to the remote town of Edipsos in northern Evia? Heidi Fuller-Love writes: “Bubbling out of the ground at 35C, Edipsos’s mineral-rich springs – that were ‘sent by the gods for healing’, according to ancient Greek philosopher Pausanias – have been popular with ‘greats’, ranging from Aristotle and Strabo since 4BC.” While the town has nowhere near the glitzy allure it did during the post-war years (Greta Garbo and Omar Sharif were known to seek its “healing water”), there’s something magical about soaking away your troubles the same way people have been doing for thousands of years.

The picturesque port of Agia Marina in Leros, Greece (Sarah Holt)

Leros

Although it has a tragic and tumultuous past, Leros – the so-called Island of Outcasts – has been transformed into a charming idyll welcoming travellers in the Aegean Sea. A 90-minute ferry from Kos will take you to the main town of Agia Marina, an area adorned with independent craft stores and jewellery boutiques, says Sarah Holt. She also says: “The coast of Leros is brush-stroked with beaches. A 35-minute walk from Agia Marina, Alinda is the longest. The waters here make cut crystal look cloudy, and the smooth pebble sand is overlooked by traditional tavernas.”

Peak season: there are over a dozen ski resorts in Greece – which might come as a surprise (Heidi Fuller-Love)

Arachova and Portaria

Greece is known for being a summer paradise, but what about when the colder season sets in? Believe it or not, the country’s budget ski scene is thriving, which is no surprise as Greece is made up of 80 per cent mountains. Writing last year about her time traversing various Greek peaks, including the mountain towns of Arachova and Portaria, Heidi Fuller-Love said: “The joy of being the first to plant skis on this powder-soft terrain was akin to the thrill of discovering a new country – it occurred to me that for most tourists who come here for blue skies and golden-sand beaches, Greece in winter is a new country.”