Forget the Mykonos windmills and Santorini’s overpriced blue domes. Those are the islands everybody seems to flock to year in, year out, and granted, they do have their charm. If you want Aegean views without the cruise hordes, the elbow-to-elbow crowds, or the eye-watering villa prices, you need to look further east. If, like me, …

When you think Greek islands, chances are it’s probably Mykonos’ bustling waterfront hugged by an azure Aegean, or Santorini’s whitewashed, cliffside churches with blue domes. It’s the Greece of Mamma Mia, cave hotels that cost an arm-and-a-leg per night, and overpolished villages where you’re more likely to find a Hermès outlet than chatty yiayias gossiping …

A country of 227 sun-drenched islands, exuding Old World charm and surrounded by turquoise seas, Greece is one of Europe’s trendiest summer destinations this year. Between Mykonos’ riotous party scene, Santorini’s whitewashed villages bestriding coastal cliffs, and Crete’s cosmopolitan feel, there’s plenty to choose from. Your options are more limited, however, if you’re actively looking …