Where to stay in the Greek islands: the best islands and resorts

Crete could fill a lifetime of holidays. The north coast is lined with resorts, the White Mountains and the Samaria Gorge wrinkle the west, the palace of Knossos sits just outside Heraklion, and beaches like Balos and Elafonisi are as good as any in the Mediterranean. Food is a highlight too: raki, mountain cheeses and olive oil from trees older than most countries.

Chania, in the west, has the prettiest old town, wrapped around a Venetian harbour, with beach resorts like Platanias and Maleme nearby. Rethymnon is a smaller, equally charming Venetian town with a long sandy beach. Hersonissos, east of Heraklion, is the classic resort strip, with lively nightlife and big all-inclusives such as the family-owned Creta Maris. Heraklion itself is the capital and the main airport, with Knossos and a world-class archaeological museum.

Rhodes is one of the sunniest of the big islands and one of the most historic. Its capital's Old Town, ringed by the walls of the medieval Knights of St John, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, with the Palace of the Grand Master at its heart. Down the east coast, Lindos stacks its white houses beneath an ancient acropolis above a near-perfect bay.

The east coast is for beaches: Faliraki is the lively resort, with a water park and sandy beach, while Kallithea's five-star Rodos Palladium sits on a Blue Flag beach. Around Lindos, adults-only hotels like the Lindos Grand overlook Vlycha Bay and the Melenos Art Boutique Hotel sits high above the village. The breezy west coast, around Ialyssos, suits families and windsurfers, with big resorts such as Labranda Blue Bay and its water park.

Corfu is the greenest of the Greek islands, its hills thick with olive and cypress trees and its coast scalloped with coves. Corfu Town, with its Venetian fortresses and arcaded Liston, is a UNESCO-listed beauty. The island has been a British favourite for generations, so you'll find cream teas alongside the grilled octopus.

Each corner has its own mood. The north-east, around Kassiopi, is upmarket and calm, with pebbly coves and family resorts like the Michelangelo; Bella Mare sits right on Avlaki Beach. Sidari, in the north, has the sculpted sandstone of the Canal d'Amour. Benitses, south of Corfu Town, is an old fishing village with the Angsana's spa resort above it. Kavos, at the southern tip, is the party strip.

There is nowhere quite like Santorini. A volcano blew its middle out thousands of years ago, leaving a sheer-sided caldera, and the villages of Fira, Imerovigli and Oia cling to its rim, their cave houses and blue domes glowing at sunset. It's busy and expensive, but stand on a terrace as the sun sinks and you'll forgive it everything.

Oia is the most famous village, with cliff-edge suites like Andronis Boutique. Imerovigli, on the highest point of the caldera, is quieter and more romantic, home to Katikies Chromata. Fira, the capital, has the most restaurants and nightlife, and caldera-rim hotels like Apeiron Blue nearby. For beaches and lower prices, head to the black sand of Kamari on the east coast.

Mykonos is Greece's party island, and it wears the crown with style. Mykonos Town, or Chora, is a maze of whitewashed lanes, bougainvillea and boutiques, with the windmills on the hill and the bars of Little Venice right on the water. The south coast is a string of sandy beaches, from family-friendly Ornos to the beach clubs of Psarou and Platys Gialos.

Hotels are some of the slickest in Greece. The Belvedere wraps around a turquoise pool in a 1920s mansion in Mykonos Town; Santa Marina has its own private beach; Nissaki overlooks Psarou; and Myconian Utopia sits high above Elia Beach. It is pricey, and July and August are frantic, so consider June or September.

Zante is famous for one view, the rusting wreck on the sand of Navagio Beach, hemmed in by sheer white cliffs and turquoise water. But the island is much more: blue caves to the north, loggerhead turtles nesting on the beaches of Laganas Bay, and a green, hilly interior.

Laganas is the party resort, with a long sandy beach and family resorts like the Galaxy Beach Resort on the bay. Tsilivi, on the east coast, is a friendlier family resort with smart hotels such as Olea All Suite on the hillside, while the adults-only King Jason Zante looks out over Tsilivi bay. Argassi, close to Zante Town, is handy and good value.

Kos is a beach island first and foremost, ringed with long stretches of sand and flat enough to explore by bike. Kos Town has Roman ruins, a Knights' castle and the plane tree where Hippocrates is said to have taught, and the Asklepion, his healing sanctuary, is just outside.

Tigaki and Marmari, on the north coast, have soft sand and shallow water that suit young families, with resorts like Grecotel Casa Paradiso and its water slides. Kardamena, in the south, is the lively one, surrounded by big all-inclusives such as Akti Beach Club. Out west, Kefalos has quieter bays and the five-star Ikos Aria.

Kefalonia is the biggest of the Ionian islands and one of the least spoilt. Myrtos Beach, a curve of white pebbles beneath towering cliffs, is one of the most photographed in Greece; Xi Beach, in the west, has red sand; and Melissani Cave is an underground lake lit by a shaft of sunlight. The island starred in Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Argostoli, the capital, is lively and handy for the airport. Fiscardo, in the far north, is a pretty harbour village with stylish suites such as Fiscardonna. Families do well around Sami, where the Ionian Emerald sits on the beach, and couples love F Zeen on Lourdas Beach in the south. The Apollonion Asterias, near Lixouri, is steps from Xi Beach.

Skiathos is a compact island in the Sporades, so green it looks almost Scandinavian until you see the water. Pine forests run right down to dozens of sandy beaches, with Koukounaries the most famous, and Skiathos Town is a cheerful harbour of tavernas and bars. Ferries hop to Skopelos, where Mamma Mia! was filmed.

Skiathos Palace looks down over Koukounaries Bay, Skiathos Princess sits right on the beach at Agia Paraskevi and suits families, and the adults-only Aegean Suites is on sandy Megali Ammos, within walking distance of town. In town itself, the Bourtzi is a boutique hotel just off the main street.