Never mind Santorini – 5 new places to stay in Greece away from the crowds (2024)

Following a stellar 2023, Greece appears to be heading for another record-breaking summer. Government forecasts and forward bookings with airline and tour operators point towards 2024 being Greek tourism’s best year.

For travellers interested in visiting the most popular islands – namely Mykonos and Santorini – that is not necessarily a good thing. Last summer brought overcrowded streets as tourists spilled out of cruise ships, along with sky-high prices at resorts and restaurants, bumper-to-bumper traffic and little elbow room on beaches.

Those issues are concentrated in a few spots and hardly represent a country that includes 227 inhabited islands and plenty of unsung gems on the mainland. Still, if you are looking to avoid the most bustling spots, it can be hard to find luxury infrastructure and inspiration.

That is changing. This year, the most exciting hotel openings in Greece are all popping up in spots less known to an international crowd. Take the rocky island of Folegandros, with a population of less than 1,000. It is just an hour by ferry from Santorini – more than three hours from Athens – but it is much less travelled.

This summer, Folegandros is getting Gundari, its first luxury hotel of note. The property will feature a restaurant from Lefteris Lazarou, the first Greek chef to have a Michelin-star restaurant, and all rooms will have private infinity pools heated with solar panels.

Here are five such openings. Each raises the bar in an unexpected spot, from the centrally located Cyclades islands to the Athens Riviera, along with summertime rates and details on how to get there.

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1. Odera

When: May; Where: Tinos; How to get there: it is 20 minutes by boat from Mykonos

The island of Tinos is mainly known as a spiritual site, with Greek Orthodox pilgrims voyaging to its Renaissance-style church, Our Lady of Tinos. The ornate white building, wrapped with grand colonnades, was built to commemorate the patron saint of Greece.

Now the island is getting its first luxury hotel as it looks to expand tourism beyond religious visitors. Just a short walk from the old town, Odera will be made up of 77 rooms with limestone-washed walls and beamed ceilings, many with swim-up access from a shared pool.

There is a small spa; even better will be to get a massage right on the private beach. And travellers can hire the hotel’s boat to journey along the island’s dramatic, cliff-lined coast with stops to meet artisans that work with the island’s famous dove-white marble.

Rooms from €320 (US$350).

2. Gundari

When: May; Where: Folegandros; How to get there: the ferry from Santorini takes an hour

It does not get more idyllic than the hilly island of Folegandros, whose three small villages are connected by a winding road. The main town, Chora, is like Mykonos without the nightlife: all whitewashed stone homes, cobblestone streets and lively tavernas.

The 27 rooms at Gundari, all with private infinity pools overlooking the sea, are spread across 80 acres (32 hectares) of clifftop less than two miles (3km) from the main town. There is also a wine bar featuring Greek wines, now trending on and off the islands.

Given the location, there is no beach on site, but electric bikes and ATVs are offered to help guests venture to secluded coves. Along with patchy mobile phone service, it is the type of blessing and curse that comes with getting truly off the grid.

Rooms from €600.

3. One&Only Kea Island

When: May; Where: Kea; How to get there: it is an hour’s ferry from Athens or 15 minutes by helicopter

One&Only’s second Greek hotel follows its debut in Athens last year, creating an ideal city-beach combo. This makes it no surprise that the brand chose to locate on Kea Island, the closest Cycladic island to the capital.

Kea is not yet much visited by foreigners, but Greek weekenders flock to its pebbled beaches. The island is also popular with diving enthusiasts, who go to Kea to access underwater historical sites like the shipwrecked HMHS Britannic, a sister ship to the Titanic.

At One&Only’s 160-acre resort, every room is a stand-alone villa; the smallest measures 75 square metres (800 square feet). Each has a private pool on a spacious deck outfitted with a shaded daybed. And when you want to go out, hiking paths across the property will lead down to quiet coves and chapels.

Rooms from €2,500.

4. Avant Mar

When: April; Where: Paros; How to get there: take a regional flight from Athens or a three-hour ferry from the capital’s Piraeus Harbour

Avant Mar, which opened last year but will now enjoy its first full summer season, is an ideal place in which to enjoy the island’s charms. Its central feature is a 55-metre-long (180ft-long) swimming pool facing the sea; guests can also stroll down a boardwalk to the scene at Piperi Beach, where the hotel sets out private loungers.

On-site restaurants include Matsuhisa Paros – a Nobu offshoot that serves world-class sushi as DJs spin nightly sets. On Paros and at Avant Mar, the general vibe is to party hard and sleep late.

Pack your trainers along with those dancing shoes: the well-visited but picturesque fishing village of Naoussa, full of waterside cafes and boats, is a five-minute walk up a hill.

Rooms from €350.

5. 91 Athens Riviera

When: May; Where: Athens; How to get there: take a 30-minute cab from Athens International Airport

This posh, tented camp – on the beach, yet 30 minutes’ drive from the historical sights and bustle of downtown Athens – is a rarity for many reasons, not least its ability to streamline sun, sand and urban culture into a single itinerary stop.

It is also far more stylish than your average glamp site: the so-called “tents” look more like futuristic beach bubbles and have air conditioning, plunge pools and panoramic glass walls.

All this is part of a members’ club whose walkable grounds include eight large tennis courts, a fitness area, a private beach and the Greek restaurant Barbarossa.

Rooms from €900.