Greece

Greece invented half the ideas the West runs on, then perfected the holiday to recover from them. Athens deserves more than a stopover: the Acropolis at opening time, then lunch in a Plaka taverna while the city hums below. But the islands are the heartbeat, and choosing between them is the happiest problem in travel. Santorini's caldera sunsets from a cliff-carved suite. Mykonos for glamour, Milos for lunar beaches, Naxos for families, Sifnos for food. Or skip the ferries altogether and charter a yacht, dropping anchor wherever the water looks best, which is everywhere. Everything tastes better here: tomatoes, octopus, barrel wine, the works. Greece runs on philoxenia, the love of strangers, and you will be its beneficiary daily. Long lunches are not optional.