Santorini

Santorini looks almost too good to be true in photographs, and a first visit rarely disappoints: the caldera towns sit on cliffs formed by a volcanic eruption in the Bronze Age, their whitewashed houses trailing bougainvillea down towards the water, with the island’s signature blue doors appearing at every turn. Sunset draws a crowd for good reason, but the quieter southern beaches and inland villages deserve just as much time. It is popular precisely because it delivers on what people expect.