Mykonos

Mykonos is the most glamorous — and certainly the most festive — of the Cyclades. Its Chora, a dazzling maze of whitewashed lanes lined with designer boutiques, marble paving and tumbling bougainvillea, runs down to the famous Little Venice waterfront and the iconic row of windmills perched on the hill above. But Mykonos earns its global reputation just as much for its beaches: Paradise, Super Paradise, Psarou and Elia have shaped the beach-club concept in the Mediterranean, with DJ sets running from midday to midnight and a glamorous, international crowd that comes back summer after summer.

Behind the headline party scene, Mykonos quietly keeps its other half intact. The northern coast hides empty coves like Agios Sostis and Fokos, the inland village of Ano Mera still runs on slow Cycladic time, and the sacred islet of Delos — a 30-minute boat ride away — is one of the most important archaeological sites in the entire Greek world. Pair Mykonos with Santorini and you have the textbook first-time Cyclades pairing: caldera drama at one end, dance-floor sunsets at the other. Travel in May, June or September and you'll see why Mykonos remains one of the most addictive island destinations in Europe, even three decades after it first hit the global jet-set map.