As seen on screen—the best set-jetting spots in Greece

Greece, with its secret shores, blue waters and ancient wonders, has captivated countless screenwriters, directors and stars over the years. While there may be a huge mainland and 6,000 islands to choose from, there are a handful of locations that stand out for their on-screen appeal. Whether it’s Meryl Streep racing up to a chapel on Skopelos or a star-crossed Nicolas Cage smooching by the sea on Kefalonia, there are plenty of set-jetting spots to visit across sun-soaked Greece.

Athens and Corfu

As seen in: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

The third instalment of director Nia Vardalos’s sleeper hit sees the eccentric Portokalos family descend on their ancestral homeland. Stepping out of Athens airport, the characters pass the Greek capital’s hottest sights, from the Parthenon to the Hellenic Parliament — visitors to the city should stop by Syntagma Square at 11am to see the daily changing of the guard. The Portokalos family then make landfall on Corfu, where the island’s neoclassical buildings, zigzagging hilly streets and glittering Ionian beaches help them connect with their Greek roots. The pebbly coves near the seaside village of Benitses on Corfu’s east coast provided several peaceful backdrops in the film.

Insider’s tip: Want to party like a Portokalos? Head to Bolivar Beach Club on the Athenian Riviera (where the younger family members go out) for sundowners and sandy dancefloors.

Paxos

As seen in: Maestro in Blue (2023)

The first Greek series on Netflix, Maestro in Blue surprised the world when it shot to the platform’s top 10 in 2023. Centred around a young musician who moves to the Ionian island of Paxos to set up a music festival, it’s a unique view of Greek village life; and while the plot is explosive, the settings are idyllic. Stroll along the serpentine promenade of Gaios harbour to see where the characters congregate or dip into the turquoise waters of Harami beach, where Maestro’s on-screen lovers go to relax away from the prying eyes of the locals.

Insider’s tip: Head to Maestro’s favourite haunt, Roxi Bar in Loggos for a fresh banana daiquiri, best sipped while seated on the village dock with your legs swinging over the harbour.

Spetses and Porto Heli

As seen in: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Southern detective Benoit Blanc finds himself on sunny Spetses, which stood in for the fictional Pisceshite Island in this quirky crime caper. When his yacht lands on a billionaire’s private island, it’s actually the main port of Dapia viewers are seeing. Here, characterful, 19th-century mansions built by Greek shipping magnates line the quayside and visitors can walk (or take a horse-drawn carriage, as is traditional) to reach a handful of secluded swimming coves. For those that really want to push the boat out, book a stay at the luxurious Villa 20 at the Amanzoe Hotel near Porto Heli on the mainland, where much of the film was shot. 

Insider’s tip: Visit the Bouboulina Museum on Spetses to learn about national heroine Laskarina Bouboulina, a Greek naval ‘capetanissa’ (captain) and the world’s first female admiral.

Skopelos

As seen in: Mamma Mia! (2008)

“The winner takes it all,” laments unlucky-in-love Donna Sheridan (portrayed by Meryl Streep) as she dashes towards a clifftop church in Mamma Mia! But the real scene-stealer was the chapel itself, Agios Ioannis, on the Sporadic island of Skopelos — the house of worship hovers 100 metres above the turquoise Aegean Sea. After admiring the candlelit icons inside the church, follow the coast road down to Kastani Beach, where the cast of flipper-clad young men in the film marches to the end of a jetty to the tune of ABBA classic Lay All Your Love On Me.

Insider’s tip: Visit the Old Port on the nearby island of Skiathos, where the characters played by Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgård first arrive on the film’s fictional Kalokairi island.

Corfu

As seen in: The Durrells (2016)

This much-loved TV adaptation of naturalist Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals was filmed on the island of Corfu in northwest corner of Greece, just over a mile from Albania. The shuttered three-storey residence of the Durrell family is Villa Posillipo — an 18th-century abode where fans of the series can sleep under wooden beams, chandeliers and other luxurious old-world furnishings. Long-suffering Louisa Durrell, played by Keeley Hawes, could often be found wandering the fountain-filled local plateia (square) with lovable taxi driver Spiros. Stroll the very same streets at Danilia Village, an enchanting replica of a 1930s Corfiot village.

Insider’s tip: Make like Gerald Durrell and go birdwatching at the Halikiopoulou Lagoon. It’s a hub for migratory species, including endangered great white egrets.

Messinia

As seen in: Before Midnight (2013)

Follow characters Jesse and Céline to Messinia in Greece’s Peloponnese region, for the final instalment of the Before trilogy. The rugged mountains, verdant valleys and winding roads of this breathtaking peninsula make the ideal backdrop for the couple to rediscover their love for one another. In the film, the pair enjoy a writing retreat, which was filmed in the Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor House, a luxurious golden villa in the village of Kardamyli. The opulent residence was built in the 1960s by British author and adventurer Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor after he fell in love with Greece. Visitors can set up camp here, too — it opens up for rentals for three months of each year.

Insider’s tip: Make like Jesse and Céline and explore the 13th-century Methoni Castle, where the couple act like young lovers among the rocky ruins of the Venetian island fortress.

Santorini

As seen in: The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005)

Type ‘Greece’ into any image search and the blue-domed churches, awe-inspiring caldera views and terracotta sunsets of Oia, Santorini appear. This truly emblematic island, partway between Crete and Athens, often graces the big and small screens. In The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, testy teen Lena Kaligaris (played by Alexis Bledel) rides through the streets of Oia on a donkey to reach her grandparents’ house, where she receives a warm Greek welcome. Take the steep stairs down to Ammoudi Beach where Lena later meets her summer lover.

Insider’s tip: Fans of the film can stay overnight at Lena’s grandparents’ house — Helios Cave House — a tranquil retreat in the heart of Oia.

Kefalonia

As seen in: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)

The 2001 adaptation of Louis de Bernières’s moving tale of love, passion and friendship across opposing sides of the Second World War was filmed on Kefalonia, the Ionian island where the original story is set. Captain Corelli, an Italian officer played by Nicolas Cage, is billeted to live on the island with Dr Iannis and his daughter Pelagia, played by Penélope Cruz. Visitors today can stroll the streets of Pelagia’s picturesque Venetian village in Sami. Stop in Contessina Restaurant for a lunch rich in Greco-Italian flavours. Opt for the pastitsio, a lasagne-style dish infused with cinnamon and bay leaves.

Insider’s tip: Head to secluded Antisamos Beach, just a short drive from Sami, to see where Captain Corelli’s camp was set up for the film.

Mykonos

As seen in: Shirley Valentine (1989)

Before it was known for A-listers and all-night parties, the Cycladic isle of Mykonos earned the limelight by starring in classic romcom Shirley Valentine. This 1989 adaptation of Willy Russell’s play about a middle-aged Liverpudlian housewife who falls in love with slow-paced island life, was filmed in the fishing village of Agios Ioannis. Shirley decides to stay on the island and gets a job working at a local restaurant — these scenes were filmed at popular hangout Hippie Fish, which still features the original bar used in the film.

Insider’s tip: Pull up a chair at the restaurant and order a selection of Mediterranean-fusion sushi, or do as Shirley did and sip a glass of citrusy assyrtiko wine on the sand.

Crete

As seen in: Zorba the Greek (1964)

Though Zorba the Greek was filmed in black and white, Crete’s colourful characters dazzle. The inventive Zorba, played by Anthony Quinn, showcases the culture of Greece’s largest island in the film’s final scene as he joyfully dances a sirtaki — a folk dance inspired by Cretan and Byzantine traditions — on the sand. At the entrance to Stavros Beach, a short drive from the city of Chania, you won’t fail to spot a huge Zorbas Beach sign with pictures of the prancing Quinn. Stop and cool your dancing feet in the shallow, crystalline sea.

Insider’s tip: Nicknamed ‘Zorba’s mountain’, rocky Vardies mountain rises behind the beach. Keen walkers can take the path to Lerá Cave, which stood in for Zorba’s doomed lignite mine.