With over 1,400 islands and hundreds of destinations on the mainland, Greece has something for everyone. Young revelers can head to the bacchanalian parties in the Cycladic islands of Ios and Mykonos, amateur historians can explore the ancient Minoan architecture in Crete, and beach bums can take their pick of endless sandy shorelines. But for travelers willing to veer a little bit off the beaten path, one region offers all of this and more: the Ionian islands.

Strung out in a chain slightly off Greece’s eastern coast, the Ionian islands include Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos, Lefkada, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Zákinthos. Ionian islanders take pride in their long and tumultuous history: legend has it that Odysseus, Homer’s great hero, made his home on Ithaca and stopped off on various other islands in the Ionian Sea on his way back to his wife, Penelope. And during the four-hundred-year occupation of Greece by the Ottoman Empire, the Ionian Islands were never occupied by the Turks. Instead, they were colonized at various times by the Venetians, the French, and the British — a history that lends the islands a distinctive atmosphere. More recently, the island of Cephalonia was featured in the book (and later, the movie) Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, a wrenching story about the Greek role in World War II that showcased the beauty and resilience of the island and its people.

Despite the publicity generated by the movie, Cephalonia and the other Ionian islands have yet to attract the hordes of visitors that swarm to the better-known islands on Greece’s eastern seas. This has the distinct benefit of keeping prices a bit lower, as well as ensuring that the scenery remains relatively unspoiled.

Most travelers to the Ionian islands will start by flying to Athens (see “A Very Brief Guide to Athens”). However, direct flights to several of the islands are also available on Olympic and Aegean Airlines. Ferries also run between all of the islands, as well as to and from the mainland port cities of Patras and Piraeus.

Although the busiest vacation months in Greece are July and August, the best time to go is in the late spring or early fall, when the weather remains warm, sunny, and dry: The water is the perfect temperature for swimming, and the ferries are still running regularly between the islands. An ideal itinerary would be to arrive in September, fly or ferry from Athens to Cephalonia, stop off in Ithaca for a day, take a ferry to Paxos and Corfu, and fly back to Athens from Corfu. But the good thing about island-hopping in Greece is that there is no “best” way to do it — just be sure check the ferry schedules first!

Photos courtesy of the Greek National Tourist Organization

If the first stop on your trip to the Ionians is Cephalonia, prepare to be enchanted by this island of craggy-mountains, Homeric wine-dark seas, jasmine-scented air, and cliffside beaches. The biggest of the Ionian islands, Cephalonia is home to several sizable towns, including Argostoli, the capital and the largest town; Sami, the port; and Fiskardo, a quaint fishing town with several harbor-side restaurants. Only one of these, Fiskardo, was spared from a major earthquake that devastated the island in 1953; the rest have been reconstructed. Nevertheless, all three retain a timeless charm.

For visitors with a few days to stay on the island, Argostoli offers the widest range of hotel bargains and the best nightlife. For hotels, try Vivian Villa, a charming guesthouse a few blocks north of the central square. There, islanders and tourists alike mingle while taking their evening volta, or after-dinner stroll. Several discos and clubs around the plaza offer music and dancing until the early morning hours. And numerous restaurants and cafés stay open until the crack of dawn, serving Robola, a fantastic Cephalonian wine, and mezedes, or Greek tapas, to hungry revelers.

Argostoli is a great jumping-off point for day trips to the other towns and to the island’s many beaches. The best of these is Myrtos Beach, known as one of Greece’s most picturesque playas. The drive there is a bit nerve-wracking since the only access is a perilously curving dirt road alongside a cliff, but it’s well worth it — you’ll be rewarded with white sand; clear, turquoise water; and a gorgeous background of blue sky and striated yellow rock that resembles a moonscape. Among the many other highlights of Cephalonia are the nature reserve at Mount Enos, the subterranean lake in Melissani Cave, and the stunning Byzantine church at the monastery of Gerasimos, the island’s patron saint.

For exposure to a different kind of Greek icon, you can take a day trip to Ithaca, the fabled home of Odysseus. There, you can tour the Cave of the Nymphs, where the hero supposedly hid a trove of gold and other valuables, and look for Odysseus’ palace, which has yet to be found (but is rumored to be somewhere on the island). The best place for lunch is the town of Vathy, where you can visit the archaeological museum and then top off the day with a trip to the lovely Gidaki beach nearby.

On the northern end of the Ionian chain are the islands of Corfu, Paxos, and Antipaxos. Island-hoppers will find that it’s easy to get to and from Corfu, with ferries leaving from most of the Ionian islands, mainland Greece, and even Italy. There are also daily flights between Corfu and other Greek and European cities. However, Paxos and Antipaxos are accessible only by boat from Corfu, so it’s best to plan ahead, since the Greek ferry schedule can be complicated.

Known in Greek as Kerkyra, Corfu was colonized both by Venetians and by the British. As a result, its eponymous capital town boasts both a cricket ground (along the town’s gorgeously gardened esplanade) and classical Italian architecture, adding a multicultural influence unique among the Greek islands. In addition to its elegant design, the town of Corfu is full of amazing restaurants such as Estiatorio Rex, a streetside eatery offering island specialties such as stifado, a rich meat stew, and pastitsada, a beef casserole. The town is filled with tourist shops, bakeries, late-night coffee shops, and night clubs — and true to Greek custom, nearly all of them stay open until early in the morning, inviting night owls to wander the well-lit marble alleyways and streets. There are several decent and affordable hotels along the town’s waterfront, including the cozy and quirky Hotel Konstantinopoulis.

For unbelievable beaches as well as peace and quiet, the Ionian islands’ best kept secrets are the twin islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. Accessible only by daily boat from Corfu, Paxos hosts mostly day-trippers, which makes it ideal for tourists in the mood for a quieter place to spend a few days. It has few towns, and even its capital, Gaios, feels incredibly cozy — within a few days, you’ll know many of the locals by sight. It’s a breeze to get around the olive-covered island, and numerous paths make it easy to plan a hike or a short walk from village to village. Neighboring Antipaxos is so tiny that it has no towns of note — instead, visitors from Paxos head over on motorboats or yachts to soak up the sun on one of the islet’s tiny, Caribbean-toned beaches.

For the first-time visitor to Greece, the Ionian islands are perfect. A visit to Cephalonia, Ithaca, Corfu, Paxos, Antipaxos, or any of the other Ionian islands will not only meet your expectations for the perfect Greek vacation, but it will leave you itching to go back. Who knows — perhaps your visit will inspire you to embark on an odyssey of your own. At the very least, you’ll have the type of vacation that myths are made of.