( LonelyPlanet.com ) -- With more than 2,000 islands , ranging from tiny atolls to the veritable continent that is Crete , maritime Greece is unmatched for sheer variety . Beaches , history , walking , cycling , water sports , festivals , food ecology : chances are if you want it , they 've got it . Here are just a few of the incomparable offerings Greece 's islands hold . Lonely Planet : Europe 's six surprise islands . Best for beaches : Crete , Lipsi , Kefallonia , Skiathos , Mykonos . Almost every Greek isle has great beaches , but few come with a Venetian castle , like laid-back Frangokastello Beach in southern Crete . For lapping turquoise waters , try Platys Gialos and Kambos on quiet Lipsi , and the stunning cove at Myrtos Beach in Kefallonia . To see and be seen , bowl up to one of Skiathos ' 65 beaches , join the mainstream masses at 1200m-long Koukounaries Beach or bronze up on nudist-friendly Banana and Little Banana Beach , popular with the gay and lesbian set . Even more full-on are the legendary Paradise and Super Paradise beaches on decadent Mykonos . Best for history : Rhodes , Delos , Corfu , Patmos . Gape at Rhodes ' magnificent , walled old town , where the Knights of St John ruled from 1309-1523 , and explore their quarter before visiting the 14th-century Palace of the Grand Masters . Tiny Delos , near Mykonos , was once dedicated to Apollo ; see ruins of shrines to the gods and explore mosaic-rich ancient dwellings . Kick back in Corfu 's old town , with its Venetian , French and British architecture . On ethereal Patmos , visit the Monastery of St John the Theologian , and see the grotto where the saint wrote the Book of Revelations . Best for walking : Crete , Naxos , Alonnisos , Skopelos . The varied terrain on Greece 's biggest island , Crete , ranges from gentle plateaus dotted with windmills to canyons and mountains . Hiking the Samaria Gorge , Europe 's longest at 16km , brings you through the homeland of Crete 's famed wild goat , the kri kri . The Zakros-Kato Zakros ( a former Minoan palace site ) amble in eastern Crete is more relaxed . Cool relief awaits on the forested 'river walk ' at southern Plakias ( inquire at the excellent Youth Hostel Plakias ) . The Greek Mountaineering Club of Hania informs about trekking opportunities and conditions , while Hania'sAlpine Travel organizes walking and trekking tours . Fertile Naxos boasts numerous walks along the old paths connecting the villages of the central plain ; these traverse ancient temples , Hellenistic towers and Byzantine churches . For guided walks contact Flisvos Sport Club . The Sporadic isles of Alonnisos and Skopelos , full of forests , orchards and wildflowers , offer more excellent walks ; contact the Alonnisos Walking Club and Skopelos Walks . Lonely Planet : The Mediterranean without the crowds . Best for cycling : Evia , Kos , Thasos . The meandering country roads of Evia make for blissfully stress-free cycling . Another favorite is well-equipped Kos , bursting with bike-rental places . Excellent forested trails ( and a popular international race ) bring mountain biking aficionados to Thasos . Best for diving and snorkelling : Karpathos , Milos , Paros , Kastellorizo . For organized dives in sea caves full of colorful aquatic life , check out Karpathos Diving School on Karpathos . Milos has phenomenal diving ; Diving Center Milos brings you face-to-face with deep-sea fish , dolphins and even monk seals . Snorkeling is also great here , and on Paros and remote Kastellorizo . Lonely Planet : What 's the world 's sexiest accent ? Best for responsible travel : Zakynthos , Chios , Crete . Volunteer to protect endangered wildlife like sea turtles on Zakynthos with the Earth , Sea & Sky Center and Sea Turtle Protection Society . Get your hands dirty while tending endemic mastic trees , and explore Chios ' other eco-tourism opportunities with Masticulture in Mesta . Finally , enjoy guilt-free eating and sleeping in Crete 's secluded mountains at Milia Traditional Settlement , powered by solar energy and living off its organic farm and good vibrations . Best for food and drink : Lesvos , Samos , Corfu , Folegandros , Crete . Lesvos is renowned for its olive oil and its ouzos ( it produces some 70 percent of all Greek ouzos ) . The national aperitif is served with mixed mezedhes ( appetizers ) at traditional ouzeries ( ouzo restaurants ) , which blend the island 's old Turkish influences with Greek seafood specialties . Lesvos produces fine wine , as does Samos , famed for its sweet muscat dessert wine . Like other Ionian islands , Corfu was never Ottomanised , and its cuisine remains Italian-flavored . Folegandros ' Cycladic specialties include matsata ( pasta with rabbit/chicken in red sauce ) , astakomakaronada ( lobster with spaghetti ) and liokafto ( sun-dried fish ) . Crete is famous for its olive oil and specialties like dakos ( rusks topped with tomato , olive oil and cheese ) and myzithra ( sweet cheese , used in kalitsounia pastries ) . Horta ( wild greens ) provide seasoning for fish or roast lamb . © 2011 Lonely Planet . All rights reserved .
Milos 's islands offer beaches , history , walking , cycling , water sports and festivals . Crete , Milos , Kefallonia , Skiathos and Lonely Planet have the best beaches . Dive and snorkel off the coasts of Kefallonia , Kefallonia , Paros and Kastellorizo .