The place to stay is Ekies All Senses Resort (23750 91000; www.ekies.gr ; from £80 per night). With designer-decorated rooms right on the lagoon, you can almost imagine yourself in the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean. There’s a pool, a bar, a superb restaurant, a activities including yoga, and Wi-Fi connectability (at a price). Still further east, the Eagles Palace Hotel & Spa (23770 31101; www.eaglespalace.gr ; from £150 per night) stands in glorious isolation a on its own beach, with water sports including scuba and wind surfing, a private sailing yacht, and motorboats for hire.  The best high-country walking in Greece is in the Zagoria region of the Pindos mountains, among deep gorges, mountain pastures and treeless summits. Mount Olympus is a steep but not-too-demanding hike (you need to allow at least one night in the bunk-bedded mountain hostel on the way up and another on the way down).  The Pílion peninsula offers less challenging walking, along cobbled mule-tracks through semi-tropical, woodlands with a dip in a perfect Aegean cove at the end of the day. Jill Sleeman knows the cobbled mule-paths and lovely villages of Pílion like the back of her hand and leads half-day and longer walks; she also offers tranquil bedrooms in The Old Silk Store (24260 49086, www.pelion.org/mulberrytravel ; from £60), her pretty old mansion at Mouressi, high above the turquoise sea of the east coast.  Cruise around Mt Athos. Only pilgrims and scholars may visit the Holy Mountain, but its amazing monasteries can be seen on a day cruise from Ouranoupoulis. In Thessaloniki, the extraordinary gold and ivory treasures discovered in the tombs of Alexander’s ancestors are the highlight of the world-class Archaeological Museum, centuries-old Byzantine icons have pride of place in the Byzantine Museum, and the sprawling Modiano and Vlali markets are a feast for the eye, with great piles of fruit and vegetables, weird fish and shellfish, and dozens of different kinds of olive.  Hedge your bets against the slumping pound by booking direct with the Sani Resort (23740 99500; www.saniresort.gr ), Halkidiki’s biggest and best resort complex, before March 31. Rates start at £64 per room or £132 for a suite, and if sterling drops below par with the euro there’s a 20 per cent discount. The resort comprises four luxury hotels offering suites, villas, bungalows and standard rooms, more than a dozen bars and restaurants, miles of white sand and nine pools. Family activities, baby sitting and child-minding facilities are the best in Greece, and the Sani Marina – crammed with enviable yachts – is surrounded by stylish restaurants and café-bars.  Operators with packages at the Sani Resort include Thomson (0871 230 8100; www.thomson.co.uk ), with seven nights including flights and transfers from £415 in May to £895 in high season. Thomson offers some Sani sweeteners too: first child free, second child half price.  Singles specialist Friendship Travel (0871 200 2035; www.friendshiptravel.com ) has introduced holidays for sporty singles at the Paleros Beach Resort on the west coast, where a week including flights to Preveza and sole occupancy of a twin room costs from £745.  A week (including flights) at the colourful, eclectic Damouchari Hotel & Apartments on the east coast of Pílion starts at £629 (May) to £1089 (July-August) with Ionian Island Holidays (020 8459 0777; www.ionianislandholidays.com ); also available through Sunvil (020 8758 4758; www.sunvil.co.uk ).  Walks Worldwide (01524 242000; www.walksworldwide.com ) has walking holidays in Olympus, Zagoria and Pelion (and to the Mani in the southern Peloponnese) from around £1,100 (not including flights) for an 11-day self-guided Zagoria walk.
So much to see and so little time, but in Greece you can do it all. Robin   Gauldie looks at the northern and central mainland.