Spread across the deep blues of the Aegean and Ionian seas, the history, beauty and charm of the Greek islands have captivated visitors and locals alike for decades. There is nothing more appealing than spending the whole of August, like one drawn-out Sunday, hopping from one island to another.

Trips here are all about living life at its simplest. Spend day after day swimming, only pausing for a lunch of fish mezes – grilled octopus and calamari, crayfish with orzo – all washed down by glasses of crisp wine. Lunch is followed by long naps under an umbrella; the evenings start as drawn-out dinners and turn into all-nighters of talking under the stars.

As beautiful as they are, the most popular islands – Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu – have been overrun by tourists. Stampedes of visitors make it nearly impossible to navigate their villages, and the beaches are filled to the brim. But as luck would have it, there are 5,997 other islands for you to explore. Here are four that we think should be on your list…