Greek Islands by Chrysanthos Panas & Katerina Katopis-Lykiardopulo | Assouline

An endless expanse of shimmering waters paired with unmatched Greek hospitality awaits visitors to the islands of the Aegean Sea. Each island is home to a unique spirit and mythology. From Patmos (a favourite of Aga Khan) to Hydra (which captivated Henry Miller, Leonard Cohen and Sophia Loren), the islands are imbued with a seductive sense of history, tradition and adventure. Several films over the decades have been filmed on them, including Boy on a Dolphin (1957) on Hydra, The Big Blue (1988) on Amorgos and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) on Santorini. Sources of inspiration for millennia, the ancient ruins, cliffside monasteries and volcanic rims are all can’t-miss sights.

Venturing on an Odyssey of their own, the author and the photographer boarded a traditional Greek sailboat and set out to capture the calming atmosphere, quintessential characters and breathtaking architecture of these gems of the Aegean. A spectacular journey re-created in the pages of Greek Islands.

Silver shimmering on sapphire-coloured seas, opal-coloured sunsets which never get old. Bougainvillea vines flowing on white houses. Walking in the street and catching the scent of a fig tree. All of this and a sense of freedom and peace. Can you ask for anything else?

Eugenie Niarchos

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Assouline is one of the world’s most respected publishers of high-end coffee table books. The publishing house, founded in Paris in 1994, is run by co-founders Martine and Prosper Assouline who are known as the “librarians of luxury”.

Chrysanthos Panas is a businessman and philanthropist from Athens. He is in the hospitality industry with his brother Spyros and owner of several well-known clubs, such as Island, Athénée and Salon de Bricolage. He is one of the first to use the term “Athens Riviera.”

Katerina Katopis-Lykiardopulo is a photographer, travel writer, aviator and travel aficionado. Her adventures have taken her to over 110 countries around the globe, but there is no place like Greece. She has been instrumental in introducing the concept of branded residences in Greece, for projects such as Amanzoe.