Lynn Roulo

It was the day before my first-ever surgery, and the doctor still hadn’t confirmed what time the procedure would be. I was growing increasingly anxious, but the medical staff seemed completely unbothered by the lack of specificity. They eventually told me to arrive the next morning at 7:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. procedure. What I learned later was that this kind of vagueness reflects a fundamental cultural difference in how medicine works in Greece.

Stretching along the coast south of the nation’s capital, the Athens Riviera is a blend of Mediterranean living and urban sophistication. This 43-mile (70 km) shoreline from Palaio Faliro to Cape Sounio has evolved from a local secret into one of Europe’s most up-and-coming coastal lifestyle destinations.

If you are dreaming of life on a Greek island but are concerned about desolate winters, limited ferry schedules, or access to quality healthcare, the island of Evia (also spelled Euboea) is the ultimate Greek island hack. It might come as a surprise to learn that Greece’s second-biggest island is also one of the country’s best-kept secrets, but it's true. With a landmass of 1,422 square miles (3,684 km), Evia is roughly the size of Delaware and one of Greece’s most accessible islands.