Kefalonia

This crescent of white pebbles hemmed between two steep cliffs is one of the most photographed beaches in Greece, admired from the viewpoint on the hairpin road. Dogs are generally banned from the managed, patrolled section in summer; enjoy instead the viewpoint above, on a leash.

The underground lake of Melissani, revealed when its cave roof collapsed, is explored by rowing boat over unreal blue water pierced by a shaft of sunlight at noon. Dogs are not allowed in the boats or in the cave; arrange someone to watch yours if you want to visit.

This fishing hamlet nestled on an isthmus links the mainland to a headland crowned by a 16th-century Venetian fortress. The path up to the castle is walked on a leash, among pines and plunging views over the two bays, and the village lanes lend themselves to a quiet stroll.

The only village spared by the 1953 earthquake, Fiskardo lines its pastel houses around an elegant marina, in the shade of plane trees and cypresses. You wander here on a leash along the quay, between yachts and tavernas, most terraces gladly welcoming a well-behaved dog.

Mount Ainos National Park protects Kefalonia's only fir forest (Abies cephalonica), endemic, on the island's highest peak at 1,628 metres. The tracks and trails are hiked on a leash in welcome coolness in summer, sometimes with a glimpse of the small wild horses that live on the ridges.

The Koutavos lagoon, at the gates of the capital Argostoli, offers a shaded walk on wooden boardwalks around a stretch of water where loggerhead turtles come. Keep your dog firmly on a leash and away from the turtles, whose approach is regulated for their protection.