Naxos

The monumental doorway of the temple of Apollo, never finished in the 6th century BC, stands on the islet of Palatia linked to the harbour by a causeway. Leashed dogs happily join the sunset procession: it is the whole island's evening ritual, free and unforgettable.

At the top of the old town, the Venetians' fortified quarter keeps its crested gateways, Catholic mansions and limewashed alleys where getting lost is a pleasure. An on-lead wander is ideal early in the morning; the quarter's museums do not admit dogs.

Four kilometres of blond sand and juniper-backed dunes make Plaka the island's finest beach. Off season your dog runs almost alone here; in summer, keep to the undeveloped ends, away from the sunbeds and supervised bathing zones.

The island's former capital, in the heart of the Tragea valley, lines up neoclassical mansions, Byzantine churches and the historic distillery of kitron, the Naxian citron liqueur. The shaded lanes and surrounding olive groves work very well on lead.

A marble village clinging to the slopes of Mount Fanari, Apiranthos has flagstone lanes polished to a shine, vaulted passages and terraces facing the valleys. The on-lead stroll is superb, and the cafes on the main street gladly welcome calm dogs.

In an orchard valley near Melanes, two 6th-century-BC marble colossi lie unfinished where their sculptors abandoned them. The open-air site can be visited freely with a leashed dog, and the path between the two kouroi crosses a lovely Mediterranean garden.