Helen Iatrou

Sailing fast double-handed on a catamaran near Bitter End Yacht Club, in the British Virgin Islands, I noticed the winds were less predictable than I expected. So, I was doing pretty well, taking care to trim the mainsail and manoeuvre the tiller while artfully dodging mooring balls and yachts.
Until a sudden gust caught me by surprise, overpowering the sail and causing the boat to flip. Clearly, I wasn’t being careful enough.

Sporting a well-worn blue apron, Stelios Trilirakis moves from pot to pot, lifting the lids to give the contents a quick stir. He leans in to add a dash of olive oil to each of the flame-blackened clay vessels, which simmer over the embers of a hearth set up in the garden.
Puffs of steam escape into the crisp morning, filling the air above Drakona village with the aromas of stewing vegetables and meat. I’d skipped breakfast, as is sensible when travelling on this food-focused island. But now my stomach is snarling shamelessly.

Commissioned to research and write an eight-page print feature on Crete's food scene for the May 2026 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Craving access to an entire estate in Corsica? A 12-room boutique from a beloved whiskey brand in Scotland? Maybe an art-filled castle in Sancerre, France? Find all that and more at these 26 hotels, all priced under $350.
All visited and vetted by Travel + Leisure reporters, as part of the 2026 It List.
I contributed the entry on Vetera Matera in Matera, Italy

To find the best new hotels of the year, Travel + Leisure editors and reporters considered nearly 250 properties across 40 countries. Each opened (or unveiled a significant renovation) between February 2025 and February 2026. Here, the 100 stays that impressed us most—including storied beach resorts, country estates, and flashy city hotels.
For this hotly anticipated annual list, I covered Vetera Matera, the only luxury albergo diffuso in the Relais & Châteaux portfolio, situated in Italy's hilltop Matera.

Greece’s Peloponnese is having a moment, thanks to the summer release of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey, which features scenes filmed in the mountainous destination. Beyond the latest screen adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, due out in July, there’s another reason to plan a trip to the Greek mainland’s southernmost region.

The Peloponnese Trails, a network of hiking routes spanning more than 1,000 miles that showcase some of Greece’s most spectacular scenery, is scheduled to launch in June 2026.

With no family tradition of sailing, Sunreef’s CEO Francis Lapp never imagined he would establish a boatbuilding brand. Within two decades, the former electrical engineer turned Sunreef Yachts into a respected name in sustainable luxury yachting.

Audio interview published 24.04.2026
Article published in print in Issue 5 (Spring 2026) of Maison Ë magazine.

The gods truly did bless Greece: Archaeological wonders, postcard-worthy beaches, treasure-filled museums, mouthwatering food, and endless olive oil. The sun-soaked Mediterranean escape delivers variety in spades, and luckily for travelers, it’s easy to experience all of its enchanting variety on one trip.

Instagram Reel produced for Intrepid Travel

Wondering how to eat like a local in Athens? Start at Varvakios Market 🇬🇷⁠

⁠This is how Greeks really eat: souvlaki sizzling straight off the grill, loukoumades dripping with honey (once a treat for ancient Olympic champions), and plates of cured beef and cheese shared mid-morning, with a glass raised and nowhere else to be.⁠

Instagram Reel produced for Intrepid Travel

Greek pies are more than just a snack, they’re a slice of tradition. 🥧⁠
⁠At Pandora bakery in #Athens, our travellers join Intrepid leader Eva (@eva.xristodoulou) to taste authentic handmade pies made from family recipes passed down from Ioannina in northern Greece. Only around a ten-minute walk from the Acropolis, locals travel here to sample their special recipes. From spinach and feta spanakopita to leek, cheese, meat, and Eva’s favourite, manitaropita (mushroom pie), every bite tells a regional story.⁠

With a little practice, the language won't be "all Greek" on your next trip to Greece.
So, you’re finally going to go on that long-awaited getaway to Greece. But while you’re daydreaming about beach-hopping on the islands, marveling at ancient sites, and feasting on meze on the sand, consider adding some Greek phrases to your vocabulary. While digital translators can be useful tools to have, taking the time to learn a few keywords and phrases can go a long way with locals.

At first glance, Genoa might seem a little scruffy around the edges. That’s to be expected of port cities with centuries of history. But the capital of Italy’s Liguria region, home to Italy’s biggest port, has a way of quietly stealing your heart.

Dreaming of sailing below Santorini’s dramatic caldera cliffs, walking atop Dubrovnik’s city walls or sipping on a spritzer at a lemon-scented village on the Amalfi Coast? A cruise is one of the easiest and most fulfilling ways to explore the iconic ports of call dotted around the Mediterranean. The region remains one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Seychelles is the stuff of sailors’ daydreams, yet its far-flung location means you’ll always find a quiet cove or have a palm-lined, powdery sand beach all to yourself. Situated in the western Indian Ocean, east of Kenya, this culturally rich archipelago nation is best explored by yacht.
This laidback island-hopping itinerary takes you from the colorful capital to coral reefs swarming with marine life, ancient granite formations gracing pristine shores and habitats hosting peculiar flora and fauna.

Greece is the quintessential destination for a long, languid family yacht charter vacation in the Mediterranean. Time has a way of slowing down as you sail at a leisurely pace between marinas and anchorages, swim in emerald seas, explore historical sites and monuments, hike thyme-scented coastal trails, and dine at beachfront tavernas as the sun goes down. Above all, Greeks are renowned for their inimitable brand of hospitality, known as philoxenia, which sees youngsters treated like royalty.