The 7 Most Romantic Places to Get Engaged in Greece

Greece is the kind of place where you stop trying to take the perfect photo because the place is doing the work for you. Whitewashed cliffs against a sea that genuinely is that blue. Tavernas where dinner ends an hour after midnight. Sunsets that take their time. It's also one of the most-asked-about proposal destinations we hear from couples — and there's a reason for it.

If you're planning a proposal in Greece, here are seven spots — from the obvious-but-still-worth-it to the ones nobody on Instagram has wrecked yet — to help you pick where to drop to one knee.

1. Oia, Santorini — for the sunset shot you already have in your head

Oia gets a lot of stick for being touristy and it deserves all of it. It is also, objectively, one of the most photogenic places in the world to propose. The trick is timing: arrive at the castle viewpoint a full hour before sunset, find a quiet step on the back side of the village, and let the crowd watch the sun while she's watching you.

Better still: book a private terrace at one of the cave hotels (Canaves, Mystique, Andronis Luxury Suites). Most will lay on champagne and discretion if you ask. Expect to pay for it.

2. Lindos, Rhodes — the Acropolis above the Aegean

Climb the steep cobbled path to the Acropolis of Lindos in the late afternoon. The crusader walls, the small Byzantine church inside, the bay of St Paul curving below you — the whole thing feels both ancient and intimate. There's a flat stone outcrop on the south-east edge that's almost always quiet by 6pm. That's the spot.

3. The Old Town of Chania, Crete — for couples who hate a crowd

Chania's Venetian harbour at first light is one of the great underrated places in the Mediterranean. Walk out along the harbour wall to the lighthouse before the cafés open — twenty minutes there and back, no one around, the call to prayer from the old mosque carrying across the water. It's small and quiet and completely yours for a few minutes.

4. Navagio Beach, Zakynthos — for a proposal with a getaway feel

Yes, the shipwreck beach. Hire a small private boat from Porto Vromi or Agios Nikolaos in the morning before the day-trippers arrive. Captains will happily anchor a hundred metres offshore so you've got the place to yourselves for half an hour. Bring breakfast. The cliffs do the rest.

5. The Mani Peninsula, Peloponnese — for the off-piste romantics

If you've both quietly thought "Santorini's a bit much, isn't it," go to the Mani instead. Stone tower villages, empty pebble coves, tavernas with three tables. Cape Tainaron — the southernmost tip of mainland Europe, with a tiny lighthouse and ancient ruins — is a properly out-there spot for couples who'd rather not share the moment with a hundred strangers.

6. Hydra harbour at dusk — for a 30-minute hop from Athens

Cars aren't allowed on Hydra, so the whole island sounds like donkeys, water and conversation. Ferry from Piraeus in the morning, wander the back lanes for the day, then book dinner at Omilos right on the harbour and walk the path around to Kamini at last light. You'll pass two small chapels and a bench overlooking the sea. The bench is the spot.

7. Meteora at sunrise — for the couple who wants the dramatic shot

Not coastal, very different — but if you want something nobody else in your circle will have done, drive to Meteora in central Greece and watch the sun come up over the monasteries from one of the rock viewpoints. It's a proper drive from anywhere, you'll need to set an alarm, and it'll be cold. It will also look unreal.

A few practical things

• Wedding-finger ring size in the UK runs about half a size larger than Greek/EU sizing. Get sized at home.
• If you're flying with a ring, keep it in your hand luggage. Tell airport security at the X-ray belt — they're used to it and will be discreet.
• Avoid August. Greece in August is hot, packed and prices are double. Late May, June and mid-September are the sweet spots.
• Tell exactly one person where and when. Surprises survive small circles.

Whichever spot you pick, take a moment after the yes to look at where you are. The photos will do most of the remembering — but you'll never have the place to yourselves like that again.