Go Island Hopping – Hassle-Free: Explore the Greek Islands on a customized tour where you can choose from 40 must-see attractions (and the staff will take care of all the awkward details)

Jump on board! Grab a seat with a view – the ride is part of the fun as we cruise a brightly painted ferry across a smooth, sparkling turquoise sea to an island on the horizon.

Welcome to the Greek island hopping adventure.

Fortunately, while it used to be a struggle to sort everything out – like deciphering local ferry schedules or booking hotels that might not have a phone, let alone a website – there’s now a more civilized way to navigate between the best places.

Olympic Holidays, a family-run business in Greece, has developed its new pick-and-mix system to make island hopping as stress-free as possible, offering everything from fascinating day trips to extended retreats.

Simply choose from 40 places to visit, choose accommodation ranging from boutique hotels to stone cottages with little more than one bedroom and breathtaking views, and let the staff take care of the nitty-gritty details.

Simon’s journey began on Rhodes, an island with a string of glamorous resort hotels. Above is a bird’s eye view of Rhodes city and Elli beach

Olympic organized my seven night itinerary, flying to Rhodes followed by day trips to Halki and Symi.

Halki may be small, but like most of Greece, it bears remnants of its long history of Byzantine emperors, Venetian merchants and Ottoman Turks.

If you have enough energy, you can walk to a ruined crusader castle or an icon-strewn monastery in the hills, where you will be rewarded with a view of the whole island.

My next step was an hour-long ferry ride to Symi, where pastel-colored sponge dive houses seemingly cascade down steep slopes to the harbor.

It’s only a few kilometers wide, but you can board buses that wind their way to spectacular views.

Some opt for a wildlife cruise, where they see a famous seal that locals call Mr. Alex mentions.

Later I wandered through cobbled streets lined with craft galleries and vegetable stalls. It is not difficult to spot icons on this island – there are 400 chapels along the rocky paths.

My yacht made me hungry, so I grabbed a table at the Nireus fish restaurant on the harbor. Try the Symi prawns – they are so small that you eat them whole in their shell.

Simon visits the island of Halki on a day trip. Above is a flower path on the island

Halki (above) may be small, but like most of Greece, it houses remnants of a long history of Byzantine emperors, Venetian merchants and Ottoman Turks, reveals Simon

Then I hopped again, this time back to Rhodes which has some glamorous resort hotels.

The highlight of Rhodes is the beautiful medieval old town, a maze of alleys and arches lined with shops, bars and cafes. History buffs will flock to the heart to explore the Crusader fortress impressively named the Grand Master’s Palace.

However, my favorite piece of history is outside the castle. I walk to the harbor entrance where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood, and stop at a seafood tavern, Pizanias. Owner Yannis grills the day’s catch under a framed photo of his mother, who waited on film star Anthony Quinn 50 years ago – the Oscar-nominated heartthrob was here when he filmed The Guns Of Navarone.

The highlight of Rhodes is the beautiful medieval old town (above), a maze of alleys and arches lined with shops, bars and cafes

Ancient Citadel: The main gate of the Crusader fortress of the Palace of the Grand Masters on Rhodes

Simon walks to the harbor entrance of Rhodes (above) where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood

Film star Anthony Quinn bought this secluded Rhodes beach now called Anthony Quinn Bay after starring in Zorba The Greek.

Quinn strengthened his bond with the islands after starring in Zorba The Greek and loved a secluded beach on Rhodes so much he bought it.

This rocky bay is still called Anthony Quinn Bay, but the star never settled there and eventually jumped to Crete.

Maybe that’s the problem with us island hoppers – we always get off to explore the next island.