The Dodecanese stretches across the southeastern Aegean, a collection of islands with remarkably different characters. Kos has an extraordinary place in the history of health. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was born here, and the island’s Asklepieion became an important centre for healing and medical teaching. Thousands of years ago, people were already studying the role of food, movement and the natural world, long before wellness acquired its modern vocabulary.

Today, each island offers its own take on living well. On Kos, cycle between beaches, villages and ancient ruins, then swim in clear Aegean water. Rhodes brings more drama, with forested mountains, long stretches of coast and a medieval Old Town that still feels lived-in. And on Nisyros, one of the quietest islands in the Dodecanese, you can walk down into the caldera of a live volcano in a landscape of steam, sulphur and stone.

Across the islands, expect relaxed stays, spa treatments that draw on the landscape, good food and easy movement, quiet mornings, dips in the sea and sunshine at the end of every day. Some ideas about living well really do age beautifully.