Greece is one of the most popular travel and holiday destinations for tourists worldwide. Places like Thassos, the Olympic Riviera, or Halkidiki have become true Balkan tourist territories for Romanians, Bulgarians, and Serbians. Once you arrive, you hear the homeland’s language spoken at every turn. Other Greek islands are very popular for international wanderers: Lefkada, Corfu, Zakynthos, Rhodos, Crete… and then the cosmopolitan Santorini and Mykonos are invaded by hoards of tourists in high season.
But what do we do if we want to get to a quieter Greece? Or what do we do if we’ve visited pretty much everything that’s very ‘commercial’ and want new places, perhaps not so exploited and taken over by the on-the-beaten path tourists? I wrote here about a foray into northern Greece, which is related to the country’s superb mountainous area.
But below, I’ve selected 10 lesser-known Greek islands, showing their main sights, best beaches, best hotels and restaurants, and how to get there. The selection includes examples from several archipelagos because, as we know, the diversity of Greece’s islands makes them all the more beautiful and… magnetic. You will therefore have a preview as a travel suggestion. For each island, please click on the link.
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Elafonissos Island
Located between Peloponnese and the island of Kythira, Elafonisos is a small island of only 19 square kilometers, whose beautiful beaches attract many visitors during the summer months. However, if you choose to visit in spring, autumn, or even winter, you will notice that the population on Elafonisos does not exceed 500-600 people.
In fact, the population of Elafonisos is mostly fishermen. About 60% of the locals are in this occupation, with each of the older generation owning a fishing boat.
The history of Elafonisos begins in the Neolithic period (6000-3500 BC), when an exceptional prehistoric civilization flourished here, traces of which can be seen today in Pavlopetri, the underwater city. After that, the historical route of Elafonisos and the surrounding area is associated with the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) and those who occupied the island: the Athenians, Romans, Byzantines, pirates, Venetians, etc.
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Kythira Island
Kythira is a lesser-known Greek island in the southern Peloponnese, halfway between the Mani peninsula and the island of Crete. Although it’s not included in many tourist guides that focus on Greece, Kythira is a little paradise worth visiting if you want to avoid the noisy tourist crowds and aren’t interested in the nightlife. In other words, Kythira is for those who want to explore almost unspoiled natural landscapes, to discover relics, castles, monasteries, and traditional Greek villages. And yet, Kythira is known, from some mythological sources, as the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology.
The Venetians who ruled it during the Middle Ages strongly influenced Kythira’s architecture. In fact, on a hill near the capital of Chora is a medieval castle dating back to the Venetian era, from where you can enjoy superb views of the Aegean Sea. This is also a great place to watch the sunset.
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Ithaca Island
When we say Ithaca, Homer’s Odyssey immediately comes to mind. Where Odysseus, the hero of the Trojan War, returns home after ten years of battles and adventures among monsters, cyclops, and mermaids to his beloved Penelope, who is waiting in his kingdom, the island of Ithaca. Where is Ithaca? In the Ionian Sea, near a much more touristy island – Kefalonia. You could even say that Ithaca is a smaller, quieter replica of Kefalonia.
Legend aside, Ithaca is an island inhabited since the 2nd century BC, initially ruled by Mycenaeans. During the Hellenistic period and the Middle Ages, Ithaca’s population declined sharply under Venetian rule, and the war with the Turks left the island virtually uninhabited. Today, however, Ithaca is a picturesque island with a relaxed atmosphere. Ithaca offers secluded beaches and mountain villages steeped in stories and legends for visitors.
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Antiparos Island
We all know of Paros, the island in the Cyclades archipelago, perhaps not as much promoted as the famous “sisters” Santorini and Mykonos but sufficiently visited and adored by tourists. Well, a short ferry ride from Paros, just ten minutes away, is Antiparos. It’s a little gem, not very well known, but on the list of favorites among the world’s celebrities, if we think that Tom Hanks himself often visits it, calling it “home” when it comes to holidays.
Antiparos is sought after mainly for its beautiful beaches, many of which are close to the capital of the same name. But those who wish to explore its territory in more detail will be in for some nice surprises. These include the Venetian castle and the Antiparos cave. Let’s see which are the most beautiful tourist attractions on Antiparos Island, in Greece.
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Serifos Island
Not many people have heard of Serifos Island. This little Greek jewel of the Cyclades, located between the islands of Kithnos and Sifnos, about 160 km from Athens (by sea), welcomes visitors with its wild beauty, promising them exotic relaxation on its white sandy beaches.
Serifos Island is certainly not a highly developed island in terms of tourism, but it impresses with its natural beauty, with unspoiled hills, fertile valleys, and bays sheltering secluded and deserted beaches. Added to all this is the architecture of the capital Chora, with its bars and tavernas, where you will find the authentic Greek spirit.
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Lemnos Island
Lemnos (or Limnos, as it is also called) is an island in the northern Aegean Sea, between the Halkidiki peninsula and the coast of Turkey (or between Thassos and Lesbos, depending on how you want to look at it), which could be defined as somewhat atypical compared to other Greek islands. The unique landscape of Lemnos, with its green hills and vineyards, bays upon bays, and dozens of beautiful beaches, sand dunes, and other bizarre geological formations, invites visitors to explore its alluring nature, traditional villages, and archaeological sites that bear witness to a civilization with a centuries-old history.
Looking into mythology, Lemnos is the home of the Amazons and Hephaestus, the god of fire and volcanoes. It was here that Hephaestus had his blacksmith’s workshop, and one of the towns on Lemnos, Ifestia, was named in his honor. Legend has it that Hephaestus came to Lemnos after being thrown off Mount Olympus by his parents, Hera and Zeus, who couldn’t bear to have such an ugly child. Hephaestus fell on the island, broke his leg, and was left lame, but the locals nursed him back to health and taught him the art of blacksmithing.
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Karpathos Island
Somewhere in the Aegean Sea, between Crete and Rhodos, part of the Dodecanese archipelago, lies the Karpathos Island. With a population of around 7000, which can increase in summer by 3-4 times due to the return home of former locals, plus growing numbers of tourists, Karpathos is the second-largest island of this southern Aegean archipelago.
High mountains (maximum altitude Kali Limni – 1215 m), picture-postcard scenery, traditional villages, turquoise beaches, and a rich history are the elements that briefly characterize Karpathos. But in the general characterization, one cannot forget the locals, who know how to enjoy life, honoring their traditions and organizing beautiful festivals throughout the year.
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Aegina Island
Situated in the middle of the Argo-Saronic Gulf, just 27 km from the port of Piraeus, Aegina Island is one of the favorite destinations of Athenians. A rich history dating back to the 4th millennium BC, idyllic scenery – picturesque villages and beautiful beaches – and interesting gastronomy attract visitors to this island in the Saronic archipelago.
The island was originally called Inoni (or Inopa/Inopia). The later name, Aegina, comes from one of the 50 daughters of the river god Asopus, who became nymphs after being kidnapped by the gods. To avoid Hera, Zeus transformed himself into an eagle and took Aegina, with whom he had fallen in love, to the uninhabited island of Inoni. The fruit of the passion between the god of gods and Aegina was a boy – Aeakos, the island’s first king. He asked his father to give him subjects, so Zeus turned the ants on the island into humans. The first inhabitants of Aegina were called myrmidons, from the Greek word ‘myrmigi‘ – ant.
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Symi Island
From the first moment you enter Symi harbor, you are ‘struck’ by the kaleidoscope of colors that pour down from the hill overlooking the area. Colors are arranged on the neoclassical-style dwellings, with shades of terracotta, indigo, and ochre predominating. Symi is a small island, part of the Dodecanese archipelago, located at the node of Rhodos and chosen by tourists mainly for the beauty of its towns and villages.
Symi has an exceptional atmosphere. First of all, because there are very few cars on the island, which makes it extremely quiet, not to say romantic. Symi also offers one of the most traditional Greek cultures, integrated into a special hospitality. And for the more ‘walkers’, Symi can always be an excellent starting point for exploring this part of the Aegean.
Symi’s economy has always been based on sailing, fishing, wine, sponge, and boat production, which is still the case today, although tourism has become the predominant industry in Symi.
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Skopelos Island
Skopelos is an island that is blessed with pristine natural beauty and has had the good fortune to receive an unexpected marketing boost with the filming here of the musical Mamma Mia!. The famous film production has turned this island in the Northern Sporades archipelago into a tourist magnet.
But of course, this would not have been possible without Skopelos having its own special charm. Skopelos is a magical destination, adored both by its inhabitants and by those who choose to visit and spend their holidays here, a place where the ancient Greeks, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans, and pirates left their mark on various periods of history.
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You may also like: Kipinas Monastery, in the Epirus region of Greece
