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.
Pin it!
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.
Read the article about Kythira Island: sights, beaches, hotels, restaurants, how to get there
