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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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.
Read the article about Symi Island: sights, beaches, hotels, restaurants, how to get there
