A Greek Island escape makes the ideal vacation, however with roughly 1400 Greek islands, choosing a vacation spot which is not crowded with travellers is usually a problem. While Santorini and Crete are deservedly famous, especially with first-time travellers to Greece, here's five secret Greek island destinations that should be on your leasure activities.
Evia
Dominated by Mount Ochi, Evia is really the second biggest Greek island following Crete. With rural towns located within the mountain slopes, linked through stone routes and trails, it’s a trekker's delight. But include an alluring coastline, ample Roman ruins, fine old buildings, hidden beach locations, and a vast range of restaurants places to eat, and you have the right vacation formula.
Evia is a seriously ideal place to go for holidays throughout the year, and the island is easily accessible by ferry boats from a range of ports on mainland Greece including Arkitsa, Styra and Glyfa. You can even travel to Evia with your car or motorcycle, traversing over the bridge at Chalkidika, the capital city of the island, and the position where the island is nearest to the mainland.
Get ready to experience exploring the island in which you will discover lush valleys with old stone bridges, flowing water ways, watermills and fountains. The town of Karystos in the Southerly vicinity of the island, overlooks the Aegean Sea and the Cycladic Islands towards the south. Roman aqueducts, Byzantine chapels and Frankish bastions are interwoven with fruit and olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees as well as deserted beaches and coves are brilliant for swimming and scuba diving.
Nisyros
Between Tilos and Kos this small volcanic Greek island accommodates principally to day-trippers though villa and hotel accommodation can be obtained. Nisyros is a member of the group of islands referred to as Dodecanese, where there are regular ferries operating to the island from the Athens port of Piraeus on the mainland as well as the neighboring island of Rhodes.
Visitors to Nisyros should definitely check out the volcano crater, where you could see fuming tiny craters and walk the routes of the dramatic and mountainous interior. Possibly try out the sulphurous waters from the health spa. There's lots of picturesque Orthodox Christian chapels together with 4 uninhabited monasteries, the biggest was made alongside a medieval fort.
Nisyros is certainly a rare and exquisite island, and one which provides a substitute for the throngs of people and mass tourism you can find on several of the larger islands. It is the perfect selection for relaxing and lazy family vacations in the Aegean.
Karpathos
Karpathos is also a member of the Dodecanese islands, and is also one that you will discover a great place to go for your getaways. In the northern region of Karpathos you'll find genuine organic beauty, whilst in the south, you'll discover a much more calm and peaceful setting.
Along with impressive views of mountains and empty shorelines, the island certainly is the perfect option for an genuine Greek getaway experience, only without having the large numbers of people and crowds. The town of Olympos contains unique wind mills that make flour, while the surrounding countryside grows olives, grains, fruits, vegetables, and grapes that produce a distinctive local wine. In the area of Diafani you will come across the ruins of a Minoan village and Hellenistic-era community baths.
Kea
A part of the group of islands known as the Cyclades, and very close to the mainland, relaxing Kea is no hidden secret with the Athenians which head here to their weekend vacations. Ferries to Kea leave from the port of Lavrio which is located on the east shoreline of Attica, which you can reach by a 90 minute coach trip from Athens.
Kea possesses a relaxed setting, great hiking trails, and approximately 55 kilometers of coastline with small bays and pristine soft sand beaches. Inside the town of Ioulidha you will discover an excellent array of lovely restaurants, whilst the capital town of Ioulis, the harbour at Vourkari and Otzias Bay are also highlights and are really worth viewing whilst in the island of Kea.
Kalymnos
The mountainous and beautiful Greek island of Kalymnos, situated between the islands of Kos and Leros in the Dodecanese, is known for the sponge divers.
This is a very beautiful Greek island and a lot more quieter and relaxed than its neighbour Kos. Kalymnos has some nice black sand beaches, and the waters here are great for a rejuvenating swim during the hot summer time.
For nice nightlife make sure you go to the town of Masouri. Another popular spot is Vathi where one can enjoy fresh fish and shellfish. You can travel to Kalymnos by ferry from the Athens port Piraeus.
No matter which of these five excellent Greek island destinations you want to pay a visit to, you can be assured that you'll enjoy a superb vacation experience, away from the crowds of people and noise of a few of the more well known islands. What makes Greece a really special holiday destination is the number of lovely and different islands that you can visit. The islands mentioned previously are a handful of the lesser-known Greek islands, but ones which offer a beautiful location for pleasing getaways in Greece.
Author Resource:
Bodie Papadopoulos writes about holidays and Greek Travel and the Greek Islands exclusively for the famed Around Greece travel portal.
If you are looking to travel to Greece and the Greek islands, and are looking for
hotels in Thessaloniki you will find a very large variety on the Around Greece website.
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