Unspoiled Greek Island Destinations - Hydra and Santorini?

Crete and Hydra are my faves too, but I spent a summer on Youra (many spellings) inside a cave with a generator creating foul air and us trying to do an excavation. The location was stunning. Well, once you extracted yourself outta the cave I mean. The nearby small islands were very nice as well.

We were on the side of the island that had some “Only on Youra” sacred goats or something. Many a time I’d be awakened by folks speaking Greek at 3 in the morning as they scrambled up the steep cliff my sleeping bag edged up to. Intent on poaching some of these goats, they must have veered off at some point because I never saw a one.

The guy who ran the excavation wasn’t a great planner, and we ran out of food after a while. We escaped after four weeks by thumbing a yacht ride from a nearby island that had frequent visitors due to its monastery.

Who needs all that stinking “reality tv” anyway? Adventure is out there, you just have to let it find you. A private yacht did, and the Scotch tasted mighty fine on our way back to harbor in Alonissos.

james

I can only imagine that these islands are heading the list as most travellers never get a glimpse of the smaller more vunerable ones off the beaten track.

For me, a small island called Lipsi which is under the jurisdiction of Patmos would be one of five of my destinations worthy of protection….another is a part of the Peloponnese mainland called the Mani is still comparitively undeveloped…..

The most unspoiled Greek island is Nisyros in the Dodeccanese.
An hour from Kos by boat, it attracts hundreds of day visitors to walk in the caldera of the volcano, but after 3.30pm it reverts to a quiet island paradise where you can still find ‘family’ food, good conversation and hospitable Nisyreans.

I love all the islands named,BUT they are definately not unspoiled. I would nominate Sifnos,Symi (after the day tour boats from Rhodes leave,it is quiet and lovely),and Lesvos

I would not class Corfu as unspoilt! I would however class Lesvos, Kefalonia, Agistri, Samos, Lefkas, Chios and a ton of smaller islands that are accessible by air from the UK. We have travelled to 15 different islands so far for our holidays (not day trips) and are still looking for other special ones. It’s hard to choose a favourite as they all have a special charm about them. Let’s keep them unspoilt though!

This summer we did the Easy Cruise to Milos, Ios, Amorgos, Naxos, Folegandros and Serifos. We picked this cruise because the islands were not the “typical” places one would pick. They were not crowded wtih people and they still are unspoiled. Each had its own special charm. We were only at each a day but we had a car each day and explored each island. Two others that we stayed at were Zakynthos and Monemvasia. My favorites Amorgos, Zakynthos and Monemvasia.

Having been to around 16 greek islands over the last thirty years, including the ones mentioned, it is very hard to choose a favourite.
Each has it’s own special charm.
But after one particularly stressfull year we went to Aegina, it was a lovely peacefull island very unspoilt you could not even get a english newspaper. “Biss”

We love Agistri, a very small island close to Aegina. We are going back for our third time next May. Along with Poros of course, which is much quieter than it used to be now that the package holiday market is no longer going there.

I would warn against Agistri, when we were there a few fears ago the place where the boats dock was ruined every night by very loud thumping disco music into the early hours, the police being absent from this small island.

Having traveled all over Greece for over 30 years, I wouldn’t rate any of those islands as “unspoiled”. However, I guess spoilage is in the eye of the traveler. To me, being spoiled goes along with entertaining mass quanitities of tourists, tee shirt sales and way too many souvenier shops.

If major luxury passenger cruise ships go there, the island is most likely going to be overrun with tourists and spoiled by my definition. This is why I often travel to Greece off season and sometimes avoid the islands. I tend to like to meander from village to village through the mountains chatting up the restaurant staff and visiting with friends in various locations.

If I were to pick an island location for an unspoiled visit, I would pick one accessible by local ferries or transport ships and generally visited mostly by native Greeks. I also (as a visitor) like good hotels with good internet connection so I can stay on the road longer and be caught up when I return. I would select the larger but less tourist traveled islands of Kefalonia, Zaganthos or Skiathos but there are many more from which to choose.
Now, if only the US Dollar would strengthen, I would be planning my summer 2008 trip.

Xronia Polla!!

For me Andros is still so unspoilt. Apart from one small resort everywhere is still everything Greek style. In August it’s full of Athenians but May June September and October on most of the island it’s like stepping back in time – At the moment at least!!!

I’ve only had the pleasure of Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, and Santorini (so far planning my next trip) but by accident we went to Syros as our fast ferry to Paros was cancelled and we went on a slow ferry via Syros, what a lovely island! Hiring a car and driving around Paros was also gorgeous, lunch at Naoussou, what a lovely town and who could not love the beautiful Ano Mera at Mykonos on a Sunday morning when all the locals have just come out into the square after attending church and are catching up with friends for ouzo and lunch in the sqaure!

I just want to thank everyone who has posted a comment so far – what great insights. Keep them coming~!

Thanks for the list!!! I have just returned from AThens, the Village’s of Vitina (Best honey from the pines!) & Tripoli for three weeks. But am already planning for my Summer vaca….on the Islands!

Unspoilt could be caused by 2 factors: intense resistance from the inhabitants to uncontrollable tourism and/or the fact that the island doesn’t have in fact anything “special” to offer.
Therefore, one can get a real picture only by spending a lot of time visiting places, (most preferably with a local friend!).

My favourites: Crete, Santorini, Lefkada, Skiathos, Chios, Poros (not Paros), Kefalonia , Skopelos. Each has its unique colour and characteristics.

(but I’m Greek anyway…)

The bigger the hassle to visit the island the more unspoiled it is.If you may take a charter flight to go there just forget it. There are thousands of islands in Greece most of them are not well known to foeighners. Alonissos, Nissiros, Chalki, AStipalea, Kastelorizo are a good start for the seeker

Possible to get in contact with Richard Bulloch this way?
Markus & Manuela