Tilos

Tilos is therefore a paradise for walkers and now boasts 67km of signed walking trails (many being restored cobbled mule paths) which run through untamed countryside, linking rugged mountains with fertile valleys of wild flowers, pine, oak and almond watered by the island’s many underground springs. From the heights, the views to six neighbouring islands and Turkey are stunning. A walking map is available locally.

And there are certainly things to explore whilst out and about – some 200 Byzantine country chapels, seven Crusader castles, abandoned villages, a Byzantine monastery, and one of the most important archaeological finds in recent history – a cave full of dwarf elephants, the last of their kind to survive in Europe. The small museum here is a must-visit.

Many walking trails start from the main port of Livadia. This sleepy, traditional and overwhelmingly friendly little village boasts a lovely long pebble beach, shaded by tamarisk trees, lapped by the clearest of seas and backed by a car-free walkway. It also has some dozen very good tavernas and the same number of café-bars, five mini-markets (will deliver), a bakery and a bank with an ATM. Cars can be rented and some organised trips do run, including (last year) a Tilos Highlights tour and Monastery and Sunset, both by bus. A regular bus runs to Megalo Chorio and (in high season) to sandy Eristos beach. Tilos has 19 beaches, many of which can be reached only on foot or by boat as they have been purposefully left road-free.

Of course all the usual benefits which make Greece such a great destination for a relaxing holiday are present in abundance on Tilos – sun, sea, tavernas, village life etc. But Tilos offers so much more, and is a shining example to other small islands under similar economic pressures. By visiting you will not only have a splendid holiday, you will be supporting the island’s initiative and helping others to see that an alternative to mass tourism can work.