Agathonisi

Agathonisi is the northernmost island of the Dodecanese, a tiny green speck lying closer to the Turkish coast and the island of Samos than to the rest of its own archipelago. With a population of only around two hundred and barely any tourism infrastructure, it is one of the quietest inhabited islands in Greece, a place for travellers who want to fall genuinely off the map for a few days.

Life centres on the small port of Agios Georgios, a cluster of tavernas and rooms around a sheltered bay where the ferries call. Above it, reached by a short walk or road, sit the two hilltop villages of Megalo Chorio and Mikro Chorio, built deliberately out of sight of the sea to hide from the pirates who once plagued these waters. Between them, whitewashed houses, a scattering of chapels and grazing goats make up almost the whole of the island's world.

Getting here takes a little planning. Dodekanisos Seaways and other operators call on routes linking Samos, Patmos, Arki and the wider Dodecanese, but sailings are less frequent than to larger islands, so schedules need checking in advance. That relative remoteness is exactly what has kept Agathonisi undeveloped and calm.

The island is small and dry, indented with quiet bays. Spilia, Gaidouravlakos and Tholos are among the coves reached on foot or by the odd taxi boat, offering clear water and, more often than not, complete solitude. There is little to do beyond swimming, walking the quiet tracks, and settling into the slow pattern of taverna meals and long views towards Samos and the Turkish mountains beyond.

Come to Agathonisi for silence, simplicity and star-filled nights rather than sights or facilities. It suits independent, self-sufficient travellers content with a couple of tavernas and no nightlife. The short summer season is the practical time to visit, when boats run most reliably and the handful of rooms are open.