Andros

Andros is the northernmost of the Cyclades and one of the least typical — a large, mountainous island of running water, wooded ravines and terraced fields that feels a world away from the arid, whitewashed islands to the south. Long the home of wealthy shipping families, it wears an air of quiet prosperity, and in recent years it has become known above all as Greece's finest island for hiking.

The capital, Chora (Andros town), is unusually elegant, a narrow spit of neoclassical mansions and marble pavements ending at a ruined Venetian castle on an islet offshore. It is home to the well-regarded Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art, whose summer exhibitions draw visitors from Athens, as well as an archaeological and a maritime museum. Below town, sheltered bays and long beaches line the east coast.

Andros's real distinction is its hiking network — the waymarked Andros Route and a web of some 300 kilometres of restored footpaths, many following old stone trails between villages. They lead past watermills, springs and waterfalls to inland villages such as Apoikia, Menites and lovely Stenies, and down to remote coves. The interior stays green well into summer thanks to abundant water, a rarity in the Cyclades.

Beaches are plentiful and varied, from the organised sands of Batsi, the main resort, to wild strands like Achla and Zorkos reached by rough track. Local traditions run to fresh cheeses, froutalia omelettes and amygdalota almond sweets, and several villages keep old watermills and dovecotes in use.

Andros has no airport, but it is among the easiest islands to reach: ferries from Rafina, close to Athens airport, take only about two hours to the northern port of Gavrio. That accessibility, and its greenery, make it a favourite weekend escape for Athenians. Spring and autumn are prime hiking seasons; allow three or four days to walk and swim.