Greek Islands: North Aegean islands
The Aegean Islands and can divided into several island groups, including the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, the Sporades, the Saronic islands and the North Aegean Islands, as well as Crete and its surrounding islands.
The North Aegean islands are close to the north western coast of Turkey and the southern coast of Bulgaria .
Here are some highlights:
Samos
Green and hilly Samos has a rugged interior that draws many travellers. The island is nestled close enough to the coast of Asia Minor that the magnificent ruins of Ephesus make a feasible day trip, and that ancient spectacle can compensate for the scant remains of Samos’ own Temple of Hera, once among the largest in the Greek world. More up-to-date reasons to visit include a fine selection of beaches and picturesque towns, lush vineyards and a good infrastructure that isn’t too over-the-top. Be aware though that Samos is large, and a car or motorbike rental is recommended.
Lesvos
Ancient female poet Sappho is probably Lesvos’ most favourite denizen, and fortunately the island hasn’t been altered beyond recognition in the several thousand years since she lived there. Attractive villages and vast olive groves give Greece’s third largest island the sort of idyllic Mediterranean feel that can elsewhere get suffocated beneath the throbs of nightclubs. As well as the myriad charming towns waiting to be explored, further highlights include the Byzantine castle overlooking the capital of Mitilini and a fifteen million year-old petrified forest.
Evia
Evia’s great draw is the remarkable set of hot springs at Edipsos. It’s a hugely popular destination for Athens residents using the pools’ rejuvenating qualities to soak up some of the frown-lines that life in the capital can bring on. The journey to get there doesn’t take long, but Evia itself is huge – no Greek island except Crete is bigger – and on maps it appears to be a lump of mainland. Like Skiathos, it boasts exceptional natural beauty, and because of its size, escaping the crowds isn’t a problem. Don’t miss the convent of Galataki, perched amidst gorgeous scenery over the site of an ancient Temple of Poseidon.
Limnos
Limnos’ resident deity was Hephaestus, hurled there from the heavens by Jupiter after a divinities family tiff. It remains a good place to land, blessed with a landscape still pleasingly untouched by package holidaymakers. The capital Myrina is dramatically framed against Mount Athos, whilst beaches are best at the bays of Plati and Kaspakas. Not far from the capital is Therma, where spa waters have regenerating powers.
Destination – Greece and Greek Islands
