Ithaki (Ithaca)

The island of Ithaca is located west of the mainland of Greece in the Ionian Sea and is the second smallest inhabited island in the Ionian. It is well known around the world owing its fame to Homer's epic poems. The name Ithaca has been used in place of the words: target, homesickness, nostalgia and return in many poems and other literature.

Rhodes

Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese and the fourth largest Greek island (after Crete, Evia and Lesbos), is a favourite port when visiting the south east of Greece and a very good starting point - much like Kos - for a sailing holiday in the Dodecanese. The island is roughly diamond-shaped and a mountainous range runs from north to south with the highest peak Mt. Ataviros (1205 m), situated in the middle of the west coast. Unlike many of the other islands in this region, Rhodes is fertile not only in the valleys but also on the higher slopes: pine, orange, olive, lemon, fig and pear trees thrive in these conditions. Also the villages are lush and colourful with hibiscus, jasmine and bougainvillea, which explains the many butterflies. And indeed, Rhodes is often called the butterfly island.

Karpathos

The island of Karpathos is located between the two well know Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete. Its magnificent beaches, its secluded small bays, its imposing mountain peaks and its local inhabitants who dress up in their traditional costumes. Karpathos comprises of 10 villages lived in by approximately 6,000 people total. All villages preserve intensively the traditional style of the island.

Leros

Leros is a hilly and fertile island with an abundance of water and a much-indented coast. The inhabitants live by farming and fishing.
Leros was in ancient times dependant on Miletus. Although continuously inhabited since then, it has never played a part of any importance in history either. In the 4th century the Knights of St. John established themselves on the island and held it against the Turks until the 16th century. During the Second World War it was a German naval base and subject to heavy attack. In the north, Parthnion is still a closed military area.

Symi

The beautiful island of Symi lays about 23 nm north-west of Rhodes flanked by two Turkish peninsula. It has a much-indented coast, ideal for a sailing holiday and according to Ho¬mer it possessed eight good harbours. The inhabitants live off sponge-fishing and boat-building.It is not a very big island, only 67 square kilometers and the majority of the land is covered in rocks.

Amorgos

Amorgos is an island of bare rocky hills 33 km long and up to 6.5 km wide. The south-east coast falls steeply down to the sea but the north-west coast is gentler, with two deep inlets - the sheltered Katapola bay and Aegiali bay and several coves like Fjord cove, Kalofana bay and Akrotiri bay. Amorgos should be included in itineraries on a sailing holiday as it is such a spectacular island. The population - much reduced by emigration - lives by farming and fishing. Ferries are not frequent, which explains the surprising low numbers of tourists.

Aegina

Aegina, lying 17 nm south-west of Piraeus, is a hilly and fertile island of limestone with isolated rounded hills of volcanic origin. For the most part the coast falls steeply down to the sea, with few sheltered bays. The main occupation of the inhabitants is farming, in particular the growing and export of the island's excellent pistachio nuts. Fishing, sponge-diving and pottery manufacture are also of some economic importance. Aegina is noted for the production of its water-coolers (kannatia) - two-handled wide-necked jars in a porous fabric which keep their contents cool by evaporation. With its mild climate and low rainfall, Aegina has long been favoured as a summer resort by the prosperous citizens of Athens. In recent years it has become increasingly popular with foreign visitors.

Patmos

One of the smallest inhabited islands of the Aegean, Patmos, is incredibly beautiful. It is the island where Saint John the Theologian, while exiled there, had a vision and in 1995, 1900 years since the writing of his Apocalypse (Revelation) - were commemorated.

Nisyros

The volcanic island of Nisyros (a big strato-volcano, which was built up above sea level about 66,000 years ago) is where you’ll find an abundance of pumice stone. The volcano was occasionally active in the Middle Ages but now manifests itself only in the form of solfataras. Pumice from the eruptions may be found in 100m thick beds on the higher parts of the island and is exported. Nisyros is a green and well-watered island, with fertile soil which is cultivated on laboriously constructed terraces on the outward-facing slopes.

Lipsi

On this small island people still live off farming and fishing, and the few tourists that come every summer. The life here is laidback, and if you decide to come here you'll be able to enjoy the quiet and just relax. Lipsi is very traditional with its white and blue houses, friendly people and nice little beaches. The only thing that disturbs the slow pace here are the excursion boats from Leros and Patmos, when the island livens up a bit. The island is quite green, and considered ideal for families with children, since most of the beaches are shallow and the waters calm and clean.

Halki

Halki is a dry barren island with no natural fresh water, so the all important water supply has to be regularly brought in by tanker from the island of Rhodes. Halki has a very small population which inhabits the only settlement on the island, the harbour town of Nimborio.

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