A LITTLE Greek island has rejected a huge tourism expansion – as locals want it to stay underdeveloped.
The island of Skyros is unlikely to be known by most Brits, being a much smaller holiday destination.
But new proposals recently sought to include new marinas and cruise ship docks, as well as more hotels.
However, the island’s mayor Kyriakos Antonopoulos confirmed that the local council had rejected the major plans.
He said, according to local media: “We’d rather stay ‘undeveloped’ than lose what makes Skyros unique.”
The largest of the Sporades Islands, just 3,000 people live on the island.
The majority of tourists who visit are Greek, so don’t expect to see many other Brits around.
It also plays a part in two of the famous Greek tales – not only did Theseus (who killed the minotaur) die on Skyros, but it was also where Achilles is said to have departed from to go to Troy.
The capital town of Chora is where most of the cafes and restaurants are, with popular local dishes including pasta with lobster.
The best souvenir to take home? One of the many ceramics, with the island known in Greece for their pottery.
It is also home to one of the rarest horse breeds in the world, the Skyrian horses.
You won’t find them in the wild, but tourists can visit Mouries Farm to see them.
Otherwise the island has two main seaside resorts – Molos and Magazia.
Molos beach is one of the most popular, with a huge stretch of sand and clear waters for swimming in.
It has a number of beach bars as well as umbrellas and loungers available to rent.
While it gets busy in the summer, some tourists have said they had the beach “practically to themselves” on TripAdvisor even in June.
There is also Agalipa beach with pink rocks and soft sand, although you can only get there by 30 minute hike or boat.
If you want to find some of the secret sea caves with bright blue waters such as Diatripti or Pentekali cave, you will have to hop on a boat.
Don’t expect huge resort chains on the island, but instead there are locally-run hotels and B&Bs.
One of the most popular is the four-star Skiros Palace, right by the beach, or Ammos Hotel, also four stars with just 21 rooms.
The best way to get to Skyros is to fly, with flights from Athens taking around 40 minutes.
Otherwise there are also ferries, which depart from Evia island and take around an hour and a half.
Despite tourists overlooking Evia, it is the second biggest island of Greece – here’s why you should visit.
We’ve found some other quieter islands in Greece to explore next summer too.
Other lesser-known Greek islands to visit
There are more than 6,000 islands in Greece to visit – here are some that are off the beaten track.
Andros
A green, lesser-known island in the Cyclades with dense vegetation, high mountains, and deep gorges. It’s a popular destination for sailing holidays.
Telendos
A small island that’s essentially a mountain rising out of the sea. It’s accessible by a 10-minute boat ride from Kalymnos. Telendos is known for its lack of roads and cars.
Lesbos
An island associated with the ancient poet Safona and the origin of the term ‘lesbian’. It’s also known for its monuments and picturesque landscapes.
Karpathos has been named one of the most underrated places to visit by Tome Out, raving about the “near-deserted beaches home to monk seals”.
If you really want to do the more popular islands, here is how to do Mykonos and Santorini in one holiday.
