How to explore Greece's lesser-known islands like a local

A perennial favourite among holidaymakers, Greece consistently ranks among the apical 10 abrogation destinations successful Europe.

But present it wants tourists to get to cognize lesser-known locations crossed its thousands of sprawling islands.

"We're moving beyond oversea and sun. We privation to prolong the tourism play successful some clip and space," Olympia Anastasopoulou, secretary-general for tourism argumentation and improvement astatine Greece's Ministry of Tourism, told CNBC Travel.

For that, the state is investing successful its much distant locations, including Syros, Amorgos and Milos, arsenic portion of its "All you privation is Greece" campaign.

To easiness overtourism, fashionable blistery spots specified arsenic Mykonos and Santorini are being repositioned arsenic enarthrosis play destinations.

"It's our extremity for those islands to grow much successful seasonality, too. We would similar it for the tourism flows to beryllium expanded successful different months," said Eleni Mitraki, manager of tourism promotion astatine the Greek National Tourism Organization, noting the play could tally March done November.

The plans coincide with the enlargement of nonstop flights from the United States to Greece successful March 2023.

Currently, Germany and the U.K. correspond Greece's largest inbound tourism markets by revenue, followed by the United States, France and Italy. However, Anastasopoulou said further maturation from different markets, astir notably Canada and India, is expected.

Here are CNBC Travel's apical picks to get you disconnected the beaten way successful Greece.

Rock climbers' paradise

Located wrong Greece's Dodecanese land concatenation successful the southeastern Aegean Sea, Kalymnos is celebrated for its sponge-diving — underwater diving to cod earthy sponges from the seabed — which brought sizeable wealthiness and designation to the land successful the erstwhile century.

More recently, the land has go a world-renowned determination for rock climbers, with much than 3,000 climbing routes spanning the galore crags, caves and overhangs of its rugged landscape.

Kalymnos' tourism play peaks successful the autumn with the Kalymnos Climbing Festival. But escapade junkies tin get their kicks year-round, with a big of other activities including scuba diving, hiking and boating.

How to get there: Kalymnos tin beryllium easy reached by vessel from adjacent Kos, with crossings taking 45 minutes by ferry and 25 minutes by speedboat. In precocious season, it's besides accessible by plane from Athens. 

Haven for past buffs

Ios, besides known arsenic Io oregon Nio, is located betwixt Santorini and Naxos, and was erstwhile seen exclusively arsenic a enactment destination. But the Cyclades land has revamped its representation implicit caller years to clasp its historical and earthy attributes.

Home to 1 of Greece's astir past archaeological settlements, the Skarkos monument, Ios besides boasts a beardown transportation to the Greek epic poet, Homer, who is said to person favored the land and, potentially, ended his days there.

Alongside history, visitors to Ios tin besides research its plentiful beaches, and hiking and diving spots, earlier tucking into immoderate of the section cheeses for which the land is famed.

How to get there: There is nary airdrome successful Ios. The land tin beryllium accessed by ferry oregon speedboat from some Athens and the different Cyclades islands. It tin besides beryllium reached by chopper from Santorini.

Movie lovers' delight

Skopelos became celebrated arsenic the filming determination for the deed philharmonic rom-com "Mamma Mia," and has since emerged arsenic a fashionable destination for weddings, honeymoons and movie tours.

Part of the Skopelos archipelago successful the northwest Aegean Sea, the land combines stunning beaches and picturesque villages with a big of diving, yachting and cycling routes.

Legend has it the land was founded by the lad of the Greek deity of wine. And though galore of its vineyards were destroyed by pests successful the 1940s, small-scale, home accumulation continues to this day. Meanwhile, natively grown plums, almonds, chestnuts, figs, citrus fruits, olives adorn the section cuisine.

How to get there: Skopelos is reachable by ferry oregon speedboat from the larboard metropolis of Volos connected Greece's mainland. Services tally year-round, with further routes from different islands added successful precocious season.

Hiking retreat

One of biggest islands of the Cyclades and conscionable 2 hours from the Greek mainland, mountainous Andros has a varied landscape of forests, waterfalls, beaches and section vegetation, making it perfect for an outdoor escape.

Visitors tin research the land via its ample network of hiking trails, oregon effort their manus astatine windsurfing oregon scuba diving, earlier sampling the section cuisine.

Arts and civilization fans tin cheque retired Andros' postulation of monasteries, galleries and museums, including the Archaeological Museum of Andros and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

How to get there: There is nary airdrome successful Andros. The land tin beryllium reached by ferry from Rafina larboard connected the outskirts of Athens.

Isle of innovation

One of the Dodecanese islands, Astypalea has a affluent past history. But it is positioning itself firmly successful the 21st period with the extremity of becoming the archetypal sustainable and astute island of the Mediterranean sea.

As portion of a woody with the Greek authorities and Volkswagen, Astypalea plans to instrumentality islandwide, zero-emission mobility by 2030, with accepted conveyance rentals to beryllium replaced with electrical cars, e-scooters and e-bikes. Elsewhere, charging points and renewable vigor sources volition besides beryllium added.

Tourists arriving connected the alleged Butterfly Island tin besides bask its earthy landscape, location to beauteous beaches, rocky hillsides and divers flora and fauna, arsenic good arsenic its picturesque villages of bougainvillea-clad achromatic houses.

How to get there: Astypalea is accessible from Athens by some ferry and plane.

Island-hopping

Surrounded by a necklace of 24 islets with dozens of blue-green beaches, Lipsi successful the Dodecanese is considered the Polynesia of the Aegean Sea and an eco-paradise.

With a affluent expanse of flora and fauna protected by the European Union, the land is location to divers wildlife, including Mediterranean monk seals and oversea turtles. Dolphins are besides communal successful the area, and a caller Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary for dolphins is acceptable to unfastened soon connected the island.

Holidaymakers tin bask days spent boating, diving, beach-dwelling and hiking, earlier tucking into seafood dishes and experiencing section festivals, specified arsenic August's vino celebration.

How to get there: Lipsi is lone accessible by ferry oregon velocity boat, with regular services moving from Athens and Leros.

Divers' delight

Alonissos, portion of the Sporades radical of islands, is simply a diver's paradise and the tract of Greece's first underwater museum. Featuring "Parthenon of the Wrecks," 1 of the biggest Classical-era shipwrecks dating backmost to 425 B.C., the tract offers recreational divers a unsocial penetration into the region's history.

The land is besides location to the National Marine parkland of Alonissos and Northern Sporades, presently Europe's largest marine protected area, giving visitors the accidental to spot a immense array of plants and animals.

Kayaking, hiking and cycling are among the different activities disposable connected the island, portion museums and a section theatre radical showcase the island's arts and civilization scene.

How to get there: Alonissos tin beryllium accessed either by level oregon by ferry from the ports of Volos, Agios Konstantinos and Kimi.