The Greek islands you’ve never heard of but should really visit

1. Alonissos

The island of Alonissos is an Aegean Sea neighbour of better known Skiathos and Skopelos. Here, sugar-cube homes climb impossibly from steep forested slopes, set to a soundtrack of the rhythmic clink of yacht rigging in Patitiri and the splash of toes into warm turquoise waters.

Larger than Skiathos and shaped like a cricket bat, Alonissos has an abundance of inviting coves and long stretches of open shoreline, where crystalline waters lap the pebbles. The best beaches on Alonissos are Agios Dimitrios, Leftos Gialos, and Tzorti Gialo.

With walks through the green land, stays in eco-conscious accommodation and swims in protected Marine Park waters, where Mediterranean monk seals thrive, to holiday in Alonissos is to take a step away from the modern world and reconnect with nature.

How to get to Alonissos

There’s no airport on Alonissos, so you can either fly into Skiathos and take a ferry (approximately an hour and a half crossing), or sail from the ports of Volos or Agios Konstantinos on the mainland. Ferry times average three-and-a-half to four hours.

2. Halki

It appears to be a mere pebble's throw across the jewel-like blues of the Aegean, but the tiny island of Halki is a world away from neighbouring Rhodes, located way off in the sun-baked south-eastern corner of Greece.

As soon as you step off the ferry from Rhodes, you'll know that Halki is somewhere rather special. If some Greek towns appear to be a smattering of sugar cubes, the harbour of Halki looks like the contents of a pastel-coloured bag of sweets – all candyfloss pinks, jellybean yellows and the bluest of bon bons. Coupled with the bright paint of the fishing boats and the splashes of neon bougainvillea on taverna rooftops, it’s a sweet greeting to this otherwise blank canvas of barren, rocky slopes.

Take a moment to simply listen, noting the lack of car engines humming; be prepared to walk in these parts. Luckily, the best beaches – Pondamos, Kania and Ftenagia – are within ambling distance of the harbourside settlement.

This is traditional, delicious, beautiful Greece at its best.

How to get to Halki

Ferry crossings from the mainland to Halki are long and infrequent, so the best way to reach Halki is to fly into Rhodes and take a connecting ferry (around an hour and a half). You can also take a ferry from Crete.

3. Symi

Another near neighbour of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese Islands, Symi makes sure that first appearances count too, with a harbour akin to that of Halki but on a larger scale, with more spicy cinnamon, caraway and turmeric shades on walls and rooftops.

Yialos harbour is a snoozy kind of place, popular with couples, foodies and those who need nothing more from a holiday than pleasant beaches, picturesque walks, lazy days by the shore and delectable local cuisine. The harbour pulsates with life when day-trippers step off the boats, but it is yours again come evening.

The coastline of mountainous Symi twists and turns, carving out bay after bay of bleached pebbles and bath-like waters. Many are accessible only by boat.

Herb-scented walks around Symi can deliver you to historic attractions, such as Roman mosaics, catacombs and the Holy Monastery of the Archangel Michael Panormitis.

How to get to Symi

As with Halki, the best way to reach Symi is by ferry from Rhodes. It takes about an hour.

4. Paxos

It’s to the west of the Greek mainland we travel now, where the Ionian Islands pepper the seas, some 60-odd miles below the heel of Italy. Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos bring holidaymakers to this part of Greece, where dreamy images of white beaches and dazzling aquamarine seas are conjured. In Paxos, it's all yours, minus the bustle of the bigger islands.

Verdant hills and candle-white cliffs provide postcard-perfect backdrops to the beaches, which include pebbly stretches around the main villages of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka. The only sandy beach on Paxos is Mongonissi, in the south. For more white-sand beaches and even smaller crowds, hop across to the nearby island of Antipaxos on one of the frequent boats.

Back on Paxos, where the sounds and smells of traditional olive pressing and cheese making fill the air, pack a picnic of local specialities for your day's adventure. You can buy those delicious cheeses and olives alongside fresh bread, local wine, tomatoes, peaches and honey.

How to get to Paxos

You can travel to Paxos via ferry from Igoumenitsa on the mainland (one hour and 40 minutes) or Corfu (one hour). There are typically only three or four sailings a week from Igoumenitsa.

5. Samos

If you enjoy a spot of hiking, sandwiched between the more comfortable pursuits of wine tasting and relaxing on the beach, the island of Samos could be for you.

The slopes of its mountainous interior are home to lush vineyards, where the island's grapes soak up every generous ray of the sun. They plump up on the vine, fat and juicy, and produce the sweet Muscat wines for which Samos is famed. Head to the gorgeous inland village of Vourliotes, enveloped by pines, vines and olive groves, and sample a delicious Muscat alongside an unhurried lunch.

Day trips to Kusadasi in Turkey are possible – Samos is just a mile off the Turkish coastline – though there's plenty to keep you on Samos for a week or two.

The beaches, naturally, are the main attraction. Check out Potami, Kokari, Psili Ammos and Pythagorion – named after Pythagoras, the philosopher, born on Samos some 2,500 years ago (storyteller Aesop is also linked to the island).

How to get to Samos

You can fly direct to Samos International Airport from the UK in four hours, or take a connecting flight from Rhodes or Athens. The best ferry connections to Samos are from Mykonos, Syros or Chios.

6. Kalymnos

Rugged and barren at first inspection – with peaks and cliff faces that attract hardy climbers from all over the world, the Greek isle of Kalymnos has a softer side, where herb- and citrus-fragranced valleys teem with honey-making bees.

Its heritage, too, is a blend of hard and soft, there are sculptures at every turn and hand-harvested sea sponges plucked from the waters, which continue to support the island's economy. Pothia, the capital and ferry port, is the place to find both the famed waving mermaid and sea-sponge sellers.

Holidays in Kalymnos, as on most Greek isles, revolve around days spent at the edge of the sea, listening to the gently tumbling tide and savouring the sunshine.

Here in Kalymnos, close to Kos and Bodrum, in Turkey, the Aegean washes onto beaches of sand and pebbles. Myrties, Kantouni and Massouri are popular island beaches, while Pothia's town beaches are also pretty, with plenty of tavernas close by for lunchtime shade or straight-off-the-beach dinner.

How to get to Kalymnos

Kalymnos has a small domestic airport which you can fly to from Athens in approximately one hour. Alternatively, you can fly into Kos and take the ferry – the fast crossing takes just 35 minutes.

7. Lesbos

The island you are most likely to have heard of (whether you know it as Lesbos or Lesvos), holidaymakers are often surprised to discover that Lesbos is the third-largest island in Greece. Its size and popularity as a tourist destination, however, have not resulted in a building boom or resorts stacked high to open tourist floodgates.

No. Lesbos is an island of deep-rooted traditions. It is an island of punchy anise-flavoured ouzo. An island of the everyday comings and goings of ordinary Greek folk, who are fiercely proud of their home, its history, its heritage and its unique pace of life.

Holidays in Lesbos then, allow you to drink it all in (take some water with that ouzo, mind) while relaxing on the island's beaches or tucking into Greek salad in a lively little taverna.

There are more tourist attractions on Lesbos than the other Greek islands mentioned here. You can try watersports and scuba diving, book catamaran or glass-bottomed boat trips, or enjoy the architecture of the capital Mytilene. Venture into the peaceful hinterland, however, and Lesbos is a carpet of fig, pine, blossom and wild flowers, a playground of biking and hiking trails, a place to really get away from it all.

How to get to Lesbos

Lesbos’ airport (Mitilini/Mytilene Airport or ‘Odysseas Elytis’) has flights to Athens and Thessaloniki all year round, as well as a summer flight schedule to Rhodes, Samos, Heraklion and selected UK airports. Ferries connect Lesbos to Mykonos, Ikaria, Chios and Syros.