The island of Alonissos is thirteen miles long and three miles wide, and like her neighbours Skopelos and Skiathos, her hillsides are covered in thick pine forests and olive groves. Immediately opposite the east coast of Alonissos is the island of Peristera which is home to just a few shepherds.

A short trip by caïque to the north are the islands of Kyra Panagia and her isolated monastery, Gioura, and Piperi which form the Northern Sporades National Marine Park – this was founded in 1992 for the protection of the monk seal and several rare species of bird. The seas in the area are rich in marine life and if you are lucky, dolphins will accompany you on your trip. All the islands are uninhabited except for colonies of wild goats – Gioura possesses a spectacular cave which is believed to have been the home of the Cyclops.

Life on Skopelos, is led at a slow pace. The pace on Alonissos is slower.

Goat tracks through the forested interior of the island provide the means to explore the wild and uninhabited terrain – areas left to the olive and plum pickers and circling hawks and falcons.

Taking a private boat from Patitiri and travelling along the south-eastern coastline, one passes the small fishing village of Votsi; secluded coves backed by wooded hillsides; the sheltered harbour of Steni Vala with its sleepy, waterfront tavernas specialising in rich soups of scorpion fish and mullet; the neighbouring island of Peristera, carpeted with wild olive trees and indented by small bays; the seaside hamlet of Kalamakia, consisting of four family homes each with their own taverna above a jetty; a further stretch of secluded beaches at Vamvakies, culminating in a cluster of deep sea caves studded by stalactites.

Alonissos is an island of contrasts: a rich green interior of pine forest and olive grove, the varied shades of blue Aegean Sea; small, secluded beaches and deep seacaves carved out of steep cliff faces; the port of Patitiri, busy with its fleet of fishing boats and visiting yachts, and the unhurried atmosphere of the old town.

• Alonissos Old Town
• Kalamakia
• Kato Horafi
• Lefto Yalo Bay
• Megali Ammos
• Vamvakies