STEPPING off the boat at Patitiri village – Alonissos’ main port that connects the little isle to its more famous neighbours Skiathos and Skopelos - tiny tavernas and cafes dot the glistening seafront, while traditional white-washed villages, pine forests and olive groves complete the idyllic backdrop.
Alonissos is the quietest inhabited island in the Sporades archipelago, with a population of around 3,000.
It’s also the centre for the National Marine Park Alonissos & Northern Sporades, Europe’s largest marine park, and home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seal – one of the rarest mammals in Europe – as well as around 300 species of fish and 80 types of bird.
It means Alonissos’ beaches are among the cleanest in the world and I delight in spotting trumpetfish and sea urchins as I snorkel off the pebbled sands of Agios Dimitrios beach in the north-east of the island.
Home for my getaway is the Marpunta Resort in the south-west, built in the style of a traditional fishermen’s village.
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Rooms perch on a secluded hilltop offering breathtaking views of the island, and there are three private pebble beaches hidden in coves, plus a huge swimming pool.
The Princess Special cocktail – a mix of gin, tequila, pineapple, mango and orange, £10.50 – makes the perfect sundowner, before I stroll down to Achinos Beach Bar & Restaurant for creative Greek dishes of meatballs with tomato sauce and feta foam, £9, and fresh fish of the day with celeriac mash, grilled veg and lemongrass sauce, £20 (Santikoscollection.com).
Prize hikes
On the island, exploring starts from your doorstep.
I begin with a relatively easy 45-minute hike to Patitiri village along a cobbled path that used to be a donkey trail, and soak up the smell of oregano, thyme and pine as I go.
Having soon built up an appetite, I visit the quaint fishing village of Steni Vala, a scenic 30-minute drive away for lunch at Tassia’s Cooking – a traditional seafood restaurant right on the water’s edge.
The moreish fried cheese pie, £11, and succulent big-enough-to-share scorpionfish, £43, pair excellently with delicious house red, served cold, £10.50 per litre.
The following day, wandering the narrow, paved streets of Chora, a pretty village that was once the island’s capital and is just a short drive from the hotel, makes for a lovely morning.
The steps leading to the top of the hill offer spectacular views over Skopelos and the Aegean.
Insta moments
On my last day, I hop aboard a fishing boat with Captain Yiorgos, who takes us to the island of Peristera, where goats graze and a half-sunken shipwreck lies on the shore.
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Next, we head to the Blue Cave for Insta snaps – the water is so clear, surrounding rocks create stunning reflections – before making a stop to spy the red rock wall at Kokinokastro Beach, then cruising to Chrisi Milia’s sandy beach, which has barely a soul on it.
A two-hour tour costs from £35 per person (Alonissosholidays.com).
On the ferry back to Skiathos, where I’ll catch my flight home, dolphins leap alongside the boat and the holiday blues kick in early at the thought of leaving such a special, unspoilt spot.
FYI
Seven-night stays at Marpunta Resort with Olympic Holidays cost from £1,202 per person B&B, including flights and transfers (Olympicholidays.com).
Plan your trip at Alonnisostravel.gr.
