Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
The East and North Aegean
The seven substantial islands and four minor islets scattered off the Aegean
coast of Asia Minor form a rather arbitrary archipelago. While there are
similarities in architecture and landscape, the strong individual character of
each island is far more striking and thus they do not form an immediately
recognizable group, and neither are they all connected with each other by
ferries. What they do have in common, with the possible exception of Sámos
and Thássos, is that they receive fewer visitors than other island groups and
so generally provide a more authentic Greek atmosphere. Yet the existence
of magnificent beaches, dramatic mountain scenery, interesting sights and
ample facilities makes them a highly attractive region of Greece to explore.
Verdant
Sámos
ranks as the most visited island of the group but, once you leave its
crowded resorts behind, is still arguably the most beautiful, even after a devastating fire
in 2000.
Ikaría
to the west remains relatively unspoilt, if a minority choice, and nearby
Foúrni
is (except in summer) a haven for determined solitaries, as are the Híos satellites
Psará
and
Inoússes
.
Híos
proper offers far more cultural interest than its neighbours to
the south, but far fewer tourist facilities.
Lésvos
may not impress initially, though once
you get a feel for its old-fashioned Anatolian ambience you may find it hard to leave.
By contrast, few foreigners visit
Áyios Efstrátios
, and for good reason, though
Límnos
to
the north is much busier, particularly in its western half. In the far north Aegean,
Samothráki and Thássos are relatively isolated and easier to visit from northern Greece,
which administers them.
Samothráki
has one of the most dramatic seaward approaches
of any Greek island, and one of the more important ancient sites.
Thássos
is more
varied, with sandy beaches, mountain villages and minor archeological sites.
Brief history
Despite their proximity to modern Turkey, only Lésvos, Límnos and Híos bear
significant signs of an
Ottoman
heritage, in the form of old mosques, hammams and
fountains, plus some domestic architecture betraying obvious influences from
Constantinople, Macedonia and further north in the Balkans. The limited degree of
this heritage has in the past been duly referred to by Greece in an intermittent
propaganda war
with Turkey over the sovereignty of these far-flung outposts - as well
as the disputed boundary between them and the Turkish mainland. Ironically, this
friction gave these long-neglected islands a new lease of life from the 1960s onward,
insomuch as their sudden
strategic importance
prompted infrastructure improvements
to support garrisoning, and gave a mild spur to local economies, engaged in providing
goods and services to soldiers, something predating the advent of tourism. Yet the
region has remained one of the
poorest regions
in western Europe. Tensions with
Turkey have occasionally been aggravated by disagreements over suspected undersea oil
Climbing Mount Kérkis
p.611
Walking in western Ikaría
p.618
Day-trips from Híos
p.622
Mastic mastication
p.626
Theophilos Hadzimihaïl: the Rousseau
of Greece?
p.638
Polikhnítos Spa
p.640
The olives of Lésvos
p.642
The war cemeteries
p.655
The Samothracian mysteries
p.658
Climbing the moon
p.659
