Greek Islands??? Can you help??

My boyfriends and I have just booked flights to Athens for a holiday in June. We are planning on backpacking around some of the Greek Islands, staying in budget accomodation, travelling by cheap ferries etc. We are NOT wanting a "touristy" holiday with loud bars, drunk english tourists and menus full of full english breakfasts etc. We're currently trying to decide what area we want to travel and wondered if anyone can give advice or receommend some nice sleepy but beautiful places they may have been to. Also local history and culture is a must!! We like nice beaches but that's not the only thing we're going on holiday for. Thank you!! xx

Ok - no problem. Take the bus to Patras (runs every half hour from Athens) then take the ferry to Ithaca (Ithaki) - it stops at Kefalonia en route. Ithaki has no airport and a bit off the beaten track (also where Odysseus was king...) The people there are fabulously friendly - phone Yianni from the phone on the ferry and ask him to pick you up from the dock (you will need a taxi if you arrive at Piso Aetos as it is just a stone jetty and a big hill to walk up!) Here are his phone numbers: House 26740 31260, Restaurant 26740 31363 or mobile 6944746253. His wife, Dorothy speaks perfect English in case she picks up the phone. Before you go, take a look at this website www.ithacagreece.com for all the low down... run by a good friend - but everyone in Ithaca is a friend... go and find out! Check out the rest of the Ionian islands too - mostly very unspoilt. Have fun xx And if you eat at Yiannis... don't miss Dorothy's cheese starters.... yum!

Avoid Kavos....thats the Ibiza of Greece !!

Avoid Rhodes

from kos you can get ferries to pysemos, and kalymanos i think thats the correct spelling.We stayed on the first island for night and loved.The island is very small and the first hotel you come too is nice basic and cheap.Would recommend you look into it.Its also very close to turkey.

Kos island is really beautiful especially Kefalos end it is really quiet and has so many beautiful beaches.

Many islands are of the type that you describe.
Islands that could fullfeel your expectations:
1. Small but extraordinary islands like Sifnos, Kea, Amorgos, Kalymnos. They all have some kind of history, like most parts of Greece, especially Amorgos and Kalymnos.
See this for example http://www.worldvacationrentals.net/docs...
2. Samothraki, is a very good choise for you. History ancient and byzantine, very affordable prices, clean beaches.
3. Thasos. This small island could be THE choise for a very relaxing vacation. It has by far the BEST beaches I've ever seen (especially "xrisi ammoudia"), you can see the "acropolis" and the ancient theatre of the island, you can walk safely to the mountain that has plendy of herbs that spell beautifuly. A very good choise for a family, but you can't stay more than a week.
4. Ammouliani. Is a very small island near the mainland, near Ouranoupolis and Mont Athos, in Northern Greece, to the Halkidiki peninsula. The best thing that this tiny island has, is that is very near to mainland, it is very quiet but if someone wants to tast nightlife,Ouranoupolis is just a few minutes away. Plus that Ammouliani is near Mont Athos, one of the three monastic states in the world, along with Thibet and Sina. It is known for it's extraordinary natural beauty and it's treasures. You can book tours with ferry boat there and to some of the best places in Halkidiki (see this: http://www.hotelgallery.gr/active.aspx?m...

http://www.sail.gr/enekdromes.html

5. Aigina. A very good choise if you want to be near Athens. Plendy of history, natural beauty, reasonable prices, you can also visit Poros, Ydra and Spetses, some of the most "traditional" looking islands of Greece, and also picturesque Nafplion.
See this to get a picture http://www.aghiamarina-house.com/prices.... and search in google for "Saronic islands", also http://www.aegina-travel.com/aegina-boat...

6. Skopelos. Another very good choise for young people. Breathtaking views, traditional arcitecture, 360 churches, many things to do. This island is near cosmopolitic Skiathos island and also to isolated Alonissos that is known for its natural park and unspoilt environment. You can visit them while staying at Skopelos, just as I did, when I went there. Prices are very reasonable for such a beautiful island, even better than in Halkidiki. It also has good communications, ferries from Thessaloniki, Kavala, Volos and maybe from Peraius. I think from Skopelos you can visit Samos, another good choise, with an important ancient greek temple dedicated to Ira (one of the most important, along with Olympia's, Dodona's and Delphi's temple in ancient Greece) also some other ancient remanings, very reasonable prices, not very extensive nightlife.
Search at
www.diakoporama.gr
www.pamediakopes.gr
www.Euroseas.com, www.Dolphins.gr
www.worldvacationrentals.net
www.vrbo.com
www.homeaway.com

go to crete

Have a gander through this lot

that is a tough choice. a really non-touristy island is anti-paros a tiny island 15 minutes from the more touristy paros. really beautiful is Hydra and naxos. in any case stay away from mykonos (party around the clock)!

Why not try Kefalonia, but stay away from the Local Kefalonian's they will rip your every penny. Go to local market for produce, and lovely sites, and beaches, walks and forests are plenty here

June is not overcrowded as is July- Aug. so you will not see the worst of it. Buy the book "Greece without tears" by V.V.Elliott and it is addressing your question.

I recommend the islands of Patmos and Rhodes - both are beautiful, great for shopping and have wonderful cafes to enjoy.

go to Limnos...it麓s in Northen Aigean and is the best island..
There are turists but not as much as in Santorini....It麓s a very good idea

Chios would let you speechless

http://www.greektravel.com/
Check out Matt Barrett's site. I've used this site for years and he doesn't steer you wrong!
Have a wonderful time... Greece is breathtaking.

Try Sporades ( Skiathos and Skopelos). Traditional islands...not full of drunk young people....

You do not say how long your holiday will be? Back packing around the islands is a great idea but if you are not careful you will end up spending more time on ferries than sightseeing! Buy a good guide book first, I like the Rough Guide personally, and also get hold of a full sized map of Greece which shows all the islands to scale.

Some of the islands are quite small, and if you have just spent a day getting there and find there is nothing for you to see, then you have wasted a day!!!!

The Rough Guide also gives a few pointers for cheap accommodation.

Getting a bit more personal I object slightly to your comment about drunk English tourists and English breakfast! There are tourists from other northern European countries that are as bad and sometimes worse than the English, but they collect mainly in certain areas so it easy enough to avoid them, and in any case June is not high season for the English.

As for the English breakfast, it is actually quite a good way to start the day as it means you can miss out lunch!! And there are other sorts of breakfast....you can have a Dutch breakfast or an Irish breakfast and I have even seen signs for French breakfast (which I always thought was a variety of radish) and Italian breakfasts!

Avoid Crete,
it is like Selanick part of Greece, to much racism going on