Best island for hiking in Greece?

I am looking to visit Greece in May - do the touristy stuff in Athens & Delphi and then go to a nice secluded island to do some hiking - something cheap and scenic... not looking for crowded beaches/bars/etc.. any suggestions? Thanks!

Well, you see the Greek island stereotype is so fixed in peoples minds that when you say "Greek islands" noones mind goes north of Naxos.

However there are two majestic islands in N Greece Thassos and Samothraki that are way off the beaten path and perfect for what you have in mind, especially Samothraki.

http://elektracity.miniville. fr/env
http://elektracity.miniville.fr/env

Possibly try Tinos. No tourist at all at that time of the year, very Greek and some hiking to do.
Delos and Mykonos are not too far.
You need to take a ferry from Athens potentially to get there (few hours trip).

Try the Samaria Gorge in CRETE.....


Samaria Gorge is one of the National Parks of Greece and the only one in Crete. It starts at an altitude of 1227 m. at Xyloskalo near the village of Omalos(70 Km. from Hania) and ends after an 18 km walk to the beach at the village of Agia Roumeli on the south coast of Crete.
The best way to reach Omalos is by public bus, or join an organised group. You can also reach Omalos by private car, but that means that once you reach the beach at Agia Roumeli, you have to climb back to the top to pick up the car (... not recommended) .


The Gorge is open to visitors from May to October. Closures can occur during this period in case of rains or any other danger.
This is mainly for safety reasons, since the footpath follows the river bed, which overflows quite often during winter. The best time is probably early May and late September. At these times, their are less people visiting the gorge.

Walking through the gorge is an experience that a visitor should enjoy. People have been known to walk through it in 3-4 hours but a more sedate pace would allow the visitor time to enjoy it more.
Usually people start their walk at 7-8 in the morning and come out to the beach at about 6 in the afternoon. Staying overnight in the gorge is not permitted.

Consider Sithonia in Halkidiki.
Beautiful nature, nice villages and perfect beaches.

Besides being one of the most beautiful and easiest of the Greek islands to get to, Hydra has some of the best walking paths and donkey trails in Greece and is a paradise for hikers~
http://www.greecetravel.com/hiking/hydra...
Samaria Gorge
http://gogreece.about.com/od/hikingbackp...
http://www.worldhiking.com/directory/Eur...
http://www.infohub.com/travel_packages/h...