A quiet island, even in high season, Tilos in the Dodecanese is popular with walkers or anyone looking for a slower pace of life. Kos is three hours away and Rhodes just two, but sleepy Tilos feels a world away from both. Ferries, including a twice-weekly 15-hour link from Piraeus, arrive at Livadia, which has most of the accommodation. Bars and restaurants cluster round a small central square near the harbour, with a few more on the beach road nearby.

The island capital is Megalo Chorio: there's little to see, but it is the starting-point for a strenuous walk to the ruined castle a couple of hundred metres higher.

The pebble beach at Livadia attracts bathers who just want to wander back to their room; the wide sandy beach at Eristos, a short bus-ride away, is better. There is a small taverna here, metres from the beach, but no other facilities.

For walkers, a locally-produced map showing paths & tracks is readily available for three euros or so.