Travel Guide to Kastellorizo

Best things to do and see in Kastellorizo

Kastellorizo: Why go

Kastellorizo (or Megisti) island is a microcosm of everything that's good about Greece: crystal-clear seas, pretty pastel houses, a small friendly community, and delicious fresh food at outdoor tavernas on the water's edge.

It's the smallest of Greece's permanently inhabited islands, and the furthest from Athens. Only 3km (2miles) across, it has just one village numbering around 300 people in winter, and 2 or 3 times that amount in the height of summer. It's fully 125km from its nearest Greek neighbour Rhodes, with whom it shares near-daily ferry and plane connections. But the Turkish town of Kas is only a short hop away; many visitors (and most of the fresh produce) arrive via that route.

There are no sandy beaches - but that is, perhaps, part of its charm. Certainly that - and its remoteness - have kept the crowds away. Its waters are among the clearest and bluest you will find in the Med, and if you make a boat trip to the Blue Grotto (sea cave), you can swim in an underlit ultramarine pool which feels like floating in a starlit night sky.

Other attractions are the castle of St John, the zizagging footpath up to the monastery of St George of the Mountains, and boat trips to satellite islands including Rho and Strongili.

16:57 | GMT +2 Hours