This remote, rugged and spectacular Greek island lies midway between Crete and Rhodes in the southerly Dodecanese, and is known (if at all) for its traditional villages, fervent folklore, unspoiled beaches and wild pine-clad mountains. There's no mass tourism to speak of, and its 12 settlements are scattered across its long, bony contours in a way that makes them feel like separate worlds.
In fact, the whole island feels like a taste of Greece as it used to be: blue-domed belltowers and windmills that still chime and turn, handmade Cycladic costumes (worn unironically), and feast days where - it seems - all 5,000 islanders gather on rock-top chapels with priests and candles.
A highlight is the living museum of Olympos, a village straddling a stunning mountain ridge in the north of the island; there are windmills (some still grind grain), churches, a folklore museum and authentic Karpathian cuisine (try the makarounes pasta).
The dramatic coastline is best explored on a boat trip from Agios Nikolaos (near Spoa) or Pigadia, stopping at sea caves and tiny beaches inaccessible by car - or, in some cases, on foot. Pegasus Sea Excursions, in Agios Nikolaos, operates speedboats which are fast and comfy enough to reach most of the island, and you even can nip over to Saria islet at its northerly tip (popular but worthwhile).
Otherwise you can also drive to some beautiful beaches on both west and east coasts. Easterly Achata and Apella are both stunning; southerly Diakoftis has safe, warm shallows for littl'uns, while westerly Lefkos has lovely sands.
Keen hikers can climb the rugged 1200m summit of Mt Kali Limni from the tiny hamlet of Lastos. Start early, take stout shoes, hat and water, and allow a good 3 hours for the round trip. If the clouds roll in, do turn back (they tend to settle); if not, reward yourself with a lovely lunch at the simple courtyard taverna of Kali Kardia.