This is what the British get wrong about the Greek islands
You can rely on the British for some things, but honest travel advice? Not one of them
Every year around this time the same thing happens: British newspapers trot out their latest “secret” island scoops — the “undiscovered” island that has better beaches than Mykonos at half the price, or the little island without big hotels that only Greeks know about, or — you get the point. But it’s a scam operation, because the truth is there be not one grain of sand in the Mediterranean that has not already been discovered, explored and exploited, the latter varying only by degree.
Why is that? Look at your calendars, people: it’s 2024. Not only did Odysseus get there before you did, but so did Baedeker, Lonely Planet, social media whores and easyJet. Even if a place doesn’t have an airport, the era of mass travel has brought more people to transport hubs, and no corner is left unexplored. C’est la vie folks!
But truth was never Fleet Street’s forte, was it? Conde Nast isn’t much better. So each summer someone who has never spent much time beyond the English Channel or, more likely, some hapless hack whose even more hapless editor says “come up with something that people will click on or you’re fired” generates clickbait faff like “Tiny Greek island 'untouched by tourism' has 'bustle and noise-free' beaches” — word, Tilos is nice but nobody’s hiding it — or “Hidden Greek Paradise Island Only locals know about” which is balderdash, because everybody knows about Rhenia, an islet near Mykonos with nice beaches you can only get to by boat. And as it turns out, going there by boat is one of the most touristy things you can do in Mykonos.
Which not necessarily evil, but we serve Grecian travel realness at this Column, so we’re just sayin’…or hell, it’s summer and it’s hot, so let the picture do the sayin’:
Let’s not forget that The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who published several guidebooks of mine until one day he decided not to, because he’s Rupert Murdoch. The same guy who pays millions to an anchor like Tucker Carlson until the day he starts telling the truth, then he fires him! — because that’s how Mr. Murdoch plays it.
All that is fine (well, okay, it actually isn’t) but when such total lack of integrity in politics and other minor matters leeches into editorial coverage of important stuff like the money you’re going to be spending while on vacation and where you’re going to spend it, we are hear to speak up and say, don’t listen to the blowhards of Fleet Street.
Does not listening to the blowhards of Fleet Street and their toxically misleading travel prescriptions mean all hope is lost? That you are consigned to spend your holidays in the company of other serenity-seeking holidaymakers? Not at all. Remember that even in overcrowded hellholes like New York City you can find spots of sanctuary. Central Park is one of the most kick-ass havens of calm anywhere in the universe.
Likewise you can find uncrowded beaches less than half an hour outside of downtown Athens. They may not come with glamorous beach bars, but there’s Mykonos for that.
Speaking of which, for all the badmouthing of Mykonos in the press lately, there are still plenty of places on the island where you can enjoy a relatively quiet beach day. Elia beach is the new “Super Paradise” and Fokos, in the undeveloped northern fringe of the island, is major league only semi-discovered beach bliss.
Also, as a general rule of thumb, beaches in the Dodecanese islands aren’t as good as those of the Greek archipelagos to the west. Care to rumble about that, Mr. Murdoch? Let’s fookin’ go!
©2024 Anthony Grant/Greek Column