When married couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler left London for Australia in 1973, they were effectively taking a ‘gap year’ before the term was even coined.
After travellers they met along the way started to ask them for their advice, they wrote their first book, Across Asia On The Cheap. And when that shifted 1,500 copies in its first week, travel guide publisher Lonely Planet was born.
Fast forward 52 years, Tony is still sharing his wisdom with the masses – and during a recent visit to Greece, he found an island that’s not been decimated by overtourism.
The northernmost island in the Cyclades group, Kea, isn’t as well-known as the likes of Mykonos – but that’s part of its appeal.
Despite having a permanent population of just 20,000 residents, with its white houses and sparkling blue waters, Santorini attracts as many as 3,400,000 visitors each year, a situation that’s led politicians to introduce a €20 (£17.33) daily tourist tax for those arriving via cruise ship between June and September.
By comparison, Kea is mainly still visited by Athenians looking for a break from the city, which has given Tony ‘reassurance’ that overtourism hasn’t taken over the entire world.
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There are glimmers of hope that remain, if you know where to find them.
Things to do on Kea Island
Forget Red Beach or Kamari: if you want to emulate the magic of Santorini’s famous waterfronts, you needn’t look any further than Xyla.
It might be coated in pebbles and golden sand rather than red or black, but it’s certainly got that quintessential peaceful feel – and the Aegean Sea still sparkles. There are also plenty of sun lounger spots available at Pisses, while Spathi is another quiet nook.
If you’re into Greek history, then Kea is peppered with archaeological sites. One of the most famous is the Agia Marina Tower, which, at 20 metres high, is made exclusively from local slate and marble.
These days, some of its original materials can be spotted on neighbouring buildings, as after it was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1858, it was used to rebuild those that had suffered a worse fate.
Meanwhile, the Lion of Ioulida sits on top of the island’s hilltop capital – and, constructed in 6BC, it’s another notable example of well-preserved Hellenic history.
There’s also the Kea Folklore Museum, which, originally built in 1845 to house travellers passing through the island, now documents local history.
Mainly displaying agricultural tools and traditional costumes from the locality, there’s also a theatre outside that hosts events throughout the summer, including the Fairy Tales Festival with its folk legends.
How to get to Kea Island
Given that it’s not yet been overrun by tourists, it’ll come as little surprise that there isn’t an airport on Kea Island.
So, if you’re wanting to escape for a little bit of Greek sunshine, you’ll need to fly to Athens International and catch a ferry.
There are direct London connections from Luton, Stansted and Gatwick, all of which take in the region of four hours.
The best bit? The boat from the port of Lavrio only takes an hour, and tickets cost a very reasonable €14 (£12.13). By comparison, Mykonos can take between two and two-and-a-half hours from the Greek capital.
When to go to Kea Island
Naturally, there’s no shortage of sunshine on Kea Island – and the summer is the hottest time of the year.
Temperatures throughout August tend to average out at around 33C, so if you can’t handle the heat, you might want to bookmark your trip around October, when things chill out to approximately 24C.
Likewise, if you’re looking to top up your dopamine levels during the winter, the mercury levels out at around 15C in February, while March dips up slightly to 17C.
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