r/GreeceTravel • u/Weekly-Syllabub4255 • 21h ago
Recommendations Which Eastern Aegean island has the best snorkelling and wild, unspoilt beaches in August?
I have been to Greece over summer multiple times, both the mainland and the islands, and I love it. Next year I would like to visit an island in the eastern Aegean, either in the Dodecanese or the North-Eastern Aegean. The only island I have visited in that area is Kos, when I was a young man, and I wouldn't go back.
I generally tend to avoid touristy and heavily developed destinations, especially in high season, so Rhodes, for example, is not an option for me. I don't want to go to a Greek island and see plenty of sushi restaurants, if you know what I mean. It makes no sense to me.
One of my main priorities is the beauty of the sea and the quality of the snorkelling. I love crystal-clear water, rocky seabeds and marine life, and I much prefer wild, unspoilt coves to beaches lined with rows of sunbeds and umbrellas. I'm happy to hike or take a difficult route to reach a beach if that means finding somewhere more secluded and pristine.
I should add that I'm probably quite hard to impress when it comes to beaches and snorkelling, as I've already explored some of the best spots in the Mediterranean. So I'm not simply looking for a pretty Greek island: I want somewhere that genuinely stands out for its underwater scenery, water clarity and beautiful, relatively untouched coastline.
Which island would you recommend for a two-week holiday in August? I'm open to both the Dodecanese and the North-Eastern Aegean. I'd particularly appreciate recommendations based on first-hand experience, including specific snorkelling spots, wild beaches and how crowded they get in August.
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u/FineVacation1182 20h ago
Die Westküste von Rhodos bietet ebenfalls ein nahezu Hotelfreies Erlebnis mit schönen Naturstränden.
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u/Weekly-Syllabub4255 13h ago
Can we all agree that Cefalonia is not in the eastern Aegean?
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u/downtrooper 13h ago
Ile ionienne cephalonie, comme zakynthos ( qui au passage est le top pour le snorkling )
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u/Best-Albatross4960 8h ago
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maybe Karpathos you might like
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u/Weekly-Syllabub4255 8h ago
I am told it's very fashionable now and crowded
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u/Best-Albatross4960 8h ago
I just came back from honeymoon there and its not crowded at all, only Amoopi beach was a bit busy but not overwelmingly crowded. Many beaches, especially end of september, early october, are very peaceful and from what I saw there is a decent diving and snorkeling infrastructure
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u/Weekly-Syllabub4255 8h ago
I believe you but unfortunately I can only go in August and I would see a very different island than the one you saw.
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u/Best-Albatross4960 8h ago
I think even during August it won't be too crowded when I was talking to the locals, especially if you go to the center and north of the island
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u/mypoisontree 12h ago
I've traveled extensively throughout the N. Eastern Aegeans and Dodecanese and if you didn't like Kos, then perhaps you and I are similar in tastes. I'll send you a DM with my recs.
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u/ProperWayToEataFig 12h ago
Let me say this about that. I live off the coast of Virginia near North Carolina. My beach has so much sea life and shells and birds- too many to list. Virginia is about 250 years old- yes the Native Tribes were here and most likely subsisted on Oysters, blue crabs and deer and more. Greece on the other hand has been civilized by so many for thousands of years. The Naxos beach I visit for 30 years now has clear turquoise sea but no fish, crabs, pelicans, sandpipers, dolphins! and sadly the octopi are farmed for the grill. I suggest you try some other water.