12 spectacular secret Mediterranean islands tourists don’t know about

Any secret worth knowing does not stay secret for long. In this age of social media, a destination can go from under-the-radar gem to over-touristed hotspot in a trice, particularly when that destination is a Mediterranean island.

Shhhh ... It’s still possible to flee the crowds on a Mediterranean island.Credit: iStock

It’s hard to believe that just over a decade ago, Santorini was still little known, before direct flights and influencers made it one of the most photographed, crowded places in Europe.

Are there any islands left in the Mediterranean which aren’t overcrowded and overtouristed and overpriced, especially in the northern summer?

Well, there are about 10,000 islands in the Mediterranean – 6000 of which are Greek. Much as we love our favourites – Mallorca, Ibiza, Corfu, Mykonos – there is something to be said for looking beyond them.

Perhaps they are obscure simply due to geography: there’s no airport, so you have to make the extra effort, take a ferry, decipher unfathomable timetables.

Perhaps they lack sandy beaches, or a fancy hotel, or nightlife, yet these are the gems to dig out. Getting there might require a little extra effort, but the journey is part of the adventure, and the rewards are gratifying,

Here, then, are a selection of secret Mediterranean islands worth knowing, and, of course, keeping to yourself.

La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy

A wild outpost of the Costa Smeralda

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When the Aga Khan discovered Sardinia’s sensational beaches in the 1960s, he made a billionaire’s playground of the Costa Smeralda.

Yet just offshore, the Maddalena archipelago has escaped the flashy hotels and high prices of Sardinia’s north-east coast, flying under the radar – thanks mainly to the fact that, until 2008, the island was a nuclear base for the US Navy, which put paid to tourism and development.

But what a wild beauty it is today. The archipelago is a national park. Its beaches are the perfect distillation of Mediterranean dreaminess: secret coves of fine white sand, backed by aromatic thyme and slipping into bays of life-affirming bright water.

La Maddalena is big (32 square kilometres), so a car is helpful, though not essential, for reaching the best beaches. From the main island you can drive across a causeway to the neighbouring island of Caprera, wilder still.

Hike on, past derelict forts and houses, across maquis-covered headlands, and scramble over the curved Seychellois rocks to secret beaches where the water is so clear and turquoise it’s been called the “Italian Tahiti”.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Olbia using the UK as your base. Drive or take a bus to Palau, then get the ferry to La Maddalena. Hotel Cala Lunga is a four-star beach resort with its own marina and two restaurants from $363 a night. See sardegnaturismo.it

Meganisi, Greece

Timeless beauty in the Ionians

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Sleepy Meganisi is an Ionian island from a bygone era – one imagines the Corfu that Gerald Durrell fell in love with, only in miniature.

Promontories of cypress, olive and Jerusalem pine greenly coddle fjords of Ionian blue, glassy as a millpond, where underwater grottoes glow and sailing boats are moored off white-pebble beaches.

Aristotle Onassis was no stranger to Meganisi’s charms – he married Jackie Kennedy on neighbouring Skorpios, which he owned (and which is now being turned into a luxury private-island resort).

Yet Meganisi has resisted any infiltrations of glamour, plodding along at its own slow pace. Cows amble along the beaches; long-haired goats mingle with sun-worshippers on the rock platforms beside the sea.

In the quintessential Greek hillside villages of Spartochori and Katomeri, pink bougainvillaea winds over colourful doors and windows; while the harbour of cute Vathi is as bustling as it ever gets with waterside tavernas serving the freshest fish.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Preveza, drive/taxi/bus to Lefkada (25 minutes), and then on to Nydri, where ferries sail to Meganisi. Hotel-wise, the fairest of them all is Azur Retreat with contemporary pool suites terraced up the hillside and rooms from $499 a night. See visitgreece.gr

Procida, Italy

Overlooked gem in the Bay of Naples

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Remember Ischia, that once secret island in the Bay of Naples unknown except to Neopolitans, Hollywood film stars and a gazillion elderly Germans who flock to take its healing thermal waters?

Well Procida is that secret island’s even-more-secret little sister. Rainbow-coloured Corricella is a 17th-century fishing port that’s as heart-meltingly pretty as anywhere on the Cinque Terre.

Procida retains a lost-in-time quality that has led to it starring as the historic backdrop for films including The Talented Mr Ripley, Il Postino and Taylor-and-Burton’s Cleopatra.

Yet despite its widescreen fame, the tiny (just over five square kilometres) island remains mostly unheard of, at least since the 1700s. In previous centuries it has been a holiday hotspot for Ancient Greeks, aristocrats from Rome, Vandals, Goths, Saracens and the King of Spain.

Today, there’s a fresh energy riffling through its rosy-hued backstreets, thanks to a strong scene of artists, artisans and foodie innovators, which led to its being named Italy’s Capital of Culture last year.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Naples and hop on the hydrofoil/ferry to Procida. Boutique hotel San Michele has 12 lovely suites and the harbourside Il Pescatore restaurant. Rooms from $239 a night. See italia.it

Rab, Croatia

The best beaches on the Dalmatian Coast

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It’s a mystery why Rab is not – yet – one of the Mediterranean’s most-wanted islands. She’s a beauty, her ancient town a jumble of houses and bell towers clustered upon a peninsula, the terracotta roofs a pleasing contrast to the sea-green Adriatic, while the rest of the island is a geopark evergreen-carpeted in holm oaks.

But the biggest draw of all are Rab’s show-stopping beaches – great, long crescents of pale gold sand disappearing into scoops of emerald water.

Walk or cycle the trails crisscrossing its interior to popular Rajska (Paradise) and the mile-long Sahara. Pack your swimmers or just a towel as clothing is optional - or find your own favourite among dozens of coves.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Rijeka and take the ferry from Stinica on the mainland or Valbiska on Krk. The 1920s-built Imperial Grand Hotel, now part of the Valamar Collection has rooms from $256. See croatia.hr

Ponza, Italy

Lazio’s smart holiday escape

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When Odysseus stepped on Ponza’s shores, he was seduced by Circe the sorceress – and the island has been seducing travellers ever since.

Lost in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Naples and Sardinia, Ponza is where in-the-know Italians shift down a gear during summer.

Rugged limestone cliffs soar above fingernail bays of dazzling sand and pebble – secret beaches reached only by boat or an intrepid scramble down the rock.

There are easier-to-reach family-friendly beaches, too: Cala Feola with its beach bar and jetty, the cove forming a harbour full of boats; wide Frontone has sun-loungers set in its rough sand in high summer – and while they may fill up in August, the island never feels over-run, thanks to the absence of an airport.

The colourful port is a gentle haven after the drama of the landscape, and painted the shades of an artist’s palette: ochre, lemon yellow and deep Cadmium red.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Rome. Train to Anzio Colonia, then hydrofoil or car ferry to Ponza. Hotel Chiaia di Luna is Ponza’s best hotel with an excellent restaurant set high above the bay where Odysseus landed. Rooms from $190 a night. See italia.it

Andros, Greece

Affluent Cyclades enclave without the glitz

The Greek shipowners who built their mansions on Andros in the early 20th century blessed this Cyclades gem with an affluence that enabled it, for a long time, to thumb their noses to outsiders.

It still feels like early days for tourism. Unlike Santorini and Mykonos, the headline acts of the Cyclades, Andros’s charms are quieter and slower.

Unique to this archipelago, Andros has a lush mountainous interior where rivers spring from the ground bringing verdant life – lush forests, orchards, citrus groves – as they cascade through the hillsides into pools deep enough to swim in.

Hire a four-wheel drive to explore the roads which peter out into rough tracks before they reach the beaches, which are stunning, isolated, uncultivated and sun-lounger-free and with the most unbelievably blue sea.

The main town of Chora is unexpectedly grand with its neoclassical city hall and houses with Doric-columned porticos and various cultural attractions including the Museum of Contemporary Art.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Athens; transfer (bus/taxi, 20 minutes) to Rafina; take a ferry to Andros (two hours); or fly to Mykonos then ferry/Sea Jet from Tourlos port to Andros (a bit over an hour). Melisses is a gorgeous retreat with an emphasis on the produce and flavours of Andros with rooms from $568 a night. See visitgreece.gr

Pantelleria, Italy

Natural spa retreat in the Med’s deep south

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Before the 2015 Tilda Swinton film A Bigger Splash, nobody had heard of the Italian island of Pantelleria. Even now, few could point to it on a map – far-flung down in the southernmost reaches of Europe, closer to Tunisia than to Sicily.

It’s known as the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean for its dark volcanic rock, and its sun-baked, windswept landscapes made a fine backdrop for the sexual tensions of the film.

Swim off the rocks or in thermal pools, and indulge in the island’s spa therapies: slathering yourself in skin-softening sulphurous mud in the Mirror of Venus lake, and detoxing in the natural sauna at Benikula Grotto.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Pantelleria via Sicily. Rent a dammuso (domed stone dwelling) on the Tenuta Borgia estate from $1245 a week or check into Sikelia, a chic, 20-suite hillside hideaway with suites from $597 a night. See italia.it

Agistri, Greece

Easygoing family-holiday find near Athens

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Hydra is the poster girl for the Saronic Islands, a superstar hangout since the 1960s when its tumble of pale houses captivated Leonard Cohen and his artsy cohort.

En route to Hydra from Athens, meanwhile, the fellow Saronic island of Agistri remains little visited by celebrities or foreign holidaymakers, despite being less than an hour from Piraeus.

Instead of a photogenic harbour and boutique hotels, it is lured with beaches and its easygoing way of life while in the village of Skala, waterside tavernas are strung with fishing nets with octopus drying in the sunshine.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Athens, ferry from Piraeus port. Adults-only Saronis is charming, its sunny taverna the first on the island with rooms $122). See visitgreece.gr

Lopud, Croatia

Barefoot and car-free offshore from Dubrovnik

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An hour’s sail transports you from Dubrovnik’s thronged walled city and urban beaches to laidback Lopud in the Elaphite archipelago.

The boat drops you at its harbour – delightfully small, just a smattering of honey-coloured stone buildings drowsing in the sun – and once the ferry has chuntered away the car-free island falls peaceful again.

A walk up and over its forested hinterland brings you to Sunj beach, a half-moon of sand and green water, one of the best in all Croatia, with a couple of bamboo-thatched beach bars for sundowners and salads.

Otherwise, the action’s back by the harbour among a handful of unpretentious waterwise bistros serving the freshest lobster and langoustine for a fraction of the price of other Mediterranean rivieras.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Dubrovnik and take the ferry (from 35m) from the port. There’s one large resort on Lopud’s otherwise unspoilt coastline, Lafodia Hotel with rooms from $241 a night. See croatia.hr

Favignana, Italy

The Sicilian island ruled by fish

Leave Taormina to the American heiresses and honeymooners, and go in search of Sicily’s wilder spirit, found 16 kilometres off its western shores in the Egadi archipelago.

Its three inhabited islands are Levanzo, mountainous Marettimo, and, the biggest of them, Favignana.

Life centres around the harbour in Favignana village, all blue and white – the painted fishing boats bobbing on the water, the side streets lined with blue-shuttered houses.

Fishermen at the port can take you around the island by boat; otherwise rent a bicycle or scooter to explore the scrubby landscape of thyme and purple-flowering borage, punctuated with olive trees and the green spikes of aloe.

Rising up at the island’s centre is the abandoned fort of Santa Catarina, eagles riding the thermals above.

Visitors are few, and almost exclusively Italian, who hop over by hydrofoil from Trapani, perhaps to snorkel, dive, or relax into the slow pace of life.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Trapani (Ryanair from the UK flies direct) and take the Hydrofoil/ferry to Favignana. B&B La Casa dell’Arancio has vaulted rooms of Moorish tiling – a nod to the relatively near North African coast with rooms for two nights from $298). See italia.it

Formentera, Spain

Quieter cousin of the Balearic Islands

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Northern European sun-seekers discovered Mallorca in the mid-19th century, and free-spirited partygoers flocking to Ibiza from the 1970s created its reputation for international hedonism.

Yet Formentera remains quietly over the horizon, although almost within earshot of Ibiza’s raucous beach clubs.

Tourist development is restricted, resulting in a low-key atmosphere, small-scale hotels and little concrete.

True, day-trippers intrude, but the island is super-relaxed and attractions low-key but interesting. Discover Bronze Age and Roman remains, old chapels, historic windmills, craft markets, modest wineries, and saltpans where flamingos strut.

Formenteral, with its superb coastline and white sand beaches, is mostly flat, lacking the rugged scenery of the other Balearic Islands.

But that makes it easy to navigate the 130 kilometres of hiking and cycling trails scented with juniper and pine trees.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Ibiza, from which frequent ferries sail to Formentera in 30 minutes. Less frequent ferries run from Mallorca and take 3.5 hours. Ultra-glamorous Gecko Beach Club sits right on Migjorn Beach and has rooms with private terraces from $620 a night. See spain.info

Iles Hyere, France

A little archipelago off the French Riviera

Hyeres, half-way between Marseilles and Saint-Tropez, is already a calmer oasis amid the chic bustle of the Riviera, but gaze out to sea, and you’ll spot two islands that have all the Mediterranean beauty you expect without crowds or pretention.

Porquerolles is privately owned and carefully managed with Port-Cros a national park. Ignore the third main island, commandeered by a military base and nudist colony.

Porquerolles is more developed, but even so has lovely beaches and rocky capes, and is crisscrossed by more dusty paths than roads. On occasion the battered remains of Napoleonic fortifications emerge between the pine trees.

You’ll want to flop on Notre-Dame and Courtade beaches, but the southern cliffs hide little coves for the more adventurous.

Summer day trippers, mostly French, can distract from Porquerolles’ otherwise kick-back ambiance. Nip across to Port-Cros for the true under-the-radar, car-free getaway.

ESSENTIALS Fly to Toulon. Ferries depart from Toulon, Hyeres and several other mainland locations. The closest is La Tour Fondue for a 15-minute ride. The only luxury hotel – which has an impressive restaurant and lush gardens – is Le Mas du Langoustier from $193 a night. See france.fr

Five not-as-secret but still wonderful Mediterranean islands

Menorca, Spain

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Despite having outstanding beaches, Menorca moves to a slower rhythm than Balearic neighbour Mallorca. It has gorgeous landscapes, with fabulously plunging coastlines, rolling hills and green valleys. See menorca.es

Cunda, Turkey
This largest island of the Ayvalik archipelago between Greek island Lesbos and the Turkish mainland can be easily reached on a causeway. Away from the town you’ll find only olive and pine groves, churches and tiny fisherman’s harbours. See goturkiye.com

Pag, Croatia
Pag’s lamb, cheese, sea salt and intricate lace are famous in Croatia. Barren landscapes look like the surface of the moon, and if you snorkel you can spot seahorses in summer, Pag throws off its sedate reputation to become a party capital. See zadar.hr

Stromboli, Italy
The one good reason to visit this island of whitewashed villages and black-sand beaches is its smouldering volcano. Hire a guide, climb to the summit, and you’re rewarded with a flamboyant sunset over the sea and thrilling fireworks displays of lava. See visitsicily.info

Kea, Greece
Kea isn’t so well known internationally, but lies close to the mainland and is frequented by weekend-loving Athenians. Its delightful small towns are a labyrinth of whitewashed alleys and steps designed to confuse raiding pirates. See visitgreece.gr

This story originally appeared in The Telegraph, London.