Halki

Halki has one settlement, Emborio, a harbour ringed by neoclassical houses built on nineteenth-century sponge-diving money and painted in ochre, cream and pale blue, with a tall clock tower and the church of Agios Nikolaos carrying the highest bell tower in the Dodecanese. The island's population fell to a few hundred, and a UNESCO-linked programme in the 1980s promoted restoration of the houses, which is why the harbour looks as coherent as it does. Above the village the abandoned old settlement of Chorio climbs to a Knights' castle with a chapel inside; the walk up takes about forty minutes and gives the island's best view. Beaches are pebble and small, Ftenagia, Pontamos, Kania, and boats run to Alimia, an uninhabited neighbouring island.

What you actually see

• The harbour houses - restored sponge-era mansions around Emborio.
• Chorio and the castle - the abandoned old village and its Knights' fortress.
• The bell tower - the tallest in the Dodecanese, above the main church.
• Alimia - an uninhabited island reached by boat trip.

When to go

May, June and September; the island is small and quiet at any time, with a modest August peak. Winter reduces the ferry and closes most tavernas.

Honest expectations

Water is shipped to the island and used carefully, so long showers are discouraged. Beaches are small and pebble. There is no bank, no nightlife and little to do beyond swimming, walking and eating, which is the appeal.

Nearby

Rhodes lies an hour and a half east; Tilos and Symi are the neighbouring islands.