Tilos

Tilos has fewer than five hundred permanent residents and has made a reputation out of doing things differently: hunting has been banned across the island since the 1990s, the whole territory is a protected area and Natura 2000 site with over 150 bird species recorded, and a wind turbine and solar park have at times covered most of the island's electricity, making it one of Europe's first energy-autonomous islands. The Charkadio cave in the interior produced bones of dwarf elephants that survived here until roughly 4,000 years ago, the last in Europe, now displayed in a small museum at Megalo Chorio. The medieval castle above that village and the abandoned settlement of Mikro Chorio, empty since the 1960s, are the other sights, and beaches such as Eristos and Plaka are long and quiet.

What you actually see

• The dwarf elephant museum - bones from the Charkadio cave at Megalo Chorio.
• Mikro Chorio - an abandoned village on the hillside, empty since the 1960s.
• The castles - medieval fortifications above the villages.
• The empty beaches - Eristos, Plaka and coves reached on foot.

When to go

April to June for birds, wildflowers and walking; September and October for warm sea and quiet. High summer is hot and ferry connections thin. Winter is very quiet with limited boats.

Honest expectations

Facilities are basic: a few dozen rooms, a handful of tavernas, one small supermarket cluster and limited transport. Ferries are infrequent and weather-dependent. There is little to do beyond walking, swimming and birdwatching.

Nearby

Rhodes lies southeast, Nisyros and Kos north on the same ferry line.