Top 15 Secret Islands of Europe travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Which of the Greek islands athenians want to keep only for themselves, to chill without to be pushed be thousands of tourists. Where do the swedish people go? Which is german answer of Martas Vineyard - On which island are chilling stars, famous people and presidents. The answer is hidden in some of the Secret Islands of Europe.
Here are some of them…

1. Island of Sylt, Germany

The island is closer to the coasts of Danmark, but it is german and is the place where the elite spends its summer vacation. This is tevtonian equivalent of Martas Vineyard with sand dunes, sea lighthouses and cute buildings, in which are located boutiques of Lui Vuitton and Hugo Boss. Beaches at the eastern coast of the island are suitable for families, but the western beaches are the real Mecca for the surfers. Indeed the village is known as “Sylt’s Saint Tropes”. Sylt is favourite destination for vacation of Boris Becker, Claudia Schiffer and Ralf Schumacher. You can reach the island by flight from Munich of Frankfurt, or by train from Hamburg.

2. Island of Kea, Greece

Kea, the closest of the Cyclades to the mainland, has a reputation as the island that the Greeks were clever enough to keep to themselves. It is a place with a laid-back atmosphere, great walking, good swimming and nice beaches, while Ioulidha, the town at the centre, has a collection of delightful tavernas. On Island of Kea you can meet lots of Athenian families and yachting types of people. Ferries to Kea leave from the port of Lavrio, a 90-minute bus ride from Athens.

3. Island of Lopud, Croatia

Croatia is awash with minute, barely populated islands but Lopud, one of the Elafiti islands, with its handful of bars, shops and restaurants and a couple of hotels, is one of the most charming. There are no cars on the island, hand-pulled wooden carts being the preferred form of transportation. Unusually for Croatia, Lopud has sandy beaches, the largest of which is Sunj, reached by boat or forest path.To get there you need to Fly to Dubrovnik, 45-minute ferry to Lopud.

4. Island of Giglio, ItalyPart of the charm of this island off the coast of Tuscany is that there’s actually very little to see; one interesting church, the remains of a Roman villa, partly excavated, partly redistributed around the town, plus a nice beach at Campese on the western side. Keen walkers make repeat visits to Pardini’s Hermitage, a delightful hotel run by an eccentric family in the middle of the National Park on the southern part of the island. A hotel without any road access, if the sea is calm, it can be reached by boat, otherwise only by walking or donkey. Most of the (superb) food comes from the adjacent farm, local fishermen, or the island’s vineyards. To reach Island of Giglio you need to fly to Rome, train to Ortobello, bus to Porto Stefano, hour-long ferry to Giglio.

5. Comino, Malta

Gozo’s smaller sibling. So small, in fact, that there are only four permanent residents and a hotel that is only open between April and October. However, what Comino lacks in human interface, it makes up for in nature reserves, a bird sanctuary, beaches and the much-feted Blue Lagoon. Limited sights include the old isolation hospital, a tower, and a chapel dating back to the 14th century. To get there you need to Fly to Malta, then catch a ferry to Comino provided by the hotel.

6. Iles d’Hyeres, France

This collection of three islands off the Cote d’Azur is kept crowd-free through impressively high levels of French bureaucracy - numbers allowed to visit the island have been reduced (ferries stop running when a certain number of people are on the island) and smoking is usually banned in summer. Crack the rules and regulations, however, and you discover a particularly French idyll. Porquerolles, the largest of the islands, produces an acclaimed rose wine and has fabulous fish restaurants. Le Mas du Langoustier is one of France’s most romantic hotels, while the Notre Dame beach is rated as one of the best in Provence. Ryanair flies into Toulon-Hyeres airport, which is a short drive to one of the ferry ports to the islands.

7. Eilean Shona, Scotland

An island off the coast of Scotland that has stayed off the radar by being privately owned (albeit by Richard Branson’s sister, Vanessa). Situated at the entrance to Loch Moidart, between the islands of Mull and Skye, there are five distinctly basic cottages and one substantially grander main house which comes with a cook/housekeeper. Neither cars nor bicycles are allowed on the island but rowing boats are provided free. Two miles long, there are 300 acres of woodland.Drive to Castle

8. Egadi Islands, ItalyA group of three islands off the coast of Sicily. Originally settled by Arabs, there are fortresses and Roman villas to explore and some great walks. The most mountainous and least crowded island is Marettimo. Activities are limited to walking and snorkelling, though, happily, both are extremely good, not least because the water is exceptionally clear. There’s one hotel and several casually rented rooms, plus a handful of restaurants. Fly to Palermo, bus to Trapani, ferry to Favignana.

9. Aland Islands, Finland

A veritable smorgasbord of islands - roughly 6,000 of them - that lie between Sweden and Finland, they are a blend of ancient Viking burial mounds and weatherboard house lifestyle fantasy. Unadulterated wholesomeness, with cycling and fishing opportunities galore, along with general Arthur Ransome-esque messing about in boats. The best time to visit is late August, when the Finnish schools have gone back and rental prices dip.

10. Monte Isola, Lake Iseo, Italy

Europe’s largest inland island (three kilometres long) is in the middle of Lake Iseo. It has a couple of villages, a handful of restaurants and bars, vineyards, a nice walk through the olive and walnut trees to the 13th-century church of Madonna della Ceriola and copious amounts of tranquillity. Fly to Brescia with Ryanair, then take a bus or train to Iseo, followed by a ferry.

11. Ile d’Aix, France

Just one mile long, the island where Napoleon negotiated his surrender to the British has a more rough and ready feel than the ile de Re, its celebrity-sated sibling to the north. The barracks built for Napoleon’s soldiers have evolved into housing and a summer-only cinema, there’s a particularly impressive fort, a museum commemorating Napoleon’s stay (La Maison de l’Empereur), sandy beaches, a hotel (predictably called the Napoleon), plenty of camping and - this being France - a boulangerie and several very good restaurants, including Cafe de l’Ocean and the more gourmand Les Paillotes. Fly to La Rochelle with Ryanair or Flybe. Bus to La Rochelle port, ferry to ile d’Aix.

12. Island of Losinj, Croatia

Located off Cres, Croatia’s largest island, Losinj has attractive Austro-Hungarian and Venetian touches and is peppered with ornate villas. There is a pine forest and a particularly nice harbour with a floating fruit market at one end. A three-hour ferry from Pula.

13. Island of Gotland, Sweden

Bang in the middle of the Baltic, Gotland is a land mass of Scandinavian perfection, offering a staggering array of medieval churches, bucolic farmland, fossil-filled beaches, highly chilled beach clubs and yachting. It is perhaps Europe’s most stylish island; the cobbled streets of Visby, Gotland’s medieval capital, are fringed with vintage fashion shops, Sixties-inspired coffee shops and frighteningly clever furniture stores. And being almost completely flat, the cycling is superb. Flight to Stockholm, then either another flight to Visby with Skyways, or a bus ride followed by a three-hour ferry to Visby.

14. Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland

Definitely one for the summer months, not least because that’s when the two main B&B options are open, Rathlin Island is north of Ballycastle in County Antrim and 14 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. Four miles long, it is home to around 70 people and copious seals. Caledonian MacBrayne (028 2076 9299; www.calmac.co.uk) runs twice daily ferries all year round from £3.80 day return.

15. Island of Porto Santo, Portugal

Located 75km from Madeira, Porto Santo achieved fame late last year when Monarch Airways disgorged a passenger it claimed was being disruptive. Once home to Christopher Columbus, Porto Santo, unlike Madeira, has 8km of fine yellow sand. Although it is not a party island, there’s a museum dedicated to Columbus while the volcanic landscape lends itself to good walks in spring and autumn. Thanks to Nato, a full airport runway was built in 1960; flights are currently via Funchal on Madeira (15-minute flight time) or Portugal.