Chrisi Milia holidays

Holidays to Chrisi Milia swap spotless whitewashed buildings for rugged greenery and dramatic cliffs.

Greek greenery

Familiar with the story of the king who turned everything he laid his hands on to gold? Well, imagine the mythological monarch behind the phrase ‘the Midas touch’ turned things green instead, and he grazed his fingertips over the east coast of a little Greek island called Alonissos. That’ll give you a good idea of what Chrisi Milia’s like. This place is miles apart from the paper-white houses and cookie-cutter cobblestones you find in places like Mykonos and Santorini – instead, its scenery’s dominated by pine trees sprawling down hillsides and rugged cliffs jutting out into the turquoise sea.

Hilly hikes and beach-bathing

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth dusting off your hiking shoes to come here, the answer’s yes. Hilly trails wind through forests and olive groves in the local area, lots of which lead to secluded swimming spots. Don’t worry if you’re not much of a mountain goat, though. There’s no trekking needed to get to the town’s main beach, which also happens to be one of the only sandy ones on the island. Ayia Kokkinokastro’s just as easy to get to if you fancy going somewhere different – this one’s a pebble-peppered number sheltered by red cliffs.

Dive deeper

Watersports are a big thing here, so you can sign up for the likes of kayaking and paddleboarding if that’s up your street. But to see what else this place has to offer, you’ll want to go beneath the surface – literally. Snorkelling tops the list of things to do in Chrisi Milia, thanks to the water and diverse sea life, and the National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades is one of the best places to do it. It’s the largest protected marine area in Europe and contains the world’s first ancient archaeological museum accessible to divers. Spoiler – it’s a 2,500-year old shipwreck.

Cast a wider net

There’s a reason why we’ve not yet mentioned what the town centre’s like – that’s because there isn’t one. You’ve got no more than a handful of tiny tavernas in this quiet coastal area if you want to sample the local cuisine, but Patitiri – the capital and main port – is just a 10-minute drive away. Head there at lunchtime for fresh seafood, then hop on a ferry to Skopelos or Skiathos. Mamma Mia was famously filmed on these islands, so it’s well worth a trip if you’ve always wanted to visit the church where Sophie’s supposed to get married, or sing ‘Dancing Queen’ where the party boat pulls in.