There are over 2,000 Greek islands in total, located in the Ionian Sea on the west side of the mainland, even south past Crete and the Aegean Sea in the east. Despite all these islands around one third of the population is I Athens and about 10 percent live on different islands.

Many islands are small and uninhabited, but the size of Corfu, Kefalonia, Crete, Rhodes and Evvoia are famous in their own right.

Crete is the largest and southernmost of the islands and enjoy a mixed terrain, sandy beaches and mountain areas. It has a rich history for thousands of years of consumption of invasions and occupation by different groups. In addition to attracting tourists to the bustling beach resorts, island mountain ranges provide some wonderful routes for walkers.

The second largest island is surprisingly little known Evvoia (or Euboea), located in the north where the Aegean Sea. This island has a population of only 220,000 people, about one third of the population of Crete and has been largely untouched by tourism yet. The coast of the island close parallel to the mainland, and it is clear that the two were joined in the past. Volcanic activity separated the two, although two short bridges in the capital Chalkida, one that has been around since 410 BC, join the island to the mainland.

Tourism on the islands of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zante (or Zakinthos) have much higher profiles. All three have in the Ionian Sea Kefallonia is the largest, most visited Corfu and Zante perhaps the most beautiful.

The most important Zakythos city was almost directed at a series of four earthquakes in 1953. It has been reported that more than 27,000 homes were destroyed in Zante and the surrounding islands, and 455 people were killed. Of course, earthquakes are not uncommon in this part of Europe. In 1908 an earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed maremoto or over 100,000 in southern Italy and Sicily. Even as late as 2006, a sequence of moderate quakes began, lasting over a week. People on the islands was clearly frightened and was afraid because the tremors got stronger, but seismologists confidently predicted that the situation would become worse, and actually no buildings were severely damaged.

After the 1953 disaster Zakynthos town has been completely rebuilt using traditional and sympathetic design and the place has a comfortable and chic. The same can not be said of all parts of the island, although the authorities and conservation work hard to avoid the worst aspects of mass tourism.

The area most affected by tourism is Laganas, a city on the east coast of the island, which lies in the center of a 9 km long stretch of sandy beach. The site attracts a younger set of visitors and trinket shops, bars and nightclubs keep the office busy all day and most of the night.

But only 12 miles along the coast to the east, and you may be in another world. The beach at Gerakas has been mentioned as one of the best beaches in Europe and it is still strange quiet, except perhaps in the peak periods. It’s almost as if the islanders on Zante want to keep this place a secret. Rather than developing slowly making his mark here, all buildings and signs of development gradually removed. Beach traders no longer walk on the beach and beach bar has been taken down and rebuilt from the beach. Conservationists call the beach and ensure that the nesting ground of illegitimate turtles are not affected by tourists. During nesting periods, maximum stay of 3 hours is enforced on visitors, and the beach is closed for all between dusk and dawn. It is truly a remarkable place considering you can see the light of Laganas Bay.