Ikaria is one of the North Eastern Aegean Islands located mid way between the popular Greek holiday islands of Samos and Mykonos . Its better known neighbours are targeted by the big tour operators but Ikaria itself is a little visited island which has only begun to attract a steady trickle of tourists (mainly Germans and Austrians) since the mid-1990s.

The fiercely independent islanders see little reason to pander to the whims of the modern day tourist so don't come here expecting Brit bars and banana rides. Ikaria will appeal to the discerning independent traveller seeking a relaxing island retreat far from the madding mid-summer crowds that descend on party islands such as Mykonos in frightening numbers.

There's an airport at the north east tip of the island with regular flights to and from Athens . If you choose to travel by air you're bound to have more luck than mythical Icarus after whom the island is named. According to legend Icarus plunged to his death off the island's coastline after flying too close to the sun with the wax wings made for him by his father Daedalus in a bid to escape the Minotaur's labyrinth on Crete .

Ikaria Beaches
Ikaria is blessed with some of the loveliest beaches in the Aegean. You can take your pick of long sandy stretches with seasonal tourist facilities or quiet pebble coves where your only company may be a handful of local villagers. Give Ikaria a miss if you want banana rides and day-long beach raves. But if you fancy a dip in a therapeutic hot spring or you like the idea of lounging in a freshwater lagoon on the beach then you've come to the right place.

The island's best sandy beaches are on the north coast but the south coast offers several beautiful and less crowded secluded coves.

One of the most popular day trips from the capital Agios Kirykos is to the radioactive springs at Therma, two kilometres north east along the coast. You pay for a half-hour wallow in a stone tub filled with curative mineral water said to combat everything from rheumatism and arthritis to female infertility. It's an easy and pleasant walk from town or you can take one of the buses or water taxis which run regularly to and from the spa in high season.

At Therma Lefkadhas, three kilometres south west of the capital, the thermal waters of a now derelict spa bubble up into the sea between huge volcanic rocks. Local youngsters tend to congregate at Tsoukala Beach, one kilometre west of Agios Kirykos. This tree-fringed pebble beach is just off the main road beyond the town's night clubs. A beachside café serves drinks and snacks throughout the afternoon.

One of the best beaches near town is tranquil Xilosyrtis, seven kilometres west of the port. It's popular withthe local villagers but few tourists stumble on this long pebbly stretch accessed via a stepped path leading down from the village. A small café on the beach serves snacks in the summer months and there's a pier at the start of the beach which makes a handy fishing platform.
 
Ikaria Night Life
I karia is not the wildest party island in the Aegean but there are plenty of good restaurants and late night music bars in the two main port towns and the beach resort of Armenistis. Don't miss the chance to join in a traditional Ikarian knees-up because the island is famous throughout the Aegean for its lively summer festivals in honour of various patron saints. Hardened round-the-clock clubbers will be better off on neighbouring Mykonos where hordes of gays and hedonistic heteros party the nights away in the island's glitzy discos.