Secret sustainable islands: Discover the 6 top green tourism spots in Greece

Hidden gems like Tilos may not dominate your Instagram feed, but there’s far more to discover in Greece than Mykonos and Santorini. Not only is the picturesque island in the Dodecanese part of a vast ecological park and nature reserve, but it’s also entirely self-sufficient in energy. The Tilos Project saw the island welcome Greece’s first hybrid power station, which produces energy from its very own wind farm and solar power generators. Visitors to the charming 63 sq km isle usually arrive by ferry from Rhodes and are more likely to run into curious partridges, rare herbs and endangered eagles than people. With more than 400 varieties of flora and fauna and over 150 species of birds, the island's 500 residents are cheerfully outnumbered by wildlife on what has been unofficially crowned Greece’s green island.

Just a 90-minute boat ride from the busy metropolis of Athens lies the island of Hydra. But, with its sleepy cobbled streets, whitewashed walls and total absence of cars, the bustling Greek capital feels a million miles away. Part of the Saronic Islands, Hydra hasn’t just slammed the brakes on motorised vehicles – it has never allowed them in the first place. Instead, locals rely on a herd of donkeys for transport up amphitheatre-like hills rising steeply from stone harbour walls. As a result, life moves at a slower pace, children play freely in the streets and noxious exhaust fumes are non-existent. Spend an afternoon getting lost among warren-like alleys to the tune of church bells and the occasional clatter of hooves for a step back in time with nothing but your legs to carry you.

Astypalaia, also in the Dodecanese, is being billed as the first smart and sustainable Mediterranean island, with 1,000 electric