Yep, even cynical me, who has researched most of the Greek islands for the Rough Guides or Michelin, occasionally gets stunned by the odd hidden gem. Except that Ano Koufonissi, a dot in the Aegean, 2.5 hours from Naxos and 1.5 hours from Amorgos, has been discovered by the trendy and the  adventurous. And, of course, the Germans.

Frankly, the beauty of the place, less than six square km in area, lies in its position: facing the two uninhabited islands of Kato Koufonissi and Keros, its beaches are both protected from winds, while the hotel balconies provide a permanent view of the mountains of the islands opposite.

The remoteness of Ano Koufonissi accounts for its slow tourist development; arriving in 2014, I thought I had woken up thirty years earlier like a backwards time-travelling Rip Van Winkle: no car or scooter rental,  goats and pigs in the farms, campers and nudists on the beach, fresh fish just brought in the tavernas..

Hell, this is Greece as it used to be.

The view from my balcony is from Hotel Myrto (disclosure: it hosted me for two nights) but I would gladly pay for my holiday next time. It is thoroughly recommended.