Halki is quiet, but plenty of tavernas and a few beaches, and it's very handsome. Is it the real Greece? Well, the place was more or less evacuated, and then the inhabitants started coming back and restoring their lovely houses for tourism. So it's really almost totally a tourist island - but totally free from the cruder results of tourism. A little bit middle class, but I liked it.

Hope that helps rather than hinders!

Have a look at:

http://www.halkivisitor.com/index.htm

Good photos, maps and guides.

stayed on Halki a few years ago and loved it. we had waterside studios which made it all the better to see the comings and goings. If you can find a brochure with Hiona studios in (may be a bit more expensive) or villa electra (it IS expensive) it will enhance your stay. Good food, fantastic bakery selling pancakes (their version) with honey for breakfast. The baker will take you up the mountain to the monastry if you don't fancy the long hike. We twinned it with Symi and a week was not quite long enough but that of course is only our opinion.

thankyou, thats very helpful..the Halkivisitor site was really useful.
It led me to look at Direct Greece, but the prices are more than we'd want to pay, and the transfers with Olympic are a little worrying, not sure I want to spend the first night in Faliraki if we miss the connecting ferry.

It is somewhere I will certainly keep in mind, but we are looking at other options for next year too, possibly Alonissos.

claireuk1 we're going to Alonysos 7th September staying at Gorgona Hotel with Olympic. Will post a revue when I get backAlthough it says hotel it consists of studios. Bokked for next year online with Olympic for Kefalonia and saved a packet based on the brochure prices and what we have paid to go to Syros in September. The online booking process was easy enough and we have received written confirmations.

should say Booked of course

Greekofile,

How did you manage to twin the holiday with Symi? We are trying to work this out on another thread. Did you make the arrangements independently?

rpbristol
did this when Laskarina were still up and running although with a bit of planning should be able to do it independently since the inter island ferries are good. The main problem I suspect would be transfering from the main port on Rhodes to the other end for the boats to Halki.
The issue would be could this be done effectively to give the most time on each island on a two week holiday, perhaps a day or two either end would be advantageous. Good luck!

Chalki is really weird, almost entirely consisting of British villa tourists, certainly not real Greece. There is only one really decent beach at Pondamos. Accomodation of the same standard is about 50% more costly than most islands. The food was good for such a small island so at least tourists have had a benifical effect.

Good for a few days but no more - too small. A combination with Karpathos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos, Nissyros and beyond is feasable, and preferable.

Alonissos - I have been many times and it is completely different to Chalki, accomodation costs are much cheaper and easy to get on arrival out of the hi-season. Far more 'greek' and much busier. Better selection of beaches and connections to 2 other North Sporades islands.

There is no problem with Rhodes to the Halki ferry from Kamiros Skala. There is a connecting bus Rhodes town to Kamiros Skala timed to arrive just before the ferry at around 14:30, and the early morning ferry ~06:00 from Chalki connects with a bus to Rhodes town. This works weekdays not sure about the other days. There is also an occasional direct ferry from Rhodes town going to Chalki, Karpathos, Kassos, Crete, Santorini, Milos, Piraeus.

Chalki <> Symi is easily done on a weekday in one day. There are early morning ferries (+bus) from either to get you into Rhodes town for the connection to the next island.

Thanks, Greekofile,

I think we have now sorted it out on The Symi Anastasia thread.