The unknown ‘Greek’ island that is cheaper than Mykonos and Santorini – and has fewer crowds
THERE'S a "Greek" island that's cheaper than Mykonos and Santorini but just as beautiful.
Sandwiched between the Greek islands of Lemnos and Samothrace in the Aegean Sea, Gökçeada is Turkey's largest island.
Originally part of Greece, and also known as Imbros, locals were forced to flee the island after borders were redrawn in the 20th Century.
From 1923 onwards, the island became governed by a Turkish administration with many Turkish locals settling on the island.
Because the island has thousands of years of Greek history, some of the island's villages have been compared to Mykonos and Santorini.
But because the island officially uses the Turkish Lira as its currency, it's also cheaper than Greek islands.
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At the time of writing, Brits can expect to get 34 Turikish Lira for every £1.
Travel website, said: "This unknown island has only a limited number of tourists, and it remains a great budget destination.
"As the Turkish lira is the official currency in Gökçeada, it can be a lot cheaper than ‘Euroized’ islands due to the lira’s weakness against the dollar and the country’s current economic turmoil."
You can reach the island by landing at Istanbul Airport.
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From there, it's just under a four-hour drive to the port town of Kabatepe where you'll be able to catch a ferry onto the island.
There are a range of accommodation options on the island including several three-star hotels and plenty of Airbnbs.
But the most popular accommodation option seems to be self-service homes and apartments like the Paparuna Butik Hotel.
Lots of the options are affordable with rooms starting at as little as £30 per night based on two people sharing a room.
In comparison, Sun Online Travel found hotel prices in Mykonos and Santorini to be more than double.
The island is arguably most well-known for its several sandy beaches including Gizli Liman Plaji.
Aydincik Beach is a long sandy beach and has services like a coffee shop and restaurant along its shoreline.
Other beaches include Kalekoy, Laz Bay, and Yıldız Koy Plajı where holidaymakers can hire umbrellas and sunloungers.
Meanwhile, other beach activities include watersports like kitesurfing and windsurfing.
For holidaymakers who want to get a sense of the island's Greek roots, then there are a few small towns worth visiting.
Tepekoy is a former Greek village situated 9km from Gökçeada's town centre, and it is home to quaint stone houses, traditional taverns, and a charming coffee shop set in the town square.
There's also Derekoy, which is 14km from Gökçeada's town centre, and has Greek structures like the Koimesis Tis Theotokos Church.
Other villages like Bademli and Zeytinliköy are perched higher up on the island and provide panoramic viewpoints.
The best sunset spots can be found in Pinarbasi and Kalekoy.
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Meanwhile, this UK beach makes you feel like you could be abroad.
And these British islands are home to sandy beaches, clear seas, and dolphins.
