I always dreamed about Greece. Even before all those Instagram reels showcasing Greek sunsets in some picturesque island such as Santorini or Mykonos.
It started like an idea, details not fine. I was sure I wanted to visit the famous Greek acropolis in Athens, but that was pretty much it. Of course I ended up dreaming about all the famously touristic places, so Santorini was also in my bucket list. Who recommended? Instagram! Who else? No Greek would ever recommend you to go there.
I finally made my way to Greece in 2021, after Covid lockdowns eased. It felt like a one in a lifetime adventure after so many months of preclusion. I’m here to say I ended up with unforgettable memories from Greece, but particularly from a place that wasn’t even in my plans. If you,like me, want to see the best of Greece, allow yourself some time to go to one of the hidden gems this paradisiac country has. I promise you’ll forget about Santorini or Mykonos once there.
This place is a small island known as Koufounisia (Κουφονήσια, in Greek) and it was the most authentic place I visited in the entire country. When you’re there, you learn the greek way: calmness, relaxation, joyful souls and healthy, earthy delicious food. I don’t recommend it for nightlife though, but this is not what look for when I travel, so for me it was the real paradise. My recommendation is to stay in this magical place at least 2 days, but everyone knows this is not enough to disconnect and relax.
To arrive there, you need to take a ferry from wherever you are. You will likely be the only or one of the few tourists going there. You will not find big hotels there, and the ones you find are not from the typical chains. You will also find plenty of guest houses comfortable enough. In my case, the hotel owner went by himself to pick me up at the ferry station, in his own car. Heat was terrible that day and he explained he had to go several times to the station to pick up more guests. I asked whether he enjoyed doing that so repeatedly and he answered with a big fat smile: “Yes, I love my job and showing people around”.
Koufounisia has a tremendous gastronomic offer. Well, all Greece has, but this is a very special place because food can taste like authentically homemade even at restaurants. Plus, this is probably one of few places in Greece where you can still find great food for reasonable prices. Yes, Greece is not that cheap anymore. My personal recommendation would be to grab a mousaka at Laska.
The best thing to do in Koufounisia is definitely going to the Devil’s Eye. This is crystal-clear turquoise and deep blue water natural pool you can only access from the top of it. Yes, you have to jump in there! I had the luck of being there completely by myself for about half an hour, and I was able to swim as free as I ever could. It just feels amazing To get there, you need to do a little bit of hiking (not steep though). You’ll walk for about one hour from Ammos Beach (close to the port), in direction to Inventure’s bay, and you can find the route in Google maps:
If you slow yourself some good company to go there, make sure they capture your joy with a pic 
Here’s mine:
On a side note, Koufounisia also has spectacular sandy beaches, which are not that easy to find in Greece (I was a bit surprised by this, but most islands I visited were volcanic, for instance Santorini). Allow yourself some time to immerse in these beautiful beaches, free of touristic traps and crowds:
Koufounisia is, in Airbnb terms, a rare find. The vibes of this place transmit the best of the Greek lifestyle, its authenticity and genuine good service to visitors. For those wondering how I got to know about this place, I give the credits to one colleague at work who recommended it. Consider this place if you want to immerse yourself in the lovely hands of the Greek way of living, and I hope this remains a hidden gem, exclusive for the few of us reading this 
P.s. I will definitely come back. Let me know when you got your plans ready! 
Random Lessons 