About two-thirds the size of Lipsí, Arkí is considerably more primitive, lacking drinking water, dynamo electricity (there are solar panels), ferry anchorage or much in the way of a village centre. Just 45 permanent inhabitants eke out a living here, mostly engaged in fishing, though catering for yacht parties attracted here by the superb anchorage is increasingly important. Arkí is an elective, once-weekly stop on the Nissos Kalymnos and Miniotis Lines routes: if you want to disembark here, you must warn the captain well in advance, so he can radio for the shuttle service from the island. Most visitors arrive by the more reliable supply boat from Pátmos, which actually docks at the quay. Of the three tavernas on the round harbourside platía, the better two - Nikolas (tel 02470/32 477) and O Trypas (tel 02470/32 230) - each control a handful of rooms (¬24-33), but avoid August when Italians and Greeks snap up every vacancy in advance. Nikolas is more food-oriented, with homemade puddings, while O Trypas doubles as the happening music pub, courtesy of the owner's enormous collection of CDs and tapes.

 

You can swim at the "Blue Lagoon" of Tiganákia at the southeast tip of the island - excursions from Lipsí stop there - but there are no real beaches to speak of on Arkí. The nearest sandy, tamarisk-shaded one is just offshore on the islet of Maráthi , where another pair of tavernas caters to day-trippers who come at least several times a week from Pátmos or Lipsí. Marathi (tel 02470/31 580; up to ¬24), run by the engaging Mihalis Kavouras, is the more traditional, cosy outfit, with waterside seating and simple, adequate rooms; Pantelis (tel 02470/32 609; ¬24-33) is plusher but more commercially minded, and only open June to October.

The small, steep-sided, waterless islet of Agathoníssi (Gaïdharo) is too remote - much closer to Turkey than Pátmos, in fact - to be a target of day- excursions, though a few are advertised on Sámos. Intrepid German and Italian backpackers (some of whom return annually) form its main clientele, along with a steady trickle of yachts. Even though hydrofoil connections dovetail fairly well with appearances of the Nissos Kalymnos or a Miniotis Line boat, you should count on staying for three days, especially if the wind's up. Despite the lack of springs (cisterns are ubiquitous, topped up by tanker shipments from Rhodes), the island is greener and more fertile than apparent from the sea; mastic, carob and scrub oak on the heights overlook two arable plains in the west. Just 146 people live here, down from several hundred before World War II, but those who've opted to stay seem determined to make a go of raising goats or fishing (more accurately, fish-farming), and there are virtually no abandoned or neglected dwellings.

Most of the population lives in the hamlet of MEGÁLO HORIÓ , just visible on the ridge above the harbour of ÁYIOS YEÓRYIOS , and level with tiny Mikró Horió . Except for two café-restaurants ( Dhekatria Adherfia being the more reliable) and the Katsoulieri Pension (tel 02470/29 035; ¬24-33) in Megálo Horió, all amenities are in the port. Here the choice is between Rooms Theoloyia Yiameou (tel 02470/29 005; up to ¬24), the vine-patioed Hotel Maria Kamitsi (tel 02470/29 003; up to ¬24), George's Rooms behind and inland (tel 02470/29 064; up to ¬24), or the 1999-built Yiannis Rooms (tel 02470/29 062; ¬24-33), of a slightly higher standard. Worthy eating/drinking options in Áyios Yeóryios include George's (he of the rooms) near the jetty, local hangout Limanaki , with fish grills, and Glaros , perhaps the best all-rounder.

With no wheeled transport for rent, exploring involves walking along the cement- or dirt-road network, or following a limited number of tracks and paths. If you don't swim at the port, which has the largest beach, you can walk twenty minutes southwest along a track to shingle-gravel Spiliás , or continue another quarter-hour along a faint path over the ridge to Gaïdhourávlakos , where nudists enjoy a gravel-and-sand cove. Bays in the east of the island, all served by the paved road system (occasionally shortcut by trails), tend to be dominated by fish farms; Pálli is the most pristine of these, though usually visited by boat trip. At Thóli in the far southeast, an hour-plus trek away, you can see an arcaded Byzantine structure, probably a combination granary and trading post, and by far the most venerable sight on Agathoníssi.