Carefree and car-free: the glorious islands where vehicles are prohibited, from Greece to Wales

There’s nothing like traffic spoiling the serenity of a long-awaited vacation.

Whether it’s the impatient honking of an overheated taxi driver or fellow tourists clogging the roads as they struggle with their navigation systems.

And that’s apart from the fumes, dust and all the other environmental horrors caused by modern road traffic.

So a visit to a car-free island – except for the occasional donkey – can be the perfect place for a truly peaceful holiday. Here’s a tantalizing selection…

PEACE IN GREECE

With its sugar-almond-colored houses and a horseshoe-shaped harbor lined with tavernas and chi-chi boutiques, Hydra is one of the most special Greek islands.

As for transportation, donkeys are the main source of transportation (not even cyclists get a peek here). Otherwise, visitors must hail water taxis to visit quiet coves and beaches.

Loved by the boho set of Athens – Leonard Cohen once lived here – you can also follow trails on Mount Eros, the highest point on Hydra.

Accessibility: Ferries depart from the port of Piraeus up to five times a day and take two hours (ferry hopper. com). Gatwick-Athens return flight from £95 (wizzair.com).

Where to stay: Five-star Mandraki Beach Resort – in the historic bay where ships were launched in the 19th century to protect the Greek seas from the Ottomans – costs from £447 per night (mandrakibeachresort.com).

Captivating CROATIA

A seven-mile boat trip from Dubrovnik takes you to the island of Lopud, one of the largest in Croatia’s Elaphiti archipelago. Lopud’s natural beauty – expansive sandy beaches and the sparkling waters of the Adriatic Sea – makes it a magnet for a drop-and-flop holiday.

The main attraction on the island is the 15th-century Franciscan Monastery, part of which has been converted into the lavish boutique Lopud 1483 Hotel, which can sleep just ten guests.

The monastery is off limits, but St. Mary of the Cave Church is regularly open to the public. You can also cycle along shady pine paths or take a leisurely walk to Polacica, which rises about 220 meters above the water.

Accessibility: Croatia Ferries (croatiaferries.com) runs a regular service from Dubrovnik to Lopud with a journey time of 55 minutes. Luton-Dubrovnik return flights from around £100 (wizzair.com).

Where to stay: Lopud 1483 (lopud1483.com), prices on request. A week at the RMH Lopud Lafodia resort from £1,500 for a superior double room (lafodiahotel.com).

SILENCE IN SARK

Sark, the smallest of the Channel Islands – three miles by a mile and a half – is a place for walkers, cyclists and carriage rides (the family-run horse-drawn carriage attraction dates back to the late 18th century).

Thanks to its clear air with no light pollution, Sark is ideal for stargazing, from the island’s observatory, where visitors study constellations and track the Milky Way, or from the ground, where you just have to look up.

Accessibility: The Isle of Sark Shipping Company (sarkshipping.gg) is a 55 minute ferry ride from Guernsey. Gatwick-Guernsey return flight from £150 (Aurigny. com).

Where to stay: La Sablonnerie Hotel, a former 16th-century farmhouse, is a two-minute walk from the popular sea bathing area, Adonis Pool, and has double rooms from £98 per night (sablonriehotel.gg).

NORTH WALES WILD

Once a Christian pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages, Bardsey Island, located two miles off the Llyn Peninsula in Wales, is today a wildlife haven.

If you’ve been turned on by David Attenborough, you’ll love looking out for the colony of around 200 Atlantic gray seals strolling around the bays of Bardsey.

This island is a real getaway – there are only nine properties for rent. Apart from a visit to the 100ft lighthouse (built in 1821 and the tallest square-towered lighthouse in the UK), there aren’t many ‘attractions’ and no grocery store, making it perfect for those seeking peace and quiet. But there is Ty Pella’s farm and cafe where dinner and breakfast can be booked in advance.

Accessibility: Bardsey is open to visitors from March to October. Day trips are possible (bardseyboattrips.com/product/boat-trips), takes about 30 minutes from Porth Meudwy.

Where to stay: Weekly stays in a variety of properties can be booked with the Bardsey Island Trust (bardsey.org), with prices starting at around £400.

A FRENCH SECRET

Forget the splashy Cote D’Azur, the private island of Ile de Cavallo, located between Corsica and Sardinia, is probably the most remote hideaway in the South of France.

No wonder it’s sometimes called the Med’s answer to Mustique. It is also part of the International Marine Park of the Bonifacio Strait – the largest marine nature reserve in mainland France. Bearing in mind the unspoilt heritage, boats are not allowed to moor in the bays. If you want to explore the island’s unpaved roads, you can do so on foot or in a golf cart.

Accessibility: Take a 15 minute ferry from Bonifacio in Corsica (cavalloisland. com). Gatwick-Figari return flight from around £95 (easyjet.com).

Where to stay: The boutique hotel & Spa des Pecheurs (hoteldespecheurs.com) has a two night stay from £816.

SWEDISH SERENITY

Vrango, the southernmost inhabited island in Sweden’s southern Gothenburg archipelago, is a place where people come to swim, eat seafood and enjoy nature – with plants such as wild asparagus growing on the beaches.

The atmosphere is New England – weathered clapboard houses, sea views and the fact that the main interests for the 400 or so local residents are fishing and boats. The average summer temperature is 21C (70F) – so sunny without being scorching.

Accessibility: The ferry from Gothenburg to Vrango takes 35 minutes (vasttrafic.se). Stansted-Gothenburg return flight from around £95 (ryanair.com).

Where to stay: Kaykanten Vrango (kajkantenvrango.se) is a complex of 11 boathouse apartments with a wood-fired floating sauna and hot tub – costs from £1,400 for a week in a studio apartment.