About an hour south of Anchorage, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a haven for animals that wouldn’t make it in the wild—moose, bison, bears, musk oxen, and more. Most of the animals are rescues, or were orphaned or injured, and the center provides them with the care they need to thrive. Walk or drive the loop to observe these majestic creatures in their expansive, natural habitat, with the Chugach Mountains as your backdrop.

Further inland, in the southern part of the island, lie the so-called masticochoria (mastic villages). These well-preserved, fortified villages date from the 14th-16th centuries and were centres for the cultivation of mastic. Mastic is the sweet-tasting gum of the lentisk bush, which was exported all over the Mediterranean – and the area still produces around 300 tonnes of mastic every year. The most picturesque villages are Pyrgi, with its houses decorated in black and white geometric patterns called xysta Mesta, where towers and walls surround a baffling labyrinth of village streets as well as Olympoi and Vessa are all a worth a visit.

The tiny castle village of Mesta dates back to the Byzantine period, when its thick city walls protected residents from marauder attacks. Today this unique historical monument welcomes visitors and invites you to taste its delectable local wine, “Mestousiko”.