Members of the Delian League

Over the past few years it seems that the island of Imvros, a Turkish island in the Aegean Sea with a historic Greek population, is experiencing what's been described by some as a small Greek renaissance, as some descendants of the Greeks who were largely displaced in the 1960s have begun trickling back.

The number of migrant arrivals has increased in recent months for the first time in three years, so much so that although there were 4,881 persons staying at Reception and Identification Centers on the Greek islands in January, that number had more than doubled to 9,137 by the beginning of September.

About 150 migrants were rescued from overloaded sailboats provided by smugglers in two separate incidents Wednesday far off a western Greek island and off a Cycladic island near the Greek capital, the coast guard said.

More than 300 migrants have arrived on Greek islands, most near the Turkish coast, over the past three days in separate incidents reported by the coast guard.

On Thursday, the coast guard said authorities had found 107 people the previous day on the islands of Samos, Mykonos and the tiny island of Ro, which lies in the Mediterranean off the southern coast of Turkey.

Police on the Cycladic island of Naxos announced on Thursday the arrest of six individuals for violating laws protecting beaches and the public's access to the coast.

The infractions were noticed on Wednesday when the respective task force ascertained unauthorized occupancy of coastlines and beachfronts.

Ninety migrants have been evacuated by coast guard from a vessel that was spotted at dawn 10 nautical miles southeast of the Cycladic island of Amorgos.

It is understood that a passenger on the sailboat called the 112 emergency number to say the vessel was in difficulty.

Two coast guard and two private vessels made their way to the location, where force 5 winds were blowing.

One woman was placed under arrest on the island of Tinos for violating regulations on occupying public space on beaches, during raids carried out by the competent authorities the previous day, according to an announcement by the Finance Ministry on Thursday.

Marking one of the most important holidays in the Greek Orthodox calendar, the Naxos Festival (naxos festival.gr) is holding its own "panigiri" at the Bazeos Tower on August 15.

Despite projections for record revenue, there are signs visitor satisfaction is ebbing, especially in the saturated and overworked island destinations of Mykonos and Santorini, a European-wide survey shows. Mykonos hotels dropped prices in June and July by 7% compared to last year.

Health and ambulance services on the islands are struggling to respond to increased needs with scarce capabilities in August for yet another summer. 

Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Samos and Chios have just one ambulance operating around the clock and a second operating a few days a month.