The ‘antinomian’ travel counterculture of Gavdos: An Alternative Mode of Travelling

This research study is confronted with the crystallization of a specific antinomian travel counterculture that advocates withdrawal from the social milieu by visiting the island of Gavdos (a Greek island on the margin of European civilization). By adopting two naturalistic data collection techniques, in-depth participant observation and interviewing, it explores antinomians’ specific travel patterns, motivations, activities, norms, beliefs, appearance and forms of social interaction. The main findings include that antinomians place an emphasis on independently organized, long-term and flexible travel schedules, non-mainstream activities, rejection of materialism and intense social interactions. The aforementioned attributes distinguish antinomians not only from institutionalized travel, but also from other forms of alternative budget traveling.

► This paper explores the antinomian travel personality as a marginal counterculture. ► It adopts the method of naturalistic inquiry (participant observation and interviewing). ► It identifies the attributes which distinguish antinomians from other forms of alternative budget traveling.