First-timers frequently talk about their trip to "the Greek islands" as though they were one cohesive unit that could be easily entered, exited, and moved around like shops in a mall. The size and diversity of the archipelagos are only apparent once a visitor obtains a sense of the nation. In actuality, there are over 200 inhabited Greek islands (and about 6,000 islands total). From the Cyclades islands' white and blue homes to the lush, green Ionian islands to the castle-dotted Dodecanese islands, each inhabited island has its distinct personality.
Greece has six major island clusters overall, in addition to Crete, a sizeable stand-alone. In general, traveling between islands within one group is simpler than traveling between different archipelagos. We'll break down the top Greek islands to visit in this guide, along with what each island group is famous for and how to get around each archipelago.
How to Navigate the Greek Islands
Although there are airports on several Greek islands, not all of them are international. You can only fly to some of the islands from nearby islands or Athens, while several of the islands are only served by domestic airlines like Aegean Airlines. You may fly directly to several of the most well-known islands (such as Crete, Santorini, and others) from cities in Europe or the Middle East because they have international airports.
Island hopping is made simple by ferry travel, especially if you're staying within one archipelago. Although Greek Ships offers various options (including less expensive ferries), Seajets is the high-speed ferry in the Cyclades Islands. Of course, renting a car in Athens or on an island and driving it onto the ferry are options. This effectively transforms your island-hopping holiday into a nautical road trip. However, if you have an international driver's license with you, renting a car is very straightforward on each of the islands.
When to Travel to Greek Islands
If you want excellent weather but still want to escape the crowds, May, June, and September are fantastic months to visit the Grecian isles. Mid-June to mid-September is considered a busy season, and additional ferry routes and airline alternatives are available. You can also choose from the most open restaurants and beach bars during this time, but there are more people to contend with and costs are higher. Every island group has a different climate to consider; as Crete is the warmest year-round, it's a great option for late fall or winter. And although certain islands, like Hydra, are always bustling with inhabitants and visitors, others, like Santorini, become incredibly quiet during the off-season (November to March). To assist you in planning your upcoming trip to Greece, we have put up an overview of each island group (as well as the key features of each archipelago).
The Islands of Cyclades
With two of the most popular islands, Mykonos and Santorini, this archipelago is the most frequented starting point for American tourists visiting Greece. This collection of 220 islands, 24 of which are inhabited, resembles every Greek postcard you've ever seen: white churches with blue domes, and pink bougainvillea vines draping quiet side alleys.
Mykonos is well-known for its vibrant nightlife and glamorous beaches, but it also features a stunning Cycladic village in the middle of the island with windmills and meandering streets that were built to deter pirates in the past. Santorini is favored by honeymooners who lounge in their private pools while facing the caldera because it is romantic and opulent. There are many possibilities available for people seeking an alternative to Mykonos and Santorini. Up-and-coming Tinos is home to a well-known chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Milos boasts unearthly beaches and the renowned Kleftiko caverns, and the undeveloped Lesser Cyclades (Koufonisia, Donousa, Schinoussa, and Iraklia) are excellent for camping. There are big islands like Naxos and Syros, the main island of the archipelago, and tiny ones like Sikinos that see relatively little tourism.
The Cyclades Islands Travel Guide
From mid-April until mid-October, the Cycladic islands' tourism season lasts (peaking in June, July, and August). Both Mykonos and Santorini are excellent places to start if it's your first time in the region. Great wines like Venetsanos and Santo may be found in Santorini, while Mykonos' legendary clubs like Scorpios and Super Paradise will keep you going back for more. Swim, snorkel, and tour the fortress-like capitals of some of the smaller islands, such as Ios, Folegandros, and Milos, whose cobblestone passageways are home to stores, galleries, bars, and tavernas (the name of the major town on most islands is "Chora"; on Milos, it's "Plaka"). Don't forget to take advantage of the sailing opportunities on the Cycladic islands; research businesses like Polco Sailing on Milos and Sunset Oia Cruises on Santorini.
Places to Stay
Start your vacation on Santorini by staying at Andronis Luxury Suites, which is surrounded by the famous, cliffside white-and-blue houses of Oia. After that, proceed around the caldera to Imerovigli, where you may stay at some of the most extravagant and romantic hotels, such as the Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection, and the Andronis Concept Wellness Resort. Finally, spend a night at Santorini Sky in Pyrgos' historic center.
Start your trip in Mykonos with The Wild Hotel by Interni, which offers a posh boutique setting and, best of all, a private beach accessible only to hotel guests. Spend a few very romantic nights at Kalesma Mykonos, where each apartment has its infinity-edge pool, for a more authentic honeymoon experience.
Browse the Cyclades for upscale boutique hotels (many, like The Wild and Kalesma, will be family owned). Try the Naxian Collection Luxury Villas & Suites on Naxos, Coco-Mat Eco Residences on Serifos, Calilo on Ios, and Milos Breeze on Milos.
Create
The largest Greek island, Crete, is also the southernmost, located nearly halfway between Europe and Africa. It has a distinct culture, geography, dialect, and food. Travelers typically choose to concentrate their efforts on the 160-mile-long island of Crete rather than venture to neighboring archipelagos because there is so much to discover there.
How to Get Around in Creta
With two major airports on the island, getting to Crete from Athens is a breeze. Renting a car is a must once you get on the island because driving from one end of Crete to the other takes roughly six hours.
Discover Crete's world-famous pink sand beaches including Elafonissi and Elounda, which are also known for their upscale beach clubs. Take a five to seven-hour hike through streams and rocks in Samaria Gorge, or stroll through wildflowers along roads in mountain communities. If you're an oenophile interested in trying Cretan wines, go to the Palace of Knossos ruins, which housed the Minoan empire (and the terrifying Minotaur monster). The island of Spinalonga, which is off the coast of Elounda, is worth visiting if you have time for a day trip because of its untamed beauty and tragic history as a leper colony until the middle of the twentieth century.
Accommodations in Crete
The Elounda peninsula, an olive grove-covered hillside that slopes down to sandy beaches, has evolved into a sort of Cretan Riviera, lined with upscale hotels like the Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, and the Elounda Mare, Crete's only Relais & Chateaux property.
The national Grecotel chain's family-friendly, five-star resort Amirandes is located outside of Heraklion (take a detour to have dinner on their farm, Agreco). As you go west, you'll come across Rethymnon, a well-preserved Venetian town, as well as additional historic boutique hotels like Casa Delfino, a restored 17th-century estate near Chania's harbor, and Kapsaliana Village Hotel, a converted 18th-century olive press.
Saronic Islands Gulf
Some of the most beautiful and undiscovered islands can be found in the island group nearest to Athens. Greek weekenders and tourists from other parts of Europe love Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina, and tiny Agistri, but Americans are less familiar with these destinations.
How to Navigate the Islands of the Saronic Gulf
The Nantucket of Greece, Hydra is a little yet formidable town. Green pine trees, horse-drawn carriages, and yachts docked in the harbor may all be found in Spetses. Family-friendly Sailing enthusiasts love Poros because of its huge, charming town, which is dominated by a clock tower, and its beaches, which are shaded by trees. The nearest island to Athens is Aegina, which features four sandy beaches, a sizable port town, and its very own ruin—the temple of Athena Aphaia. Being so close to Athens, traveling to the islands in the Saronic Gulf is straightforward: You can travel from Athens to each of these locations via hydrofoil from the port of Piraeus.
Places to Stay
There are countless renovated captains' residences on Hydra and Spetses (we like the Cotommatae on Hydra and Orloff Resort on Spetses). On Poros, Sto Roloi is a collection of old island homes that have been converted into vacation villas, while Sirene Blue Resort provides a more opulent version of Poros lodging. A private villa rental is an additional choice, particularly on Aegina where vacation homes outperform hotels. The Poseidonion Grand Hotel in Spetses, which was opened in 1914 and is as opulent as its name suggests, is the crown gem of the Saronic Gulf.
The Islands of Ionia
The Ionian Islands commonly referred to as the "seven islands" or "Eptanissia," are lush and verdant and feature distinctive indigenous music, art, cuisine, and architecture. While Corfu is the most well-known of the Ionian Islands, the other six hold their own and draw a fair share of visitors as well.
Getting Around the Ionian Islands
You should stroll around the UNESCO-protected Old Town on the Greek island of Corfu. The tiny island of Paxos, close to Corfu, is covered in olive trees, has three lovely bays, and has a neighboring island called Antipaxos, which is renowned for its clear waters. The largest island, Kefalonia, has wild horses roaming around Mount Aenos in the middle of it. Shipwreck Beach, which can only be reached by water, and famous blue swimming-through caves can be found in Zakynthos. The island of Lefkada, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge, boasts some of Greece's best beaches along its shores and forest settlements in the center. Small Ithaka, the abode of Odysseus to Homer devotees, is still largely unexplored. Last but not least, Kythera stands out since it resembles the Cyclades more than the Ionian Sea and is closer to the Peloponnese.
Airports in the islands of Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, and Kythera provide both domestic and international flights from Athens.
Places to Stay
Corfu offers a variety of accommodations, from up-to-date, opulent beachfront resorts like the Grecotel Corfu Imperial to historic mansions built in the 18th century with a Tuscan-inspired décor, like the Pelecas Country Club. The lovely beachfront enclave, which is Banyan Tree's first European resort on Corfu and is located close to Old Town, features 159 rooms and opulent pool villas.
On Kefalonia, the Emelisse Art Hotel is a hidden gem outside the picture-perfect hamlet of Fiscardo, while the ultra-modern Tesoro Blu lies in Skala. The Perantzada, its sibling resort on Ithaka, is a modern hotel housed inside a 19th-century mansion on the waterfront in Vathy. Except for a few small hotels like Paxos Beach and Paxos Club Resort & Spa, Little Paxos is entirely made up of villa rentals and rooms for rent. On Zakynthos, Porto Zante Villas & Spa is a posh haven on the congested eastern coast, and Nobelos is a four-suite, family-run hotel well-known for its organic restaurant in the peaceful north of the island, close to the blue caverns.
Islands of the Sporades
Only four of these 24 green islands off the northeastern coast of mainland Greece are inhabited; if you've seen "Mamma Mia," you'll be familiar with how they appear. There are 24 of these islands. There are tonnes of sand, rocks, singing, and white churches among the dark-green pine trees. The entire Sporades experience entails it.
The Sporades Islands Travel Guide
While lively Skiathos is renowned for its nightlife and beaches with gold sand, low-key White beach coves, oak trees, monasteries, medieval towns, and several shipwrecks off the coast in the National Marine Park make Skopelos a natural paradise. Alonissos is the hub of the National Marine Park and a fantastic place to start if you want to go fishing, view birds, or look for the endangered Mediterranean monk seal. Last but not least, Skyros is renowned for its churches, ceramics, and regional crafts, as well as for its stunning Chora, a hilltop city protected by a Venetian castle.
Direct flights from Athens to Skiathos and Skyros are available for travel to the Sporades Islands. Additionally, a ferry runs from Thessaloniki to Skiathos. From the port of Agios Konstantinos on the mainland, hydrofoils travel to all four islands throughout the summer. Ferries or boats connect each of the Sporades to the others.
Tourism revolves around sailing, swimming, mountain biking, sea kayaking, and hiking on these four islands. Visit the beaches: luxurious Ambelakia on Skiathos, wind-surfing at Kalamitsa on Skyros, and pine-scented breezes at Hovolo on Skopelos. Sailing, swimming, and scuba diving in the National Marine Archaeological Park should not be missed.
Places to Stay
All around the islands, villas are available for rent (like the ones with private pools run by Poikilma Villas on Alonissos). Try the family-run Atrium Hotel above Agia Paraskevi beach in Skiathos or the Adrina Resort on the beach in Skopelos for a hotel with more amenities.
The Aegean Islands in the northeast
The region of Greece closest to Turkey is this group of 13 islands, the five most important of which are Ikaria, Samos, Limnos, Lesvos, and Chios. You will be amply rewarded for your adventure here with amazing beaches and natural beauties (a petrified forest on Lesvos, volcanic rocks and dunes on Limnos, and thermal springs on Ikaria).
The Northeast Aegean Islands Travel Guide
Chios and Ikaria have domestic airports, whereas Limnos, Lesvos (commonly known as Mytilene), and Samos all have international airports.
There are various ferries from the port of Piraeus in Athens that can transport you to these islands as well.
Visit the archaeological sites of the Temple of Hera on Samos, the acropolis on Thassos, the ancient city of Ifestia on Limnos, and the majestic fortress atop Lesvos. While these islands are famed for their history, they're also known for their water sports. Keros Beach on Limnos is one of the best spots to kite or windsurf in Europe. As for swimming, it's hard to surpass the Seitani coves on Samos, Kipos beach on Samothrace, white-sand Seychelles on Ikaria, and Vatera on Lesvos.
Places to Stay
Time-travel back to when Genovese nobility dominated Chios and stay at the spectacular Argentikon Luxury Suites in a 16th-century estate. Sleep above the popular Tsamadou beach at the Armonia Bay Hotel on Samos, overlooking the sea at Toxotis Villas on Ikaria, or on the beach in a luxurious safari tent through Surf Club Limnos.
The Dodecanese Islands
This archipelago takes its name from the Greek number 12 (dodeca) since it has — you got it — 12 main islands and many smaller ones. Rhodes and Kos are the two major islands, while the smaller 10 are quieter and less discovered.
How to Travel the Dodecanese Islands
Rhodes and Kos have international airports (making them popular with charter flights from England and Germany), and Astypalaia, Kalymnos, and Karpathos receive domestic flights. All 12 main islands are served by boats from the port of Athens, Piraeus.
Rhodes is noted for its wonderfully maintained fortified city with Crusader towers and a historic synagogue. And at the town of Lindos, there's an ancient Greek acropolis at the top of the hill, a medieval village in the middle, and a modern town on the beach at the bottom. On surrounding islands, you'll want to explore the mansions of Kassos, the vividly painted cottages of Kastelorizo, and the hilltop Chora of Astypalea, one of the nicest fortified settlements in all of Greece. For a more active Greek isles experience, retreat to Karpathos to hike or windsurf, or scuba dive amid the World War II wrecks on Leros.
Places to Stay
On Rhodes, bask in the ambiance of Melenos Lindos, a 17th-century building with a pebbled mosaic roof terrace with sea views, nestled into the slope close under the Acropolis. On Astypalaia, the island's beautiful Chora is both the inspiration for, and the location of, Pylaia Hotel, which boasts a pool, spa, and ocean views from the Plori restaurant at its peak. And finally, in Patmos, overlooking the sea (and the famed Kalikatsou rock), the luxurious Petra Hotel and Suites is equally close to the beach and the Monastery of St. John.