There is no doubt that being a teenager is a strange period of your life. Some have it easy, some have it troubled. But holidays can always be a great time for a family with teenagers as long as the destination is right. The best greek islands for teenage families have lots of things to do, are very culturally rich and are all safe locations with great hotels.
The best greek island for teenage families is Crete , with lots of things to do, amazing beaches with fun beach bars and some of the most important archaeological ruins in Greece 🏖️.
But there is definitely more teenage-friendly options than just the island of Crete.
There are very specific things you might be looking for a teenage family trip to the greek islands, but I honestly believe the following are the most important things that an island must have in my opinion:
- great hotels
- lots of available outdoors activities and fun things to do (like watersports, mini cruises, hiking etc); yes, teens get bored easily…
- culturally rich for curious teenagers that love history
- have awesome beaches with fun beach bars
- be safe
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The best greek islands for families are:
VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Which Greek island is most family-friendly?
The greek island that is most family friendly is Crete, as it has the best beaches overall, the best amenities and definitely some of the best family and kids-friendly resorts in Greece. However, Crete is quite a big island and it’s not the typical small and cute greek island you may have in mind, which makes the family holidays logistics slightly different, in my opinion. Crete is also the island with the best family resorts in Greece. If you want a small greek island for families then Naxos is your next best option with endless sandy beaches and shorter distances overall within the island. Naxos island is one of my favourites as well, but it does not have large resorts as Crete. It is ideal for family holidays
Where is the best place in Greece for families?
The best place in Greece for families overall is Crete island and Naxos island as they both are very family-friendly places with lots of amenities, great hotels and beautiful family beaches , overall. There are however other family friendly places in mainland Greece that are equally beautiful. These are Parga, Tolo or Zacharo and Chalkidiki.
Is Santorini or Mykonos better for families?
Santorini is calmer and more relaxing but it does not have the beautiful sandy beaches of Mykonos. However, I would not consider Mykonos at all for a teenage family holiday as it’s now a super expensive island with not the best people on it to be honest (social media influencers, rich kids, socialites and wannabe celebrities in a small island is really not the best sight…). Santorini, Naxos and Crete are much better option and they have more teenage friendly beaches and overall a better atmosphere for teens. You will definitely find families with teenagers having a great time in Santorini (especially places like Kamari or Perissa beach).
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES FOR GREECE:
Booking.com is the website with the most available rooms and Private Villas in Athens, Santorini , Mykonos & Crete (more than Airbnb!)
DirectFerries is the best website to book your ferry tickets or check the timetables for Santorini, Mykonos , Crete & all greek islands
Get Your Guide has the best and largest variety of Tours in Athens and the greek islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Crete etc)
Rentalcars is the easiest way to rent a car or a quad for Greece with thousands of available options
Expedia has all the available flights to and from the greek islands
So, let’s see the best greek islands for teenage families:
1. Crete
- Crete on Google Maps
- Best Family Hotels in Crete: Domes Noruz • Creta Maris Beach Resort • Caramel Grecotel
Crete is the best greek island for teenage famiies and overall the best family hotels in Greece. In Crete you will find amazing family friendly beaches along with an endless option for things to do, museums, archaeological and historical sites, picturesque towns like Chania and lots of opportunities for water sports, kite surfing or sea kayaking which can be great for older children (Chania beaches are the best in my opinion). The great thing about Crete is that there direct flights to the biggest cities of the island, from pretty much every European capital during the high season (April to October)
2. Santorini
- Santorini on Google Maps
- Best Family Hotels in Santorini: Maregio Suites • Grace Santorini • Cosmopolitan Suites
Santorini island is without a doubt the most famous Greek island and eventhough it’s not famous for teenage family holidays, I still think it’s great for families with teenagers. Perissa beach (Black Beach) , Kamari beach, and Vlychada beach are ideal for teenagers of any age with lots of beach bars and restaurants around. Santorini has numerous things for teens to explore such as a visit to the famous volcano or the Akrotiri historical site.
3. Naxos
- Naxos on Google Maps
- Best Family Hotels in Naxos: Belogna Ikons • Naxian Utopia • Nissaki Beach Hotel
Naxos is one of the biggest greek islands and in my opinion it is perfect for teenage family vacations. Naxos has some of the best family friendly beaches in Greece with soft sand and usually warm shallow waters. Because Naxos is a big islands there are lots of things that even older kids can do and amazing cruises to the nearby less busy islands (such as this one) . The inner villages of the island (such as Apirathos) is considered one of the most beautiful and unique villages in Greece and it is not a secret that local delicacies and food in Naxos is one of th ebest you can find in the Cyclades islands in Greece.
4. Corfu
- Corfu on Google Maps
- Best Family Hotels in Corfu: Corfu Imperial Grecotel • Bella Venezia • Lena Mare Boutique Hotel
Corfu is in the west side of Greece in the Ionian islands between Greece and Italy. There are tens of direct flights to chose from all major european cities during the summer (May to October usually) and it’s an island known for its green landscape and its quiet and family friendly beaches. Corfu town is a lovely town with venetian architecture with lots of options for food and entertainment after a long day at the beach.
5. Paros
- Paros on Google Maps
- Best Family Hotels in Paros: Yria Island • Calme Boutique Hotel • Seesoo Paros
Paros island is in the Cyclades group of islands and there are many reasons why this is one of the most visited greek islands by families. Paros is a very diverse island with many different and unique sandy beaches and some of the best restaurants and greek tavernas in Greece. It is an island that is also preferred by lots of greeks and that says a lot about the island.
CONCLUSION
So, these are the best greek islands for teenage families . I honestly think that you will have an amazing family trip on any greek island but for teenagers specifically, Crete is ideal with so many things to do and see from beautiful gorges available for hiking to sandy beaches with awesome beach bars. On the other hand, Santorini island with its Instagram and Tik Tok viral landscape along with its wild volcanic terrain won’t let the teenagers in your family to get bored at all.
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