Greek islands are some of the most beautiful travel destinations in Europe, and depending on your situation, a trip to a Greek island might be the perfect trip for your wedding, your honeymoon, your family holiday, or even your solo getaway.
In my opinion, the best Greek islands are those in the Cyclades island group, which are located in the beautiful Aegean Sea. Visiting a Greek island is one of the best things to do in Greece.The best Greek island depends on your situation and what you are looking for from your vacation in Greece, as every island is different. Greek islands are destinations with incredible natural beauty and are worth a visit, even for a day trip, if you can.
Best Greek islands to visit
- Santorini (the most famous Greek island, romantic, amazing views, costly)
- Mykonos (celebrity hotspot, sandy beaches, very expensive)
- Crete (massive island, very diverse, stunning beaches)
- Corfu (very green, west side of Greece)
- Zakynthos (also called Zante, similar but smaller to Corfu)
- Kefalonia (a large island close to Corfu, very green and diverse)
- Rhodes (close to Crete, quite big and very unique)
- Naxos (the most underrated Cyclades island with excellent food)
- Ios (used to be a party island, but not anymore)
- Paros (sandy beaches, close to Mykonos)
- Milos (less touristy but beautiful; Venus de Milo is from there!)
- Skiathos (the “Mamma Mia” island…)
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However, not all Greek islands are the same, and the best time to visit them might differ. Some Greek islands are better for families, and some are perfect for couples. All of them are incredibly idyllic locations, and a top 10 wouldn’t make any sense as they are all equally beautiful (at least to my Greek eyes!).
And I can tell you that I have been to all of them because I am Greek! (Yes…you will find Greek island travel guides online from people who have been there once or twice and are not even Greeks…).
So, I am explaining the differences and which Greek island is best for you, depending on your situation and who you are traveling with. Keep reading…
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES FOR GREECE:
🛏️ Booking.comis the website with the most available rooms and Private Villas in Athens, Santorini , Mykonos & Crete (more than Airbnb!)
⛴️ Ferryhopper 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)
✈️ Booking.com Flights has all the available flights to and from the Greek islands
🚕 Book Your Driver (Taxi) directly with booking.com’s large and safe platform of available certified drivers
- The high season (peak season) for the Greek islands is between May and October. This is when the islands are most crowded with tourists and when the weather is the warmest (temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius or 70-100 degrees Fahrenheit); read more: When is summer in Greece?
- The best time to visit the Greek islands: End of the high season, in September and October. The weather will still be warm (more than 20 degrees Celsius), and you can swim in the sea.
- When You Can Swim in the Sea Water of the Greek Islands: The sea water is perfect in Greek islands between June and October (and including these two months), so if you are visiting anytime outside of these months, you may get sunshine and a temperature of 30C degrees, but the sea water won’t be warm enough; you can certainly give it a try, though!
- Best Greek Island: undoubtedly Santorini is the best Greek island and the one you have to visit if you are only visiting Greece for a few days; you should know, though, that it is the most touristic and the most visited by cruise ships
- Best Greek islands near Athens: Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Spetses (all are very cute and scenic, but only worth a day trip from Athens as they are tiny)
- Best Greek islands for beaches: The Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and Crete beaches are the best in Greece; Santorini beaches are lovely but not the best in Greece.
- Best Greek islands for families: Naxos, Crete, Rhodes, and Corfu
- Best Greek islands for couples: Santorini, Crete, Milos, and Skiathos
- Best Greek islands for honeymoon: Santorini, Mykonos, Milos, Paros, and Skiathos
- Best Greek islands close to Athens (Saronic gulf): Hydra, Egina, Agkistri, Poros
- The Mamma Mia island is Skiathos. This is where the movie (part 1) was set.
- How to get to Greek islands: almost all of the Greek islands have direct flights from Athens (Booking.com Flights has all the options), but you can always take a ferry from Athens (check the Ferryhopper website for timetables and prices – Piraeus or Rafina, Athens’ main ports )
- Most romantic Greek island:Santorini (but each one can be romantic if you want it to…)
- To avoid tourist crowds and cruise ships on Greek islands, visit in late September or early October.
- How to get around on Greek islands: all islands have local buses and taxis (no Uber or Lyft unfortunately) that run frequently but it is highly recommended that you rent your means of transportation as it will give you more flexibility and let you visit more areas on any island (Rentalcars.com is the cheapest and safest website to rent a car for Greek islands)
- MY TIPS: if this is your first time in Greece you should start with the Cyclades islands fist (Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos) and then at your second trip visit Crete and leave for your third trip the Ionian islands like Corfu or Kefalonia; the main reason for this is that what you probably have in mind as a Greek island is what Mykonos, Santorini or Paros look like. Also, unless this is your first time in Greece (and even so, I do not highly recommend it more than once), try to fly to a Greek island instead of taking the ferry. Ferries in Greece are very expensive, very slow, and very unreliable. Oh, and before I forget it… You need to hire a car on almost every Greek island so that you can explore them at your ease and be independent.
Ok….so without further ado, these are the best Greek islands :
1. Santorini
Believe all the hype and all the Instagram pictures you have seen. This island is amazing, and you have to visit it! It is indeed one of the best Greek islands (even though there are a lot of haters).
Regarding honeymoons, Santorini is the place to have your ideal honeymoon, as the island offers some of the most romantic hotels in Europe. It is indeed the perfect location for couples, but it has many things to do for families and solo travellers.There are many things to do in Santorini, and there is no shortage of activities and amazing restaurants where you can visit and enjoy a romantic dinner.
Best Time To Visit Santorini Island
How To Get To Santorini Island
Where To Stay in Santorini
Best Hotels in Santorini
Best Things To Do In Santorini
Best Restaurants In Santorini
2. Mykonos
Mykonos is the second most famous Greek island, with millions of tourists annually.
Mykonos is all about the fantastic nightlife, incredible parties, celebrities’ boats, and lovely sandy beaches. It also has some of the world’s most amazing beaches and beach bars.
Some of the world’s most famous chefs have established restaurants in Mykonos, and some of the world’s most famous DJs play there every year in the nightclubs.But Mykonos is not only about partying. The island offers fantastic opportunities for a relaxing trip as it has some of the best hotels in Greece with incredible 5-star service and amenities.
Mykonos’ main town (also called Chora) is one of the most picturesque and cute in the Greek islands.
Best Time To Visit Mykonos Island
- The best time to visit Mykonos is pretty much the same as it is in Santorini: late September, early October, or early June. This is when the sea water is still warm enough to swim in and all hotels and restaurants are open (September and October are still high season).
- July and August are the worst months to visit Mykonos, as every beach and town you visit will be packed!
- The prices on everything in Mykonos (from accommodation to restaurants) skyrocket in July and August.
How To Get To Mykonos Island
- READ THE DETAILED GUIDE: Athens to Mykonos
- With a 3hrs or 5hrs direct ferry from Athens (Piraeus or Rafina ports) – Book your Ferry ticket to Mykonos here
- The cost of the ferry varies from 30 euros to 80 euros (depending on the ferry speed and the seat)
- With a direct 1-hour flight from Athens (all year), you can book flights on Booking.com Flights (Mykonos airport JMK)
- With a direct flight from all the major European capitals (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Rome) – only during the high season between April and October, mostly (always check Booking.com Flights because the flights change every year)
Where to Stay In Mykonos
Best Hotels In Mykonos
Best Things To Do In Mykonos
Just to warn you, Mykonos is super expensive, so be prepared to pay New York, London, and Tokyo prices at the restaurants.Best Restaurants In Mykonos
3. Crete
Crete is the largest Greek island and one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean Sea.
Crete is a big island. It’s almost the size of Hawaii‘s Big Island, so you need a car to move around.
Crete is famous for its unique beaches, amazing local food and produce, the hospitality of its local people, and thousands of years of history.Honestly, though, Crete beaches are out of this world…
Crete is full of impressive hotels and all-inclusive resorts, making it an ideal destination if you are looking for an island with everything.
The biggest cities of Crete are Chania (West), Rethymnon (West), Heraklion (East), and Aghios Nikolaos (East). Heraklion city (the capital of Crete) is the 4th biggest city in Greece (population-wise).It is not advised to visit Crete for 2-3 days.
You need at least a week in Crete; even during that time, you can only see 20-30% of the island.
You need yourmeans of transportation in Crete (preferably a car) unless you will only be staying in your all-inclusive resort and are not interested in seeing the rest of the island.Best Time To Visit Crete Island
How To Get To Crete
Where to Stay In Crete
Best Hotels In Crete
Best Things To Do In Crete
Cretan food is probably the best in Greece, and you will be surprised by the large portions and the free stuff you will be offered in every restaurant (free fruits, dessert, and local drinks at the end of the meal):Best Restaurants In Crete
4. Corfu
Corfu is an island at the sea between Italy and Greece (Ionian Sea), and the Italian and Venetian influence is spread all over the island.
The Greek name of Corfu is Kerkira.Corfu has been a famous tourist destination for the last 70 years, and many good reasons. The island is full of beautiful beaches, picturesque towns, and villages.
You need at least a week in Corfu,a pretty big island.
It is nearly impossible to combine a visit to Corfu with another Greek island like Santorini or Mykonos because these islands are on the other side of Greece, and you must travel through Athens. It is doable but not smart…Best Time To Visit Corfu
How To Get To Corfu
Where to Stay In Corfu
Best Hotels In Corfu
Best Things To Do In Corfu
Corfu has no shortage of excellent restaurants, but these are the best!Best Restaurants In Corfu
5. Zakynthos (Zante)
Zakynthos (or Zante) island is another famous Greek Ionian island in the sea between Greece and Italy with landscapes similar to Corfu (lots of green pine tree forests) and, of course, the famous Navagio Beach that you may have seen all over YouTube and Instagram in recent years.
Zante is a pretty big island (6 times the size of Santorini), which has become a famous tourist destination for people worldwide.
Zakynthos is also called “Zante”. You should not combine visiting Zakynthos with another Greek island because it is not easily accessible.Though the main town of Zakynthos is not as picturesque as Corfu, it is still a beautiful island town, and the island has many picturesque villages by the sea.
Best Time To Visit Zakynthos
How To Get To Zakynthos
Where to Stay In Zakynthos
Best Hotels In Zakynthos
Best Things To Do In Zakynthos
Best Restaurants In Zakynthos
Besides excellent food, Zakynthos has some extraordinary wineries with seriously good Greek wine. These are some of the best restaurants in Zante:
6. Kefalonia (or Cephalonia)
Kefalonia is the 6th largest island in Greece and is 10 times larger than Santorini…so consider that when considering renting a car (yes, you need to rent a car in Kefalonia).
Kefalonia cannot easily be combined with a visit to other Greek islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, or Crete because it is in the Ionian Sea, like Corfu or Zante.It is only advisable to combine it with a visit to Corfu or Zante; otherwise, you have to travel through Athens, which will be quite expensive and time-consuming if you only have a few days.
Kefalonia has many pretty villages (Fiskardo, Assos, and Skala are the most famous ones) and is one of the greenest islands in Greece.
The island is perfect for family holidays and offers some excellent boat excursions in the surrounding emerald waters.Best Time To Visit Kefalonia
How To Get To Kefalonia
Where to Stay In Kefalonia
Best Hotels In Kefalonia
Best Things To Do In Kefalonia
Kefalonia is a pretty big island, and there is no shortage of amazing family restaurants. However, there are also unique flavours and diverse Greek dishes all over the island.Best Restaurants In Kefalonia
7. Rhodes
Rhodes is the fourth-largest Greek island and resembles Malta in many ways (the old town, the castle, the beaches…, etc.), though Rhodes is five times the size of Malta.
Just to give you the scale of its size: Rhodes is 20 times bigger than Santorini…!
Rhodes has some of the most impressive and well-established hotels and resorts in Greece, and all large tour operators in Europe have all-inclusive (or non-all-inclusive) packages for Rhodes, as it has been an extremely popular destination since the 60’s.
Rhodes on Google MapsRhodes is part of Greece’s Dodecanese islands group and is the furthest island on this list from Athens (though still within a one-hour flight).
Rhodes cannot easily be combined with a visit to any other island; it is pretty big, and you should dedicate at least a week to exploring it and having a good time without any rush.
Besides that, Rhodes is not well connected with other famous islands in the Cyclades (like Santorini or Mykonos), and you will waste too much time and money on transfers, as you may have to return to Athens.Rhodes beaches can be long and sandy, and the island, with its beautiful old town, is generally very well organised touristically (compared to other islands).
The island is an ideal destination for holidays with kids, and if you are looking for an all-inclusive in Greece, chances are you will find it in Rhodes or Crete. Many people say Rhodes is the all-inclusive capital of Greece…!
Best Time To Visit Rhodes
- The best time to visit Rhodes is May, June, or late September and October. The island is packed with tourists in July and August (though it won’t feel as packed as Santorini or Mykonos, for example) because it is big.
- The good thing about Rhodes is that the island is so big that it is pretty lively even in the winter or low-season months between November and April.
How To Get To Rhodes
- The best way to get to Rhodes is by taking a direct flight (either from Athens or from any European city) to the island.
- Some ferries connect Athens (Piraeus port) to Rhodes, but they take ages to arrive (more than 15 hours on average!) and I would never advise anyone to waste 15 hours of her/his life and be bored to death in a slow ferry to Rhodes… Book your Ferry ticket to Rhodes here
- The easiest and fastest way to get to Rhodes is to take a direct 1-hour flight from Athens (all year) – you can book flights on Booking.com Flights (Rhodes airport: RHO)
- There is also a direct flight from all major European capitals and big cities (London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Rome, Manchester, Newcastle, Madrid, Barcelona, Warsaw, Oslo, Hamburg, Hanover, etc) – mainly between April and October (check Booking.com Flights for specific schedules)
- There are no direct flights to Rhodes from outside of Europe.
- The great thing about Rhodes is that it’s very well connected with a few hrs ferries to all the surrounding Dodecanese Greek islands like: Kos, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Ikaria, Samos and even Crete (though it’s not advised to combine a trip to Rhodes with a trip to Crete as you need at least a week on each island)
- You can even take a ferry to Turkey from Rhodes (Marmaris)—always check the Ferryhopper website first because ferry schedules change annually.
Where to Stay In Rhodes
Best Hotels In Rhodes
Best Things To Do In Rhodes
The Italian influence is still vivid in Rhodes’ cuisine, but there are so many options and good restaurants to choose from that you won’t be disappointed:Best Restaurants In Rhodes
8. Naxos
Naxos is 6 times bigger than Santorini…! Naxos has long and sandy beaches that can be hit by strong winds during the summer, making the island a surfers’ paradise in recent years.
However, you can visit many beautiful beaches and picturesque villages, the most unique being the famous Apeiranthos village.
Naxos on Google MapsNaxos can easily be combined with a trip to Santorini, but it’s an island that you need to spend at least 3 days on to appreciate it. The good thing is that the ferries that go to Santorini and Mykonos (especially the Blue Star Ferries) connect both islands well.
READ ALSO: Best Hotels in Naxos
Naxos is a perfect destination (3 hours by ferry from Athens) for families and people who want the simple things: good food, simple accommodation, and lots of beautiful, uninterrupted sunsets away from the tourist crowds…9. Ios
10. Paros
READ ALSO: Best Hotels in Paros
11. Milos
12. Skiathos
READ ALSO: Best Hotels in Skiathos
CONCLUSION
Greek islands are simply amazing. They are considered some of Earth’s most magical, romantic, and stunning places. There is no clear answer to what the best Greek island is.
No matter which one you choose for your holidays (or your life…), you will have fantastic weather, excellent food, and be surrounded by people who love life and care about each other in their local communities.
If you have time to visit just one Greek island, make it Santorini. It is the most famous Greek island and will impress you the most. If you have more time, visit Mykonos or Naxos as well. I genuinely believe that every Greek island deserves its own time to get the most out of your time there.
