You are probably trying to figure out which Greek island is better for you to visit, right? As a Greek, I have visited almost all of my country’s islands, so this is my comparison guide for Crete vs Santorini this year.
BEST HOTEL IN SANTORINI:San Antonio
BEST HOTEL IN CRETE:Domes Noruz
For Luxury:
- Crete: Domes Noruz
- Santorini: San Antonio
For Couples:
- Crete: Abaton Island
- Santorini: Canaves Oia
For Families:
- Crete: Creta Maris
- Santorini: Nissia
For Private Pool:
- Crete: Elounda Beach Hotel
- Santorini: Katikies
Cave Hotel:
- Crete: **There are no cave hotels in Crete.**
- Santorini: Divine Cave
For Beach:
- Crete: Caramel Grecotel
- Santorini: Petri Suites
Budget:
- Crete: Kedrissos Hotel
- Santorini: Stelios Place
- Detailed Comparison, differences, and similarities
- Best For Attractions & Sightseeing
- Best For Beaches
- Most Romantic
- Best For Nightlife
- Best For Families
- Best For Wineries
- Best For Shopping
- Best For Foodies
- Best For Seniors
- Alternative Greek islands
As you know, Greece has no shortage of amazing islands to visit. Did you know that there are more than 2,000 Greek islands? Only about 200 are inhabited, which narrows it down a bit, but still… I know how hard it can be to pick one to visit for your next holiday.
Crete and Santorini are two of the most famous Greek islands, but they are so different, like comparing apples to oranges, to be honest.
READ ALSO:Where to Stay in Crete
Where to Stay in Santorini
Best Santorini Boat Tours
From Crete to Santorini: all ferries and flights
Santorini or Milos
But what happens if you have to pick one? Which one should it be?
Crete or Santorini
If there is only one Greek island you can visit in your life, make it Santorini. You won’t regret it, and as I say to all of my friends “Santorini is literally the picture of Greece you may have in your head”.HOWEVER, Santorini can feel like a tourist trap these days and it can get extremely crowded in the summer months of June, July, August and September, so if you are looking for some of the nicest beaches in Europe, possibly the best food in Greece, literally tens of interesting Museums and a place that could feel like home for a family that you can visit many times then go to Crete.
You need to understand that the size of these two islands makes a big difference between them because Crete will never feel crowded or packed (yes, it will feel busier in the summer months, but never packed like Santorini), as it’s too big. It’s the size of Hawaii’s Big Island and one of the largest islands in Europe. Santorini is super tiny.
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| CRETE | SANTORINI | |
| Size | Crete is the largest Greek island and the 12th largest island in Europe. | Santorini is roughly 100 times smaller than Crete… |
| Easier to Get To | Santorini has only one international airport, but it’s a bit closer to Athens by ferry (5 hours) | Santorini is also great to visit off-season and in the winter, as there are still many things to do and see apart from the beaches (such as wineries, the volcano, Akrotiri, etc.), but nothing on the beaches. |
| Most Crowded | Santorini is the busiest and most crowded Greek island, and it will always feel crowded and packed no matter the time of year. Unfortunately, these days… | Crete never gets crowded, but the large towns such as Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Agios Nikolaos would feel busier in the summer (May to September) |
| More attractions and sights | Santorini has plenty of attractions for an island of its size, and things like the volcano views, sunsets, Oia village, Akrotiri ruins, and the Red Beach cannot be found elsewhere in Greece. | Crete has some of the best resorts, all-inclusive hotels in Greece, and thousands of smaller family-run hotels all over the island, so you have more options. |
| Best Beaches | Crete’s beaches are some of the best in the world, with golden sand and crystal clear waters. There are thousands of beaches on Crete. | Santorini is also great to visit off-season and in the winter, as there are still many things to do and see apart from the beaches (such as wineries, the volcano, Akrotiri, etc.), but nothing on the beaches. |
| Hotels | Santorini hotels have more impressive views and a more boutique feel overall. They are also more expensive as they are high in demand and limited in number. | Crete is one of the most historically and culturally rich places in Europe, with many Museums and Archaeological sites all over the island; the Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the most important in Greece. |
| Most Romantic | Santorini is one of the most romantic destinations in the world, with its stunning views and sunset tours. | Santorini is also great to visit off-season and in the winter as there are still many things to do and see apart from the beaches (such as wineries, the volcano, Akrotiri, etc.), but nothing on the beaches. |
| Best Nightlife | Crete has incredible beach clubs on almost every beach on the island | With its big towns such as Chania, Rethymno, and Heraklion, Crete has some of the best nightlife in Greece, with many options. |
| Best Beach Clubs | Santorini also has some good beach bars and clubs with a less premium feeling but with excellent services. | Enjoy the sandy beaches (like Balos, Elafonisi, Falassarna, etc.), visit Knossos Palace, visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, wander in the cute towns of Chania and Rethymno, visit the only natural Palm Tree Forest in Europe, and hike the Samaria Gorge. |
| More wineries | Santorini is Greece’s winery capital, with more than 16 wineries on the island that have been producing wine for more than 200 years. | Santorini has some decent nightlife, but you will find mostly lounge bars and a few small clubs with a more relaxing vibe overall. A few clubs also play mostly Greek pop music, which can be fun. |
| Ideal for | Crete has a list of super cute wineries you can visit for wine tasting sessions, but they are all over the island. | Couples, solo trips, first timers in Greece |
| More Expensive | Crete is fully open throughout the year as its economy does not rely solely on tourism. More than 600K locals live on the island permanently, so it’s great to visit in the winter, but you won’t be able to enjoy the beach life if that’s a priority. | Overall, Crete is not that expensive, and there are thousands of accommodation options, so you can have great budget holidays if you want. |
| Best thing you can do: | Enjoy the dramatic views, the wineries, and the sunset volcano cruises. | Enjoy the sandy beaches (like Balos, Elafonisi, Falassarna, etc.), visit Knossos Palace, visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, wander in the cute towns of Chania and Rethymno, visit the only natural Palm Tree Forest in Europe, and hike the Samaria Gorge. |
| Crete is massive, and it won’t feel like being on an island, to be honest. | Santorini can also be exciting for a family with kids, but I always felt that the smaller kids won’t appreciate the island that much. The hotels on Santorini are generally smaller, with steep steps and few family facilities. | Santorini is also great to visit off-season and in the winter, as there are still many things to do and see apart from the beaches (such as wineries, the volcano, Akrotiri, etc.), but nothing on the beaches. |
| Best tip you can give me: | Rent a car | Rent a car |
| Crete is perfect for families with kids of any age. It has great watersports parks, many things to see and do, and some of the best family resorts in Greece. | Crete has impressive honeymoon hotels, such as Domes Noruz, but it’s generally considered less romantic. | Best island for first-timers in Greece: |
| Best for Families: | Crete has some impressive honeymoon hotels, such as Domes Noruz, but it’s generally considered less romantic. | Santorini can also be exciting for a family with kids, but I always felt that the smaller kids won’t appreciate the island that much. The hotels on Santorini are generally smaller, with steep steps and few family facilities. |
| Best For Honeymoon: | Santorini is one of the best destinations in the world for a honeymoon, and it has some of the most romantic hotels in Greece. | Crete has some impressive honeymoon hotels, such as Domes Noruz, but generally, it’s considered less romantic. |
So, let’s see which island is better in every case, shall we?
Best Island for Attractions, Museums & Sightseeing: Crete
Detailed Comparison:
- Crete is diverse, with many things to do, while Santorini has more limited options.
- Crete is a big island that offers pretty much everything, such as waterparks, Museums, Wineries, farms, lakes, hiking in the mountains, protected national parks, and more.
- In Santorini, you can go wine tasting in one of the island’s 16 wineries, which is impressive for its size.
- Crete has the following Museums: Archaeological Museum of Chania, Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Knossos Palace, Natural History Museum, Ancient Greek Technology Museum, Olive Oil Museum, and many more.
- Santorini has more than 10 amazing museums or archaeological sites (including Akrotiri Prehistoric Site, a Tomato Industrial Museum, Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Archaeological Museum, Folklore Museum, Santozeum, Gyzi Mansion, Wine Museum, Art Space Gallery, Maritime Museum, Ancient Thera Site, and a Museum of Fossils at Perissa)
- Santorini has some amazing traditional Cycladic villages, like Fira, Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio, and, of course, the incredible Oia town (which can easily be the only reason to visit Santorini anyway…).
- Crete has 2 of the cutest towns in Greece, which are Chania and Rethymno
- Santorini has an active volcano with one of the largest craters in the world, where you can take a tour on (!). You don’t get to see that every day, and it is the characteristic that makes Santorini’s landscape so dramatic and impressive.
- Crete has one of the most unique deserted islands, Spinalonga, which used to be a leper colony.
Best Island for Beaches: Crete
Crete, on the other hand, has some of the most tropical golden sand beaches in Europe. The only problem with Crete’s beaches is that you need a car to explore them as best as possible.
Detailed Comparison:
- Santorini has only volcanic pebble beaches (red, black, and white beaches). These are very impressive, to be honest, but you won’t find any fine sand beaches in Santorini due to the volcanic stones scattered all over the island.
- Crete has more than 100 amazing sandy beaches with crystal-clear turquoise waters. You can find gay-friendly beaches, cosmopolitan beaches, beaches for nudism, beaches for partying, beaches for families, and even quiet and relaxing beaches where you’ll be alone. Some of the island’s best beaches are also in front of some of the best hotels, so if beach life is your priority, make sure you stay in one of these hotels.
- Santorini’s sea waters can be quite deep. It is the sea where you take one step, two steps, and you are in! There is no time to think about it.
- Crete’s sea waters can be pretty shallow and are perfect for kids or seniors on most beaches. It’s the type of beach I like personally, where you can walk and walk until you wonder, “When is this sea water getting deeper?” But there are so many different beaches all over the island, with pebbles, golden sand, rocks, or just sand.
Most Romantic Island: Santorini
It’s Santorini. Crete can be a great destination for a couple, but being 100% honest here, it’s nothing compared to Santorini.
Detailed Comparison:
- Santorini is considered one of the most romantic destinations in the world and one of the top destinations for honeymooners. For many good reasons: sunsets, views, food, cute villages…what else do you need?
- Because Crete is so big, it has its super cute and romantic locations, such as the Old Town of Chania, and hundreds of romantic restaurants all over the island. Still, overall, Santorini is considered more romantic.
Best Island for Partying & Nightlife: Crete
If you are looking for the best holiday nightlife, look no further than Crete. Santorini has some decent nightclubs and bars because they are…on Santorini, but proper nightlife exists in Chania, Heraklion, and Rethymno. I am not including Malia or Limin Hersonissou because these places attract 18-year-olds on their summer break, offering cheap alcohol, which I suspect is not what you are looking for when you hear the word “nightlife”.
Best island for wine lovers: Santorini
If you want to combine your holidays with wine tasting or anything wine-related, come to Santorini. Santorini is one of the best wine destinations in Europe and home to the oldest vineyard on the continent. But that doesn’t mean Crete has no wineries; it’s a rich place in wine production with some of the best wines in Greece.
Detailed Comparison:
- Santorini is considered the most unique (and underrated, I have to say…) wine destination in the world.
- Santorini has more than 16 Wineries and Wine Tours you can take. The wine tasting experience usually includes amazing views, refreshing local wine, and Greek meze/nibbles.
- Crete has tens of wineries, too, but they are less impressive overall and more difficult to visit, as you would need a car to reach them.
- Santorini’s wineries are top world wedding venues because of their romantic settings and the stunning views.
- Santorini has 1 of the 10 wine museums in the world (this one)
- Santorini’s most famous local wine is the “Assyrtiko” variety, which has received hundreds of awards worldwide. You can also taste the sweet port-like wine of Santorini called “Vinsanto”
Best island for foodies: Crete
That’s a tough one because Santorini has such a fantastic restaurant scene. Still, I believe Crete is on an entirely different level with its local produce and real gems of restaurants, such as the stunning Thalassino Ageri in Chania.
The great thing about Crete is that it is so rich in terms of what people grow on the island that it is impossible to find anything you don’t like. Last but not least, Crete is considered to have one of the best olive oils in Europe.
Best island for families with kids: Crete
I honestly believe Crete is the best place for family holidays in Greece. There is no shortage of incredible family hotels with stunning children-friendly water parks and slides, hundreds of all-inclusive hotels that cater to even the most demanding family, all over the island, and some of the most interesting historical sites in Europe, making Crete an ideal destination for a family with kids of any age. Let’s also not forget that Crete has some of the best family villas in the country, which can be ideal for a large or even smaller family and can even become cheaper than a hotel.
Best island for shopping: Crete
Santorini does have some interesting art galleries and boutiques to shop around (which are extremely expensive), but Crete has such a diverse shopping market in almost every town. Heraklion, the island’s largest town, is probably the shopping capital of Crete, but Chania’s and Rethymno’s old markets are little gems that can make you wander around for hours.
Best island for seniors or people with disabilities: Crete
Still, you will only be staying in one small area of Crete, and you will probably be transferred by car anywhere (if you are a senior), so you won’t find any significant difficulty walking in Chania or Rethymno.
Which one is the best island, Crete or Santorini, finally?
In my opinion, this is not a valid comparison overall, as it’s like comparing apples to oranges, because both islands are extremely different in what they offer. I am sure you would enjoy both, and the great thing is that you can get on a day cruise from Crete to Santorini.
If you are visiting Crete, please stay more than 5 days and focus only on one area (western Crete and Chania are the best areas to start, in my opinion). Don’t try to explore the whole island simultaneously because you will be driving tens of kilometres daily, which can be tiring.
Read Also: How Many Days Do You Really Need in Santorini?
If I had to choose just one island between the two, I would probably go to Santorini for a quick trip (especially if it’s my first time in Greece) and then spend more days overall in Crete for a more relaxing vacation.Besides Crete and Santorini?
Conclusion
I hope this comparison helped you out. As I said in this article, if it’s your first time in Greece, you should visit Santorini for a few days, but I would rather spend more time on Crete.
The other thing about Crete is that unless you stay locked in your all-inclusive hotel (which I hate personally), you will probably need a car. Yes, there are some very good bus services on the island, but a car will always allow you to explore the island much better and more flexibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Crete or Santorini?
Crete is significantly cheaper than Santorini. Because Crete is a massive island with a large local economy, accommodation, dining, and transportation are much more budget-friendly. Santorini is a premium luxury destination with higher prices for hotels and restaurants, especially along the caldera.
Which island has better beaches, Crete or Santorini?
Crete has much better beaches. It is home to world-famous, soft-sand beaches with turquoise water, such as Elafonissi (pink sand) and Balos Lagoon. Santorini’s beaches are striking volcanic landscapes with black or red pebbles (like Kamari or Red Beach), but they are not ideal for traditional sunbathing or swimming.
How long is the ferry from Crete to Santorini?
The high-speed ferry from Heraklion (Crete) to Santorini takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. If you take a slower, conventional car ferry, the journey can take between 3 and 4 hours.
Can I do a day trip to Santorini from Crete?
Yes, you can do a day trip to Santorini from Crete by taking the early morning high-speed ferry from Heraklion. However, it will be a very long, rushed day. To truly enjoy the island and watch the famous sunset without the peak daytime crowds, it is highly recommended to stay at least two nights in Santorini.
Which island is better for a family vacation?
Crete is generally the better choice for families with children. It offers large family-friendly resorts, shallow sandy beaches, water parks, and flat terrain. Santorini is geared more toward couples, and its steep cliffside steps and boutique cliff hotels can be difficult to navigate with strollers or young kids.
