• 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.

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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If I could sum up the island comparison in one table, then it would be this:

	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.

Read more: Best Beaches in Santorini – Best Beaches in Crete

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

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

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