Greece has more to offer than just Athens and the fine Mediterranean cuisine. Much, much more. The Greek islands all offer a little pocket world of their own, all beautiful in their own unique ways. Today, we’ll take a look at 11 of them to help you choose one for your next trip!
Corfu – crossroads between Italy, Greece, Albania
Corfu is the northernmost island of the so-called Ionian Islands. The island has a very rich history, being first-hand witness of such figures as Napoleon and William II. At present, the main attractions of the island are the old town of Corfu and the lovely Vlacherna Monastery. For couples, we recommend a walk around the Channel of Love. A legend says that passing through it will ensure a long and happy life together.
Apart from this, Corfu is mainly known for its beautiful landscapes and natural wonders: this means both the many cliffs in the north and the charming sandy beaches in the south.
Check out our list of the best beaches on Corfu!
Santorini – the land of blue roofs and black beaches
If you’ve ever browsed Greek postcards (why? why wouldn’t you be doing that is a better question), then you’ve surely seen white houses with blue roofs. That’s Santorini for you, commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. More specifically, that’s the village of Oia, a fantastic spot for watching sunsets. There’s also the village of Akrotiri with its red rocks by the coast and one of the largest calderas in the world, a volcano crater now filled with water. You can also find some beautiful beaches on Santorini!
Crete – hiking and beaches
Didn’t think that we could go an article without mentioning Crete, did you? It’s the largest Greek island and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s most well known for its picturesque coastline, rich flora, fauna and lovely beaches. Given its sheer size, there’s loads of beaches to choose from, a third of them with the Blue Flag status. You can read more about beaches on Crete here.
You can also read more about Crete’s attractions here.
Zakynthos – relaxing amidst shipwrecks
Zakynthos is well known for its Smugglers Cove surrounded by massive white cliffs, otherwise known as the Navagio Beach or the Shipwreck Beach. Apart from looking like movie sets, the beaches on Zakynthos are also a natural spa – select areas have underwater sulphur springs which have healing and nourishing properties. It’s great for your skin, rheumatism, joint pain and asthma, for example.
Kefalonia – tranquillity and beaches
Thankfully, this island is overtly popular with tourists, so you can find some peace and quiet here. As is tradition with most Greek islands, you also have some beautiful beaches here. Additionally, there are charming sites like the Melissani Cave and the Gerasimos Monastery.
Lesbos – history and poetry
For those into archaic Greek poetry may associate Lesbos with Sappho, the Tenth Muse from 600 BC. Apart from her, the island’s also well known for its Petrified Forest – a forest with petrified trees from about 17-20 million years ago, created by volcanic eruptions. Once you’re there, you can also explore the small village of Sigri with lovely red-roofed houses and the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest.
We also recommend you give Agia Paraskevi a shot – it houses the Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production of Lesvos where you can see the machinery used to produce it as well as taste locally produced olive oil!
Lefkada – relaxation and beaches
Lefkada is all about beautiful green nature, with massive hills and mountains towering over its lovely coasts. The beaches are great too, with three of them making the cut on our list of the best beaches in Greece: Egremni, Milos and Kathisma. You’ll also find fantastical white cliffs, like something ripped straight from a postcard.
Ithaca – mountains and cliffs
You may scoff at island recommendations from us but are you going to scoff at Homer? We’re talking about Ithaca, the home island of Odysseus. Ithaca doesn’t have its own airport so you won’t find overbearing crowds here. Instead, you’ll get a more raw Greece, still full of great hiking trails and beautiful beaches.
The island of Kos – beaches, cuisine and Hippocrates
Kos is the home island of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. As such, it’s likely no surprise that one of the most prominent attractions of Kos is a tree under which Hippocrates taught. Of course, in addition, you’ll also find lovely beaches here. For lovers of Greek food, the island has lots of tavernas serving great seafood based on grapes, figs, almonds and olives – all of which come straight from the island!
Mykonos – windmills and luxury
Mykonos is one of the most famous Greek islands, with lots of tourist attractions and charming spots to spend an evening with a glass of wine. The beaches of Kalamopodi and Psarou are well known among water sport enthusiasts all over the world. For those who prefer some peace and quiet, we recommend Ano Meria. One of the most recognisable sights of the island are its adorable white mills.
Sadly, Mykonos is quite expensive, so it may not be that great an option if you’re on a tight budget.
Rhodes – beaches and wind
Finally, one of the most recognisable islands of Greece. You can expect fantastic weather pretty much all year round here, with a saying that it’s a land with over 300 days of sunshine. The authorities take great care of the towns as well as the beaches, making them exceptionally clean. It’s predominantly a place for beach enthusiasts, though we also recommend the Palace of the Grand Master and the Suleiman Mosque located in the old town area of Rhodes.
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