The more than 2000 Greek Islands, spread over several archipelagos around Greece, form a huge mosaic of transparent turquoise waters, dizzying cliffs and beautiful villages of white houses, which have become one of the best vacation destinations.
The more than 2000 Greek Islands, spread over several archipelagos around Greece, form a huge mosaic of transparent turquoise waters, dizzying cliffs and beautiful villages of white houses, which have become one of the best vacation destinations.
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Oddly enough, each island has its particular charm, in which local tradition and customs mix with the thousands of tourists who visit each year, thus maintaining the essence that has made them so special. Choosing the island or islands for your vacation will depend largely on your tastes; If you are looking more for the beach, gastronomy, archaeological sites, landscapes, charming towns, tranquility or the lively nightlife, things that should make you choose between one or the other.
Mykonos
There are many things to see Mykonos, located in the Cyclades archipelago and known for its lively nightlife and parties, although for us it is also one of the most beautiful Greek Islands.
Its capital Chora is incomparable to other cities, strolling through the cobbled streets of the historic center among bougainvillea and houses painted white with colored doors, balconies and stairs, is a pleasure for the senses.
We can also assure you that in Mykonos you will be able to enjoy one of the best sunsets in the world, both from its famous Windmills and from the terraces of Little Venice, a unique place to watch the sunset.
If you are several days and one of them you want to take the opportunity to go to the beach, you can go by public transport or rent a car, quad or motorcycle to get to one of its famous beaches such as Paraga, Paradise or Super Paradise, with turquoise waters, although full of loungers and partying at night, or get a little further away and enjoy the tranquility of beaches like Loulos.
In addition to Chora and the beaches, a highly recommended excursion in Mykonos is a visit to the nearby and uninhabited island of Delos, with one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, which can be a perfect complement to a visit to the island.
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In Mykonos, we recommend staying in Chora, we stayed at the Hotel Olympia, located 200 meters from the beach with spacious and very clean rooms. For more information you can consult this post about where to stay in Mykonos.
To get to Mykonos, you have the option to take a flight from Athens or other European cities that have direct flights, or book a ferry in the port of Piraeus in Athens to reach the island in less than 3 hours.
Another alternative if you are in Athens is to book a getaway to Mykonos for 2 or more days or this 4-day getaway in which you will also get to know Santorini. The ferry, accommodation and transfers are included in both excursions.
A good option to prepare the trip is to read this post about the best route through the Greek Islands in 7 days.
Santorini
Santorini, another of the famous islands of the Cyclades, was formed after a great volcanic eruption that led to a unique geography in the world, which has made it considered one of the best Greek islands.
In addition to the geography, its beautiful towns and churches with white facades with intense blue roofs and doors stand out, which appear around the cliffs of the great volcanic caldera.
Among the towns, Oía stands out above all, a fairy tale town located among the most beautiful in the world that boasts of having the best sunset views of the entire island.
During your visit, we recommend you visit Oía first thing in the morning, before the cruise passengers and tourists arrive en masse, so that you can get lost in its streets and take photos with ease. In the afternoon, at sunset, all you have to do is arm yourself with patience to watch the sunset from the castle or look for a quieter place on the lower paths.
There are many things to see in Santorini, in addition to visiting Oía, do not miss reaching the inland towns such as Emporio, hiking between Fira and Oía, walking to the impressive Panaglia Theoskepasti church in Imerovigli, bathing in the red beach or visit the archaeological site of Akrotiri.
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To get to Santorini from Athens, if you don’t use the plane, you can book a ferry from the port of Piraeus. The journey, depending on the type of boat you choose, lasts between 4 and 7 hours.
Also, if you are in Athens you can choose to book a getaway to Santorini for 2 or more days or this 4-day getaway in which you will also get to know Mykonos. Both include hotel plus transfers, and are among the best excursions in Athens.
Without a doubt, visiting Santorini is one of the best tips for traveling to Greece that we can give you.
For more information about the transfer you can read this post about how to go from Athens to Santorini or this one about How to go from Mykonos to Santorini.
Crete
Known for being the largest of the Greek Islands and one of the most essential places to see in Greece, Crete is always a safe bet.
This huge island, the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea, brings together everything you can find on the other islands and wish for on your vacation days. Beaches with transparent waters, towns frozen in time, cities with leisure activities and culture, delicious cuisine, incredible landscapes and people who will welcome you with open arms, are just some of the things that will make you fall in love with this incredible island.
The best way to get around the island is by rental car to discover places like the Samaria Gorge, the Moni Arkadiou monastery, Elafonisi beach, the fishing village of Loutró, the palace of Knossos, the fortified city of Rethymno, the cities of Agios Nikolaos and Chania, the capital Heraklion, the Sendóni cave, the Gortinay site and the Byzantine frescoes of churches such as Agios Georgios or Kritsa..
To get to Crete, the best option is by plane, with direct flights to Heraklion or with a stopover in Athens. If you are in Athens you can also arrive by ferry from the port of Piraeus, which depending on the type of boat can take from 6 to 9 hours, taking into account that there are night boats.
Rhodes
Rhodes, located in the Dodecanese archipelago 18 kilometers from the Turkish coast, is another of the most beautiful Greek Islands.
This island was very famous in ancient times for having the great Colossus of Rhodes, 30 meters high, one of the wonders of the world, which served as a lighthouse for ships arriving on the island.
Currently, one of its most interesting places is the old center of the city of Rhodes, declared a World Heritage Site, which highlights its medieval past with the great walls that surround it, where you will discover cobbled and labyrinthine streets, stone palaces, fortifications, mosques, minarets and ancient temples.
After getting to know every corner of the old city, you can rent a car and get to the pretty town of Lindos, find the archaeological sites scattered around the island and bathe in the beautiful beaches and coves with turquoise waters.
Ferries from Athens to Rhodes take more than 15 hours, so in this case, it is much more comfortable to catch a flight.
Naxos, one of the best Greek Islands
If you are looking for tranquility after enjoying the tourist Mykonos or Santorini, nothing better than spending a few days on the nearby island of Naxos, just as we did on our trip to Greece on our own.
This island, the largest of the Cyclades, impresses with the historic center of the capital Naxos, where you can lose yourself in its narrow streets and perfectly maintained white houses, where small charming shops stand out. perfect for buying a souvenir and the restaurants where you can enjoy the best Greek cuisine.
One of the best places to see in NaxosIt is the great door, Portará, which is preserved from the ancient temple of Apollo, from which you will have magnificent views of the city and enjoy one of the best sunsets in the Greek Islands.
On the island you will also find incredible beaches in the western part, among which we fell in love with Hawaii beach, next to the beautiful Aliko beach, which is one of the most beautiful beaches we have seen in the Greek islands.
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We recommend visiting Naxos by ferry from Mykonos, located less than 40 minutes by fast boat, or from Santorini less than 2 hours.
Folegandros
Folegandros has long been out of the tourist circuit of the best Greek Islands, although more due to ignorance and lack of infrastructure than beauty.
This small island of the Cyclades seems frozen in time, where you will find donkeys carrying the work of the fields, churches on top of mountains, old towns and several beaches to enjoy the island of peace.
In addition to the tranquility of this island, you cannot miss Chora, the capital of the island, where touring the old town of Kastro with the typical alleys and white houses of the Greek Islands is a pleasure for the senses.
Keep in mind that there is only one paved road that crosses the entire island and that allows you to reach all points of interest by renting a car or motorcycle.
The only way to get to Folegandros is by booking a ferry, as it does not have an airport and the journey time is between 4 and 5 hours.
Corfu
Corfu, located in the Ionian Sea, is another of the largest and most beautiful Greek islands.
Also known as the Emerald Island, Corfu has many attractions, including its natural landscapes full of olive and cypress trees and beaches with turquoise waters.
The mostly mountainous island is dominated by the 914-meter Mount Pantocrator and has lush vegetation due to the rains and its Mediterranean climate.
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The capital, the medieval city of Corfu, is a wonder with influences in its buildings from the different conquerors, among which the Ancient Fortress built by the Venetians, the Esplanade Square or Spianada, or the Achileion Palace, residence of summer of Sissi Empress, located on the outskirts of the capital.
15 minutes from the center by car is Pontikonisi, a small island where the Monastery of Pantocrator is located, one of the most photogenic places on the island, which we recommend you cannot miss.
If you rent a car, in addition to these visits, do not miss the towns of Gouvia, Dassia, Benitses, Ano Korakiana and the picturesque town of Palaiokastritsa, in addition to its sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.
To get to the island of Corfu, the best means of transport is by plane landing at its international airport, although you can also get there by ferry from the ports of Igumemitsa, a journey of a little over an hour, and from Patras, in a trip of between 7 and 8 hours. If you are in Athens you can take a bus that will take you to these two ports.
Milos is another of the Greek Islands that in recent years have gone from anonymity to tourist stardom. On this small volcanic island, located in the Cyclades archipelago, you can enjoy beaches that seem from another planet, ancient fishing villages like Klima and archaeological sites, which make it a perfect destination.
Among the more than 70 beaches on the island, highlights include Sarakiniko beach, the small sandy beach of Papafragas, Paliorema beach, where you will find the ruins of an old mine, Papikinou beach with crystal clear waters, Hivadolimni with white sand and Kleftiko beach, the most famous with white rock formations in the middle of the sea and underwater caves.
This island is also famous for being the site of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history, the Venus de Milo sculpture, which is currently on display in the Louvre.
You can get to Milos by plane with a layover at Athens airport or by booking a ferry. The duration of the fast boat journey is around 3 hours.
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Paros
The paradisiacal island Paros, is next to Naxos, another of the best Greek Islands to enjoy the tranquility, after visiting its neighbors Mykonos and Santorini.
Parikia, with the typical Greek architecture of narrow streets and whitewashed houses, windmills and lots of shops and taverns, is the capital and gateway to the island by sea.
We on the island, more than its beaches, of which we would highlight Kolymbithres beach, we would recommend doing a route by rental car through the beautiful fairytale villages of the island, starting with Nauossa, an old fishing village where you will not be able to stop taking photos, continuing through the inland village of Lefkes and ending in the small town of Prodromos, a true beauty to the senses.
If you have an extra day, you can take the opportunity to visit the nearby island of Antiparos, with a famous cave, incredible beaches and numerous churches scattered through out the island’s geography.
We stayed at the Oasis Hotel, located in Parikia, which stands out for its location and value for money.
The best means of transport to get to Paros if you are in Mykonos or Santorini is the ferry, the journey from Mykonos is about 40 minutes and from Santorini less than 2 hours, by fast boat. Another faster option from Athens is the plane.
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Zakynthos
Zakynthos or Zante, is a small island belonging to the Ionian Islands, with abundant green vegetation spread throughout its mountainous geography, vertiginous cliffs and beaches with blue waters.
The most famous place on the island is the Playa del Naufragio or Navagio, which, thanks to the power of social networks, especially Instagram, has turned the island into a tourist attraction in recent years.
This beach surrounded by vertical limestone cliffs and crystal clear waters of an intense blue, has on the white sand the remains of a ship that was shipwrecked in the 80s and that is the claim of many travelers to get here.
The only way to access the beach is by sea, so a good option is to take a boat trip to reach the beach and see the Blue Caves, impressive rock formations in the sea.
Other magnificent beaches on the island are Argassi, Gerakas, Banana, Porto Kaminia, Porto Zorro, Ta Xigkia, Aguios Nikolaos, Keri and Vassiliko.
The best way to get to Zakinthos is by plane from Athens, to get there by ferry you have to go to the Peleponese ports of Kilini or Patras.