Planning for summer holidays has begun and look no further than this post to pick the right Greek island destination for your trip! I’ve visited quite a few Greek islands over the last few years; they are so unique and provide different experiences. They’ll all quite incredible in their own way, and it’s really what you’re looking for in a holiday that will help you decide which to check out. From Crete to Corfu, to the Cyclades in between, keep on reading below.
Crete
big adventures, blue waters, and epic history
Crete is the most recent Greek island I have visited and WOW is it something special. For North American tourists, I often think this island gets overlooked compared to the smaller, more well-known Cyclades. That isn’t to say it’s not popular with European visitors, but the size and space allows it to feel much more spread out versus somewhere like Santorini.
As the largest Greek island in the Mediterranean, Crete is a conglomerate of adventure both in water and in the mountains, as well as packed with fascinating history. It takes multiple hours to drive across the island, and I would suggest picking one side (East or West) to stick to unless you’re there for longer than 10 days. There is SO much to see and an endless amount of activities, you will never be bored. Whether you like big sandy flat beaches, or dramatic rocky cliffside ones, Crete has it all.
I stayed on the west side and visited places like Elafonissi beach (famous for it’s pink sand) and Seitan Limani, with a road not for the faint of heart. We stayed in the outskirts of Chania, which features the absolutely stunning and newly built Chania Archaeological Museum – one of the best museums I’ve ever visited. It explores the Cretan history from early Minoan (first European civilization) all the way to the Ottoman Empire. The city itself it quite established, but all the driving adventures were beautiful and would lead us to quaint towns and villages. Cretan food and drinks are also phenomenal.
If you’re willing to have a car and want to see massive mountains, tall gorges, and crystal clear beaches, Crete is certainly the place for you. It is made for adventures. It was also one of the more affordable islands I have visited. Nonetheless, if you prefer incredibly lavish, luxury resorts, they also have quite a few sprinkled across the island worth looking into. I visited the end of September and it was still over 25 degrees celsius per day. As the most southern Greek island, I would keep the temperatures in mind before booking in the middle of summer.
Check out my vlog here.
Corfu
a lush, green island set against turquoise backdrop of the Ionian Sea
Corfu is a place my dreams are made of. I visited in 2019 and have dreamed about the beaches and water ever since. Corfu is green and vibrant with some beautiful rugged hills and stunning white limestone cliffs. It is much smaller than Crete but larger than the Cyclades – I would still recommend a car to get around. It has a variety of high end resorts as well as hostels and mid-tier accommodation.
Truthfully, I only spent a couple days here but packed it with scenic photo spots and beaches. Corfu Town is also a fascinating city to check out, full of Venetian architecture and Byzantine museums. Palaiokastritsa is single handedly the most beautiful beach & backdrop combo I have ever seen – I couldn’t stop taking photos.
If you’re looking for a lush island with incredible white cliffs and Byzantine/Venetian history, Corfu is certainly the place for you.
Mykonos
classic beachfront parties and bachelorette haven
If you’re looking for nightlife and to dance until the sun comes up – Mykonos is the spot. This Aegean island is small, but full of endless beachfront partying and activities for groups. There are busses to travel across the island quite easily, and is a cheap and quick flight from Athens. Personally I didn’t spend a lot of time here – this wasn’t the type of holiday I was looking for. Nonetheless, I know lots of people who have enjoyed their time here.
It still features that gorgeous blue water and quite a few nice, long, flat, sandy beaches. The town itself is incredibly quiet in the morning and not a ton is open – but is fun to walk around before the swaths of tourists arrive. The architecture is that classic white and blue that you’d expect as well. The windmills are definitely neat to check out and there are a few nice viewpoints to look over the town. Similar to Santorini, parts of it felt quite touristy and commercialized, but not as expensive as I found Santorini to be.
It was also incredibly hot at the end of May, and felt there was nowhere to hide in the shade. It’s definitely a place I’d go in the shoulder seasons.
Santorini
the ultimate romantic and dramatic views
Ah, yes. Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants knew what is was doing filming here. The dramatic cliffs and villages hanging over the ocean, mixed with the quintessential crater sunset are every photographer’s dream. What you don’t see in the photos however, is the sheer amount of people that visit. Santorini is certainly worth visiting, but it’s important to time your holiday right and also what you’re willing to spend / sacrifice. It’s also worth emphasizing, you will not find sandy beaches here. Fixed on the rim of a caldera, the island is features rocky shores and steep cliffs.
Although the famous town of Oia is perched on the north side of the island, I would recommend to stay in the south and use an ATV to make day trip up north. I found this much more affordable (albeit still the most expensive island I visited), as well as enjoyable having a break from the sheer amount of busses and people.
If you have the budget to splurge on a fancy suite or room overlooking Oia – great. But you also don’t need to do that to visit, and there are countless other viewpoints you can have for free. I think it’s one of those places to visit once for the bucket list, but there are so many other islands out there to check out for much cheaper.
Naxos
the quiet, affordable and family-friendly Aegean island
Words cannot describe how pleasantly surprised I was by this island. Naxos felt like a breath of fresh air from Santorini and Mykonos. Although it is the largest of the Cyclades, it feels overwhelmingly quaint, quiet and laidback. It was by far the most affordable island I had been to yet – the food is incredibly cheap and very delicious, the hotels are equally as phenomenal and affordable. I think the best Gyro I’ve ever had was on this island for one euro. The beaches, sandy and flat with clear waters, and the towns with white and blue architecture are very similar to Mykonos.
I didn’t venture much out from the city of Naxos, but would go back in a heartbeat to explore. The Temple of Apollo, perched on a hill overlooking the city, is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset. We also did a beautiful swimming/snorkelling tour from here to Paros that was one of the best days of my life.
Paros
the even quieter, quainter little sister of Naxos
As stated above, the day I visited Paros was one of the best days of my life. On a sailing day trip from Naxos, I had the opportunity to swim in the coves of Paros and venture into town as well. It featured a similar laid back atmosphere and architecture of quaint, blue and white towns along the water. I can’t wait to explore here more and feel as though it is immensely underrated. The stunning, relatively small port overlooks the unbridled, natural scenery of the water. It is overwhelmingly serene and beautiful. Antiparos, the island next door, features similar idyllic swimming and towns.
Honourable Mentions I’d Like to Visit
There are countless (literally thousands) of Greek islands out there that I have yet to explore. Here are a few still on my bucket list that might inspire you.
Milos
The geology and landscape is so fascinating and out-of-this-world scenic. It is becoming more expensive and popular, so I’ll be looking to go sooner rather than later in the next few years. I features that laidback-ness I see Naxos, combined with a bit of the adventure and snorkelling of Crete, and the white limestone cliffs of Corfu. Seems like the perfect photography spot for me!
Ios
I feel like Ios might blow Mykonos away as the ultimate party island. I would love to go here with a group of girlfriends. The islands looks a bit more rocky and clifflike (akin to Santorini) but still features some decadently sandy beaches.
Rhodes
Nestled near the coast of Turkey, Rhodes feels like an incredibly fascinating and complex melting pot of cultures and history. The beaches, towns and history have me equally intrigued and I am very interested in checking it out.
Where am I missing? Where are you going to check out next?
Talk Soon,
Sarah
