Ranked · Updated June 2026

Top 100 Greek Islands 2026

Two hundred and twenty-seven inhabited islands. A hundred worth knowing about, ten worth building a trip around this year. We stayed on the top ten in the last eighteen months — in June and in October — and ranked them on what a visitor actually experiences, not on postcard reputation.

By Eleni Papadaki 14 min read Next review: October 2026

How we rank

35% On the ground — what a first-time visitor actually experiences across a week
25% Food & hospitality — quality and honesty of the local eating scene
20% Access & logistics — ferries, flights, moving around without a car
20% Value — what a fair week costs at mid-range

No business can buy a position on this list. Booking links may earn us a commission; they never affect the order.

1 Milos
2 Naxos
3 Crete
4 Santorini
5 Paros
6 Rhodes
7 Corfu
8 Folegandros
9 Symi
10 Ikaria

1 Best for beach-hopping

Milos
Cyclades

The one that finally overtook Santorini

Milos does the thing every other Cycladic island promises and rarely delivers: it still feels like a discovery. Sarakiniko's lunar rock is the photograph everyone comes for, but the island's real argument is the seventy-odd other beaches — most reachable only by a small boat you hire for the day from Adamas. Klima's fishermen's houses are painted the colours of a child's paintbox. Food is unshowy and superb. The catch: it is no longer a secret, and July prices now say so.

Getting there

Ferry 3h from Piraeus

Price range

€€ – €€€

Go in

May–June, September

Open destination hub
2 Best for families

Naxos
Cyclades

The island you can actually live on for two weeks

Naxos is big enough to have an interior — mountain villages, marble quarries, a lot of goats and the best potatoes in Greece, which Naxians will tell you within four minutes of meeting you. Plaka beach runs for kilometres without a single sunbed monopoly, and the Portara at sunset is the rare famous sight that still lands. It's the smartest choice for families and anyone who wants a Greek island without a resort economy attached.

Getting there

Ferry 3h45 from Piraeus

Price range

€ – €€

Go in

June, September

Open destination hub
3 Best for food

Crete
Crete

Not an island so much as a small country

You cannot 'do' Crete in a week, so don't. Pick a third of it. The west gives you Chania's Venetian harbour, the Samaria gorge and the pink sand at Elafonisi; the east is quieter and cheaper. Cretan food is the best regional cooking in the country by some distance — mountain lamb, wild greens, raki poured whether you asked or not. Rent a car, and accept that the map lies about driving times.

Getting there

Flights from Athens 50min

Price range

€ – €€€€

Go in

April–June, September–October

Open destination hub
4 Best for the view

Santorini
Cyclades

Worth it — for about three days, in the right month

Yes, it's crowded. Yes, the caldera is still one of the great views on earth, and no photograph has ever prepared anyone for the first time they see it. Our advice hasn't changed: stay in Imerovigli rather than Oia, go in late September, eat in Megalochori, and give the island three days before moving on to something quieter. Cruise days are the enemy; check the schedule before you book.

Getting there

Flights from Athens 45min

Price range

€€€ – €€€€€

Go in

Late September, early October

Open destination hub
5 Best all-rounder

Paros
Cyclades

The all-rounder that never has a bad day

Paros has quietly become the island people move to. Naoussa's harbour is prettier than it has any right to be, Parikia handles the ferries, and the interior villages — Lefkes especially — are where the island keeps its dignity. Windsurfing in the east, long shallow beaches in the south, a nightlife scene that stops short of Mykonos excess. Nothing here is the single best in Greece; everything is a comfortable eight out of ten.

Getting there

Ferry 3h15 from Piraeus

Price range

€€ – €€€

Go in

June, September

Open destination hub
6 Best for history

Rhodes
Dodecanese

A medieval city with an island attached

The walled Old Town is the best-preserved medieval city in Europe and, off-season, walking it at night is close to time travel. The rest of the island splits sharply: the east coast is package-holiday territory, the west and south are empty. Base yourself in the Old Town or Lindos, hire a car, and drive to Prasonisi where two seas meet at a sandspit. Long season — Rhodes is still swimmable in late October.

Getting there

Flights from Athens 1h

Price range

€ – €€€

Go in

May, October

Open destination hub
7 Best for greenery

Corfu
Ionian

Green, Venetian, and nothing like the Cyclades

Corfu is the counter-argument to the whitewashed-and-blue idea of Greece: cypress trees, Italianate shutters, olive groves planted by Venetians. Corfu Town's arcaded Liston is the most European square in the country. Skip the northern resort strip entirely; go south to Halikounas or north-west to Paleokastritsa. It rains here, which is why it's green — bring one layer even in June.

Getting there

Flights from Athens 1h

Price range

€€ – €€€

Go in

May–June, September

Open destination hub
8 Best for quiet

Folegandros
Cyclades

For people who found Santorini exhausting

One clifftop Chora, three squares of it, no cars allowed after seven. That is nearly the whole island, and it is enough. The walk up to Panagia church at dusk is the single best hour we spent in the Cyclades last year. Beaches take effort — most involve a boat or a proper hike — which is precisely why nobody is on them. Two nights minimum, four if you want to stop checking your phone.

Getting there

Ferry 4h from Piraeus

Price range

€€ – €€€

Go in

June, September
9 Best for a short stay

Symi
Dodecanese

The prettiest harbour in Greece, and it isn't close

Arriving into Gialos by boat — an amphitheatre of neoclassical mansions in ochre and rose stacked up both sides of the bay — is a genuine gasp moment. Symi is small, steep and short on beaches, so most people come as a day trip from Rhodes. Stay two nights instead: the day-trippers leave at four and the harbour becomes yours. The local shrimp are worth the trip on their own.

Getting there

Ferry 1h from Rhodes

Price range

€€ – €€€

Go in

May–June, September
10 Best for going slow

Ikaria
North Aegean

Where nobody has ever been in a hurry

Ikaria is famous for its residents living improbably long lives, and after a week you understand the mechanism: shops open when they open, the panigiria go until sunrise, and nobody is impressed by your schedule. It is not a conventionally beautiful island and the roads are alarming. Come for the hot springs at Therma, the wine served from unlabelled bottles, and the deep strangeness of a place that never learned to perform for visitors.

Getting there

Ferry 7h from Piraeus

Price range

€ – €€

Go in

July–August for festivals
11 €€€

Ios

Cyclades

Young nightlife

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
12 €

Amorgos

Cyclades

Hiking

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
13 €€

Sifnos

Cyclades

Cooking traditions

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
14 €€ – €€€

Serifos

Cyclades

Quiet beaches

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
15 €€€

Andros

Cyclades

Waterfalls

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
16 €

Tinos

Cyclades

Villages & marble

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
17 €€

Syros

Cyclades

Neoclassical Ermoupoli

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
18 €€ – €€€

Kea

Cyclades

Weekend from Athens

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
19 €€€

Kythnos

Cyclades

Thermal springs

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
20 €

Antiparos

Cyclades

Low-key beaches

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
21 €€

Koufonisia

Cyclades

Swimming

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
22 €€ – €€€

Schinoussa

Cyclades

Doing nothing

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
23 €€€

Iraklia

Cyclades

Caves

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
24 €

Donousa

Cyclades

Off-grid

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
25 €€

Anafi

Cyclades

Wild hiking

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
26 €€ – €€€

Sikinos

Cyclades

Wine

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
27 €€€

Kimolos

Cyclades

Day trip from Milos

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
28 €

Thirasia

Cyclades

Caldera without crowds

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
29 €€

Delos

Cyclades

Archaeology

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
30 €€ – €€€

Kos

Dodecanese

Cycling & ruins

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
31 €€€

Patmos

Dodecanese

Monastery

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
32 €

Kalymnos

Dodecanese

Rock climbing

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
33 €€

Leros

Dodecanese

War history

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
34 €€ – €€€

Nisyros

Dodecanese

Volcano crater

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
35 €€€

Tilos

Dodecanese

Birdlife

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
36 €

Astypalea

Dodecanese

Butterfly shape

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
37 €€

Karpathos

Dodecanese

Windsurfing

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
38 €€ – €€€

Kasos

Dodecanese

Nobody there

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
39 €€€

Halki

Dodecanese

Slow harbour

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
40 €

Lipsi

Dodecanese

Small beaches

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
41 €€

Kastellorizo

Dodecanese

Edge of Greece

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
42 €€ – €€€

Agathonisi

Dodecanese

Fishing villages

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
43 €€€

Pserimos

Dodecanese

Half-day swim

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
44 €

Kefalonia

Ionian

Myrtos beach

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
45 €€

Zakynthos

Ionian

Shipwreck bay

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
46 €€ – €€€

Lefkada

Ionian

Drive-to beaches

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
47 €€€

Ithaca

Ionian

Homer & harbours

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
48 €

Paxos

Ionian

Olive groves

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
49 €€

Antipaxos

Ionian

Turquoise water

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
50 €€ – €€€

Kythira

Ionian

Waterfalls & castles

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
51 €€€

Meganisi

Ionian

Sailing base

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
52 €

Erikoussa

Ionian

Tiny & green

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
53 €€

Othonoi

Ionian

Westernmost point

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
54 €€ – €€€

Antikythira

Ionian

44 residents

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
55 €€€

Hydra

Saronic

No cars

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
56 €

Spetses

Saronic

Old mansions

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
57 €€

Aegina

Saronic

Pistachios

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
58 €€ – €€€

Poros

Saronic

Easy weekend

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
59 €€€

Agistri

Saronic

Pine beaches

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
60 €

Salamina

Saronic

Naval history

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
61 €€

Skiathos

Sporades

Beach count
62 €€ – €€€

Skopelos

Sporades

Green & photogenic
63 €€€

Alonissos

Sporades

Marine park
64 €

Skyros

Sporades

Ponies & crafts
65 €€

Lesvos

North Aegean

Ouzo & birding
66 €€ – €€€

Chios

North Aegean

Mastiha villages
67 €€€

Samos

North Aegean

Wine & hikes
68 €

Limnos

North Aegean

Sand dunes
69 €€

Thassos

North Aegean

Marble beaches
70 €€ – €€€

Samothraki

North Aegean

Rock pools
71 €€€

Fourni

North Aegean

Seafood
72 €

Oinousses

North Aegean

Shipowners' island
73 €€

Psara

North Aegean

History
74 €€ – €€€

Agios Efstratios

North Aegean

Total quiet
75 €€€

Ikaria (west)

North Aegean

Panigiria
76 €

Evia

Central Greece

Drive from Athens
77 €€

Elafonisos

Laconia

Simos beach
78 €€ – €€€

Gavdos

Crete

Southernmost Europe

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
79 €€€

Chrissi

Crete

Day-trip sand

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
80 €

Koufonisi (Crete)

Crete

Empty beaches

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
81 €€

Spinalonga

Crete

Fortress island

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
82 €€ – €€€

Dia

Crete

Diving

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
83 €€€

Gramvousa

Crete

Lagoon & wreck

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
84 €

Chrysi Akti islets

Crete

Snorkelling

Go in May–June, September Boat from Crete
85 €€

Sapientza

Messinia

Turtles
86 €€ – €€€

Schiza

Messinia

Uninhabited
87 €€€

Proti

Messinia

Anchorage
88 €

Trizonia

Corinthian Gulf

Only inhabited islet
89 €€

Alkyonides

Corinthian Gulf

Sailing stop
90 €€ – €€€

Kalamos

Ionian

Windless bays

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
91 €€€

Kastos

Ionian

One village

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
92 €

Atokos

Ionian

Goat island

Go in May–June, September Flight or ferry from Patras
93 €€

Arki

Dodecanese

Two tavernas

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
94 €€ – €€€

Marathi

Dodecanese

One beach

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
95 €€€

Telendos

Dodecanese

Climbing wall

Go in May–June, September Ferry from Rhodes
96 €

Gyaros

Cyclades

Former prison island

Go in June, September Ferry from Piraeus
97 €€

Makronisos

Attica

Abandoned
98 €€ – €€€

Patroklos

Attica

Private
99 €€€

Modi

Saronic

Snorkelling stop

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus
100 €

Dokos

Saronic

Oldest shipwreck

Go in April–June, September Ferry 1h30 from Piraeus

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Jump to the top ten

Milos

Naxos

Crete

Santorini

Paros

Rhodes

Corfu

Folegandros

Symi

Ikaria

Ios

Amorgos

Sifnos

Serifos

Andros

Tinos

Syros

Kea

Kythnos

Antiparos

Koufonisia

Schinoussa

Iraklia

Donousa

Anafi

Sikinos

Kimolos

Thirasia

Delos

Kos

Patmos

Kalymnos

Leros

Nisyros

Tilos

Astypalea

Karpathos

Kasos

Halki

Lipsi

Kastellorizo

Agathonisi

Pserimos

Kefalonia

Zakynthos

Lefkada

Ithaca

Paxos

Antipaxos

Kythira

Meganisi

Erikoussa

Othonoi

Antikythira

Hydra

Spetses

Aegina

Poros

Agistri

Salamina

Skiathos

Skopelos

Alonissos

Skyros

Lesvos

Chios

Samos

Limnos

Thassos

Samothraki

Fourni

Oinousses

Psara

Agios Efstratios

Ikaria (west)

Evia

Elafonisos

Gavdos