Warm seas as clear as glass; cobalt skies that seem to throb against layers of whitewash; summer nights scented with jasmine and ablaze with stars. You won’t be the only one dreaming of a Greek island this summer, but perhaps this is the year to find a new favourite beyond the familiar.
There’s no lack of choice. Greece’s 227 inhabited islands range from holiday big shots such as Corfu and Mykonos, with dozens of direct flights daily from the UK, to no-frills islets that take days to reach. But in between are some fabulous under-the-radar islands where you can kick back without the crowds, each as individual and quirky as a Dickens character.
Islands such as Alonissos, where a pair of sperm whales spouted hello a hundred yards from our boat. Or Ikaria, where my cocky seven-year-old son was clobbered at tavli (like backgammon) by a 98-year-old goat herder. Or Lefkada, where on one firefly-filled evening the surrounding islets seemed to float above the water.
I’ve chosen 25 lesser-visited islands to suit every mood— whether you’re looking for Santorini without the influencers, a perfect beach for lazy days with your little ones, dancing until dawn or wandering along ancient paths through olive groves.
There are big islands with dramatic scenery for touring, or specks on the map with no cars at all — and others where time has so little meaning that you’re in real danger of missing your flight home. The hitch? Nearly all destinations require an extra domestic flight or ferry. But it’s a small price to pay for such bliss.
1. Alonnisos, Sporades
Craggy, sparsely populated Alonnisos is a peaceful island of wild herbs, pine woods and beaches. It’s surrounded by one of Europe’s largest designated marine parks, where endangered monk seals, rare seabirds, dolphins and whales thrive. Several ships have foundered here, including the 5th century BC trading vessel nicknamed the “Parthenon of Shipwrecks” filled with 4,000 amphorae. The wreck is the core of Greece’s first underwater museum for divers. With just 31 rooms, the cliffside Paradise Hotel is a homely stay, offering a palm-fringed pool overlooking the sea in Patitiri, the island’s capital.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £533pp, including flights and transfers (olympicholidays.com)
The port of Kokkari on Samos, in the North Aegean
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2. Samos, North Aegean
Known as the “Isle of the Blest”, Samos was a romantic destination for Zeus and Hera, and Antony and Cleopatra. It combines lush beauty with relics of its powerhouse past, including two world heritage sites in Pythagorio: the Heraion sanctuary and the Eupalinos tunnel, a 6th-century BC subterranean aqueduct. The beaches, vineyards and walks in the mountains are sublime; don’t miss the bucolic Nightingale Valley between Vourliotes and Manolates. The new earth-toned Casa Cook near Pythagoreio is sleek to the point of minimalist, with ground-floor swim-up suites linking to the pool.
Details B&B doubles from £159 (casacook.com). Fly to Samos
Kithira, in the Ionian islands
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3. Kithira, Ionian
In mythology Kithira, south of the Peloponnese, was the birthplace of Aphrodite — which may be why the island is so loveable. Getting to its pretty beaches, immaculate seas and old-fashioned villages was once so tedious that the island is like a time capsule of Greece pre-mass tourism; now flight schedules make it doable in a day from the UK. You’ll find family-run tavernas, caves to explore, a walled Venetian town and a chance to bathe under a waterfall at Milopotamos, a nightingale hangout. Neromylos, with four open-plan apartments, occupies a converted watermill a five-minute walk from the beach and village of Agia Pelagia.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering from £832pp, including flights and transfers (sunvil.co.uk)
Art Villa on Aegina, in the Saronic islands
4. Aegina, Saronic
Aegina is within commuting distance of Athens, but it’s a world apart — slow-paced and rustic with fishing caiques bobbing in the port. Aegina town was once the capital of Greece and has touches of grandeur amid the shops selling the island’s irresistible pistachios. The Temple of Aphaia (c 500BC) is the star attraction, along with unpretentious beach resorts, the Byzantine ghost town of Paleochora and — for the adventurous — the Sanctuary of Zeus Hellanios on the flanks of Mount Oros (532m; 1,745ft). The pool at the four-bedroom Art Villa near Perdika, on the southwest coast of Aegina, has lovely sunset views over the Saronic Gulf.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for eight from £2,648 (prettygreekvillas.com). Take the ferry from Athens
Erofili Beach Hotel on Ikaria, in the North Aegean
5. Ikaria, North Aegean
Quirky Ikaria operates in its own unhurried time zone — just as well, considering the hair-raising mountain roads. The north of the island has sandy beaches; the south has stunning cliff-backed beaches with turquoise water. Ikaria’s villages rival one another in hosting Greece’s liveliest panegyris (saint’s day festivals), with feasting, traditional music and dancing until dawn. The island’s people are renowned for their longevity — in theory because of their diet, but more probably because they are having so much fun. Erofili Beach, one of the island’s best hotels, stands on the cliffs facing the sea at Armenistis, on the north coast.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £978pp, including flights and transfers (sunvil.co.uk)
Meganisi, in the Ionian islands
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6. Meganisi, Ionian
Pretty Meganisi is the Tardis of the Ionians, with a coastline so jagged and a landscape so dramatic that the island seems much bigger than it is. Its hills are blanketed in silvery olive groves, and it is rural and tranquil — the main activity is choosing which cove to bask in that day. Hire a boat to explore the surrounding islets and sea caves. The two yacht-filled little ports of Vathy and Spilia have a sparkle of nightlife. Five minutes’ drive from Vathy, the sleek Villa Kala Petra enjoys tremendous mountain and sea views.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,207pp, including flights and car hire (gicthevillacollection.com)
● Best cruises in Greece: 15 island-hopping adventures
● Top family-friendly hotels in Greece
Cabane de Zoe on Spetses, in the Saronic islands
7. Spetses, Saronic
Car-free Spetses, with its handsome neoclassical town built by sea captains (including Laskarina Bouboulina, the first recorded woman admiral, who fought in the Greek War of Independence) has traditionally been a retreat for the Athenian elite. Nicknamed the “Greek Monaco”, it has recently become Hollywood on the Aegean — The Lost Daughter and the soon-to-be-released Knives Out 2, starring Daniel Craig, were filmed here. The elegant villa Cabane de Zoe, overlooking a bougainvillea-draped lemon grove in Spetses town, offers a pool and views down to the sea.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £2,436 (prettygreekvillas.com). Take a high-speed catamaran from Athens
Ithaki, in the Ionian islands
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8. Ithaki, Ionian
Wooded Ithaki has wildly indented shores, cliffs, pebble beaches and Vathy, its elegant capital in the scoop of a deep bay. You might search for clues that Ithaki was, as myth has it, the kingdom of Odysseus — explore the Bronze Age ruins near Stavros that might have been his palace. And for extra frisson head to the remote northern village of Exogi for its sublime views. The modern Villa Porto Bello, which has a pool and terrace facing Vathy’s harbour, is just a few minutes’ walk from the town and Loutsa beach.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £789pp, including flights, transfers and car hire (ionianislandholidays.com)
Thasos, in the North Aegean
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9. Thasos, North Aegean
The scent of sun-soaked pines is heady on the northernmost Greek island, a green mountain in the sea fringed by golden beaches. In ancient times Thasos was famed for its real gold; ruins of the wealthy ancient city — with its acropolis, theatre and finely cut stone walls and gates — dwarf Limenas, the island’s modern capital. There are pretty mountain villages to visit, but otherwise this is a perfect island for being lazy. The boutique A for Art Hotel in Limenas is a playful conversion of a tobacco warehouse with a pool, bold paintings and vintage beds.
Details Seven nights’ half-board from £412pp, including flights and transfers (tui.co.uk)
Ios, in the Cyclades
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10. Ios, Cyclades
You want soft, toe-wiggling sandy beaches, a gorgeous sugar-cube Cycladic town, landmark windmills and the chance to dance the night away, without paying Mykonos prices? The party island of Ios has gone upmarket since its hippy days, but is still devoted to fun, with its nightlife concentrated around Chora. If you need a break, hire a car to visit the 30 sleepy beaches, the striking prehistoric town of Skarkos and Homer’s tomb at Plakoto. The contemporary Ios Palace & Spa — the largest hotel on the island, overlooking Milopotas — has a resort feel, crisp, white rooms and three seawater pools.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £850pp, including flights and transfers (olympicholidays.com)
Skopelos, in the Sporades
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11. Skopelos, Sporades
Mamma Mia! devotees still get married on Skopelos, but generally “the green and blue island” has returned to its idyllic pre-film self. Densely wooded, it has two colourful main villages — Skopelos Town and Glossa — with red-tiled roofs, flower-filled balconies and lively tavernas. You can waste hours daydreaming by piney coves or sitting by the emerald Aegean, but don’t miss the Mount Palouki trail, dotted with Byzantine-era monasteries where you’re likely to encounter some of the island’s 40 species of butterfly. Stay at the reliable, family-run Panormos Beach Hotel on the west coast.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £486pp, including flights and transfers (jet2holidays.com)
Villa Piedra on Kea, in the Cyclades
12. Kea, Cyclades
Although a doddle to reach by ferry from Athens, laid-back Kea is still a well-kept secret. It’s greener than most Cyclades spots, with orchards and cattle. Walking, swimming and napping fill the days — or you could visit Ioulis, its higgledy-piggledy hilltop capital, or the grinning lion carved into the rock in about 600BC. Experienced divers can explore the wreck of the Britannic, the Titanic’s slightly larger sister ship, which sank off Kea in 1916. Stay at the contemporary-styled Villa Piedra on the coastline of Koundouros. It has three bedrooms and a southwest-facing infinity pool that’s perfect for a swim with sunset views.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £5,199 (thethinkingtraveller.com). Fly to Athens, drive 40 minutes to Lavrio then take a ferry
Vasiliki on Lefkada, in the Ionian islands
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13. Lefkada, Ionian
Friendly Lefkada is covered with olives, cypresses and pines — each coast offers something different. The northern lagoons are great for birdwatching. To the west, cliffs loom over a string of beaches with turquoise waters. Vasiliki, in the south, is renowned for windsurfing. And, on the east coast, Nydri’s enchanting bay, sprinkled with green islets (including former Onassis-owned Skorpios) is a sailor’s delight. In Lefkada, on the north coast, the three-bedroom Villa Oleana is set back from the coast near Agios Ioannis beach and surrounded by greenery.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,162 (simpsontravel.com). Fly to Preveza
Villa Amphora on Lesbos, in the North Aegean
14. Lesbos, North Aegean
Greece’s third-largest island is unlike any other. Beyond the urbane, castle-crowned capital of Mytilene, and amid vast swathes of olives and wooded mountains, lie some of Greece’s most old-fashioned villages. There’s superb birdwatching, hot springs and mud baths, a petrified forest, and a museum dedicated to Greece’s great artist Theophilos. The town of Plomari makes the most of Greece’s ouzo and even has a museum dedicated to the drink. Built by a local olive-oil trader, the three-bed Villa Amphora is a characterful hideaway located in an olive grove near Plomari, a short walk from the pebbly beach at Agios Isidoros.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,612 (oliverstravels.com). Fly to Lesbos
Mandrakia on Milos, in the Cyclades
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15. Milos, Cyclades
Once an offbeat choice, Milos may have been “discovered” but it’s still some way from overrun. This volcanic island’s coastline is a riot of caves, cliffs, sea rocks and splendidly varied beaches: the colour-drenched sands and Dalí-esque formations, especially at Sarakiniko and Kleftiko, look as if they were made of petrified whipped cream. The sea-kayaking is sensational, as is the swimming, and at Plaka, the site of ancient Milos, you can visit the most extensive catacombs in Greece. Also located in Plaka, the gleaming Cycladic-style Vivere a Plakes apartments, a ten-minute walk from Firopotamos beach.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £1,699, including flights to Athens; return sea transfer to Milos from £61pp (thomascook.com)
Pyrgos on Tinos, in the Cyclades
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16. Tinos, Cyclades
Orthodox pilgrims have been drawn here since the early 19th century. Now Tinos is attracting the cool kids with its growing culinary reputation for wine, cheeses, sausages and honey and chic restaurants. It has fine beaches and sweeping landscapes dotted with whitewashed villages and Venetian-era dovecotes that are little marvels of folk art. Visit art galleries and the marble village of Pyrgos, where even the main square is paved with the stuff. The Cycladic-style Villa Ghita, with its infinity pool and mind-bending sea views, is a contemporary haven on the southwest coast.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £3,770 (thethinkingtraveller.com). Take the ferry from Mykonos
Astypalaia, in the Dodecanese
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17. Astypalaia, Dodecanese
Looking for an unspoilt Santorini-style island with a blizzard-white town unfurling down to the sea? One of the best is found in the Dodecanese in the southeastern Aegean. Nicknamed the “butterfly island” (its two sections are linked by a 100m wide strip of land), Astypalaia has a 13th-century Venetian castle and peaceful beaches. A short walk away from the lights of Chora (the island’s one town), the night sky burns with a billion stars. Tholaria Boutique hotel is very close to Chora and Livadi beach, with splendid views across to the castle, plus a pool, gym and spa suites.
Details Eight nights’ B&B from £899pp, including flights, transfers and a night in Kos (islandsofgreece.co.uk)
Apella on Karpathos, in the Dodecanese
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18. Karpathos, Dodecanese
Located midway between tourism giants Crete and Rhodes, Karpathos is a far quieter world — a big island of heart-stopping scenery with every kind of beach to match. There’s kitesurfing to the far south, mountain villages for adrenaline-pumping hikes, and — in the remote north, linked by a white-knuckle road — long-isolated Olympos. This village is set amid forbidding mountains and is a great place to discover the island’s fast-and-furious traditional music. The stylish new Alimounda Mare hotel, near the main town of Pigadia, features an infinity pool and spa.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,849pp, including flights and transfers (islandsofgreece.co.uk)
Villa Dali on Sifnos, in the Cyclades
19. Sifnos, Cyclades
Sifnos is the quintessential Cycladic island, with soft sandy beaches, rolling hills and silvery olive groves. Immaculate white villages, including medieval Kastro and the twin towns of Apollonia and Artemonas, share the landscapes with windmills, ancient towers, dovecotes and more than 300 blue, bubble-domed chapels. Sifnos is renowned for its pottery, cooking (particularly slow-cooked lamb and chickpea dishes) and a charm that gets into your pores. The airy, minimalist Villa Dali, east of Apollonia, offers seven bedrooms, an infinity pool, outdoor gym and boules court.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for 14 from £11,662 (thegreekvillas.com). Take the high-speed ferry from Athens
Skyros, in the Sporades
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20. Skyros, Sporades
Isolated Skyros — where Achilles donned drag to avoid the Trojan War — casts a spell on all who visit. Its capital, also called Skyros (but known locally as Chora) swirls down from a castle-crowned pinnacle where the Athenian hero Theseus died. The island’s native horses are said to be descended from those sculpted on the Parthenon frieze; its pre-Lent carnival is full of pre-Christian echoes; and its traditional houses are filled with charm. And in the wild mountainous south, you’ll find the grave of English First World War poet Rupert Brooke. The family-run Perigiali hotel lies below Chora, near Magazia beach, and comes with a seawater pool and a superb Greek breakfast.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £899pp, including flights, transfers and an overnight stop in Athens (islandsofgreece.co.uk)
Hydra, a Saronic island
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21. Hydra, Saronic
It takes your breath away, twice: first when you arrive and catch sight of Hydra’s port, with its neoclassical sea captains’ houses piled seemingly to the sky. And then when you realise the only way to get up there is by foot — or donkey taxi. Colonised by artists and writers (including Leonard Cohen in the 1960s), Hydra remains cool and creative. Boat taxis provide transport to the best beaches, the nightlife is exceptional, and the lack of cars is pure bliss. In Kamini, a 15-minute walk from the port, the art-filled Villa Piero has six bedrooms and glorious sunset vistas.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for 12 from £7,645 (thegreekvillas.com). Take the ferry from Athens
Longos on Paxos, in the Ionian islands
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22. Paxos, Ionian
Paxos is the Hobbiton of the Greek islands: green and very charming. Gaios, the island’s main town, overlooks a port sheltered by a pair of emerald islets. Little lanes twist through olive groves to the two other tiny ports: Longos and Lakka and their pebbly beaches. Catch a boat to visit the cliffs and sea grottoes of the west coast, and spend a day on Paxos’s little sister islet, Antipaxos, which has two white-sand beaches and Caribbean-like turquoise waters. Stay at Amalia Cottage, a charming couple’s nook, with views over Lakka’s bay.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £1,135, including flights, transfers and car hire (planos.co.uk)
Naxos, in the Cyclades
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23. Naxos, Cyclades
Naxos was Lord Byron’s “dream” island — you can close your eyes and picture its romantic beauty. There are endless sandy beaches, museums and archaeological sites to explore; paths follow wooded streams to Byzantine chapels and monasteries, and unfinished marble statues stand abandoned thousands of years ago; of its mountain villages, Apeiranthos is one of the most striking. It’s also rare for a Cycladic island in that it produces much of its own food and wine, including a renowned citron liqueur. Near Stelida beach, close to Naxos town, the Naxian Collection hotel offers modern villas and activities including cooking lessons and birdwatching in the saltpan flats.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,629pp, including flights and transfers (trailfinders.com)
Halki, in the Dodecanese
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24. Halki, Dodecanese
Tiny Halki, also spelt “Chalki”, lies off the west coast of Rhodes. Its pleasures are the simple ones of island life. Most of its residents live in the attractive town of Emborio, set in a large horseshoe harbour, with an enormous bell tower and waterfront bars. Walk to Chorio, the abandoned capital, to see the ruined medieval castle of the Knights of St John with views that stretch to Crete, or sail to the golden beaches of the deserted island of Alimnia. Like most accommodation on the island, Elena Studios is more homely than luxe, but the compact apartment has a terrace with views of the sea and town.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £569pp, including flights and transfers (olympicholidays.com)
Kalymnos, in the Dodecanese
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25. Kalymnos, Dodecanese
Renowned among rock climbers, who come from around the world to test themselves on its vertiginous precipices, Kalymnos is an island where thrills are par for the course — here, even Greek Easter is celebrated with dynamite and fireworks. The island’s indented coast features shipwrecks, reefs and an underwater volcanic crater that will keep scuba divers, or fearless free divers, happy. The white-and-blue capital of Pothia in the south is filled with old-fashioned shops and cafés, while the west-coast beaches enjoy incandescent sunsets; this is where you’ll find the refurbished Kantouni Beach boutique hotel, with its infinity pool adjacent to the sands.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £672pp, including flights and transfers (jet2holidays.com)
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