Greece is a beautiful country, with plenty of different islands to visit. Although visiting ‘a
Greek island’ is a simple enough holiday destination, the islands have subtle differences.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit several of the islands over the years. Which island you
should visit really depends on what you want most out of your holiday. Places like
Lefkada are great for beaches and a break and places like Crete can ensure you have a
activity-filled week in Greece. Below are the highlights of my favourite islands to help you
best choose which one to visit.
Crete
Let’s start with the biggest island. I’ve been to Crete a couple of times, and it does not
get old. It’s a perfect island to be able to fill your holiday with activities and trips or a mix
of adventure and beach. You can visit Zeus’ Cave if you want to explore the mythology
of the island. Or if you like more adventurous days, take a day trip to walk the Samarian
Gorge. If you like a historical and cultural side of travel, you can visit the abandoned
Leper island of Spinalonga. Knossos, an old Greek palace is also on Crete which is an
absolute must-see when you visit the island.
Skiathos
Skiathos is a Mamma-Mia lovers paradise. It’s a very small island filled with beaches
and lively small towns. You can visit the ‘runway’ to the ferry port where the iconic scene
of the ferry leaving to Skopelos was filmed in Mamma Mia. Skiathos Town is also a
quintessential Greek town with the blue and white houses. An open air cinema showing
Mamma-Mia is also situated in Skiathos Town (a great experience for fans).
Lefkada
If you want a relaxed beachy holiday, Lefkada is the perfect Greek Island for you. The
beaches are stunning, Mylos beach being a walk over a hill but well worth it for the view.
From Lefkada, there are plenty of boat trips out you can take to go swimming in deeper
sea around some of the open-top caves/rocks. I remember having a barbecue on the
beach during our stop on the boat tour.
Samos
Samos is a lovely little island with a fairly traditional Greek culture. When I visited, there
was a small parade and ceremony through the town with the ladies in white dresses and
carrying flaming torches. It is also the island that Pythagoras was born on. From Samos,
if you get bored on the island you can take a day ferry over to Turkey. Here, you should
visit the ancient (previously Greek) city of Ephesus and do some shopping in Kusadasi.
However this is unlikely as there are plenty of walks to do in Samos, as well as visiting
the old monasteries, an old Roman aqueduct or the castle in Pythagoreio.
If you’re still not convinced…
Of course, there are plenty of other islands – Kos and Kefalonia I can say are both
stunning too and well worth adding into your list. Maybe you’ll even try Greek Island
hopping using the local ferries. Hopefully, I’ve been able to point you in the right direction
of where you need to look in Greece – whether you want culture, activities or beaches.
Check out my post on a Food Checklist for Greece before you go, and best of luck with
your Greek Island adventures!
