Greek Islands

Greek Islands are popular holiday destinations for tourists throughout Europe and from around the world. The islands of Greece attract thousands of visitors each year. They are famous for their nice weather, beautiful beaches, charming architecture, entertainment, culture, and history.

There are over 150 permanently inhabited Greek islands and hundreds more small uninhabited islands.

Each one island is individual in its own right. The islands vary from wetter in the west of Greece (Ionian Sea) and drier in the East (Aegean Sea). The most Popular islands are Rhodes, Corfu, Santorini, Ios, Zakynthos (Zante), Cefalonia, Crete, Mykonos and Kos. The largest island is Crete.

Athens is a great starting point if you want to explore the islands independently. In addition the main airport of Greece is located here.

You can travel the Greek Islands on package holidays, on cruises and island hopping around the Greek islands is also very popular for independent traveller. This section will is a guide to help you plan your summer holidays in the Greek Islands and learn about the various islands.

Cyclades Islands

The Cyclades are a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece and are an administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name refers to the islands around the sacred island of Delos. In Greek they are called Κυκλάδες.

The Cyclades islands are composed of 39 islands of which 24 are inhabited. The most famous of all Cyclades Greek islands are Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Folegandros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros and Tinos.

Ionian Islands

The Ionian Islands are located in the western part of Greece in the Ionian Sea. The Ionian Sea is also called the Adriatic sea. They are traditionally called the Seven Islands (in Modern Greek Eptanisa, Επτάνησα), but the group includes many smaller islands as well as the seven principal ones. The six northern islands are off the west coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. The seventh island, Kythira, is off the southern tip of the Peloponnesus, the southern part of the Greek mainland.

The Ionian are some of the most popular Greek islands and attract a lot of people from the Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden etc) and from all around the world. The main islands are: Corfu, Zakynthos (Zante), Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca, Paxoi, and Kythira  These islands are known for their beautiful beaches, their charming villages and their verdant landscapes.The movie "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" is set on Kefalonia.

Dodecanese Islands

The Dodecanese islands are located in the southeast part of the Aegean Sea.  Dodecanese (Greek Δωδεκάνησα, Dodekánisa) means twelve islands.

The Dodecanese islands consist of twelve major islands and a number of smaller islands: Astipalea, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Kalimnos, Karpathos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Nissiros, Patmos, Rhodesand Tilos. Some of those Greek Islands are located at the border to Turkey. They have a rich history and many of even the smallest inhabited islands boast dozens of Byzantine churches and medieval castles. The most historically important and well-known is Rhodes.

Crete Island

The island of Crete is the largest of Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the south of the Aegean Sea. It is separated in 4 prefectures: Chania, Heraklion, Lassithi and Rethymno.

Crete is a popular tourist destination; its attractions include the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, the Venetian castle in Rethymno, the Samaria Gorge, beautiful towns and charming villages, monuments, beaches and good nightlife.

North Eastern Aegean Islands

The North Eastern Aegean islands group are composed of: Chios, Ikaria, Lesvos (Mytilene / Mytilini), Limnos, Thassos and Samos. These islands are characterized by mountainous landscapes, dense forests of pine-trees and beautiful golden sandy beaches.

The Northern Eastern Aegean Islands are far less visited than the popular Cyclades and Dodecanese archipelagos yet they have much to offer the tourist. Also they are one of the most authentic parts of Greece. Lesbos is one of the four largest of all the Greek islands.

The Saronic Islands

The Saronic islands are situated at a close distance from Athens and are scattered between the prefecture of Attica and the eastern side of the Peloponnese. The Saronics are the closest islands and the most easily accessible from Athens, the capital of Greece and its port, Piraeus.

The Saronic Islands consist of: Angistri, Aegina, Methana, Poros, Salamina, Spetses and Hydra. The islands have a lot to offer to the visitors with their natural beauty, clean sandy beaches and even small deserted islets to explore.

Greek Islands Links

Greek Island Postcards: Holiday travel guides to the Greek islands with critical reviews, photos and guides to the main Greek island resorts and with views and opinions on Greek island holidays.

The Islands and Athens: A guide containing geographical information and tips for Athens and the Greek Islands.

Greece Travel & Hotels Guide: Greece Hotels, Car Rental, Travel Agents, Yachting, Camping & information about the Greek Islands. Source of Greek Islands map.

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