About

About ULTIMATE Greek Islands Guide

ULTIMATE Greek Islands Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Greek Islands, Greece. We publish 8 curated lists: the islands, beaches, hotels, restaurants, bars & nightlife, shopping, luxury and ferries & flights. We cover the Cyclades (Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Ios, Sifnos, Folegandros, Syros, Tinos and Amorgos), Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with more islands to come.

How we choose

Our lists draw on local knowledge, official sources and recent reviews, and every place is checked against maps and its own website or recent reports. We look for quality, character and a genuine sense of each island.

Before you go

Opening hours, seasons, ferry times and prices change often, and many places open only from spring to October. Please check directly before you travel. Our price guides run from € (budget) to €€€€ (top end).

For venues

Run a venue in Greek Islands and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The Achilleion palace, Corfu, by No machine-readable author provided. Tasoskessaris assumed (, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The harbour of Aegina Town, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Athens International Airport, by Apaleutos25, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Balos Lagoon on the Gramvousa peninsula, Crete, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Blue Star ferry at sea, by Mustang Joe, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Venetian harbour, shipyards and lighthouse of Chania, Crete, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Old Fortress of Corfu, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Terrace of the Lions on Delos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink-tinged sand of Elafonisi, Crete, by trolvag, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Venetian fortress of Koules in Heraklion harbour, by PeterWikiSK, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hydra harbour seen from above, by Julien Seguinot from Lille, France, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The harbour of Hydra Town, by Νικόλαος Κυριακάκης, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deep blue water and white rocks at Agia Anna on Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chora, the hilltop capital of Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, built into the cliffs of Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Lufthansa Airbus coming in to land at Ellinikon airport in 1981, by simon butler from halesowen, uk, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The water maze at the Ellinikon Experience Park, lit up at night, by StrangeTraveler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The water maze at the Ellinikon Experience Park, by StrangeTraveler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A quiet whitewashed lane in Chora, Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white houses of Chora on Folegandros on the edge of the cliffs, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bougainvillea and white houses in the Kastro of Chora, Folegandros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A blue-domed bell tower above the white houses of Chora on Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The turquoise cove of Livadaki beach below the cliffs of Folegandros, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white village of Plaka on its hilltop above the sea on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane in Plaka, Milos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The little harbour of Pollonia on Milos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of white houses, blue doors and bougainvillea in Mykonos Town, by Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Little Venice in Mykonos Town, with houses rising straight from the water, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed bell tower in the lanes of Naxos Town, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A flower-filled marble lane in Parikia, the capital of Paros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane of little shops on Paros, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The famous blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Apollonia, the white hill capital of Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bougainvillea above the rooftops of Ano Syros, by Sgroey, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A little square with bougainvillea in the marble village of Pyrgos, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Taverna tables in a shady lane of Pyrgos, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chora on the cliff edge of Folegandros, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The church of the Panagia above Chora, Folegandros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A shady path through the National Garden in Athens, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Evzones changing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Greek Parliament, by Yair-haklai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A sandy beach and turquoise bay below the hills of Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white houses and churches of Chora on Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mylopotas beach on Ios, by Davide Taviani (Helios), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lycabettus Hill seen from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos from the air, by Olaf Tausch, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water and white sand below the coloured cliffs of Firiplaka beach on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sailing boats by the sea caves of Kleftiko, Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white volcanic rocks of Sarakiniko on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Little Venice, the old captains’ houses on the water in Mykonos town, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The windmills of Kato Mili above Mykonos town, by Joe deSousa, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The long sandy beach of Agios Prokopios on Naxos, looking across the water to Paros, by Carlo Pelagalli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Naxos town climbing to its Venetian Kastro, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marble village of Apiranthos in the mountains of Naxos, by VasCr, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Portara, the great marble doorway of an unfinished temple, at sunset on Naxos, by Manfred Werner (Tsui), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The bay of Naoussa on Paros, with the white town across the turquoise water, by Tango7174, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• New Golden Beach on the east coast of Paros, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lefkes, the hill village of Paros, among olive groves, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The little harbour of Naoussa on Paros, with fishing boats and the white town behind, by Gerald Adams, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane in Parikia, the port town of Paros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Parikia, the port town of Paros, seen across the harbour, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Venetian castle at the entrance to Naoussa harbour on Paros, by Tommybee89, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parthenon on the Acropolis seen across the pines from Philopappos Hill, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A ferry in the harbour of Piraeus, by Mustang Joe, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The black-sand beach of Perissa on Santorini, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira along the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fira on the caldera cliffs of Santorini, looking out to the volcanic islands, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The sheltered round bay of Vathi on Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The monastery of Panagia Chrysopigi on its rock by the sea, Sifnos, by KASPAR, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kastro, the medieval village on a rock above the sea on Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The sandy beach and little harbour village of Kini on Syros, by FocalPoint, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ermoupoli, the neoclassical capital of Syros, seen from the sea, by Leeturtle, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ermoupoli’s town hall by Ernst Ziller on Miaoulis Square, by Hans Peter Schaefer, http://www.reserv-a-rt.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white harbour town of Tinos below green hills, by Eu.stefan, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A dovecote among the terraces of Tarambados, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The north entrance of the Palace of Knossos, Crete, by Mustang Joe, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The harbour of Lavrio, by FocalPoint, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white village of Lindos below its acropolis, Rhodes, by Jon Gudorf Photography, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The coves of Paleokastritsa, Corfu, by Jocelyn777, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A ferry in the harbour of Piraeus, by Mustang Joe, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vlacherna Monastery and the islet of Pontikonisi, Corfu, by Jean-François Gornet from Paris, France, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The waterfront of Poros and its clock tower, by Julien Seguinot from Lille, France, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The harbour of Rafina, by Evgeny L., licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Venetian harbour of Rethymno, Crete, by Jonashtand, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Street of the Knights in the Old Town of Rhodes, by Karen Jardine, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes, by Pjotr Mahhonin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Samaria Gorge, Crete, by Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spetses town and harbour, by Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spinalonga seen from Plaka, Crete, by Cayambe, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over Oia, Santorini, by TomasEE, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.