Moon Greek Islands & Athens

DISCOVER Greek Islands & Athens

10 TOP EXPERIENCES

Planning Your Trip

GREEK ISLANDS FOR FAMILIES

CHOOSING YOUR ISLAND

Best of the Cycladics: Naxos, Mykonos, and Anafi

GREECE’S BEST BEACHES

PANIGIRIA

Best of the Dodecanese: Rhodes and Karpathos

Best of the Northeast Aegean: Ikaria and Lesvos

HIKING THROUGH THE ISLANDS

GREEK CUISINE

Best of the Sporades: Skyros and Alonissos

KNOW YOUR HISTORY

Best of the Ionian Coast: Corfu and Lefkada

“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean Sea.”

—Nikos Kazantzakis

There’s a winding mountain road on Karpathos that leads down to a sliver of liquid turquoise paradise, cut between two jagged rocks like a bite of an ice cream sandwich. The view itself is stunning: With each turn of the road, the browns and greens of the mountainside give way to the dazzling blues of the Aegean. The light, a hazy glow that has inspired countless artists and writers, reflects off silvery olive trees and catches the ripples of the sea. The air is satisfyingly thick and salty, and as you inhale the scent of wild sage and oregano, it feels like you are sitting, in the best way possible, inside a giant mug of tea.

Karpathos is just one of more than 6,000 Greek islands flung haphazardly across the Mediterranean like dozens of coins dropped from a great height. Each is a holistically sensual and unique experience, from the lunar dunes of Milos to the lush forests of Samothrace. You’ll find dazzling displays of earnest humanness: villages precariously carved into cliff sides where old men finger komboloi (prayer beads) and drink syrupy coffee, domed churches painted ocher, octopuses drying in the sun, and bodies of every shape and size baking under the hot sun like loaves of bread. Each of the 202 inhabited islands has its own vibe, character, landscape, and specialties, and you can find one to soothe any ailment, tickle any fancy, or live any adventure.

It’s increasingly easy to travel across the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Each year, the Greek government adds new, or bolsters existing, ferry lines. Budget airlines fly regularly from European cities to Ikaria, Lesvos, and Corfu, and new eco-lodges and hotels are built every season. Islands are offering more amenities to travelers, including windsurfing, yoga, and well-preserved hiking trails. The Greek islands continue to inspire and delight with their beauty, and there’s never been a better time to visit.

10 TOP EXPERIENCES

Planning Your Trip

Where to Go

Athens

Why go: Fantastic ruins, street art, top-notch restaurants, excellent people watching

There’s never been a better time to visit the birthplace of Western civilization. Despite the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Greek spirit has persevered, and there’s an explosion of creativity, with new shops, museums, and restaurants opening at a rapid clip. Come for the old, too; no visit to Greece is complete without at least a glimpse of the marvelous Parthenon. Piraeus port is a gateway to most of the islands, and you’ll likely pass through here at some point.

Cycladic Islands

Why go: Endless turquoise seas, whitewashed villages

SANTORINI

Thousands of years ago, a cataclysmic volcano made Santorini what it is today: an architectural marvel of cave dwellings precariously perched on the lip of the red caldera. For romance, luxury, and truly out-of-this-world views, come to Santorini. This is an island best visited in the late fall or early spring, when the tourists have gone and you can drink in the caldera view alone. It’s one of the most crowded islands in Greece, so come in the off-season to appreciate its sensual vibe.

MYKONOS

Greece’s most notorious party island is the place to come for excellent gourmet meals, endless nightlife, and fantastic music. But there’s a tranquil, authentic side to this island as well, and it has the most harmonic architecture of all the Cycladic islands. True clubbers should come in July or August; the rest of you will enjoy Mykonos in September or June. Just a boat ride away is the Delos Archaeological Site, located on an uninhabited island.

FOLEGANDROS

Once totally off the grid, Folegandros is becoming more touristic, but that doesn’t detract from this beautiful island’s subdued charm. Come for the beaches, the hiking, and the bougainvillea-laced towns. Its hora is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades. It still attracts a bohemian, if well-heeled, crowd.

MILOS

With more than 70 fantastic beaches, ranging from black sand to strange white rock formations that look like a lunar landscape, Milos is a geologist’s dream island. Most of the beaches are accessible only by boat, and it’s a true pleasure to spend the day cruising around, lazily jumping into the sea.

NAXOS

As soon as you arrive at the port, you’ll see the heart-stoppingly beautiful Temple of Apollo. The biggest island of the Cyclades is home to fantastic ruins, expansive sand beaches, traditional mountain villages, and some truly excellent restaurants.

ANAFI

Seemingly lost in time and last on the Santorini line, tiny Anafi is the island that everyone else forgot about. All the better for you, since you can enjoy this hippie island’s pristine beaches and glorious sunsets without the crowds. There’s not much to do besides lounge and swim, usually naked, and that’s exactly the point.

Dodecanese Islands

Why go: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history; adventure travel

KARPATHOS

Faraway Karpathos has some of the Mediterranean’s best windsurfing, and some of the Greek islands’ best-kept secret beaches. The island also has a curiously large portion of Greek-Americans, who return home every summer and have lent a decidedly American flair to the island.

RHODES

Rhodes has something of a party reputation, but it’s so much more than a hedonistic island. With some of the best-preserved Ottoman and medieval era ruins around and some stunning nature, Rhodes has something for everyone.

KALYMNOS

Once the epicenter of sponge diving in the Aegean, Kalymnos is now better known for its extreme sports: Between its dramatic mountainscape and craggy boulders, it’s the perfect place for rock climbers and divers.

Northeast Aegean Islands

Why go: Authentic experiences without the crowds; excellent seafood

SAMOTHRACE

Difficult to get to, Samothrace rewards those who make the journey with endless hiking trails full of waterfalls and natural swimming pools. The island is full of wild goats and attracts a decidedly hippie crowd, who camp in the forest and swim naked. This is an island for letting your spirit loose.

IKARIA

The delightfully endearing wacky aunt of the Greek islands, Ikaria is a magical little place. The laid-back and philosophical character of the locals is truly inspiring, and the social cohesion, excellent food, and therapeutic hot springs all contribute to one of the biggest centenarian populations in the world. Ikaria literally runs on a different time: Everything opens at night!

LESVOS

Greece’s third-largest island warrants a visit: It’s the home of both ouzo and Sappho, and boasts some stunning natural landscapes, from petrified forests to kilometer-long beaches. And let’s not forget the food, which is some of the best in Greece. Lesvos has borne the brunt of the refugee crisis, which is all the more reason to visit and support the island.

Sporades Islands

Why go: Tranquility, hiking, horses

ALONISSOS

Lovely Alonissos feels like a world away: Covered in vegetation, the island is a nature lover’s paradise, with fantastic beaches and plenty of hiking trails. The Alonissos Underwater Museum, which opened in 2020, lets divers access one of the biggest Classical-era shipwrecks ever found. Alonissos also has one of the most beautiful horas in the Aegean, and a relaxed, happy vibe.

SKYROS

You’ll probably fall madly in love with the tiny Skyrian horses, plus the fantastic food, strangely abandoned landscape in the south of the island, the lovely locals, the beautiful hora, and the generally off-the-beaten-path vibe of Skyros.

Ionian Islands

Why go: Stunning beaches, Italian influence, and picturesque coves

CORFU

Walking around Corfu Town, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in Italy. From the architecture to the food, Corfu has a strong European flair. There’s excellent cuisine, beautiful beaches, and enough museums to spend your whole vacation just looking at art.

ZAKYNTHOS

Home to Shipwreck Bay, one of Greece’s most famous beaches, Zakynthos has some of the most unbelievably blue waters you’ve ever seen. Now an adrenaline junkie’s paradise, the island becomes overrun with families in the summer, but the colors alone are worth the crowds.

LEFKADA

One of only two islands you can drive to, Lefkada is all pine trees and winding roads, and water that might be even more beautiful than Zakynthos’s, but with half the crowds. Popular with Italians, Israelis, and Greek families, Lefkada has a laid-back vibe that makes it a family-friendly destination.

Crete

Why go: Tradition, mountains, beaches, food

The largest of the Greek islands, Crete is a universe unto itself. It would take a lifetime to experience everything this island has to offer. Come for the fantastic history, museums, beautifully preserved port towns, local character, and of course, the food. (Don’t tell anyone, but it’s the best in Greece.)

When to Go

High Season (June-August)

Summer, when temperatures (and prices!) soar, is the high season in Greece. Business is in full swing, and you’ll find everything open, usually for longer hours. Though the weather is great (28-40°C/82-104°F), the crowds can be relentless, especially in August (and particularly the middle two weeks of the month). If you’re going to travel during this time, be prepared to make plenty of reservations and wait in lots of lines, especially if you’re going to blockbuster islands like Mykonos, Santorini, or Crete.

Shoulder Season (April-May and September-October)

The months bookending the summer season (particularly May and September) are great times to visit the islands. The crowds aren’t so intense, the weather is mild but warm enough to enjoy the beaches (12-25°C/54-77°F in fall, 9-25°C/48-77°F in spring), and you’ll be able to snag reservations that would be impossible in mid-August. By October the weather has usually cooled down, but you can still swim.

Low Season (November-March)