Top ten Greek islands

  1. Santorini
  2. Amorgos
  3. Sifnos
  4. Symi
  5. Kos & Nisyros
  1. Tinos & Andros
  2. Hydra
  3. Astypalaia
  4. Patmos, Arki, Agathonisi
  5. Ithaca
Top 10 Greek islands

Other essential islands you hopefully be able to include in your itinerary:

  1. Paros
  2. Milos
  3. Naxos
  4. Delos & Reneia
  5. Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios
  6. Leros & Kalymnos
  7. Thasos
  8. Little Cyclades: Irakleia, Schoinoussa, Koufonisi & Keros
  9. Kythnos
  10. Aegina
  11. Skopelos, Pelagos (Kyra Panagia)
  12. Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos
  13. Anafi
  14. Paxos
  15. Chios

All right, I admit that this top 10 has turned into a highly biased top 25, justifiably based on the amount of archaeological sites, sublime landscapes, picturesque ports and a minimum of tourists.

Moreover, this top 10 – or top 25 – is from the sailor's perspective of the many bareboat yacht charter holidays enjoyed by my crew, myself, and by the visitors of this website.

Note that this listing concerns islands, so for instance the magnificent coasts of the Peloponnese (originally a peninsula) and the stunning central promontory (Sithonia) of Chalkidiki are left out.

Kythnos island, Loutra port, yacht charters from Paros and Athens.
Sunrise in Loutra port on Kythnos island in the Cyclades, after a nightly approach from Sounion. We took a bath in the hot mineral waters and sailed on to Serifos.

Cupola

A rounded dome forming or adorning the roofs of typical Greek churches, read on…

Islands statistics

  • There are well over 1400 Greek islands that are significantly larger than a rock, or rather 6 thousand if you include the smallest isles.
  • 84% of all Mediterranean islands are Greek.
  • Only 166 are inhabited, a number that is rapidly dwindling (in 1998 there were 274 inhabited islands in Greece). Nowadays only 74 islands have more than 100 inhabitants.
  • Athens (Alimos), Paros, Kos are the yacht charter bases nearest to the majority of the top 25 islands.

Top 3 least interesting

  1. Volos, Gulf of Volos is particularly overrated   , even more so when compared to the glorious Northern Sporades on its doorstep; instead start at Skiathos.
  2. Mykonos is commandeered by the (super)rich, although useful for excursions to Delos and as a starting point for yacht charters in the eastern Cyclades. Moreover, Mykonos town is delightful.
  3. Zakynthos is deservedly protected by the Marine Park and therefore mostly out of bounds. However, there are several stunning anchorages: Xigia, Makris Gialos, Navagio and Porto Vromis.

Conclusion: if these are the “least interesting” than the other islands are truly spectacular.

See all Aegean islands and their Greek, Ancient Greek, Turkish, Latin and Italian names.

Read more articles in my yachting guide.

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