Choosing the Right Greek Island

With some 6,000 Greek islands, over 200 of which are inhabited, finding your little slice of the famous scenes from the Greek islands is a somewhat hit and miss experience. The constant images of stunning beaches, gleaming white chapels and timeless tavernas we are fed do, undeniably, give Greek island holidays an air of pure beauty, luxury and charm, yet bitter personal experience has taught that life is not the same throughout the Aegean.

The main islands, as a rule of thumb, those with their own airport, including Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Santorini and Zanthe, are hugely popular. This is not to say, by any means, the best, simply the most accessible, busy and vibrant Greek Island holidays can be found on their shores. Perfect for active holidays, where a host of daily activities and a plethora of bars are needed for constant entertainment, but information on these destinations is not hard to come by, nor are cheap flights, hotel rooms or holiday villas.

It is the other 210 odd inhabited islands that pose a little more problematic. But in the vast majority of cases, a little extra effort results in a lot of extra value, beauty and most of all, enjoyment.

Anyone looking for absolute peace and tranquillity, with awe-inspiring surroundings, empty beaches, sensational walking and the authentic, sleepy lifestyles of the Greek islands must venture a little further. The majority of these little islands are accessible only by ferry, or as a drop-of point on a Greek Island cruise. Finding ferry trips is easy, especially from the Pireas Port in Athens, and should the timetable not suit, there are boats with skippers everywhere you look, and often they are happy to take you, although hiring a speed boat for the week is a massively tempting alternative!

So, choice of island; it might sound tremendously stupid to say out loud, but that all depends on what you are after! Islands including Paxos, Symi and Lipsi will guarantee you complete solitude, whilst the beauty of Naxos, Samos and Andros will certainly inspire. The beaches of Paros and Hydra certainly leave nothing to be desired, but if it is nightlife and entertainment, Corfu, and of course, Cyprus, are calling.