When you imagine yourself as a digital nomad in Greece, you may want to stay in one of its beautiful islands. Probably you have seen many inspirational photos and can already picture yourself working on (or close to) one of its pristine beaches. However, when you start crafting your itinerary, you find out something you had not anticipated:
200 islands? How can someone possibly know where to go?
You start looking around, checking blogs and experiences, but the issue is always the same: there are too many options 🙂
If we would go ahead with a description and outline every single island we would likely encounter 3 obstacles here:
1. We would write something longer than the Holy Bible
2. You would fall asleep very soon
3. We would fall asleep even before you
That’s why we decided to compile the information we have (so far, as we are always discovering!) with a focus on archipelagos instead of individual islands.
Even if every island has its own peculiarities, it’s fair saying that islands of the same archipelago will kind of look alike so grouping them together is probably more informational and ultimately helpful to make a choice.
– In an ideal world, we will make an in-depth separate post on every single island, but we’re not there yet.-
Ready to start? Let’s discover below all these beauties everyone is talking about.
Cyclades
When you imagine a Greek island, you 99% think of one of the Cyclades. These 24 islands are often pictured as the best place to go in entire Greece (and this author cannot agree more) because of their picturesque little white houses, dreamlike landscape and the most chilled vibes. Their reputation is not acquired for nothing, so if you have to pick one place only, pick one of these gems!
Sporades
In the North of Greece you will find this incredible archipelago of islands, of which four only are inhabited: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros. While the Cyclades are characterized by their arid climate and barren landscape (with hardly any plant on sight!), the Sporades are probably among the greenest islands you will ever see. Easily reachable with a quick ferry from Volos – and now also Thessaloniki – and a fair range of accommodations they are the perfect workation opportunity.
Ionian islands
Just across the Ionian sea from Italy, you will find these beautiful islands with blue waters and pristine beaches. Heavily influenced by the Venetians, the Ionian island offer a lot to do either if you prefer a smaller gem like Paxi or if you want to explore the vibrant Cefalonia. This lush and green archipelago is not to be missed!
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese consist of 15 islands off the coast of Turkey’s Anatolia, an area with a rich culture due to the different dominations that date back thousands of years ago. While there are some differences between the different islands (for example the white houses in Astipaleia compared to the colourful ones in Symi) the Dodecanese have all in common crystal clear waters and a plethora of wonderful beaches! You can pick a big island with stable wifi and great infrastructure as Rhodes, or a secluded place like Kastelorizo, but in either case you won’t be disappointed.
Saronic
The Saronic islands are often overlooked in favour of the better-known Cyclades or Ionian islands, but their gorgeous landscapes are just as good. Due to their proximity to Pireus port, they are easily reachable from Athens. Some of them, like Aegina or Agistri can even be visited on a day-trip!
Cretan islands
In our team, we have a special predilection for Crete and we can’t stop going back to visit more of it. It is an incredible island where you will be able to do everything: beach, hiking, great food, city life even! A few hours by ferry from Sfakia, you will find Gavdos, the southernmost point of Europe and probably the wildest island we have seen 🙂
Euboea
Euboea is the second-largest island after Crete and, compared to this one, it has a big advantage: it’s much closer to Athens and connected to the mainland via a bridge, so you can go visit it easily by car. Lushing with natural beauty and awe-inspiring landscapes, Still relatively unknown to international tourism, Euboea boasts some unexplored spots where you can discover its many beaches and the local culture at your own pace.
Still unsure where to go? Ask us!
As avid travellers who had been to all of these islands, we can give you all the recommendations you need (for free!)