# Greece & the Greek Islands: An Independent Travel Guide

> fly2greece.net is an independent guide to over 100 Greek islands, their beaches, naturist beaches, villages, hotels and car rentals, written and photographed by Hans Huisman since 2000. Covers Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Samos, Santorini, Mykonos and more.

| | |
|---|---|
| Islands covered | 100+ |
| Writing since | 2000 |
| Focus | Independent & personal |
| Best months | May, Sept, Oct |

**fly2greece.net is a personal, independent guide to over 100 Greek islands, their beaches, villages, hotels and tavernas, written from Hans Huisman’s own travels since 2000.** Hans visits every island, hotel and beach in person, shoots his own photographs and writes each page himself. He looks for peace, quiet, good food and honest beaches — including many naturist beaches — and no business pays to appear here.

Not sure where to go? Take the quiz below and match your travel style to a Greek island.

## Popular islands & regions

These 14 islands are the most-visited destinations on fly2greece.net, spread across every major island group. Each name links to its own guide with beaches, villages, hotels and how to get there.

| Island | Group | Known for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crete | Crete | Beaches, mountains and Minoan ruins |
| Santorini | Cyclades | Caldera views and the sunsets of Oia |
| Mykonos | Cyclades | Old Town, windmills and beaches |
| Rhodes | Dodecanese | Medieval Old Town and a long coast |
| Corfu | Ionian | Green hills and a Venetian old town |
| Naxos | Cyclades | Long sandy beaches and mountain villages |
| Paros | Cyclades | Naoussa, Golden Beach and ferry links |
| Kefalonia | Ionian | Myrtos Beach and the Melissani cave |
| Zakynthos | Ionian | Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach |
| Milos | Cyclades | Sarakiniko and colourful sea coves |
| Samos | North Aegean | Green hills and Pythagorio |
| Kos | Dodecanese | Long beaches and the ancient Asklepion |
| Skiathos | Sporades | Koukounaries and pine-backed beaches |
| Paxos | Ionian | A small, quiet island of blue sea caves |

## Browse by island group

Greece splits its islands into a handful of groups, and each group has its own landscape, character and ferry network. Pick a group below and follow the links to its main island guides.

### The Cyclades

The Cyclades are the classic Aegean islands of white villages, blue domes and bare hills south-east of Athens. Its best-known guides cover [Santorini](https://fly2greece.net/santorini.html), [Mykonos](https://fly2greece.net/mykonos.html), [Naxos](https://fly2greece.net/naxos.html), [Paros](https://fly2greece.net/paros.html), [Milos](https://fly2greece.net/milos.html), [Sifnos](https://fly2greece.net/sifnos.html), [Serifos](https://fly2greece.net/serifos.html), [Folegandros](https://fly2greece.net/folegandros.html), [Amorgos](https://fly2greece.net/amorgos.html), [Ios](https://fly2greece.net/ios.html), [Syros](https://fly2greece.net/syros.html) and [Tinos](https://fly2greece.net/tinos.html).

Smaller Cyclades on the site include [Andros](https://fly2greece.net/andros.html), [Kea](https://fly2greece.net/kea.html), [Kythnos](https://fly2greece.net/kythnos.html), [Antiparos](https://fly2greece.net/antiparos.html), [Iraklia](https://fly2greece.net/iraklia.html), [Koufonisia](https://fly2greece.net/koufonisia.html), [Kimolos](https://fly2greece.net/kimolos.html) and [Anafi](https://fly2greece.net/anafi.html).

### The Dodecanese

The Dodecanese line the Turkish coast in the south-east Aegean and mix long beaches with castles and medieval towns. Its guides cover [Rhodes](https://fly2greece.net/rhodes.html), [Kos](https://fly2greece.net/kos.html), [Patmos](https://fly2greece.net/patmos.html), [Symi](https://fly2greece.net/symi.html), [Kalymnos](https://fly2greece.net/kalymnos.html), [Karpathos](https://fly2greece.net/karpathos.html), [Leros](https://fly2greece.net/leros.html), [Nisyros](https://fly2greece.net/nisyros.html), [Tilos](https://fly2greece.net/tilos.html) and [Lipsi](https://fly2greece.net/lipsi.html).

### The Ionian islands

The Ionian islands sit off the west coast of Greece and stay greener and cooler than the Aegean. Its guides cover [Corfu](https://fly2greece.net/corfu.html), [Kefalonia](https://fly2greece.net/kefalonia.html), [Zakynthos](https://fly2greece.net/zakynthos.html), [Lefkada](https://fly2greece.net/lefkas.html), [Ithaca](https://fly2greece.net/ithaca.html) and [Paxos](https://fly2greece.net/paxos.html).

### The Sporades

The Sporades are pine-covered islands off the coast of central Greece, ringed by clear coves. Its guides cover [Skiathos](https://fly2greece.net/skiathos.html), [Skopelos](https://fly2greece.net/skopelos.html), [Alonissos](https://fly2greece.net/alonissos.html) and [Skyros](https://fly2greece.net/skyros.html).

### The North Aegean

The North Aegean islands lie close to Turkey and stay green, traditional and uncrowded. Its guides cover [Samos](https://fly2greece.net/samos.html), [Chios](https://fly2greece.net/chios.html), [Lesbos](https://fly2greece.net/lesbos.html), [Limnos](https://fly2greece.net/limnos.html), [Ikaria](https://fly2greece.net/ikaria.html), [Thassos](https://fly2greece.net/thassos.html), [Samothraki](https://fly2greece.net/samothraki.html) and [Fourni](https://fly2greece.net/fourni.html).

### The Saronic Gulf

The Saronic Gulf islands sit within easy reach of Athens and make good short trips. Its guides cover [Aegina](https://fly2greece.net/aegina.html), [Poros](https://fly2greece.net/poros.html), [Hydra](https://fly2greece.net/hydra.html), [Spetses](https://fly2greece.net/spetses.html), [Agistri](https://fly2greece.net/agistri.html) and [Salamis](https://fly2greece.net/salamis.html).

### Crete

Crete is the largest Greek island and fills a whole section of its own. Start with the [Crete guide](https://fly2greece.net/crete.html), then explore its four regions: [Chania](https://fly2greece.net/chania.html), [Rethymno](https://fly2greece.net/rethymno.html), [Heraklion](https://fly2greece.net/heraklion.html) and [Lasithi](https://fly2greece.net/lasithi.html).

### Mainland Greece

Mainland Greece adds beaches and mountains to an island trip. The site covers the [Peloponnese](https://fly2greece.net/peloponnese.html) in the south, the three fingers of [Halkidiki](https://fly2greece.net/halkidiki.html) in the north and the big island of [Evia](https://fly2greece.net/evia.html) just off Athens.

## Why fly2greece

fly2greece.net stays independent and personal. Hans travels to the islands two or three times a year, photographs them himself and reviews only places he has seen with his own eyes. He praises the good and warns about the bad, no business can buy a mention, and the site favours quiet villages and honest beaches over mass tourism. Read the full story on the [about us](https://fly2greece.net/about-us.html) page.

## Frequently asked questions

**How many Greek islands are there?**

Greece has thousands of islands, and about 200 are inhabited. fly2greece.net covers over 100 of them in words and photographs, from Crete and Rhodes down to tiny Iraklia and Thirassia.

**When is the best time to visit the Greek islands?**

The best months for the Greek islands are May, September and October. These months bring warm seas, open tavernas and far fewer crowds than July and August, when the islands are hottest and busiest.

**Which Greek island should I choose?**

The right Greek island depends on what you want: beaches, quiet villages, hiking, nightlife or ancient sites. Take the destination quiz above to match your preferences to an island, and compare the shortlisted islands in the "Popular islands" table.

**Is fly2greece.net independent?**

Yes. Hans Huisman visits the islands, hotels and beaches in person, shoots his own photographs and writes every page himself. No hotel or business pays to appear on the site, so the opinions stay honest.

**Can you plan island-hopping across Greece?**

Stay within one island group when you hop between islands, because ferries connect neighbouring islands far more often than distant ones. Give each small island at least 2 days and each large island a week or more.

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Source: [The Greek Islands: Hotels, Beaches, Naturist Beaches & Car Rental on Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Samos and 100+ Islands](https://fly2greece.net/index.html) — fly2greece.net, an independent guide to Greece written and photographed by Hans Huisman since 2000.

Reviewed July 2026.