This One Fact About Greece Will Change Your Life

You probably know about Corfu, Crete, Zakynthos, Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos and so on. But do you know how many islands there are in Greece? While they are 227 inhabited islands, the fact is that Greece is actually home to between 1,200 and 6,000 depending on what is considered an island. This means there are still so many options besides the usual destinations for visitors to explore.

Scattered across the Aegean and Ionian Seas, the Greek islands take up 7,500 of the 16,000 kilometers of the country’s coastline. Out of this gargantuan number of islands, between 160 and 227 are inhabited. Among these, only 53 have a population of more than 1,000 inhabitants and in the remaining lot, 95 have less than 100. To make things easier, the Greek islands are divided into smaller clusters.

It is likely you’ve all heard of the most popular island group, the Cyclades islands, home to about 220 islands. Famous across the world for its typical architecture, the Cyclades are in the center of the Aegean Sea and include Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Milos and Ios, among the most popular. But the cluster includes smaller, lesser-known islands equally as beautiful and definitely cheaper and more authentic, such as Serifos, Tinos, Folegandros, Syros and the exotic-looking islands of Schinoussa and Koufonisia.

Crystal clear waters in Koufonisia, Greece

Another popular cluster of islands is the Ionian, located in the Ionian Sea, between Greece and Italy. Traditionally called the Heptanese, “the Seven Islands”, the Ionian group includes a series of smaller islands next to the seven larger ones. They boast a different cultural heritage since they were never occupied by Ottoman Empire but rather bear Italian influences due to the Venetian rule. The six northern islands, namely Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Ithaka and Paxi, are off the west coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea while Kythira lies off the southern tip of the Peloponnese.

Gerakas beach, a protected sea turtle nesting site in Zakynthos

Closer to the mainland, the Saronic Islands or Argo-Saronic Islands include Salamis, Aegina, Agistri, and Poros, Hydra and Dokos. Due to their proximity to the mainland and the Attica region, many Greeks have vacation homes on the Saronic islands, which are easily connected to Piraeus and the Peloponnese.

The Sporades, consists of 24 islands scattered along the east coast of Greece, in the Aegean Sea. Out of the 24, four are permanently inhabited: Alonnisos, Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros.

The North Aegean islands, also known as the Northeast Aegean islands, are a group of islands located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea and the Thracian Sea. The cluster includes islands in the northeastern Aegean Sea and along the Turkish coast such as Samos, Ikaria, Chios, Lesbos, Lemnos, Agios Efstratios, Psara, Fournoi Korseon (or simply Fourni), Oinousses and the islands in the far north, Samothrace (Samothraki) and Thasos.

Finally, the islands of Crete at the southern edge of the Aegean Sea and the island of Evia (Euboea), off the mainland are the country’s first and second largest islands and boast splendid nature and a unique culture of their own.

So, which island do you want to visit next?

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

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Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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