Skip Santorini
I know, I know - it’s a hot take. The white buildings and blue roofs are iconic! If making the trek to Greece, it’s something you want to see. But here’s the thing. We here at Rogers Travel wouldn’t be your travel advisors if we didn’t present you with another way to see Greece.
Santorini absolutely is gorgeous and iconic, but that comes with a price. PEOPLE! Santorini is very heavily visited in the Summer months. You can expect the streets and sunset views to look a bit like this:
If visiting during the tourist season and hoping to skip the crowds, here is a list of 5 islands that will give you the very same jaw-dropping sunset views, beautiful beaches and delicious greek food.
1. Paros
Right in the center of the Aegean sea, Paros is a great spot for those discovering the wonders of the Cycladic islands. Whitewashed houses, solitary churches, ancient monasteries, and archaeological sites make it a unique destination in the Mediterranean. Paros has a mountain landscape that blends with the turquoise waters of the sea. Much like Santorini, here, colorful bougainvillea gives life to the whitewashed houses and picturesque hidden alleys
2. Chios
Chios is the fifth largest Greek Island, floating in the Aegean Sea. The island offers tons to do, from pristine beaches with cooling waters, long-stretching valleys, high mountains for hiking lovers, deep caves for adventurers to magical gorges carved by fast-flowing rivers.
Beyond its natural beauty, Chios is an island with a rich history since Neolithic times and impressive monuments from different time-periods, ideal for the visitor to sink into the island’s culture. It’s the birthplace of the poet, Homer!
3. Donoussa
Donoussa is a small and isolated island of the Cyclades, between Naxos and Amorgos. This is the ideal destination for quiet vacations away from big crowds. The island doesn't receive many tourists and has managed to retain its traditional architecture. Apart from swimming and hiking, the island is quiet and is perfect for total relaxation. It can be visited for either holiday or as a day trip while hopping along through other islands.
4. Nisyros
Nisyros is another gem of Greece, with incredible mythological connections, an active volcano, and dramatic clifftop villages. Due to its active volcano, Nisyros is home to amazing black-sand beaches that look incredibly dramatic beside the cerulean Aegean Sea.
You can actually explore the volcanic crater! It one of the world’s largest and best-preserved hydrothermal craters and one of the only active craters in the world you can walk within.
5. Ios
Beautiful Ios offers those same whitewashed buildings and quaint cobblestone streets as Santorini with far fewer tourists to contend with. The summer months have been gaining popularity in Ios - so now is the time to go before this hidden gem is uncovered totally! Ios should offer you empty hiking trails, pristine beaches, and true serenity.
All-in-all, Greece is amazing and growing in tourism popularity for very good reason. You truly can’t go wrong. Be sure to keep these fabulous, lesser-known Greek islands in mind when daydreaming about your next Greek vacation!