Greek Islands Holidays – Island Round-Up

Here at Suntrap Holidays we love Greece.  Greek Islands holidays have so much to offer whatever your tastes.

From the vibrancy of the narrow streets with their whitewashed houses cascading down to the ferry port, to the complete tranquillity of the deserted sandy beach lapped by a shimmering blue sea and backed by aromatic pines, the Greek Islands have much to offer – more than many destinations that take a lot longer to reach.

Greek Islands Holidays - Corfu Paleokastritsa, by picasaweb.google.com user: jrbogdan

Corfu Scenery

One of my favourite islands is Corfu.  The first Greek island to really get onto the tourist route, it’s a real winner.  It’s one of the larger islands, and also one of the most northern which means it is green thanks to the winter rains.  As you make your way from the airport to your resort, the first thing you will see are what look like soldiers standing guard over the hillside – tall, thin, upright, dark green cypress trees that are almost the emblem of the Corfu countryside, a countryside that is as beautiful as you will see anywhere in the Med.

When it comes to resorts in Corfu, take your pick – the 24/7 party crowd will likely head for Kavos, THE party destination in Corfu (check out our Kavos hotels page).  It’s right on the southern tip of the island, so need not trouble the rest of us.  The other resorts range from pretty coastal fishing villages through older coastal resorts to modern purpose-built holiday complexes – take your pick.  Holidays in the Greek Islands would not be complete without a beach, and in Corfu you are really spoilt for choice.  Long sandy beaches, deserted cosy coves, pine-clad cliffs, azure sea – for great Greek Islands holidays, Corfu has it all.

Mykonos Scene

A real contrast to Corfu is Mykonos.  It’s a lot further south than Corfu, and much drier in the winter.  This makes it more barren, and there are said to be no “proper” trees in Mykonos because of the climate.  Mykonos, famous though it is, is a tiny island, only some five miles long compared to Corfu’s 40 miles.  This means that you can get to all of the beaches very quickly from wherever you are staying, but it also means that Mykonos can get busy in high season.  It is especially popular with the gay community, and the main town has a good selection of gay bars, clubs and restaurants.  Some of the beaches are also gay – others are naturist, and some are both!

Mykonos town is rather sophisticated compared to most other towns you may encounter on Greek Islands holidays, with designer shops and stylish bars and restaurants, and is a very pretty place with its narrow, paved, alleyways and whitewashed cubist buildings. Overall then, Mykonos is a place for the beach and the night-life, but not somewhere to come if you want the natural beauty of pine-clad hills and olive groves.

Greek Islands – Holidays on Skiathos and Skopelos

Skiathos and Skopelos are neighbours and share many characteristics.  Both have breathtaking scenery and both have great sandy beaches.  These are the places that come to mind when I think of the very essence of holidays in the Greek Islands – golden sand; shimmering blue sea; pine-clad hills; olive groves; the aroma of herbs on the warm breeze;

Greek Islands Holidays - Skiathos Town, by wikimedia.org user: Wisniowy

tranquillity.

Visitors to Skopelos who come by plane land on Skiathos and catch the “flying dolphin” hydrofoil for the 45-minute journey over to Skopelos.  Because of the extra leg of the journey, Skopelos is less well-known than Skiathos, but is worth the trip because the beaches are superb and Skopelos town is one of the prettiest Greek Island towns I have ever seen.  Having said that, Skiathos beaches are fantastic too – my favourite being Banana beach, which is small but idyllic.

Historic Kos

Greek Island holidays to Kos are different again.  Kos town, with its sprawling ancient ruins right in the town centre, is like no other – truly fascinating.  It comes alive at night and there are some great bars and restaurants to choose from.  Like Corfu, Kos has a variety of contrasting resorts, from bustling Kos town, steeped in history, over the top of the island to sleepy Kardamena, where you can get away from it all and yet have the amenities of a well-equipped tourist resort.

In time, we’re going to do fuller write-ups on holidays to the Greek Islands because one page can’t really do them justice. I haven’t even mentioned the genuine friendliness and warmth of the people – I have so many stories still to tell – so please come back often.

To get some idea of what you can get for your money in the Greek Islands these days (which is still a LOT) please take a look at the prices and deals by clicking this Greek Islands holidays link and doing a quick search.  You will see what I mean when I say you get a lot for your money!