Greek islands how many are there?
Greek Islands numbers – well actually that’s not a straightforward question to answer – it depends how you define an island and how big a piece of land needs to be to qualify as an island. In terms of inhabited islands, the number is somewhere around 200.
List of main Greek islands
Listed by island group
| Island Group | Populated Islands |
|---|---|
| N/A | Crete |
| N/A | Evia (Euboea) |
| North Aegean | Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Lemnos, Mytilene (Lesvos), Thasos, Ikaria, Agios Efstratios, Psara, Oinousses |
| Dodecanese | Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos, Symi, Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Astypalaia, Kastellorizo |
| Ionian Islands | Corfu (Kerkyra), Lefkada, Zakynthos (Zante), Kefalonia, Kythira, Paxos, Ithaca |
| Cyclades | Naxos, Andros, Santorini (Thira), Paros, Milos, Ios, Syros, Amorgos, Antiparos, Tinos, Kea (Tzia), Serifos, Sifnos, Folegandros, Mykonos, Delos, Anafi, Sikinos, Kimolos, Antiparos |
| Saronic Islands | Hydra, Poros, Aegina, Spetses |
| Sporades | Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros |
What is the largest of the Greek islands
Crete is the largest island at 8,450 sq kms, about twice the size of Long Island. Next in order of size are Evia (Euboea), Lesbos, Rhodes, Chios.
Naxos is the largest Cyclades island at just 430 sq kms.
Which of the Greek islands is closest to Athens
Aegina (part of the Saronic group) is closest to Athens and just a 40 minutes ferry ride away from Piraeus. Of course that proximity makes it very popular with Athenians as a weekend break location. From a holiday viewpoint, Aegina has plenty of attractive villages and beaches to explore and should definitely not be overlooked.
Which of the Greek islands is furthest from Athens
Kastellorizo is picture perfect member of the Dodecanese island group and is 559kms away from Athens , with a ferry taking upwards of 22 hours. Of course it is much closer to Turkey and it’s only 7kms from the Turkish town town of Kas to Kastellorizo, a journey that takes around 20 minutes.
Athens to Santorini – how long does it take?
A flight from Athens airport to Santorini will take around 50 minutes.
A ferry from Athens to Santorini will take between 5 and 8 hours depending on the type of boat you take – Seajets are faster but more expensive than Blue Star. You can get ferries either from Piraeus or Rafina ports – Rafina is actually closer to Athens International Airport so may be a better choice.
Which Cyclades Islands have an airport?
International airports: Mykonos and Santorini
Note – you may find that flying directly into one of these airports gives you a time advantage over going via Athens – but as always, check connection timings carefully.
Domestic airports: Naxos, Paros, Syro
More Cyclades facts
Archipelago and Islands: The Cyclades consist of around 220 islands, with only 24 of them being inhabited. The most famous and visited among them include Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, and Milos.
Cycladic Architecture: The Cyclades are renowned for their distinctive architectural style, featuring whitewashed cube-shaped houses with blue-domed churches, creating an iconic and picturesque landscape.
Ancient Civilization: The Cyclades were home to one of the earliest and most influential ancient civilizations, the Cycladic civilization, dating back to the Bronze Age (approximately 3200-1100 BCE).
Santorini’s Volcanic Past: Santorini, also known as Thira, is a volcanic island formed by a massive volcanic eruption around 3600 years ago. The eruption created a caldera, now a breathtaking sight with cliffs plunging into the sea.
Mykonos Windmills: Mykonos is famous for its iconic windmills, once used for milling wheat. Today, they are a symbol of the island’s rich history and a popular attraction for tourists.
Naxos and the Statue of Kouros: Naxos is known for its large, ancient statues called Kouros, representing young male figures. One of the most famous is the Statue of Kouros near Apollonas village, standing at about 10 meters tall.
Greek islands how many people
Cyclades islands top 10
- Naxos Population: Approximately 20,904 residents
- Santorini (Thira): Approximately 15,550 residents
- Paros Population: Approximately 13,664 residents
- Mykonos Population: Approximately 11,532 residents
- Tinos Population: Approximately 8,636 residents
- Andros: Approximately 7,182 residents
- Syros Population: Approximately 21,507 residents
- Kea (Tzia): Approximately 2,455 residents
- Milos: Approximately 5,075 residents
- Amorgos: Approximately 1,977 residents
Size of the Cyclades islands