The Best Greek Islands For Family Vacations

Few would disagree, though, that there is one thing surely offering deep pleasure and harmony - states that are linked with happiness since the ancient times when philosophers were gazing at the sky wondering about life’s substance and its boundaries - and this is no other than beauty itself! Beauty captivates us, stimulates, and at the same time calms us, and there is no one you would believe if they claimed they don’t long to be around beauty - whatever that may be.

The nature of beauty has concerned thinkers since antiquity, and among other fields of philosophy, there evolved the one called aesthetics, looking especially into what makes something we call a beautiful being as such. Surrounded by what we believe to be beautiful, we may feel like on our way to blissfulness, a state of joy with no limits.

If it is a mystery to you why the destination of an island usually seems like a ticket to Paradise, firstly think that the Good and the Beautiful, thought to be the Supreme Goods in philosophy, are inseparable and are often linked themselves with Nature; nature, according to Plato, imitates these infinite principles. And secondly, despite an island’s clear borders, to what our eye perceives the sea is infinite. 

Now, we made this philosophical stroll to conclude that, according to the above, we could say that islands are pieces of land surrounded by eternity, in a way that only the sea and the sky can let us suspect, being a sensory answer to the field of Aesthetics!

Suspecting Eternity is somewhat suspecting Happiness, and this, my dear friends, will allow you to set your GPS accurately and directly towards the Greek Islands!

Greek Islands

We don’t want to brag about Greek Islands being acknowledged amongst the most beautiful ones in the world, but we will. On one hand, there you have two words linked with happiness one aside to the other, and we would be fools to let you miss them; compared to philosophy, the good thing about geography is that the tickets are buyable! On the other hand, treasuring our land and islands means taking better care of them, creating the most hospitable shots of Paradise for you to expand your perception of Earthy Residency.

We would be fools as well to not enlighten you regarding the sort of Happiness you would be pursuing if you were to organize and spend your family vacations on the Greek Islands. If you set your compass towards the Mediterranean, it is guaranteed you will experience the sight of what seems to be an endless blue sea along with the sunbeams’ golden lace playfully dancing upon its surface. It is said that the Greek sun is bright like no other!

And while the rest would be Safety, Good Nutrition, and Kid-Friendly Beaches, we have a list of islands that would perfectly serve your family’s needs - to be honest, some would do so even better than you would ever imagine! 

Natural abundance, long history, great hospitality, and ancient civilization remains will make you feel pleasantly overwhelmed as your kids will wish you had a little island house by the sea for you to return to every summer with just a backpack of swimsuits and beach towels - actually the backpack of Happiness. 

Crete

The Old Harbor of Chania - credits: DaLiu/Canva

Greece’s largest island, Crete, could not be missing from this list, as it offers such a big range of experiences that it could easily become a destination to take up the whole duration of your trip! 

The people have a mindset of their own, creating the impression that you are suddenly in an autonomous country, the nature is imposing, the sceneries are rare, the beaches are clean, hospitality is at its best, and let us admit that the Cretans probably serve the most delicious food in the country. So, do not even think that you won’t be enjoying the takeover; Crete is so enchanting and fascinating that you will never be ready to depart.

An island of great history, Crete, holds treasures for the whole family to discover! The outstanding Bronze Age Palace of Knossos is considered to be the center of the Minoan Civilization, as well as Europe's oldest city, the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion exhibits findings from the large Minoan palaces and the Historical Museum of Heraklion will offer your little ones the possibility to learn through a treasure hunt and audiovisual devices all about how Crete changed through the centuries!

Moreover, taking a boat from Elounda, you can find yourselves to the islet of Spinalonga which was once a fortress, and later on, a leper colony, making a small stop for swimming at a lovely beach, combining education with pleasure.

You can extend your educational stimulation by visiting the Skinakas observatory or the Natural History Museum, you can relax at Georgiadis Park in Heraklion, or at the Municipal Garden in Chania, and you can feel more adventurous in one of the island’s Water Parks.

You can’t leave Crete without visiting the breathtaking Elafonissi in Chania for an outstanding golden-sand and turquoise-water experience, and if you prefer hidden beaches you should try Makrigialos beach in Lassithi. If on the other hand hiking is your thing, walking through the Astrakiano gorge will reveal natural beauties to satisfy your senses! 

To sum it up, Crete is all you would wish for a fulfilling Greek island taste, offering the freedom of options at a safe and warm environment where, if not the luxury vehicles offering transfers all across the island, a private car will be your little cocoon leading you anywhere you heart desires!

Naxos

Naxos port - credits: Andrey Khrobostov/Canva

Being justly one of the most well-known family-friendly islands in Greece, Naxos is the kind of place where you and your family will feel peaceful and eager to discover the island’s hidden gems at the same time, offering you a marvelous balance between rest and adventure!

Being large, the island is best explored with car hire, so that you can move from one place to another at your own pace and without worrying about distances or any unexpected circumstances under which you will need the flexibility to move spontaneously and autonomously.

Like Crete, Naxos is a safe destination in terms of medical support, with village clinics and pharmacies spread across the island, so if in search of a destination that will cater to you in case of a need, Naxos is one of those.

Local ingredients will absolutely define your culinary experience once in Naxos, and you can expect to have breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that will make you crave more while offering your children nutritional meals.

The Medieval old town of Naxos situated inside the Venetian Castle Walls is full of narrow alleys that will unfold a picturesque scenery only to enlarge your hunger for the island’s historical identity.

You will visit the Archaeological Museum of Naxos in the Castle and the countryside’s Medieval and post Medieval Towers, so that you have a fascinating trailer of Naxos’ former life in the sunset’s magical shade, as you happily lose yourself at Agios Georgios, Agios Prokopios or Agia Anna incredible beaches. For upbeat fun spend a day at Stelida or at the Aqua Fun Water Park, and for some more luxurious time rent a yacht to sail yourselves - with the help of a skipper of course - at the magnificent Greek blue waters! Once back to land, do check the unique mountain villages of Chalki and Philoti and take some taste of the local life.

If you prefer something relevantly smaller than Crete, yet large enough to satisfy a range of needs and lusts, Naxos will be your favorite one!

Corfu 

Porto Timoni, Corfu - credits: RistoArnaudov/Canva

Although this amazing Ionian island has a coastline of 200km and guarantees that you will, at last, have a swim at the kind of beaches you only get a glimpse of in the movies, this is not the only precious thing Corfu has to offer, and the American magazine Forbes includes Corfu in the perfect-for-relaxation-sun-and-nature destinations’ list to underline that.

Not only it is one of the largest and most popular islands in Greece - making it a reason for you to feel safe in terms of structures and facilities, as well as attracted by how many visitors choose it every year - but it also has a long history of formation under Venetian, French and British rule that, at the end of the day, created there an interesting mixture of cultural, architectural, even gastronomical details. 

One of Corfu’s main attractions is its capital, which is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site! Being influenced by the Venetians, one would be sure that he or she is wandering around on Italian ground, while the colorful narrow streets seem like a film set. 

The same applies to Corfu’s villages of Acharavi, Arilla, Nisaki, Saint Gordios, and Gouvia, while from the top hill village of Pelekas the sea-view sunset is a must! The villages’ character is so exceptional that it is no wonder that Danila village was indeed the film set for a James Bond movie and for the British Series “The Durrels”. 

Although Easter in Corfu is very famous, attracting thousands of travelers because of the intense and majestical customs taking place for the whole duration of the holy week - and of course extremely worth visiting - we must emphasize how the weather and the sea are not yet relevantly warm until mid-May. The ideal-for-kids Ionian beaches of Paleokastritsa, Agios Gordios, Pelekas, Acharavi, Issos Glyfada, are less windy than the Cycladic beaches and are the perfect summer destination.

If during the summertime, you will also have the joy of a relaxed and fun sailing visit to the islands of Paxos, Antipaxos, and Sivota nearby, or a drive to the breathtaking Lefkada, adding up to your unforgettable holidays! You may enjoy the truly incredible cuisine of Corfu in porches wearing swimsuits, explore olive oil production at Mavroudis Oil Farm, visit the History Museum and the Corfu Aquarium, get dizzy with pleasure at the Aqualand Water Park designed by the ones that worked on Disney Parks’ projects.

Corfu seems too good to be true, but it is so real you can even pour some sand in your shoes as a hard-to-avoid yet sweet evidence of its existence!

Zakynthos

Agios Sostis, Zakynthos - credits: simonbradfield/Canva

This Ionian island has some rare attractions that are only some of the reasons we especially recommend you consider it for your family vacation! The sun in Zakynthos shines again bright over unbelievable natural landscapes which your family will be thankful for having paid a visit - yet as this is not rare in Greece, we are referring to other rarities!

Did you know that the island, also called Zante, is for thousands of years the home for Caretta Caretta turtles? Marathonissi, a small private island that is no longer inhabited, is one of the areas where turtles go to breed, and should you like your kids to spot the loggerhead turtles in their natural habitat at the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, along maybe with other sea creatures, such as dolphins, you may hop on to one of the organized boat tours, and share this endangered species’ story from a personal point of view. 

And as Zakynthos coastline is rocky, the caves diving deep into the sea creating beautiful arches is something to blow your mind, while the boat takes you from where the turtles lay their eggs, to Keri Caves in the South-West of the island! If you are fascinated by this view, then be sure to visit the Blue Caves as well, on the north side of the island, as they are the most well-known ones, and one of the island’s main attractions!

But one of the most photographed sites in Greece, which lies in Zakynthos being the attraction of the attractions, is no other than the famous Shipwreck Beach on the west coast. Stranded in 1982, you may see the ship from close enough by booking an organized boat tour!

Tsilivi, Alykes, Vassilikos, and Ambala are some more beaches you can relax at, the old town of Zakynthos, with its Venetian Kastro, is for a meet up with the island’s rich history, the traditional villages of Kambi and Keri are for you to get a sight of windmills and farms, and finally, Tsilivi Water Park is for an additional fun day where restaurants, slides, swimming pools, and playgrounds are found all in the same place!

Zakynthos is perfectly crafted by nature and humans to feel like a dream!

A Piece of Truth

When we meet happiness, we never want to let it go. So be careful at the end of your Greek Islands' Vacation... to not forget you have a ticket back home! And most importantly, if you do, do not blame us - after all, we just posted a recipe.