As popular islands like Mykonos and Santorini are becoming victims of their own success and are facing over-tourism, many travelers are opting for lesser known Greek islands for their summer holidays.
Specialist tour operator, Sunvil analyzed search volume for Greek islands – the number of times per month that people search online for terms including each island’s name – and found that the biggest increases in volume between 2018 and 2019 were for lesser-known islands.
Sunvil named ten of these islands, as well as the increase in online searches from one year to the next.
“Greece’s lesser-known islands are growing in popularity. Hidden gems like Karpathos and Tilos may not dominate your Instagram feed like Santorini just yet but they offer equally rewarding sights that are less crowded and often cheaper,” according to a post on the Lonely Planet blog.
Dudley Der Parthog, Sunvil’s programme director for Greece, said in the blog post by Sunvil that: “today, more and more people are searching for those less-travelled or ‘secret’ islands. Whether they’re looking to escape the crowds and their own busy lives, or to simply fuel their own wanderlust – and others’ through social media – we know it’s always a thrill to discover somewhere new – and first.”
Top 10 “lesser known” Greek Islands and the increase in searches from 2018 to 2019, according to Sunvil
1.Kythira +340%
2.Samos +39%
3.Limnos +38%
4.Kythnos +32%
5.Halki +30%
6.Koufonisia +25%
7.Milos +23%
8.Meganisi +22%
9.Tilos +21%
10.Karpathos +14%
Featured photo: Karpathos’ quiet, tumbling villages are well worth exploring. Image by Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
