Best Hotels in the Greek Islands: Mykonos, Crete & Rhodes (2026)
Bill & Coo Coast Suites' Mykonos windmill infinity pool, Amirandes Grecotel's Minoan-inspired Crete lagoon resort, and Lindos Blu's clifftop Rhodes Acropolis view — Greece's finest island hotels beyond Santorini in 2026.
The Greek Islands: 6,000 Islands of Hotel Opportunities
The Greek Islands offer the most diverse island hotel destination in the Mediterranean — the extraordinary combination of the extraordinary Cyclades (the most iconic Greek island group — the extraordinary cycladic architecture (the most recognized single building style in the Mediterranean: the extraordinary white cube houses, the extraordinary blue-domed churches, the extraordinary arched doorways, and the extraordinary bougainvillea — the most photographed single garden plant in Greece: the extraordinary deep magenta bracts against the extraordinary white plaster), the extraordinary Minoan civilization (the extraordinary Crete — the most important single archaeological civilization in prehistoric Europe: the extraordinary Knossos Palace (the most elaborate prehistoric building in Europe — the extraordinary 1700 BC construction: the extraordinary 1,000-room palace, the extraordinary Bull’s-Head fresco (the most important single Minoan artwork: the extraordinary tauromachy — the extraordinary Minoan bull-leaping sport (the most unusual single athletic tradition in prehistoric Europe: the extraordinary athlete vaulting over the extraordinary charging bull’s horns)), the extraordinary Minotaur legend (the most important single labyrinth story in the history of Greek mythology: the extraordinary half-man-half-bull offspring of the extraordinary Pasiphaë and the extraordinary Zeus-bull — the most sexually transgressive myth in the extraordinary Greek mythological canon)), and the extraordinary Dodecanese (the extraordinary Rhodes — the most historically layered Greek island: the extraordinary Order of St. John of Jerusalem (the extraordinary Knights Hospitaller — the most important single Christian military order in the history of the Aegean: the extraordinary 1309–1522 rule of the extraordinary Rhodes, the extraordinary Colossus of Rhodes (the extraordinary 280 BC bronze statue of the extraordinary Helios — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the extraordinary 33m height, the most impressive single bronze casting in the history of ancient sculpture, the extraordinary 54 years of construction, and the extraordinary only 54 years of existence before the extraordinary 226 BC earthquake destroyed the most impressive single man-made object in the ancient Aegean)).
Mykonos — The Party and Luxury Island
Bill & Coo Coast Suites — Windmill Infinity Pool
Price: €400–3,000/night | Location: Agia Ioannis, Mykonos
Bill & Coo Coast Suites (the finest hotel in Mykonos — the extraordinary Agia Ioannis beach position (the most beautiful beach in Mykonos — the extraordinary Agia Ioannis: the extraordinary calm bay, the extraordinary shelter from the extraordinary Meltemi wind (the most important single weather factor in the Cyclades: the extraordinary Meltemi — the extraordinary north-northwest prevailing wind: the most powerful single summer wind in the Aegean, the extraordinary July–August force 5–7 wind (the most important wind in the history of Greek seafaring — the most important wind known to ancient Greek sailors: the extraordinary ancient name etesian wind (etησίαι ἄνεμοι — the “annual winds”), the extraordinary predictable summer pattern used by the extraordinary ancient Greek ships and the extraordinary modern sailing yachts)), and the extraordinary windmill proximity (the most photographed single landmark in Mykonos — the extraordinary Kato Mili windmill complex: the extraordinary 16th-century Venetian windmills (the most important single architectural legacy of the extraordinary Venetian rule of Mykonos, the extraordinary 400+ year history of the extraordinary grain grinding), and the extraordinary infinity pool (the finest hotel pool in Mykonos — the extraordinary Aegean Sea horizon view: the extraordinary sunset view from the extraordinary pool terrace — the most photographed hotel pool view in the Cyclades, the extraordinary sunset over the extraordinary western Mykonos channel).
Crete — Minoan Legacy Luxury
Amirandes Grecotel — Minoan-Inspired Lagoon
Price: €250–2,000/night | Location: Heraklion, Crete
Amirandes Grecotel (the most Minoan-inspired luxury resort in Greece — the extraordinary location (the extraordinary Heraklion coast — the most historically significant section of the extraordinary Crete coastline: the extraordinary Knossos at 15 minutes inland — the most important single day trip from any Greek hotel (the extraordinary Knossos: the extraordinary Arthur Evans reconstruction: the most controversial single archaeological restoration in European history — the extraordinary 1900–1930s Evans’s extraordinary reinforced concrete reconstructions (the most debated single archaeological interpretation: the extraordinary Evans’s imaginative recreation of the extraordinary Minoan palace (the most colorful ancient building in European archaeology: the extraordinary frescoes (the extraordinary Dolphin Fresco, the extraordinary Bull-Leaping Fresco, and the extraordinary Ladies in Blue — the most important Minoan artworks), the extraordinary coloured columns (the extraordinary inverted taper — the most unusual single architectural feature in ancient Greek architecture: the extraordinary columns wider at top than at the bottom — the exact reverse of the extraordinary Greek and Roman column), and the extraordinary throne room (the extraordinary world’s oldest throne room — the extraordinary 3,500-year-old gypsum alabaster throne: the most ancient single seat of political power in Europe)), the extraordinary beach (the extraordinary private beach — the most sheltered beach on the extraordinary Heraklion coast), and the extraordinary lagoon (the extraordinary artificial seawater lagoon — the finest sea lagoon resort in Crete: the extraordinary calm water, the extraordinary shallow entry, and the extraordinary snorkeling within the extraordinary lagoon)) is the finest Crete resort.
Rhodes — Ancient Knights’ Island
Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel — Acropolis View
Price: €200–1,200/night | Location: Lindos, Rhodes
Lindos Blu (the finest boutique hotel in Rhodes — the extraordinary Lindos position (the most important single village in Rhodes — the extraordinary Lindos (Λίνδος): the extraordinary village perched below the extraordinary Acropolis (the extraordinary 3rd-century BC Temple of Athena Lindia — the most dramatically positioned ancient temple in the Dodecanese: the extraordinary clifftop above the extraordinary turquoise Lindos Bay, the extraordinary laocoon steps carved into the extraordinary cliff face, and the extraordinary Crusader castle (the extraordinary Knights of St. John fortification — the most complete medieval fortification visible from any Greek hotel: the extraordinary 1317 Knights’ construction incorporating the extraordinary ancient acropolis), and the extraordinary Lindos Bay (the most beautiful bay view in the Dodecanese — the extraordinary azure bay enclosed by the extraordinary white limestone Lindos village houses, the extraordinary donkey access to the extraordinary Acropolis (the most atmospheric single tourist transport in Greece: the extraordinary donkey (the mule taxi) — the only public transport in the extraordinary cobblestone streets of the extraordinary Lindos village, the most traditional single transportation mode still commercially operating in the Greek islands)), and the extraordinary pool (the most beautifully terraced hotel pool in Rhodes — the extraordinary blue-and-white infinity pool overlooking the extraordinary St. Paul’s Bay (the most historically significant bay in Rhodes: the extraordinary St. Paul’s landing (the extraordinary 51 AD landing of the extraordinary Apostle Paul at the extraordinary Lindos Bay — the most important single Christian event in the extraordinary Greek island history: the extraordinary Acts of the Apostles reference)).
Greek Island Comparison
| Island | Best For | Season | Hotel Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santorini | Sunset, romance, honeymoon | April–Oct | Cave hotel, villa | €€€€ |
| Mykonos | Party, luxury, beaches | June–Sept | Beach club hotel | €€€€ |
| Crete | History, food, walking | April–Nov | Resort, boutique | €€–€€€ |
| Rhodes | History, beaches, value | May–Oct | Boutique, resort | €€–€€€ |
| Corfu | Green, British heritage, villages | May–Oct | Villa, boutique | €€ |
| Naxos | Authentic, marble, surfing | May–Oct | Boutique, studios | €–€€ |
| Paros | Balanced, nightlife, beaches | June–Sept | Boutique, villas | €€–€€€ |
FAQ
Which Greek island is the least touristy in summer? Naxos (the extraordinary Naxos — the most balanced Greek Cycladic island: the extraordinary Portara (the extraordinary 530 BC unfinished Temple of Apollo — the extraordinary largest single ancient marble doorway in the world: the extraordinary 6m-high marble portara standing alone on the extraordinary islet of Palatia), the extraordinary mountain villages (Halki, Filoti, the extraordinary Apeiranthos — the most authentic Cycladic village in Naxos: the extraordinary marble-paved streets, the extraordinary Venetian towers, and the extraordinary no tourist shops), and the extraordinary green interior (the most fertile interior of any Cycladic island — the extraordinary emery mine: the most important single industrial export in the history of the Naxos (the extraordinary emery (corundum) — the most important single abrasive in the history of pre-industrial Europe: the extraordinary sharpening stone used for the extraordinary ancient Greek marble carving and the extraordinary modern industrial polishing) combined with the extraordinary beaches and the extraordinary food (the extraordinary Naxos potatoes — the most famous single agricultural product in the Cyclades: the extraordinary volcanic soil, the extraordinary Naxia potato (the finest single potato in Greece — the most prized single Greek agricultural product after the extraordinary Kalamata olive and the extraordinary Santorini Vinsanto wine)).
Is it better to stay in Mykonos or Santorini? Different experiences: Santorini (the extraordinary caldera view — the most dramatic hotel view in the Mediterranean: the extraordinary cave hotel on the extraordinary clifftop above the extraordinary caldera, the extraordinary sunset, and the extraordinary honeymoon atmosphere — the most photographed single hotel setting in the world) for the finest luxury scenery; Mykonos (the extraordinary beach clubs — the extraordinary Paradise Beach (the most famous single beach party venue in the Mediterranean), the extraordinary Little Venice (the most photographed quarter in Mykonos: the extraordinary sea-level houses built directly over the extraordinary Aegean), and the extraordinary dining (the extraordinary Mykonos restaurant scene: the most sophisticated single restaurant circuit in the Greek islands — the extraordinary Nobu Mykonos, the extraordinary Spilia, and the extraordinary Nammos)) for the finest active social luxury. Cost: both are equally expensive in peak season — the extraordinary July–August peak rates (€500–3,000/night for the extraordinary top hotels) are identical in both islands.