Greek islands from Athens

This covers the islands you can reach from Athens under your own steam, by ferry or short flight, whether for a few hours or several nights. It spans two very different kinds of island: the close Saronic islands such as Hydra, Aegina and Poros, which sit an hour or two from Piraeus, and the further Cycladic and Cretan islands such as Santorini, Mykonos and Crete, which usually mean a flight or a long ferry crossing and are worth an overnight stay at minimum. It is for anyone weighing up whether to add an island onto an Athens trip, and if so, which one and for how long.

The advice that matters most here is to match the island to the time available rather than the other way round. A Saronic island works well as a single day away from Athens and needs no planning beyond checking the ferry timetable. Santorini or Mykonos do not work as a genuine day trip; the crossing alone eats a large chunk of the day, and most visitors who try it come away wishing they had stayed longer. Book ferry tickets ahead in the summer months, since the popular routes fill up, and check whether a flight is faster and not much pricier than the boat before ruling it out.

If you already know which island interests you, look at how to get there and what to expect once you arrive, whether that is Santorini, Mykonos, Crete or Hydra. If you are still undecided, weigh distance against how much time you have, or consider combining more than one stop if you want to island-hop rather than settle on one. Aegina, Poros and Delos suit visitors who want an island feel without committing a full day or more just to get there.

Santorini and Mykonos are popular for reasons that hold up, but both get seriously crowded in high season, and neither is a budget option once accommodation is added to the ferry or flight. Hydra and Aegina deliver a quieter, more affordable version of the same island atmosphere within easier reach, and they are the better choice for anyone put off by the idea of queuing for a caldera view.