There are over 160 permanently inhabited Greek islands and hundreds more small uninhabited islands. Many of the islands are hugely popular holiday destinations for tourists throughout Europe, with millions of package deal holidaymakers visiting every year. For the more independent traveller island hopping around the Greek islands is also very popular.
Listed below are the names of some of the major Greek islands, split into island groups, with the name of the capital city, the population and the size of the island in square kilometres.
A group of 7 main islands found on the western most edge of Greece in the ionian sea
Greek Island | Alternative Name |
Island Capital | Population (Census Year) |
Island Area (square km) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ithaki | Ithaca | Vathy | 5,000 | 96 |
Kefallonia | Cephalonia | Argostoli | 32,314 (1991) | 935 |
Kerkyra | Corfu | Corfu | 105,043 (1991) | 641 |
Kythira | Cerigo | Kythira | 2,500 | 284 |
Lefkada | Lefkas | Lefkada | 20,900 (2001) | 325 |
Paxi | Paxos | Gaios | 2,000 | 25 |
Zakynthos | Zante | Zakynthos Town | 38,957 (2001) | 410 |
The Cyclades are a large group of islands located in the Aegean sea off the SE coast of main land greece. There are over 200 islands that make up this group, many of which are very small and uninhabited. The group of islands were named because originally they formed a crude circle around the central island of Delos.
Greek Island | Alternative Name |
Island Capital | Population (Census Year) |
Island Area (square km) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amorgos | - | Amorgos | 1,800 | 134 |
Anafi | - | Anafi | 300 | 38 |
Andros | - | Andros | 10,500 (1992) | 373 |
Antiparos | - | Kastro | 600 | 35 |
Delos | - | - | uninhabited | 5 |
Folegandros | Pholegandros | Folegandros | 700 | 32 |
Ios | Nios | Ios | 1,100 (1992) | 105 |
Kea | Tzia | Ioulis | 2,415 (2001) | 121 |
Kimolos | - | Hora | 700 | 36 |
Kythnos | Thermia | Kythnos Town | 1,500 | 99 |
Milos | Melos | Plaka | 4,500 | 151 |
Mykonos | Mikonos | Mykonos | 6,200 (2002) | 86 |
Naxos | - | Naxos | 18,000 | 428 |
Paros | Paro | Parikia | 7,000 | 209 |
Santorini | Thera | Fira | 10,700 (2001) | 80 |
Serifos | - | Serifos | 1,200 | 73 |
Sifnos | - | Apollonia | 2,000 | 74 |
Sikinos | - | Sikinos | 300 | 41 |
Syros | Siros | Ermoupolis | 21,000 | 86 |
Tinos | - | Tinos | 9,000 | 195 |
The most eastern group of Greek Islands just of the SW coast of Turkey in the Aegean sea. Consists of 12 major islands, hence the name.
Greek Island | Alternative Name |
Island Capital | Population (Census Year) |
Island Area (square km) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Astypalaia | Astipalaia | Astypalaia Town | 1,246 (2001) | 96 |
Halki | Khalki | Nimborio | 421 (2001) | 28 |
Kalimnos | Kalymnos | Port of Pothia | 17,066 (2001) | 111 |
Karpathos | - | Pigadia | 6,622 (2001) | 300 |
Kassos | - | Fri | 1,071 (2001) | 66 |
Kastellorizo | Megisti | Megisti | 250 | 4 |
Kos | Cos | Kos | 30,071 (2001) | 288 |
Leros | - | Platanos | 7,983 (2001) | 54 |
Lipsi | - | Lipsi | 600 | 16 |
Nissiros | Nissyros | Mandraki | 938 (2001) | 41 |
Patmos | - | Patmos | 2,993 (2001) | 35 |
Rhodes | Rodos | Rhodes Town | 130,000 (2004) | 1398 |
Simi | Symi | Symi | 2,560 (2001) | 58 |
Tilos | - | Megalo Horio | 535 (2001) | 61 |