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Thousands of islands lily-pad their way through the Mediterranean Sea, many offering their own irreplaceable combination of sights and experiences. Picking one for summer can be a head-scratching choice.
To make the decision a little less taxing, we have taken a cross-section of islands from the region and compared their vital statistics to see which come out top.
We sourced data from the European Environmental Agency, Blue Flag, aviation analytics company Cirium, regional and national tourist boards, and ferry travel aggregator sites, and researched the average price of the cheapest available hotels in different star categories on booking.com.
Then we compared the results, giving each island a mark out of 13 for each category we researched. Finally, we tallied up the scores to find the best in terms of affordability, beach scene and accessibility.
Below, we reveal the winners, with Crete taking the top podium position for summer 2024.
1. Crete, Greece
Greece’s largest island is a crowd-pleaser, though you can still avoid the crowds. There are 300 beaches – including pink-sand Elafonisi – as well as buzzy harbour towns such as Elounda, mountains and plentiful ancient sites. The Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, near Heraklion, is said to have been home to the mythical Minotaur, while the 16km Samaria Gorge is Europe’s longest canyon. Then there’s Cretan cuisine – try it in pretty seaside Sissi.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Heraklion in July: From £73.76
Four-star: From £84.79
Five-star: From £163.59
Average cost of three-course meal for two in mid-range restaurant in Heraklion: £38.54
Number of July-Aug flights from UK to Heraklion and Chania: 576
Ferry ports and frequency: Four ports (Heraklion, Chania, Sitia and Kissamos) connect Crete to Athens, running around 60 sailings a week
Blue Flag beaches: 139
Bathing water quality: 100% excellent
Activities: Hiking, cycling, kayaking
2. Cyprus
(Photo: kb79/Getty/iStockphoto)
Also known as Aphrodite’s Island, for being the legendary birthplace of the goddess of love, Cyprus delivers tawny-coloured beaches, upbeat coastal cities such as Paphos and Limassol, and an interior that morphs from the pin-sharp peaks of the Troodos Mountains to the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Tombs of the Kings, a 4th century necropolis of underground burial chambers. Pretty mountain villages include Kalopanayiotis and Platres, where you can see artisans at work. In Larnaca Bay, the wreck of the 172-metre Zenobia ferry is ranked as one of the world’s top 10 diving wrecks.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Paphos in July: From £66.22
Four-star hotel: From £117.48
Five-star hotel: From £208.25
Meal for two in Paphos: £51.38
July-Aug flights from the UK to Paphos and Larnaca: 2,390
Ferry ports and frequency: One route from Limassol to Piraeus (Athens) in summer, sailing three to four times a week. Ferries also run between Kyrenia and Famagusta to mainland Turkey
Blue Flag beaches: 76
Bathing water quality: 99.2% excellent
Activities: Scuba-diving, hiking, water sports, birdwatching
2. Rhodes, Greece
Action-packed beaches are accompanied by sights such as the Unesco-listed Medieval City of Rhodes, where knights once roamed, Mandraki Harbour, where the Colossus of Rhodes – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – formerly stood, and the 10th-century Lindos Acropolis, perched 116 metres above sea level.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Rhodes Town in July: From £75.25
Four-star hotel: From £107.13
Five-star hotel: From £206.93
Meal for two in Rhodes Town: £53.54
July-Aug flights from the UK to Rhodes: 1,487
Ferry ports and frequency: Rhodes port connects to Athens 13 times a week. Sailings are also available to Turkey, with 55 weekly crossings to Marmaris and Fethiye
Blue Flag beaches: 57
Bathing water quality: 98.1% excellent
Activities: Water sports, boat-tripping, city strolling
4. Sicily, Italy
The largest island in the Mediterranean pairs cannoli-coloured beaches with Baroque cities such as Palermo, Noto and Syracuse and seven Unesco World Heritage Sites, including the hilltop Valley of the Temples, the rocky Necropolis of Pantalica, the Aeolian Islands and Mount Etna.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Palermo in July: From £59.62
Four-star hotel: From £90.71
Five-star hotel: From £533.42
Meal for two in Palermo: £42.83
July-Aug flights from UK to Palermo, Trapani & Catania: 654
Ferry ports and frequency Four ferry ports: (Palermo, Palermo Termini Imerese, Messina and Milazzo) connect Sicily with mainland Italy, running 563 sailings a week to places such as Genoa, Naples and Civitavecchia for Rome
Blue Flag beaches: 18
Bathing water quality: 79.2% excellent
Activities: Snorkelling, hiking, vineyard visits, temple tour
5. Mallorca, Spain
Away from the iridescent coves and yacht-spotted marina towns, highlights of Mallorca include hiking to pretty villages such as Valldemossa and Estellencs in the Sierra de Tramuntana, riding the vintage train through tunnels and across viaducts to Sóller, and touring Palma’s cavernous Gothic cathedral.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Palma in July: From £116
Four-star hotel: From £138.68
Five-star hotel: From £286.71
Meal for two in Palma: £42.83
July-Aug flights from UK to Palma de Mallorca: 5,366
Ferry ports and frequency: Two ports (Alcudia and Palma) connect Mallorca to mainland Spain, with around 71 sailings to destinations such as Valencia, Barcelona and Denia
Blue Flag beaches: 20
Bathing water quality: 72.6% excellent
Activities: Water sports, hiking, train-tripping
6. Sardinia, Italy
The 20km Emerald Coast and Maddalena isles, the flamingo-filled Oasi Biderosa nature reserve and the Bronze Age site of Tamuli, nicknamed the Stonehenge of the Mediterranean, are just a few of the tricks this Italian island has up its sleeve. Seek out the Blue Zone villages of Ogliastra, Barbagia and Seulo where residents live longer-than-average lives.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Cagliari in July: From £98.75
Four-star hotel: From £130.20
Five-star hotel: From £349.66
July-Aug flights from UK to Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero: 494
Ferry ports and frequency: Four ferry ports (Cagliari, Arbatax, Olbia, Golfo Aranci and Porto Torres) connect Sicily with mainland Italy, running 129 sailings a week to destinations such as Genoa, Naples and Civitavecchia for Rome
Blue Flag beaches: 44
Bathing water quality: 97.7% excellent
Meal for two in Cagliari: £59.97
Activities: Scuba-diving, sailing, hiking, cycling, climbing
7. Djerba, Tunisia
Five miles from Tunisia’s southern coast, Djerba has some of the country’s best beaches. The medina of capital Houmt Souk, the pottery village of Guellala, and the sand bar of Ras Rmel, which is usually reached by pirate ship, are other must-sees.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Djerba in July: From £75.99
Four-star hotel: From £81.78
Five-star hotel: From £216.78
July-Aug flights from UK to Djerba: 0 (but you can fly direct to Enfidha/Hammamet)
Ferry ports and frequency: The ferry from mainland Jorf to Ajim runs 147 times a week, although it has a reputation for being unreliable at times
Blue Flag beaches: Unrated
Bathing water quality: Good, according to its own analysis
Meal for two in Djerba: £15.20
Activities: Sunbathing, shopping, boat-tripping
8. Corsica, France
(Photo: Photoprofi30/Getty/iStockphoto)
As well as being the birthplace of Napoleon, Corsica is known as the Ile de Beauté for eye candy such as the Unesco-listed Calanques de Piana sea cliffs, emerald-green river gorges and reef-rimmed beaches of the Lavezzi Islands. It’s also home to the epic, mountainous GR20 trail.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Ajaccio in July: From £96.79
Four-star hotel: From £147.97
Five-star hotel: From £332.14
Meal for two in Ajaccio: £55.68
July-Aug flights from UK to Bastia: 43
Ferry ports and frequency: Five ports (Bastia, Ajaccio, Ile Rousse, Porto Vecchio and Propriano) connect to mainland France, running 66 sailings a week to destinations including Marseille and Nice
Blue Flag beaches: 5
Bathing water quality: 92% excellent
Activities: Hiking, canyoning, wild swimming, snorkelling
9. Hvar, Croatia
Hvar’s Old Town, with its red roofs and medieval hilltop fortress; the lavender fields near Stari Grad, which bloom from mid-May and mid-July; and the Pakleni Islands, which splodge their way through 10km of the Adriatic Sea off the south-west coast are the statement sights of this Adriatic island.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Hvar in July: From £152.53
Four-star hotel: From £321.51
Five-star hotel: From £818.96
July-Aug flights from UK to Split: 758
Meal for two in Hvar Town: £85.66
Ferry ports and frequency: Four ports (Hvar, Stari Grad, Jelsa and Sucuraj) connect Hvar with the Croatian mainland, with 289 sailings a week to destinations including Split and Dubrovnik
Blue Flag beaches: 1
Bathing water quality: 100% excellent
Activities: Dining, lavender field tours, hiking, sailing
10. Cres, Croatia
More than 300km of hiking and biking trails await visitors to this quiet, northerly island, taking in deeply wooded forests and coastal promontories. Cres is one of the last remaining habitats of the Griffon vulture.
Average cost of a three-star hotel or guesthouse in July: From £68.88
Four-star hotel: £116.13
Five-star hotel: The island’s first is set to open in June
Meal for two: £64.18
July-Aug flights from UK to Rijeka: 17
Ferry ports and frequency: Three ferry ports (Cres Town, Martinscica and Porozina) connect Cres with mainland Croatia, with 23 sailings a week to Rijeka and Brestova
Blue Flag beaches: 2
Bathing water quality: 100% excellent
Activities Hiking: Birdwatching
11. Malta
Visit the Unesco-protected capital of Valletta, hilltop Mdina (known as the Silent City due to its lack of cars), the Blue Grotto sea caves and the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk – and try the Maltese speciality of bragioli – stuffed bundles of braised beef.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Valletta in July: From £128.48
Four-star hotel: From £149.11
Five-star hotel: From £264.79
Meal for two in Valletta: £64.25
July-Aug flights from UK to Malta: 1,057
Ferry ports and frequency: Malta has two ports, but none offer regular sailings to mainland Europe. Around 20 run every week from Valletta to Sicily.
Blue Flag beaches: 12
Bathing water quality: 94.3% excellent
Activities: Scuba-diving, snorkelling, hiking, boat-tripping.
12. Gökçeada, Turkey
The largest island in Turkey complements its baklava-coloured beaches with a clutch of traditional villages and a hiker-friendly countryside speckled with olive groves, vineyards and historic windmills. Gökçeada is also a Cittaslow (slow food island), so trying the local dishes is a must.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Gökçeada in July: From £69.65
Four-star hotel: From £379.56
Five-star hotel: n/a
Meal for two in nearby Canakkale: £11
July-Aug flights from UK to Istanbul: 1,521
Ferry ports and frequency: The ferry from mainland Kabatepe runs to Gökçeada around 40 times a week
Blue Flag beaches: 1
Bathing water quality: Unrated
Activities: Hiking, windsurfing, slow food dining
13. Ibiza, Spain
The beach clubs, sunset-watching and superclubs of Playa d’en Bossa and San Antonio make Ibiza one of the world’s premier party destinations, but sights such as Ibiza Town with its Unesco-protected Dalt Vila, a tranquil, rural interior, and Es Vedrá, the rocky island that is said to be the legendary location of Atlantis also set The White Isle apart.
Average cost of a three-star hotel in Ibiza Town in July: From £210.31
Four-star hotel: From £250.96
Five-star hotel: From £701.36
Meal for two in Ibiza Town: £68.52
July-Aug flights: 2,124
Ferry ports and frequency: 52 weekly sailings to Barcelona, Denia and Valencia
Blue Flag beaches: 4
Bathing water quality: 51.2% excellent
Activities: Clubbing, sunset-watching, shopping, boat-tripping
