I’m a Greece expert – four better value islands where locals go on holiday with Santorini-like houses & secluded beaches

KNOWING which of the hundreds of Greek islands can be a tricky decision to make.

And travel expert Fatima Hawkins, a Greece Destination Manager for British Airways Holidays, gave us some of her best tips for finding the lesser-known (and lesser-crowded) islands.

Fatima explained how she fell in love with the country after taking her son there for his first birthday.

Now she goes back all the time and knows all the secret spots – including the best islands that you can either take a full holiday, or a day trip from the mainland.

Greece has over six thousand islands on the coastline, with 227 islands inhabited – but most people have only heard of the classics.

In recent years, Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes have become increasingly popular along with Crete and Kos – and can be very expensive.

With so many other islands to choose from, Fatima tells us that if you go to the lesser known ones, you can get the same experience for less.

She told Sun Travel: “Of course Mykonos is one of the most expensive. Then you've got the next level of islands like Paros, Milos and Naxos that are slowly emerging.

“If you really want good value, go to the islands that a lot of tourists don't even know about like Sifnos, Syros, Pserimos, Folegandros.

“Within the Cyclades, if you go to the really lesser known islands, they're much more affordable – that's where the locals go. The locals will not go to the bigger Milos or Mykonos.”

Here are some of the things to do on each of the quieter, less touristy islands in Greece.

Sifnos

Sifnos forms part of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea.

For fans of Santorini, it has the classic whitewashed houses and incredibly, there are over 300 churches.

The capital of the island is Apollonia, and it's surrounded by charming villages like Artemonas and Kastro as well as beaches with crystal blue sea.

They have their own specialities when it comes to food, from caper salad and chickpea soup to mastelo cheese.

To get to Sifnos, you can fly into Athens and hop on the ferry that departs from the port of Piraeus which can take anywhere from two hours 40 minutes up to five hours.

It's not the cheapest island in Greece, but it's much more affordable than others.

Syros

Neighbouring Sifnos is the big sister island of Syros. The main town of Syros is Ermoupolis – which is also the capital of the Cyclades islands.

At the centre there's a bustling town square where you'll find tavernas, cafes and museums.

Vaporia is the former aristocratic quarter of Ermoupolis and there you'll find impressive church of Agios Nikolaos with a blue domed top.

Two well-known types of sweets are made on the island – loukoumi and halvadopita, which are often sold on streets around the town.

Due to its size Syros has an airport that connects to Athens so you can fly there in just 35 minutes.

You can also take the ferry which typically takes between two and three hours.

Folegandros

Found in the southern part of the Cyclades is Folegandros.

It's in between two of the more popular islands, Paros and Santorini, and is known to be one of the beautiful islands of the Cyclades.

The village of Chora is one of the oldest in the Cyclades. Its whitewashed houses with blue-domed churches are just like the popular island of Santorini.

Best of all, Chora is situated on a hill so if you look out, there are incredible views over the cliffs.

Panagia church is what the island is most well-known for as it sits up on a hillside with a winding white path.

From the island’s port you can catch daily ferries to Mykonos and Santorini.

Pserimos

A visit to Pserimos is for anyone looking for relaxation. The island forms part of the Dodecanese, it's home to less than 40 locals and is only 15 square kilometers in size.

The locals all live in Avlakia which stands on the ruins of an ancient town. The harbour is where you'll find a few rental rooms, souvenir shops and taverns.

One of the most incredible sights on Pserimos is the beaches. The only manned one is in front of Avlakia, while the others are more secluded.

With no routes from mainland Greece, anyone wanting to stay on Pserimos needs to take a ferry from either Kalymnos or Kos.

All the islands are also a great place day trips as part of your wider holiday, as you can easily step aboard a ferry over from the larger islands.

To find the best deals on holidays to Greece, use the British Airways Holidays Holiday Finder where you can check availability of breaks and compare prices.

This Greek Island Is Becoming More Popular

One Greek island is becoming more well-known and is set to rival the likes of Santorini...

A new study has named the island of Paros as a trending destination for this year. American Express Travel included the island in their 2025 Trending Destinations list.

Analysing travel bookings as well as working with global travel consultants, the island was one of the few European destinations to make the list.

The website states: “Laid-back Paros has become the Greek island of choice for many. The cultural scene is vibrant here, and the rocky coastline is studded with beaches, secluded coves, and sea caves.

“A mere 40-minute flight from Athens—or three hours on a ferry—this windblown retreat is also easy to get to.”

Around 200,000 people visit a year – just 10 per cent of the annual tourists that go to Santorini. This means you can expect the island to be much quieter, and off-the-beaten track.

The town of Naoussa is the second largest town on the island and has been called a “smaller version of Mykonos”.

Expect amazing seafood when there too, with most of it caught at fresh before being served up.