THE ESSENTIALS
- Greek islands are chosen by the kind of trip, not by the photo. Santorini is for the views, Mykonos for the nightlife, Paros and Milos for something quieter, and Crete for those who want a large island with roads.
- Best time: May, June and September. July and August are the busiest, and the meltemi wind blows hardest around mid-July to mid-August, according to travel guides.
- There is new news: on 20 October 2026 Michelin announced its first restaurant selection in Santorini and Athens, with five stars in Santorini. Its hotel Keys debuted in 2025 and were updated this year.
- Mexicans enter visa-free. The ETIAS permit still has no confirmed start date.
Greece is sold as a postcard trip. What changes the trip is the island you choose, the month and how many islands you try to fit in.
When to go
May, June and September are the months with the best balance. Visit Greece recommends spring to avoid crowds and says the Cyclades look different, with green landscapes and wildflowers. Travel guides give September as the month with the warmest sea and less wind.
July and August are the busiest. The meltemi, a north-east wind, cools the hot days, according to the official climate page, but complicates ferries and exposed beaches; guides such as Greece.com place it between mid-July and mid-August.
A useful rule: if you can only travel in August, choose an island with more depth, like Crete or Paros, and leave the Santorini photo for another month.
Santorini: the one for the views, and now with limits
It is the one everyone knows and the one that fills most. But there is an important change: the island has a cap of 8,000 cruise passengers a day, tightened in 2026, according to the Greek press. The cap is for cruise ships only: people who sleep in a hotel do not count. In addition, Greece charges every cruise passenger who steps ashore a fee: 20 euros in Santorini and Mykonos from June to September, 12 from April to May and in October, and 4 from November to March.
Where to sleep. The MICHELIN Guide gives a Key to eleven hotels on the island. With two Keys, in the 2026 selection, is Grace Hotel Santorini, Auberge Resorts Collection, according to the Greek press. With one Key are Katikies Santorini, Katikies Garden, Katikies Kirini Suites & Spa, Kivotos Santorini, Perivolas Lifestyle Houses, Andronis Arcadia, Istoria Hotel, Bellonias Villas, Canaves Sunday and Limestone Santorini, in Fira.
Where to eat. October's news: Santorini enters the MICHELIN Guide with four restaurants and five stars. Lycabettus, at the Andronis Luxury Suites hotel in Oia, debuts with two stars. Selene, Lauda and Botrini's Santorini debut with one each, according to travel.gr and Greek City Times. Book now, because the news is recent.
Mykonos: the one for nightlife
It is the island with the most Key hotels: fourteen, all with one Key, among them NOMAD Mykonos, The TownHouse Hotel Mykonos, Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort, Boheme Mykonos Town, Myconian Utopia Resort, Kalesma Mykonos and Palladium Hotel Mykonos. Michelin does not cover Mykonos restaurants, so I give you no stars. If what you want is silence, this is not the one.
Paros: the one I would choose first
It is the one that best balances a town with life and a hotel without noise. The guide gives one Key to Cove Paros, in Naoussa, and to Andronis Minois. It is my recommendation when someone tells me they want "islands, but without the crowds".
Milos: the one for the coast
Domes White Coast Milos, adults only, in Mytakas, and Noma Milos, in Provatas, have one Key. Xenodocheio Milos, in the 2026 selection, does too.
Crete: the big one
It is the island where you need a car or driver and where more days fit. The guide gives one Key to Domes Zeen Chania, from the Luxury Collection, Minos Palace Hotel & Suites, in Agios Nikolaos, Acro Suites, Manili Boutique Suites & Villas and Pnoé Breathing Life, in Heraklion, and Kapsaliana Village Hotel, in Rethymno.
And if you do not want an island: Syros and the mainland
If what you want is Greece without so many ferries, there are two paths. Aristide Hotel, in Syros, has two Keys in 2026. On the mainland, Amanzoe, in the Peloponnese, Kinsterna, in Monemvasia, Tainaron Blue Retreat, in the Mani, and Eliamos Villas, in Kefalonia, have two Keys each.
Athens: the gateway
Almost every trip starts or ends in Athens. It is the city with Greece's only Three-Key hotel: the Four Seasons Astir Palace, in Vouliagmeni, on the outskirts. With two Keys are Hotel Grande Bretagne, on Syntagma Square, and The Dolli at Acropolis.
Where to eat. According to the 2027 list, which Michelin published on 20 October, Athens has four new one-star restaurants: Aleria, see|ds, SENSE and Simul. Delta keeps one star, after having had two.
The Acropolis. According to reports, entry is by time slot with a cap of 20,000 people a day. Buy the ticket on the official portal and do not expect to buy it at the gate.
How many islands fit
Two, with three nights each. With more, you spend the trip on ferries. It is the same principle as how many cities fit in one trip: fewer bases, more island. Three combinations I would build:
- Seven nights, romantic: Athens two nights, Santorini three, Paros two.
- Seven nights, quiet: Athens two nights and Milos five, or Paros and Milos.
- Ten nights, for those who have been to Greece: Athens, Syros, Paros and Milos, or a week in Crete and three nights in Athens.
Before you book
- Entry. Mexicans enter visa-free for up to 90 days. The ETIAS permit costs 20 euros, but the European Union's official portal says it is not receiving applications and that it will announce the date several months ahead.
- Ferries. The 2027 timetables are not yet published. They usually come out in spring, so hotels and flights are booked before boats.
- July and August. If it is your only date, book now. And if you are already thinking about 2027 in general, see what to book first for Easter 2027.
What I am asked most
Which is the best Greek island for a honeymoon?
Santorini for the views and Paros for something quieter.
When is the best time to go to the Greek islands?
May, June and September.
Do I need a visa?
No, for up to 90 days. ETIAS still has no date.
How many islands can I visit?
Two, with three nights each.
How we would build it
Tell me the month, how many nights you have and whether you prefer views, sea or silence, and I will propose an island. This is how we build a tailor-made trip, starting with the first call, which costs nothing. If you already have dates, tell us when you can travel.
SOURCES
- Hotels: Greece Keys, MICHELIN (2025), 2026 selection, Greek City Times, Four Seasons Astir Palace and The Dolli at Acropolis.
- Restaurants: travel.gr, MICHELIN Guide Greece 2027 and Greek City Times.
- Season: Visit Greece, climate, Visit Greece, spring and Greece.com, Milos.
- Santorini and Athens: cruise cap and Acropolis, Greek Reporter. Entry: ETIAS and European Commission.
Escrito por Diego Ramírez · Publicado el 29 October 2026