Summer is still a long way off, but vacation planning is already in full swing. For everyone who still needs inspiration: A new ranking presents the 10 most beautiful holiday islands in the world – most of them are in Europe.
Islands have an irresistible attraction for us, as they embody the epitome of peace and distance from hectic everyday life. But what makes an island vacation so appealing and which islands promise the ultimate vacation happiness?
The travel portal DERTOUR looked at and compared 60 destinations for its large island index 2024. The result is a ranking of the best islands for your next vacation – nine islands from Europe made it into the top 10.
Crete at number 1 in the ranking
The race for the title of ultimate holiday destination has been decided: Crete, the Greek island of the gods, has come out on top with an impressive total score of 77 points.
Crete offers its visitors not only 12 hours of sunshine per day, but also 133 beaches with the coveted Blue Flag. This award represents clean, safe and well-managed beaches, making Crete an ideal family destination.
With an average price of €64 per night for a 3-star hotel, Crete combines affordable luxury with a variety of leisure activities. The island offers a total of 1,478 bookable tours, ranging from historical excursions to adventure activities, and eight water parks that provide entertainment for young and old. In addition, the Safety Index of 82.31 confirms that Crete is particularly safe.
From Tenerife to Bali – Places 2 to 10
Crete is the best holiday destination, closely followed by Tenerife and Sicily, which have scores of 76 and 74 points respectively. Gran Canaria and Cyprus share the honorable fourth place with 72 points each, while Mallorca only manages fifth place.
The Portuguese island of Mardeira comes in sixth place with 69 points, followed by the Greek island of Rhodes with 68 points. The only non-European island in the top 10 is Bali with a score of 67 points. The Canary Island of Fuerteventura finished with 67 points.