Summer vacation on eight dream islands, for which you don’t have to fly far

Lonely bays, wild gorges, sandy beaches, turquoise sea, desert landscapes, lush greenery, palm trees and historic cities – these are Europe’s dream islands. The large travel booking and hotel rating portal HolidayCheck has filtered out the most frequently booked islands in summer 2023 for us. may we introduce Eight hotspots in the eastern and western Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

1. Mallorca: And the Germans’ favorite island is forever calling

The love of the Germans for the largest Balearic island began in the mid-1950s, at the time of the economic miracle. Word quickly got around how nice and cheap it is there. And even today, almost 70 years later, Mallorca still ranks first among millions of German holidaymakers.

No wonder, because the island, which is 78 kilometers long and 98 kilometers wide, attracts visitors with 180 beaches and bays, two mountain ranges, caves, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world, winegrowing, stylish beach clubs and party miles, gourmet restaurants and a wide range of hotels. And: For several years, the development of the beach and party island has been successfully pushed towards luxury and family holidays as well as yoga and lifestyle tourism.

2. Crete: all-rounder with gorges, South Sea paradises and palaces

It exerts a magical attraction on hikers, water sports enthusiasts and beach mermaids as well as on culture or family vacationers: according to HolidayCheck, the island of Crete is the second most booked island. It is the largest of the 3,000 Greek islands – and in many ways: 260 kilometers long, 60 kilometers wide and mountains up to 2,456 meters high. In the north, the Aegean Sea lures. With gently sloping, child-friendly beaches and usually slightly cooler temperatures than in the south, which is very pleasant in midsummer.

In the south you can swim in the slightly warmer Libyan Sea, but the coast is rockier. There is also a lot culturally on Crete: The 4,000-year-old palace of Knossos with its 800 rooms, for example, which bears witness to the first high culture on European soil. White villages in the hinterland with rustic taverns are interesting excursion destinations, as are the many churches, monasteries and chapels or pretty port towns such as Retyhmnon with its noble palaces and fortresses. Not to mention the four mountain ranges with 400 gorges and caves, including the Samaria Gorge, one of the longest in Europe.

3. Rhodes: Island of the Gods with a medieval town and dream beaches

The number three in the island ranking has 32 beaches to offer. But worship only the sun on Rhodes, which lies in the eastern Mediterranean just off the coast of Turkey? That would be a shame, because the 78-kilometer-long Greek island shines with several cultural highlights that even inspire those who don’t like sightseeing. The medieval old town of the island’s capital, for example, which is dominated by a huge grand master’s palace and surrounded by a five-kilometer city wall with mighty gates.

Within this UNESCO World Heritage Site, life pulsates in the narrow streets and historic squares. The special thing about Rhodes town is that there is also a beautiful and well-kept beach – right in the center. Otherwise, the popular sand and pebble beaches line the east coast down to the south, where one of the best strong wind areas for windsurfers, wingsurfers and kitesurfers lies in the sand dunes of Prasonisi. Towards the west coast it becomes more original, narrow tarred roads and many hairpin bends lead over small mountain villages and olive groves to secluded beaches in sheltered rocky bays.

4. Kos: bathing idyll, bike paths and old sanatorium

Greece is once again particularly popular this summer, with the island of Kos, just 100 kilometers as the crow flies north of Rhodes, taking fourth place on the popularity list. The reasons are obvious: 20 kilometers of coast and miles of sandy beaches, awarded the “Blue Flag”, the environmental seal for bathing water quality. Families feel at home on the north coast with its gently sloping dream beaches.

Wind, wing and kite surfers will find perfect conditions in the east of the 45 km long and eleven km wide island. And cyclists are happy about a well-developed network of cycle paths through the flat landscape – with many bike and e-bike rental stations. There is also culture to be admired: the Asklepieion, a sanatorium from the 4th century BC, is located on a 100 meter high hill near Kos town. The sick were treated and doctors were trained in the columned halls with terraces and staircases made of marble, which were dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing.

5. Fuerteventura : Sunbathing off the coast of Morocco

There are seven Canary Islands. The easternmost ranks fifth among the summer favourites: Fuerteventura is only 100 kilometers off the coast of Morocco in the Atlantic. It has a desert-like, dry climate that makes it a warm, bathing destination all year round. It is warmest between June and October: daily values ​​between 25 and 29 degrees and water temperatures around 21 degrees promise a pleasant climate. The surreal turquoise tones of the Atlantic and almost 150 kilometers of wide, bright sandy beaches make the island the perfect destination for beach fans who dream of their own personal beach.

Examples: Sotavento beach on the Jandia peninsula, Cofete Beach or Playa Bajo Negro, which are considered the most beautiful on the island. But also water sports enthusiasts such as wind, wing and kite surfers and surfers will find conditions here that can only be found in a few places in Europe – from beginner waves to big waves to flat water areas and strong wind zones. The fact that a constant wind blows over the island is already indicated by its name, which means something like strong wind.

6. Gran Canaria: The island for explorers

Gran Canaria is its sister islands Fuerteventura and Tenerife – also in the holiday ranking. However, the circular island is very different. Its volcanic mountains, which are up to 2000 meters high, act as a weather divider. It divides Gran Canaria into a rather wetter, cooler north and a drier, warmer south. Here is also the six kilometer long Playa de Maspalomas beach. It is the island’s flagship – this is where the sea meets the desert. Because right behind the beach there are dunes up to 20 meters high.

In addition to a number of sandy beaches, Gran Canaria also has the Monumento Natural del Roque Nublo nature reserve, which is ideal for hiking. Exciting destinations include the cave village of Cuevas Bermejas or a visit to a rum distillery on a sugar cane plantation. If you still have a clear view, you can see the Columbus House or Museo Canario in the capital Las Palmas. Afterwards, party animals can let off steam in the countless discos, pubs and cafés in the trendy district of Santa Catalina and on the associated Playa de las Canteras.

7. Tenerife: Contrasts with black beaches, whales and the highest mountain

Mountains, volcanic beaches, adventure: The largest (80 kilometers long, 50 kilometers wide) of the Canary Islands ranks seventh: Tenerife. Their special feature is the high-contrast nature. As the nature of the 40 beaches shows: from rugged cliffs and canyons in the west to a Caribbean beach in the north-east to the coastal deserts in the south-east and black lava beaches in the north-west. The peak of the Teide, the highest mountain in Spain, rises 3555 meters higher into the blue sky. Even at night there is pure fascination up here: Thanks to the location in the middle of the Atlantic, there are hardly any disturbing light sources and the starry sky is close enough to touch.

There is even an observatory with a night telescope. If you don’t want to climb that high, you will find many other hiking routes in the neighboring Teide National Park or in the Höllenschlucht in the south. The underwater landscape is also worth seeing: divers meet moray eels and rays, predatory fish such as mackerel, tuna and barracuda between underwater canyons, caves and grottos. The giants of the sea often emerge from the water. Because between La Gomera and Tenerife, around 400 whales and dolphins such as pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins cavort all year round. There are also many animals to admire on land, in various parks such as the Loro Park with its great variety of parrots in the world or the Monkey Park.

8. Corfu: Beach queen on the west side of Greece

Corfu was also able to make it into the top eight. The island in western Greece, off the Albanian coast, which is considered one of the greenest in the country. Its 217 kilometers of coastline are dotted with beaches, more than 30 of which have been awarded the “Blue Flag”. They range from white, kilometer-long sandy beaches to small bays between cliffs and pebbly beaches. Divers, sailors, swimmers and water lovers will find the best conditions here.

The tourist centers with the well-known wide bays of Kontokali, Gouvia, Dassia, Ipsos and Pirgi are mainly on the east coast. Hikers enjoy the lush vegetation, many orchids, olive trees and cypress forests. As well as mountain ranges with valleys, bays and limestone cliffs that drop steeply to the sea. Culture fans can also have fun in Corfu: The center of Corfu Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and impresses with its ancient Artemis Temple, a Venetian fortress and a new fortress with many underground passages.