Covers 18 European islands, from Crete and the Cyclades to Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores, with euro prices converted to dollars on a dated rate.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
For a family trip to Greece, Crete is the clear answer on our scores. It has the best beaches and the most to do of any Greek island, hotels that stay open all year, and a range of family resorts that the small Cycladic islands cannot match. A 3-star room in Chania was $112 on Kayak for July 14, 2027.
The bigger split on this page is lower down. The top five islands are all tagged as good for families by our editors. The bottom three are not, and they sit more than two points behind. Santorini, Mykonos and Milos are fine trips for adults. With a stroller or a four-year-old, they are hard work.
Score = the island's overall score, with islands that suit this kind of trip ranked first. How we score
| # | Island | Score | Weather | Beaches | Things | Access | Value | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crete | 9.7 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 3.6 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
| 2 | Naxos | 8.9 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 7.8 | 6.3 |
| 3 | Rhodes | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 3.5 | 9.6 | 4.7 |
| 4 | Paros | 8.5 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 3.6 | 9.2 | 4.9 |
| 5 | Corfu | 8.3 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 3.8 | 7.6 | 3.9 |
| 6 | Milos | 6.1 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 5.1 |
| 7 | Mykonos | 6.0 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 3.6 | 7.1 | 2.0 |
| 8 | Santorini | 5.9 | 8.1 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 3.6 | 9.9 | 1.0 |
1Crete leads by a wide margin: the best overall score in Greece, 8.2, plus the family tag. It is a big, drivable island with villas, all-inclusive resorts and sights for every age, and our editors also tag it for young children and teens. Elafonisi's shallow lagoon suits toddlers; the Imbros gorge hike, boat trips to Balos and Knossos suit older kids. A Chania 3-star was $59 for January 13, 2027 and $112 for July 14. Base yourselves in one half of the island.
2Naxos is second and the best Cycladic island with small children. Agios Georgios in town is shallow and sheltered, and the west coast beaches at Agios Prokopios and Agia Anna have gentle sandy entries. Its beaches score 8.5 and its crowd score, 6.3, is the best in the Cyclades. Apartments with kitchens are common, and mountain villages make a good car day. A town 3-star was $122 for July 14, 2027; the ferry from Piraeus starts around $47 (€42).
3Rhodes is third, a whisker behind Naxos, and the budget pick. Big family resorts at Faliraki and Kolymbia, sandy, shallow bays at Tsambika and a walkable walled town keep logistics simple. Our editors tag it for young children and teens: kitesurfing at Prasonisi and snorkeling at Anthony Quinn Bay suit older kids. A 3-star near the Old Town was $36 for January 13, 2027 and $96 for July 14. Summer brings wildfire risk, so follow 112 alerts.
4Paros is fourth. Shallow coves at Kolymbithres and Livadia, apartments with kitchens and short ferry hops to Antiparos and Naxos earn its family tag, and its value score is 9.2: a Parikia 3-star was $89 for July 14, 2027. The catch is wind. Golden Beach is often choppy in July and August, so families choose their coast by the day. Buses link Parikia, Naoussa and the main beaches.
5Corfu is fifth, the pick for a villa holiday with mixed ages. Villas with pools, resort strips at Dassia and Gouvia, sandy west coast bays and a year-round town earn its family tag, and its things-to-do score of 8.5 covers boat days to Paxos and the Achilleion. Beaches score 7, because many are pebbly. A 3-star near town was $130 for July 14, 2027. You will want a car for the coves.
6Milos is sixth, more than two points behind Corfu, because it is not tagged for families. Several of the best beaches are reached down rough tracks, ladders or by boat, and there are no large family resorts. Provatas, a sandy bay with shallow water, is the easiest choice with children. It suits teens well: kayaks into sea caves and swimming at Sarakiniko. Rated hotels are costly: $291 in Adamas for July 14, 2027.
7Mykonos is seventh. Its own page says families with small children should choose Naxos or Paros, where July rooms cost about half. The party beaches at Paradise and Super Paradise are loud, and the town's lanes are tight. If you do go, Ornos is the easiest base with children, and Ornos and Agios Ioannis have calm, shallow sand. The July floor in town was $198. Delos makes a good morning trip for older kids.
8Santorini is last for families. The caldera villages are steps, ledges and drops, strollers are a struggle, and the black sand gets hot enough that children need sandals to reach the water. Its crowd score is 1.0. If you go, stay in Kamari or Perissa, flat beach towns that are cheaper and easier with children; Perissa's water deepens gradually. Fira's 3-star floor was $92 for July 14, 2027.
In this guide
Each island starts from its overall score: weather 20%, beaches 25%, things to do 25%, access from the US 10%, hotel value 10% and crowds 10%, minus 0.4 if its own page gives a conditional verdict. Islands our editors tag as good for families, mixed ages traveling together, get 1.5 extra points. Crete, Naxos, Rhodes, Paros and Corfu carry the tag. The full method is on how we score islands.
Our editors also tag islands for young children and for teens, and the two lists differ. For small children, the islands tagged are Crete, Naxos and Rhodes, all three with shallow, sandy water near where families stay. For teens, the tags go to Crete, Rhodes, Corfu and Milos, for gorge hikes, kitesurfing, cliff coves, kayaks and boat days.
The calmest named beaches on these islands, from our island pages:
For wider comparisons, see the best islands with kids and with teens.
None of the three is tagged for families, and each has a specific problem. On Santorini, the caldera villages are steps, ledges and drops, and strollers are a struggle; the beaches are black sand that gets hot underfoot. On Mykonos, the party beaches are loud and July rooms in town started at $198. On Milos, several of the best beaches are reached down rough tracks, ladders or by boat, and there are no large family resorts.
If you have teenagers rather than toddlers, Milos is the exception: kayaking into sea caves and swimming between Sarakiniko's white rocks are exactly what active older kids want.
Rent a car on Crete, Corfu and for the Naxos interior; buses cover the main towns, but the family beaches are spread out. On Paros and Rhodes you can manage by bus if you base in Parikia or Rhodes Town.
Ferries: short hops are easy with children. Paros to Naxos is about 50 minutes, and Corfu is about 1 hour 10 minutes from Igoumenitsa. Long crossings are a different matter. Piraeus to Rhodes takes 10 hours 40 minutes or more, and Crete is an overnight sailing with cabins from about $97 (€86) on the Chania route, so most families fly from Athens instead.
Rooms: our Kayak prices are for one double room for two adults. A family will need a larger room or an apartment. Apartments with kitchens are common on Naxos and Paros, and villas with pools on Corfu and Crete.
No US airline flies nonstop to a Greek island, so every family trip connects in Athens or a European hub. Athens has nonstops from New York JFK and Newark and seasonal flights from seven other US airports, with Detroit and Seattle added in summer 2027. Every traveler, children included, needs a US passport valid three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area. The EU Entry/Exit System records fingerprints and a photo; ETIAS is not yet operating. See our passport guide and, for the whole region, the best Greek island to visit.
Transfers and guide are included, but the gorge ticket (10 EUR) and the boat from Agia Roumeli at the end (15 EUR) are paid on the day. The gorge is seasonal and closes on bad-weather days.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Only the bus and an English-speaking escort are included; Demeter's Temple (5 EUR cash) and meals are extra. At about $34 it is cheaper than renting a car for one day.
Rating as shown on Viator
The boat and free time are included; there is no guide on Symi, and hotel transfer is an extra option. Rhodes Sea Lines runs the boat.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Crete, on our scores: shallow beaches like Elafonisi, family resorts near Chania and Heraklion, and sights such as Knossos and Spinalonga. For a smaller island with toddlers, Naxos.
Naxos. Agios Georgios beach in Naxos Town is shallow far out and sheltered from the north wind, and it is a short walk from cafes, the bus station and the port.
Not very. The caldera villages are full of steps and drops, and the beaches are black sand that gets very hot. If you go, stay in Kamari or Perissa rather than Oia or Fira.
Crete and Rhodes. Crete has resort strips at Platanias and Agia Marina near Chania and at Hersonissos east of Heraklion; Rhodes has big all-inclusive hotels at Faliraki, Kolymbia and Ixia.
Yes, in practice. Buses link the north coast towns, but the best beaches and villages are a long way from the routes, and the island is 162 miles (260 km) long.
Further reading
