Top 10 European islands

Do you like island hopping? We have made a list of the top ten European islands and the reason why you should visit these islands:

1. Mykonos/Cyclades:
Mykonos (Greek: Μύκονος) is a Greek island and a tourist destination, renowned for its cosmopolitan character and its intense nightlife. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Siros, Paros and Naxos. The islands is one of the world's most popular holiday resorts and has been welcoming visitors for over half a century.

2. Capri
Capri is an Italian island off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic. Capri is a tourist destination for both Italians and foreigners. In the 1950s, Capri became a popular destination for the international jet set. The central piazzetta of Capri, though preserving its modest village architecture, is lined with luxury boutiques and expensive restaurants. During summers, the island is heavily touristed, often by day trippers from Naples and Sorrento.

3. Sicily
Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 square kilometres (9,926 sq mi) and currently has just over five million inhabitants. It is also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily has its own unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, cuisine, architecture and language. The Sicilian economy is largely based on agriculture (mainly orange and lemon orchards); this same rural countryside has attracted significant tourism in the modern age as its natural beauty is highly regarded. Sicily also holds importance for archaeological and ancient sites such as the Necropolis of Pantalica and the Valley of the Temples.

4. Bozcaada & Turkish Aegean Islands
Bozcaada (pronounced boz-DJA-ah-dah) is an island on the Aegean Sea, near the western exit of Dardanelles in Turkey. Its ancient name is Tenedos. Bozcaada is located 12 miles from the Çanakkale Strait and extends over an area of around 40 square kilometers. The islanders make their living from viticulture, fishing and tourism

5. Mallorca/Balearics
Majorca is the largest island of Spain. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands archipelago. The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica. Like the other Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Formentera, and Minorca, the island is a popular tourist destination.


6. Madeira

Madeira (pronounced /məˈdiːrə/ or /məˈdeɪrə/; Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐˈdeiɾɐ] or [mɐˈdɐiɾɐ]) is a Portuguese archipelago in the mid Atlantic Ocean. It is a popular year-round resort, noted for its Madeira wine, flowers, and embroidery artisans, as well as its New Year's Eve celebrations that feature a spectacular fireworks show, which is the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records. Its harbour - Funchal - is important due to its commercial and passenger traffic and for being a major stopover for cruisers en route from Europe to the Caribbean.

7. Hvar/Dalmationa
Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast. The island of Hvar is the queen of the Croatian Dalmatian islands. It has been famous since the antique because of its important strategic and nautical position, the rich of the various historical periods, the culture and natural monuments and the literature. Thanks to the mild climate, the warm winters and pleasant summers Hvar receives many guests, scientists and travellers, who are attracted by the dense Mediterranean nature, rich tradition and architecture, and nightlife.

8. Sardinia
Sardinia (pronounced /sɑrˈdɪnɪə/; Italian: Sardegna; Sardinian: Sardigna or Sardinnya) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily). The area of Sardinia is 24,090 square kilometres (9,301 sq mi). Numerous prehistoric castles, villages, temples and tombs dot the countryside, and with its perfect weather, tourists arrive in droves.

9. Crete
Crete (Greek: Κρήτη, transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km² (3,219 square miles). Crete is the location of significant ancient history, which provides popular modern day tourist destinations. They include the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, the Venetian old city and port of Chania, the Venetian castle at Rethymno, and the Samaria Gorge.


10. Rhodes and the Dodecanese
Rhodes is a Greek island approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site.


Eager to visit one of these beautiful island? Go to www.medestino.com and book hotel on Rhodes.