Crete was ranked the second-best island destination in Europe – Which island “stole” the top spot

Crete was ranked the second-best island destination in Europe – Which island “stole” the top spot

The island of Milos won the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers of the globally renowned travel magazine Travel and Leisure in a vote that concluded a few days ago.

Specifically, the American travel magazine Travel+Leisure has just published its list of the best of 2024 (World’s Best Awards).

More than 186,000 travellers and magazine readers participated in this year’s survey and voted for their favourite islands in the world, considering activities, attractions, natural beauty, beaches, food, and local hospitality.

Milos scored 93.08 points (out of 100) from the magazine’s readers. According to Travel+Leisure, the island of Milos offers the whole package with its pristine beaches, whitewashed houses, and beautiful tavernas that you can also find elsewhere in the Aegean, but with fewer tourist crowds than famous islands like Santorini or Mykonos.

“Milos was beautiful and much less crowded,” wrote one reader. “The food was excellent, and there were many things to see and do. Everyone was amicable, and we loved it.” Another reader agreed about the excellent food and noted that despite its small size, Milos offers “a variety of beaches.”

In the same poll, Crete took 2nd place, Corfu and the Ionian Islands came in 6th, Paros ranked 10th, and Santorini ranked 15th.

The Full List

1. Mílos, Greece

Reader Score: 93.08

2. Crete, Greece

Reader Score: 92.38

3. Hvar and the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia

Reader Score: 91.53

4. Ischia, Italy

Reader Score: 90.95

5. Sicily, Italy

Reader Score: 90.14

6. Corfu and the Ionian Islands, Greece

Reader Score: 89.42

7. Sardinia, Italy

Reader Score: 89.39

8. Madeira, Portugal

Reader Score: 89.12

9. Skye and the Hebrides, Scotland

Reader Score: 89.05

10. Páros, Greece

Reader Score: 88.97

11. Ibiza, Spain

Reader Score: 88.94

12. Azores, Portugal

Reader Score: 87.17

13. Mallorca, Spain

Reader Score: 87.04

14. Malta

Reader Score: 85.73

15. Santorini, Greece

Reader Score: 85.67