I got back from Greece this summer and fell in love. When it comes to choosing the perfect Greek island for your next vacation, the options are overwhelming. Beyond the more famous destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, the Greek archipelago has magnificent hidden gems of islands that have daily ferries. Here are all of the details on the Greek islands I loved. I visited some of the more off-the-beaten-path islands than your most famous islands like Santorini and Mykonos and they were a literal dream. These are three magical islands to visit in the Aegean Sea.

Paros

With an incredible natural landscape and coastline, Paros is one of the most beautiful Greek islands. It has endless golden-sand beaches, traditional Cycladic architecture and stunning sandy beaches with transparent waters. The island is reachable by ferry, so I flew into Santorini and headed straight to the port to catch my ferry over to Paros. While the main port area of Paros was wonderful we chose to go a bit deeper to a more off-the-beaten-path of the main area called Naoussa. There was an incredible little fishing village along Naoussa that was lined with lovely shops, restaurants, and nightlife. While on the island we rented a car and explored a few different historical villages in the area including Lefkes and Marpissa. We spent 4 days in Naoussa and could have stayed there forever. A true hidden gem of a place.

Naxos

Our next stop was Naxos, home to not only abundant beaches, wonderful food and beautiful scenery but also fascinating ancient sites to explore. Upon arriving at the port you are greeted with an ancient Greek ruin called the Portara. Constructed in 530 BC, the Portara is a giant doorway to the never-finished Temple of Apollo. Some highlights of Naxos include Plaka beach, Naxos Town (Chora), and Naxos Kastro (Castle).

Mykonos

On the more well-known spectrum of Greek islands there is Mykonos. This windy island is home to the iconic windmills. While there is partying on all of the options Mykonos is sort of the hub with nightclubs open all-night and a vibrant party scene. Though still beautiful and magical like the other Greek islands Mykonos was much more packed with tourists, generally less clean and did not have great beaches. I would call Mykonos the Las Vegas of Greece. It’s perfect to fly out of on your way out of the islands and visit for a day or so. Highlights include dinner at Kastro’s, the beautiful windmills, and delicious food.