You shouldn’t have to look too hard to find the best honeymoon destinations in Greece. This country of sparkling seas, pristine beaches and coves, and sun-kissed villages painted in wedding-dress white is just about perfect for that vacay after the big day. It’s got something for all sorts of couples, no matter if you’re the type who like scaling mountains or topping up the tan.
This guide can help. It aims to cut down the overload of awesome honeymoon spots in Greece to just seven options, all of which are pretty special. It ranges from the buzzy party towns of Mykonos through to the rugged south coast of Crete, where you’ll be able to catch some rays much later in the year.
There are a few extra things worth considering before you settle on your honeymoon spot. You’ll need to think about how to reach your chosen destination (does it have an airport or a ferry port?) and what the weather and crowds will be like during your chosen dates (is it too busy? Is it hot enough in October?). That aside, let’s get started…
Santorini
Santorini is always going to be mentioned when you’re looking for the best honeymoon destinations in Greece. It’s forever in the spotlight and for good reason – there’s hardly a more dramatic spot in Europe. Let’s just put it this way…the whole island sits atop the collapsed caldera of an ancient super volcano. Cool, huh?
Honeymooners should 100% fork out for the extra luxuries of a hotel on the Santorini caldera. Doing that will mean you get epic views from your suite, especially at sunset, when the light fades in a symphony of yellow, red, and ochre over the dappled Aegean Sea. Fira, the island capital, is an option for those, but we’d say Oia is the more romantic spot of the bunch.
There are some downsides worth considering to a honeymoon in Santorini. This is not a beach island per se. In fact, its sands aren’t all that nice; nothing compared to the epic coves of nearby Milos. What’s more, Santorini gets super busy. Seriously, like you-can’t-move busy. It’s better to plan a couple’s jaunt for shoulder season months like spring or autumn if you’re determined to visit.
Crete
Crete is an island for pretty much every traveler. It caters to adventurers (this is the home of the Samaria Gorge) and to families (resort towns dominate most of the northern shore), to partiers (hello, Malia!) and to history buffs (check out Knossos!). It’s also one of the best honeymoon destinations in Greece, without question.
For one thing, Crete has a longer season than just about anywhere else in the country. It gets warm here around April and doesn’t really cool down again until the start of November. What’s more, the island is no resort island; it’s lived-in throughout the whole year, which means tavernas and hotels shouldn’t shut up shop for the colder season.
Like we said, there’s pretty much any sort of trip you want on offer on Crete. Hiking pairs can make for the mighty Lefka Ori mountains to scale 2,500-meter peaks. Beach lovers can laze together on the pink sands of Elafonisi or the Balos Lagoon. Just-married hippies can venture south to Matala, where free-love folk once lived in the caves and there are now several nudist beaches on the roster.
The Mani
The Mani is the only destination on this list that’s not an island. Instead, it’s the tail end of the middle prong of the Peloponnese. Disconnected from the main highways and more than two hours from the nearest airport, it’s not the most accessible of the best honeymoon destinations in Greece. However, that’s precisely why we like it…
Venture this way and you’ll witness the land crumple skywards with mighty limestone peaks. Pitstops at the incredible Caves of Diros, the soaring summit of Profitis Ilias, and the postbox-thin Gorge of Ridomo are all doable on the way down. But that’s before you enter the area of the Deep Mani, where the coastline becomes eye-wateringly beautiful, the Aegean gets ever clearer, and the towns turn into rustic fishing villages built with harsh stone.
A honeymoon to the Mani is all about escaping the buzz and energy of Greece’s more resort-style towns. The downsides are you’ll need to drive yourself on winding roads. The payoff is a taste of rustic village life, uber-fresh seafood, and stunning beaches potentially all to yourself.
Lesbos
The island of Lesbos is indelibly intertwined with Greece’s most iconic erotic poet, the ancient lyricist Sappho. She was born in the small village of Eresos sometime around the end of the 6th century BC and wrote odes to female love in the local Aeolic dialect. Today, that’s made this isle at the top end of the Aegean Sea something of a pilgrimage for LGBTQ+ honeymooners and couples.
Okay, so it’s not got the same buzz about it as Mykonos (more on that one later) but little Lesbos does manage some handsome beaches. They’re way less bustling than some of those you get in the heart of the Cyclades chain. Our favorites include Petra, Molyvos, and the long and pebbly Vatera Beach, although Melinta Beach is probably the most picturesque on the isle.
There’s plenty more to keep you busy on Lesbos than just sands and seas. You can taste local aniseed creations at the Ouzo Museum. There’s the soaring Castle of Mithymna, dating to the age of the Byzantines and crowning the top of Molyvos town. There are hikes down to the swimming pools of the Vathylimno Waterfall on the west side of the island. It won’t be a boring trip.
Corfu
Corfu has been hailed for its natural wonders since the times of the ancients. Everyone anywhere, from Sparta to Athens, knew of the island’s fabled lush forests and soaring peaks. They’re still there today, and they offer the perfect backdrop to a loved-up trip after the big day. But Corfu’s natural side isn’t the only reason we put the isle up there with the best honeymoon destinations in Greece.
We also love the fact that it’s one of the premier gateways to the Ionian region of the country. That’s the westernmost part of Greece, starting at the tail end of the Adriatic Sea. From here, you could easily plan an island-hopping adventure that takes you through some seriously lovely islands, including Kefalonia, Zante, Ithaka – the list goes on.
But back to Corfu…those who linger here should be certain to think about staying on the western coast. That’s where you find the ever-famous beaches of Palaiokastritsa, a place that’s actually a tiara of about five individual coves of gleaming yellow-white pebbles and clear seas. The other region worth looking at is the northwestern coast, which has quaint fishing villages like Kalami and Nisaki with views of the Greek mainland and the Balkan Peninsula in the distance.
Rhodes
Rhodes is one for the history-loving duo who have their sights set on Greece for the honeymoon. You’ll arrive at Rhodes Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s dominated by the age-old castles of the Knights Hospitaller. It’s got hospitals and barracks and bulwarks that date from the Crusades, along with Byzantine churches and cobbled streets riddled with tavernas – talk about enchanting!
From there, it’s easy to break away to the south-eastern side of Rhodes. It’s probably best to skip the OTT party town of Faliraki if you’re on a honeymoon. Keep going past the 18-30s bars and you’ll soon reach jaw-dropping Lindos, a perfect vision of a whitewashed village topped by an old citadel and framed by a sweep of yellow sand.
The only downside with Lindos is that it can get busy, particularly if you’re visiting in the main season between June and August. The good news is that Rhodes offers a mountainous interior of long-lost valleys, olive farms, and farm stays to counteract that, along with a north coast that has less protected but just as lovely beaches for those looking to dodge the summertime crowds.
Mykonos
Mykonos is one of the most welcoming islands of the bunch; a place where free love flows through the white-painted streets and twists and turns in the balmy air like the creaking arms of an old Venetian windmill. Known for its LGBTQ+ community and range of all-welcome gay bars and nighttime venues, it’s definitely one worth thinking about when you come to plan the honeymoon.
Choosing where to stay on Mykonos is all important. The south and west sides of the island are where the action is at. The resorts there have names like Super Paradise Beach and play host to booming mega clubs where chill hop turns to EDM and the dancing goes on all night long throughout the summer months. On the flip side, the northern and the eastern halves of the isle are altogether more relaxed, offering emptier beaches and family tavernas in the hills, although you’ll probably need a car rental to reach them.
The capital is always a good option, too. Cue Mykonos Town, with its romantic eateries in Little Venice and its bumping all-night bars. Romance is easy to come by, what with sunset shows from the Venetian windmills and daytrips across to the ancient dig sits of Delos on the menu for post-wedding couples who come this way.
The best honeymoon destinations in Greece – our verdict
There’s arguably no better place in Europe for your hard-earned honeymoon than Greece. Shimmering beaches, bath-warm seas, luxury hotels, fantastic food – this country has it all. Our list of the best honeymoon destinations in Greece touches on just seven places that we think are worth considering when you come to book that loved-up jaunt after the big day. But it’s really just scratching the surface. There are stacks of other options, like the charming isle of Milos, where white-hued cliffs make for unique swimming spots, or Halkidiki, a northern peninsula with some lovely coastline.
