Best Greek Islands for Hiking and Nature

The best Greek island for hiking is Crete, because no other island has 2,400-meter mountains, a dozen walkable gorges, and a coastline where the only way between villages is on foot. Andros is the runner-up and the best pure walking island in the Cyclades, with a waymarked network that puts most of Greece to shame. Here are seven islands where walking is the point, with the catch for each.

Quick answer

• Crete — Samaria and a dozen other gorges, the E4, and the White Mountains; a lifetime of walking
• Andros — a signed, maintained network of old paths through springs, waterfalls, and stone villages
• Amorgos — cliff paths, a monastery in a rock face, and the finest single day hike in the Cyclades
• Naxos — Mount Zas, the highest point in the Cyclades, plus marble paths between mountain villages
• Samos — Mount Kerkis, real forest, and waterfalls on an island most hikers overlook
• Kefalonia — Mount Ainos national park, with its own species of fir and views to the mainland
• Ikaria — the wildest terrain in the Aegean: a river gorge, an oak forest, and a ridge road with no traffic

Crete

Crete wins because it has scale. The Samaria Gorge is the famous walk, sixteen kilometers from the Omalos plateau down to the sea at Agia Roumeli, but it is one of many: Imbros is shorter and gentler, Aradena is wilder, and Agia Irini is nearly empty. The White Mountains above Chania rise to over 2,400 meters, Psiloritis in the center is higher still, and the European E4 long-distance path crosses the whole island. The southwest coast between Hora Sfakion and Agia Roumeli has no road at all.

The catch is that Samaria is closed in winter and a conveyor belt in July, and the high mountains need proper gear and experience. Base yourselves in Chania or the Sfakia coast for the gorges and the west, or Rethymno for Psiloritis. Spring and October are far better than summer for anything above the coast.

Andros

Andros is the island that treats walking seriously. A volunteer project called Andros Routes has cleared and signposted more than two hundred kilometers of old mule paths, and the main long-distance route across the island carries a European quality certification that almost no Greek trail can claim. The paths pass working springs, watermills, Cycladic dovecotes, and villages like Vourkoti and Apikia, with the waterfalls at Pythara and the green valley behind Chora as highlights.

The catch is that Andros is barely known outside Greece, so infrastructure is aimed at Athenian weekenders rather than international hikers, and the ferry from Rafina, about two hours to Gavrio, is the only way in. Base yourselves in Chora for the best walks, or Batsi for the beach, and come in May or October, when the island runs its walking festivals.

Amorgos

Amorgos is a long ridge of rock dropping into the deepest blue water in Greece, and the old path along the spine of it, from Chora to Aegiali, is the best single day walk in the Cyclades. It passes the Hozoviotissa monastery, wedged into a three-hundred-meter cliff, then follows the ridge for four to five hours with the sea on both sides before dropping into Aegiali bay. Above Aegiali, a loop through the villages of Langada and Tholaria adds a shorter second day.

The catch is exposure: there is little shade, the wind can be brutal, and the trails are rocky. There is no airport and the ferry from Piraeus takes six to nine hours, so pair it with Naxos. Base yourselves in Aegiali for the walks and the beach, or Chora for the monastery.

Naxos

Naxos has the highest summit in the Cyclades, Mount Zas at 1,004 meters, and the walk up from Filoti or the Aria spring takes two to three hours with a view over half the archipelago. Better still is the network of marble-paved paths through the Tragaea valley between Halki, Moni, and Apeiranthos, past Byzantine chapels and olive groves that have been farmed for a thousand years.

The catch is that signage is patchy and many paths are documented only in a local walking guide or an app, so bring one. Base yourselves in Halki or Filoti if walking is the main aim, or in Naxos Town if you also want the beaches. Ferries from Piraeus take three and a half to six hours.

Samos

Samos is the forgotten hiking island. Mount Kerkis, at 1,433 meters, is a proper mountain climb from the villages on the southwest coast, passing the Evangelistria monastery and ending with views to Turkey and Patmos. The Ampelos range in the middle of the island is covered in pine and vineyards, with old paths linking villages like Manolates and Vourliotes, and the Potami waterfalls near Karlovasi are a shady river walk that ends in a swim.

The catch is that the trails are less maintained than on Andros, and summer is hot and humid. Base yourselves in Karlovasi or Marathokampos for Kerkis and the west, or Kokkari for the Ampelos villages. Samos has an airport with direct summer flights, which only Crete and Kefalonia on this list can match.

Kefalonia

Kefalonia has Mount Ainos, at 1,628 meters the highest peak in the Ionian and a national park covered in a fir species found almost nowhere else. A road climbs most of the way, and the final walk to the summit takes about ninety minutes. Lower down, there are coastal paths around Fiskardo, the walk down to Myrtos beach, and the hill above Assos with its Venetian castle.

The catch is that Kefalonia is not a trail-network island; the walks are individual highlights linked by car. Base yourselves in Sami or Argostoli for Ainos, or Fiskardo for the coastal paths, and use the airport at Argostoli.

Ikaria

Ikaria is the wild one. The Halari gorge from Nas to Raches is a river walk through boulders and pools, the Randi forest is one of the last old oak forests in the Aegean, and the Atheras ridge runs the length of the island at around a thousand meters with almost no one on it. The walking network around Raches is well signed.

The catch is that Ikaria is remote, the roads are slow, and the terrain outside the signed network is genuinely rough. Base yourselves in Christos Raches or Armenistis for the northwest, where nearly all the best walking is. There is an airport with Athens flights and a long ferry from Piraeus.

How we chose

We looked for islands with a real network or a handful of outstanding routes, altitude and variety, shade and water where possible, and enough infrastructure that a walker can eat and sleep without a car. We favored islands where hiking is part of local culture rather than a marketing line.

Islands to avoid for hiking

Mykonos and Kos are low, dry, and built around beaches and resorts. Zakynthos has a few cliff viewpoints but little in the way of paths. Santorini has one excellent walk, the Fira to Oia rim path, and not much else. Skiathos is pretty but small enough to exhaust in two days. Two near-misses worth knowing: Alonissos has a marked network through pine forest inside the marine park, and Sifnos has restored paths between its monasteries.

If you want mountains but your travel partner wants beaches, the island match quiz will find the island that does both. Or read all 25 island guides and plan the walk yourself.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month for hiking in the Greek islands?

April, May, and October. Spring brings wildflowers and running streams; October is warm enough to swim after a walk. July and August are too hot for anything strenuous, and mountain trails like Samaria and Zas should be started at dawn if you must go then.

Can you hike the Samaria Gorge on your own?

Yes. You pay a small entrance fee at the top, walk the sixteen kilometers down to Agia Roumeli, and take the boat to Hora Sfakion or Sougia to catch a bus back. The gorge is usually open from May to October, weather permitting.

Which Greek island has the best marked trails?

Andros, by a distance. Its paths are signed, maintained, and mapped, and there are printed guides and an app. Alonissos, Sifnos, and the Raches area of Ikaria are the next best for reliable waymarking.

Last updated 2026-09.