Best Greek islands for driving
Best Greek islands for driving are islands big enough to get lost in, where coastal roads bend around bays, mountain roads switchback through villages and olive groves, where every turn brings a new beach, viewpoint or taverna.
They are islands where driving is the pleasure itself, with windows down, music up, unplanned stops for swims and coffee and sunsets chased down a different road each night, and that open-road, salt-air, free-roaming feeling of having the whole island on four wheels.
| Island | Description |
|---|---|
| Crete | A country in itself largest island in Greece with Knossos, Samaria Gorge, Elafonisi pink beach, Balos lagoon, with 800km+ well-maintained paved network and varied coastal and mountain driving with low traffic inland. |
| Evia | Second largest after Crete with Edipsos thermal spas, strange tidal phenomenon at Chalkida Euripus, mountain villages, Dragon Houses, with 200km+ continuous spine road and excellent asphalt and minimal congestion. |
| Rhodes | Medieval capital largest Dodecanese with UNESCO Knights Old Town, Lindos Acropolis, Faliraki Bar Street, 300 days sun, with 220km circular highway, wide lanes, and strong signage for elite driving. |
| Lesbos | Third largest island ouzo capital Plomari, petrified forest, Sappho birthplace at Eresos, with 200km+ paved network, low traffic, and excellent road maintenance across mountainous interior. |
| Corfu | Most Italian Venetian of Ionian with Liston arcade, Achilleion Palace, Paleokastritsa, and Kavos strip, with 200km+ coastal and mountain roads, good width, and manageable traffic outside high season. |
| Kefalonia | Cinematic island Myrtos Beach, Melissani underground lake cave, Assos village, Fiskardo yachts, with Mount Ainos 1628m, 150km+ loop, wide well-maintained roads, and low congestion ideal for driving. |
| Chios | Mastic island only place where mastic gum grows, medieval villages Mesta and Pyrgi xysta scratching, Anavatos ghost village, with 150km+ mountainous paved network offering strong road quality but narrower village lanes. |
| Samos | Lush and mountainous birthplace of Pythagoras, Eupalinos Tunnel, Heraion UNESCO, sweet Muscat wine, with Mount Kerkis 1433m and long mountain roads offering strong varied driving but steeper gradients. |
| Zakynthos | Shipwreck Beach Navagio, Blue Caves, Laganas strip 2km clubs, loggerhead turtles at Laganas Bay, with 90km+ paved loop offering strong coastal driving but heavy Laganas summer traffic. |
| Kos | Hippocrates birthplace and cycling island with Asklepieion ancient hospital, long sandy beaches, Roman ruins, with flat 40km coastal highway and Dikeos mountain climb offering strong easy driving but limited mountain variety. |
| Lefkada | Connected to mainland by causeway with towering white cliffs at Porto Katsiki, Egremni, windsurfing at Vassiliki, with 70km+ mountain spine and flat east coast offering strong access and road quality but short length. |
| Naxos | Largest Cycladic island Portara Temple gate, Mount Zas highest in Cyclades, endless sandy beaches like Plaka, with 100km+ paved loop offering strong mountain and beach variety but moderate traffic in Chora. |
| Andros | Greenest Cycladic island waterfalls at Pythara, Chora neoclassical mansions, contemporary art museum, strong hiking network, with mountain roads and coastal roads offering strong varied driving but narrower lanes. |
| Thassos | Emerald island of the north green marble quarries, Giola lagoon, olive groves, pine-covered mountains, with 95km perfect circular coastal road offering strong consistent driving and low traffic. |
| Paros | Chic cosmopolitan hub Naoussa fishing port luxury bars, Parikia, Kolymbithres rock beach, Golden Beach windsurfing, with 60km+ paved loop offering strong road quality but higher summer congestion. |
Who it suits and why
This is for travellers who like having their own wheels and going where the bus doesn’t. The best Greek islands for driving suit people who want to do a proper road trip, with a beach in the morning, a mountain village for lunch, and a different sunset every night. It’s led by Crete, because it’s big enough to feel like a country. You can drive from Chania along the north coast to Rethymno and Heraklion, then cut south through the mountains to Plakias or Loutro, with good tarmac, clear signs, and long sea-view stretches. Rhodes is brilliant for an easy loop too, you can circle the whole island in a day from Rhodes Town down to Lindos and then across to Prasonisi, mostly flat and well signposted. Corfu is lovely for green, winding lanes through olive groves, especially if you base yourself in Paleokastritsa or Sidari and explore the north east. Naxos gives you a nice mix of flat coastal road down to Plaka and then a climb up to Apeiranthos and Filoti, and Lefkada is connected to the mainland by a bridge, so you don’t even need a ferry, and the drive down the west coast to Kathisma and Milos beach is stunning. Add Kos for flat, easy driving around the whole island, and Milos for short, dusty drives between white rock beaches like Sarakiniko and Paleochori. It’s perfect if you want the freedom to stop for a swim, a coffee, or a viewpoint whenever you want. It’s less suited to you if you just want to walk out of your hotel onto a sunbed and stay there. If your ideal day is Mykonos Paradise beach club till 6am and taxis between bars, having a car with parking and petrol will feel like extra hassle.
What to keep in mind
For driving islands, it’s all about picking the right base and timing your drives. Most of these islands have direct UK flights from May to October, about three hours ten to four hours thirty, or you can fly via Athens in under an hour and a half. Ferries from Piraeus are typically two to nine hours and between 40 and 95 euro if you’re bringing a car or island hopping. The roads are generally good on the bigger islands. Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Kos and Lefkada have well-paved main roads, clear signs, and plenty of petrol stations. Milos and Naxos have more narrow and dusty tracks to the beaches, so you want to take it slow and avoid the soft sand. Late May to early October is ideal, with dry roads and warm seas. In July and August it gets hot, around 30 to 36 degrees, and busier, so it’s much nicer to drive early morning or late afternoon, and book your parking near popular beaches like Balos or Sarakiniko before eleven. On the ground, a small hire car is usually 25 to 45 euro a day in shoulder season, a bit more in August, with insurance and a second driver often included if you book ahead. You’ll need your UK licence, and most companies want you to be 21 or over. Keep a litre of water in the car, download an offline map for the mountain villages where signal drops, and keep a bit of cash for small tavernas that are five to ten euro for a quick lunch. Stay in a town with easy road access. Chania or Heraklion in Crete for north-south routes, Rhodes Town for the full island loop, Lefkada Town for the west coast, Chora in Naxos for beach and mountain, and Adamas in Milos for short hops. Go in early June or mid September and you’ll get empty roads, easy parking right above the coves, and long light evenings for driving, rather than the full August queues.
Sources
- Crete largest island with 800km paved network Knossos Minoan palace Samaria Gorge elite driving – https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/crete/road-trip/
https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/crete/road-trip/ - Evia second largest after Crete Edipsos thermal spas Chalkida Euripus long continuous spine road – https://www.evia.gr/en/driving-routes-evia/
https://www.evia.gr/en/driving-routes-evia/ - Rhodes largest Dodecanese UNESCO Knights Old Town Lindos Acropolis 220km circular highway wide lanes – https://www.rhodes.gr/en/driving-routes/
https://www.rhodes.gr/en/driving-routes/ - Lesbos third largest island ouzo capital Plomari petrified forest 200km network low traffic – https://www.lesvos.gr/en/driving-in-lesvos/
https://www.lesvos.gr/en/driving-in-lesvos/ - Kefalonia Myrtos Beach Melissani lake cave Assos Fiskardo Mount Ainos 150km loop low congestion – https://www.kefalonia.gr/en/driving-routes/
https://www.kefalonia.gr/en/driving-routes/ - Thassos emerald island 95km perfect circular coastal road low traffic driving loop – https://www.go-thassos.gr/driving-around-thassos
https://www.go-thassos.gr/driving-around-thassos
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Last Updated on August 23, 2026 by admin