Biggest Greek islands by Size

Crete is the biggest Greek island by land area, some would say the largest Greek island. Amongst it, the next largest greek islands are Evia, Lesvos and Rhodes. This page ranks the largest Greek islands from biggest to smallest using land-area figures, with the measurements checked against geographical and official sources where possible.

How I ranked the islands

To rank Greek islands by size I simply used total land area in square kilometres, not by population, coastline length or the size of the wider island group. I reconciled the ranking against geographical references and checked close calls separately, because rounding can change the order of islands that are almost identical in size. Below you’ll find an interactive linked table of Greek islands largest to smallest.

Putting the biggest greek islands in order was fun, because to me, Crete was always number one, however I didn’t realise just how overwhelmingly larger it was compared to islands like Corfu and Santorini. The following list of greek islands by size / greek islands ranked by size is one of the most comprehensive on the internet. This list below is only the top 20 or so greek islands biggest to smallest.

Island	Description
Crete	#1 — Crete — 8336 km²
Evia	#2 — Evia — 3670 km²
Lesbos	#3 — Lesbos — 1633 km²
Rhodes	#4 — Rhodes — 1401 km²
Chios	#5 — Chios — 842.3 km²
Kefalonia	#6 — Kefalonia — 781 km²
Corfu	#7 — Corfu — 592.9 km²
Limnos	#8 — Limnos — 477. km²
Samos	#9 — Samos — 477.4 km²
Naxos	#10 — Naxos — 429.8 km²
Zakynthos	#11 — Zakynthos — 406 km²
Thassos	#12 — Thassos — 380.1 km²
Andros	#13 — Andros — 380.0 km²
Karpathos	#14 — Karpathos — 324 km²
Lefkada	#15 — Lefkada — 303 km²
Kos	#16 — Kos — 287 km²
Kythira	#17 — Kythira — 279 km²
Ikaria	#18 — Ikaria — 255 km²
Skyros	#19 — Skyros — 209 km²
Paros	#20 — Paros — 196 km²
Tinos	#21 — Tinos — 194 km²
Samothrace	#22 — Samothrace — 178 km²
Milos	#23 — Milos — 151 km²
Kea	#24 — Kea — 131 km²
Amorgos	#25 — Amorgos — 121 km²
Ithaca	#26 — Ithaca — 117 km²
Kalymnos	#27 — Kalymnos — 110 km²
Ios	#28 — Ios — 109 km²
Kythnos	#29 — Kythnos — 100 km²

More info

In our minds, visiting a large Greek island is fun, maybe a bit wild, and naturally, endless, but the reality is places like Crete are going to require not days, but weeks and probably months to visit properly, with a budget to match. The reason I create this list of greek islands in size order is to better help readers and prospective travellers see that reality; Crete and Evia are like small nations.

Another issue is these biggest Greek islands by size tend to have their own logistical problems, Crete for example is essentially between Greece and North Africa meaning you’re going to need an international flight and plenty of cash. Corfu sits off the shoulder of western Greece but is far closer to the mainland. Naturally, Greek island sizes vary dramatically, and come with their own caveats. As the largest greek island, Crete, finds itself in something of both a predicament and a blessing. Cretans are fierce and independant, but Crete remains one of the most strategically and economically important islands in the world.

FAQ

What Is the Biggest Greek Island? / Which Is the Biggest Greek Island? / What’s the Biggest Greek Island?

Crete is the biggest Greek island by land area, covering approximately 8,336 km². It is considerably larger than the next biggest island, Evia, which covers about 3,670 km².

What Is the Largest Island in Greece? / Which Is the Largest Greek Island? / What Is the Largest of the Greek Islands?

The largest island in Greece is Crete, with a land area of approximately 8,336 km². Crete ranks first by a substantial margin, followed by Evia, Lesvos and Rhodes.

What Are the Biggest Greek Islands? / What Are the Largest Greek Islands? / Top 10 Largest Greek Islands

The 10 largest Greek islands by land area are Crete, Evia, Lesvos, Rhodes, Chios, Kefalonia, Corfu, Limnos, Samos and Naxos, with Crete far ahead of the rest.

Is Crete the Biggest Greek Island?

Yes. Crete is the biggest Greek island by land area at approximately 8,336 km², more than twice the size of Evia, the second-largest Greek island at about 3,670 km².

Is Crete Bigger Than Cyprus? / Is Cyprus Bigger Than Crete? / Which Is Bigger, Crete or Cyprus? / Is Cyprus or Crete Bigger?

Cyprus is bigger than Crete. Cyprus covers approximately 9,251 km², compared with about 8,336 km² for Crete, making Cyprus roughly 915 km² larger; Cyprus is also a separate island country rather than a Greek island.

Is Crete Bigger Than Rhodes? / Is Rhodes Bigger Than Crete?

Crete is much bigger than Rhodes by land area. Crete covers approximately 8,336 km², while Rhodes covers about 1,401 km², making Crete almost six times larger.

Is Crete Bigger Than Corfu?

Yes. Crete covers approximately 8,336 km² compared with about 592.9 km² for Corfu, so Crete is more than fourteen times larger by land area.

Is Rhodes Bigger Than Cyprus?

No. Cyprus is approximately 9,251 km², while Rhodes is about 1,401 km², so Cyprus is more than six times larger than Rhodes by land area.

Is Kefalonia Bigger Than Zante?

Yes. Kefalonia covers approximately 781 km², while Zante, also known as Zakynthos, covers about 406 km², making Kefalonia almost twice the size of Zante by land area.

Which Greek Island Is the Biggest? / Is Rhodes the Biggest Greek Island?

Crete is the biggest Greek island, not Rhodes. Rhodes ranks fourth by land area at approximately 1,401 km², behind Crete, Evia and Lesvos.

Kefalonia Size

781km Squared

Top 5 Largest Greek islands

Essentially, the Greek island size order is: Crete, Evia, Lesbos, Rhodes, Corfu < in that order. These are by far the largest islands in Greece.

Sources

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Last Updated on September 12, 2026 by admin