TripAdvisor Ranks Santorini #1 Island in Europe, 2nd Best in World

Santorini

Santorini ranked as the best island in Europe and second best in the world in the TripAdvisor 2016 Travelers’ Choice awards for Islands, announced on Tuesday.

“Even if you’ve never been to this Cyclades island in the Aegean Sea, you’d still recognize it immediately – candy-colored houses carved into cliffs, sapphire waters, gleaming white buildings topped with half-spheres the color of a stormy sky”, TripAdvisor says about Santorini, while giving special mention to Imerovigli village and adding that Oia is world famous for its sunsets.

The list of Europe’s top islands also includes Crete in the fourth place and Rhodes in the sixth.

Crete. Photo © leoks / Shutterstock

On Crete, TripAdvisor notes that the island is “a Mediterranean jewel”, the birthplace of both the king of the Olympian gods and of modern European civilization. “It’s rich with archaeological and mythological history that’s reflected in its ancient ruins and cultural attractions”, the travel site notes referring to the Old Venetian Harbor in Chania, the fortresses and monasteries of Rethymono and the “awesome” Minoan ruins of Malia.

Rhodes. Photo © lornet / Shutterstock

On the most popular and largest of the twelve Dodecanese islands on the Aegean’s eastern edge, Rhodes, TripAdvisor labels Rhodes as an island for all tastes: “Whether your interests are beaches, bars or ancient sites, Rhodes offers an abundance of all three. Authentic Greece can be found in the hilly interior of the 50-mile-long island.” The travel site adds that high rise hotels line the northern and eastern coastlines, while small villages and resorts dot the island’s other shores.

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Islands – World

1. Maui, Hawaii
2. Santorini, Greece
3. Jamaica
4. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
5. Bali, Indonesia
6. Majorca, Balearic Islands
7. Mauritius, Africa
8. Phuket, Thailand
9. Bora Bora, Society Islands
10. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Islands – Europe

1. Santorini, Cyclades
2. Majorca, Balearic Islands
3. Madeira, Madeira Islands
4. Crete, Greece
5. Tenerife, Canary Islands
6. Rhodes, Dodecanese
7. Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
8. Corsica, France
9. Jersey, Channel Islands
10. Island of Capri, Province of Naples

TripAdvisor also released the  2016 Travelers’ Choice awards for Greek Islands:

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Islands – Greece

1. Santorini, Cyclades
2. Crete, Greece
3. Rhodes, Dodecaneses
4. Mykonos, Cyclades
5. Zakynthos, Ionian Islands
6. Corfu, Ionian Islands
7. Kefallonia, Ionian Islands
8. Naxos, Cyclades
9. Skiathos, Sporades
10. Milos, Cyclades

“With common traits like breathtaking beaches, exciting activities and popular hotels and restaurants, the Travelers’ Choice Islands are favorites of the TripAdvisor community,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.