This hidden gem provides the perfect no-crowds experience for summer 2026.
15:11, 28 Apr 2026Updated 15:15, 28 Apr 2026
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This island has so much to offer(Image: Freeartist via Getty Images)
Summer is just around the corner and many of us are already dreaming about our next sunny escape. With so many destinations to pick from, settling on the perfect spot can feel like quite the challenge.
Many of the world’s most coveted holiday hotspots are now bursting at the seams, which can turn a much-needed break into something of a headache. If you’re after a getaway unspoilt by hordes of tourists, it pays to explore the roads less travelled.
Travel specialists at Solmar Villas have scrutinised more than 160 destinations worldwide to reveal the most tranquil spots for a laid-back summer holiday in 2026 – and Greece has taken the top spot.
Greece boasts more than 6,000 islands to explore and while some are overrun with visitors, others remain blissfully peaceful.
Each location in the top 10 was rated across eight key factors: crowd density, climate, nature and scenery, pace of life, affordability, safety and ease of access.
Remarkably, eight of the top 10 destinations were found in Greece.
Topping the list is Alonissos – a tiny, serene island nestled in the northern Sporades – an archipelago in the Aegean Sea.
To reach it, travellers can fly from the UK to the neighbouring island of Skianthos before hopping on a high-speed ferry across to Alonissos.
The island feels worlds apart from everyday life.
Verdant hills blanketed in pine trees cascade down towards crystalline waters, ideal for a summer dip. Life moves at a leisurely pace, with traditional villages dotted across the hillsides.
The island also houses the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades, one of the largest protected marine areas in Europe, reports the Express.
This transforms it into a haven for divers and snorkellers.
A boat trip around the island reveals caves, reefs and colourful marine life thriving beneath the sea’s surface.
It’s also home to the rare Mediterranean monk seal – fewer than 700 of them survive in three or four isolated subpopulations in the Mediterranean.
On her blog Asinglewomantraveling, travel blogger Melissa said that Alonissos is “absolutely stunning and peaceful”. She added that the island is “quiet, a little wild, totally underrated”.
Tourists visiting this holiday hotspot may find it harder to book a hotel room in the future as local authorities are seeking to freeze new hotel licences in a bid to tackle tourist numbers
The city could start clamping down on new hotels(Image: Getty)
A European tourist hotspot that’s popular with Brits is eyeing plans to tackle overtourism, including potentially putting a freeze on the opening of new hotels.
The mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, is desperate for his city not to become too overcrowded and overwhelmed by tourists. Haris previously oversaw a ban on new permits for short-term rentals such as Airbnbs in three neighbourhoods in central Athens.
Now, he has told Euronews that he wants to avoid the city becoming like other crowded spots. He said: “We really need to see if and how many more hotels we need and where. We need to see and think about how much extra tourist load we can lift and where.
“We must not become Barcelona. We have to understand that there are saturated areas that cannot afford new beds: whether short-term rentals or not. Talking at events around the globe, we see that capping is not only being put on short-term rentals but also on hotels; in specific, ‘saturated’ areas.”
Across the Attica region, where Athens is located, there are 68,934 rental apartments, nearly half of which are found in the city center. Across Greece, tourist demand has seen a huge increase in the amount of accommodation available, with 450 new four- and five-star hotels opening between 2019 and 2024.
Should Athens enact the ban, it would join cities including Barcelona and Amsterdam, which already have similar initiatives to tackle the issue of overtourism.
Evgenios Vassilikos, President of the Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association – spoke at the same event. He argued that there needed to be a careful planning process when it comes to expanding the number of hotel beds and short-term rentals.
He said: “There are practices abroad which have been implemented. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The example I gave is that in Barcelona they have completely banned short-term rentals from 2028 and from 2017 onwards no new hotel licences are being issued. So there are, therefore, these restrictions abroad. We will possibly have to see in Athens what we want in terms of where we want to be in 10 to 15 years. “
He added: “We will definitely need hotel beds there. How many will these be? How many will be five-star, how many four-star, etc. There has to be a specific plan. And of course that drags in all kinds of beds, meaning non-primary tourist accommodation and short-term rentals.”
Athens has become the most popular tourist destination in Greece with about 12 million international arrivals in 2025. This included around 4.5 million British tourists, up from 3.5 million in 2019. The Acropolis alone receives millions of visitors a year, and at peak times can see over 17,000 visitors a day.
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The country has chosen to abandon the new biometric security measures over concerns about queue chaos and flights taking off without passengers
07:21, 20 Apr 2026Updated 07:45, 20 Apr 2026
The new entry and exit system (EES) has led to huge delays for passengers, with some missing flights(Image: Getty)
Greece has suspended EU fingerprint and facial scans for British holidaymakers. The country has chosen to abandon the new biometric security measures over concerns about queue chaos sweeping across the continent. Queues have been hitting the country with four hours reported in many destinations, including Greece.
All travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries are supposed to be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border crossings under the new entry and exit system (EES) introduced by Brussels.
Holidaymakers have been cautioned that the new security measure, which is now fully operational, could trigger airport delays of up to four hours. Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in the UK, stressed that the decision would “ensure a smoother and more efficient arrival experience in Greece” and would “significantly reduce waiting times” while alleviating congestion at airports.
The EES is intended to replace manual passport stamping and better monitor the 90-day visa-free limit, but its introduction has caused havoc at some of Europe’s busiest airports.
A statement on the website of the Greek Embassy and posts on official social media channels said: “Update for British passport holders travelling to Greece. “In the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”
There was no further detail of how long the exemption would last, and FCDO travel advice for Greece has not been updated.
“Abta has been warning destinations and the (European) Commission for some time about the need for proactive steps to be taken to avoid delays, including the full use of contingency measures to stand down biometric checks at busier times, and adequate staffing especially at peak times.”
A total of 122 passengers were reportedly unable to board the flight from Milan Linate to Manchester on Sunday because of delays at passport desks caused by the ramp up of the EU’s Entry Exist System (EES).The 11am departure was held for 59 minutes before departing with the majority of seats empty.
One of the affected easyJet passengers, Kiera, 17, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, said she and her boyfriend arrived at Milan Linate airport at 7.30am on Sunday. She told the BBC: “We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn’t feeling great anyway because I think I’d got food poisoning.
“At about 10.50am they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone.”
Vicky Chapman, 26, from Wirral, Merseyside, was booked on the flight with her family, including her five-year-old son.
She told the Liverpool Echo they arrived at the airport “with more than enough time” but were “refused entry through passport control”.
She continued: “We were then told that we are a ‘no show’ on our flight because we did not get to the gate on time, even though passport control had issues and they would not let us through.
“We were passed from pillar to post for three hours and no-one helped us. “It was so hot in the airport, people were vomiting, people were almost passing out.
“We’re being told that Tuesday is the earliest we can get back, and that we have to fly to Gatwick. We’ve had to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb.”
An easyJet spokesman said: “Due to delays in EES processing by border authorities, some passengers departing from Milan Linate on Sunday experienced very long waiting times at passport control.
“We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours.
“Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer.
“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities, for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.
“While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
Of the 156 passengers reportedly booked on the return flight to Manchester, just 34 made it on board – leaving a staggering 122 stranded in Italy. EasyJet subsequently issued an apology over the incident.
At three of the UK’s “juxtaposed” border controls in Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras, the pricey EES kiosks remain unconnected to the French police aux frontières IT system. These issues are not expected to be resolved until September, according to the Independent.
Greece is heavily dependent on British tourism, particularly at its bustling island hotspots such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes, which can welcome upwards of 2,000 UK passengers daily during peak season.
The decision by Athens is widely regarded as a move to offer reassurance to British holidaymakers, and could encourage other Mediterranean nations to follow its lead. Greece is yet to confirm an end date. for its EES exemption for British travellers.
Holidaymakers are already considering switching their summer holiday plans this year, according to travel industry experts.
“Because of the war in the Middle East, Europe is seeing a big increase in interest as a holiday destination this year,” an ABTA spokesman said.
ABTA added that Greece was anticipated to be the fifth most-visited destination by Britons this summer, trailing behind Spain, France, Italy and the USA.
The spokesman said: “I think it’s too early to say what this change might mean for the number of people visiting, particularly as decisions on where to go are based on a number of factors.”
It’s thought travellers now weighing up a continental break may pivot towards Greece to sidestep potential headaches caused by the new scheme. “Greece for me this summer then, was thinking of Tenerife, but no way I’m putting up with those queues and chaos,” one man posted on X.
Another person added: “I work in the travel industry, already had customers worried about this new system believe me, Greece will benefit from this stand!” While a third chimed in: “Perfect – off to the Greek islands this summer – common sense prevails!”
The laid-back, authentic island is packed with charming fishing villages, family-run tavernas and stunning underground caves
13:13, 11 Apr 2026Updated 13:14, 11 Apr 2026
This island is overlooked but shouldn’t be(Image: miljko via Getty Images)
Summer is just around the corner, and millions of Brits are probably already mapping out their sunshine escapes. If that sounds like you, then Greece offers the perfect combination of sun and sea. But with countless islands on offer, deciding where to go can feel overwhelming.
Through examining search data, TripAdvisor reviews and geological information, yacht charter firm Sunsail has uncovered some of Greece’s hidden treasures where you can dodge the masses.
Among these islands is Meganisi – a relaxed, authentic Greek destination brimming with picturesque fishing villages, family-run tavernas and spectacular underground caves.
The island boasts a fascinating history, ideal for discovery.
Among the unmissable attractions is Papanikolis cave, one of the largest and most renowned sea caves in Greece, reports the Express.
Previously used as a submarine hideout during WWII, this enormous cave extends 120 metres in length and 60 metres in width.
Visitors can join one of the numerous boat excursions and take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear waters inside the cave.
There’s also a secret beach within that you can reach by swimming. One TripAdvisor review stated: “You cannot realise how huge it is until you actually get in there, then you feel so small… an interesting natural wonder.”
On dry land, Meganisi offers plenty to discover. Spanning just 20 square kilometres, it’s compact yet impressive.
Frequently overlooked in favour of its bigger neighbour Lefkada, the island remains wonderfully untouched by overtourism.
Vathi, the island’s largest of two ports, is a delightful, traditional fishing village bookended by two churches, built to bestow blessings upon every vessel arriving and departing the island.
A handful of waterfront tavernas and cafés line the harbour, serving up freshly caught seafood.
The smaller port of Spilia is equally charming, with fewer tavernas but just as much beauty to offer.
A brief stroll around the bay brings you to a lengthy sandy beach, complete with a further selection of snack bars.
