Europe's most underrated islands have been named in a new ranking
To help us live the dream, car hire company Avis studied the search volume and Instagram hashtags of island destinations to uncover the busiest ones and find their alternatives.
So where is the best island to to really get away? That would be Lesbos, Greece's third largest island perched near Türkiye in the Aegean sea. Summer temperatures average at 25-30C. The waters? Clear, clean and blue. Lesbos also offers all the things its more popular sister islands like Mykonos, Santorini or Paros would like charming fishing towns, epic seafood, ancient architecture and an active nightlife, but without all the crowds.
Molyvos, Lesbos's capital, ticks all those boxes. Stay at the Sea Horse Hotel right on the harbour before embarking on a journey to Molkyvos castle, which sits pretty on a hilltop surrounded by evergreen pines and the most idyllic view of the town and sea.
The second most underrated and secluded island is Porto Santo in Portugal. Less than a two-hour flight from Lisbon, Porto Santo is the smallest inhabited island of the Madeira Archipelago and known for its golden-hued, sandy beaches and phenomenal diving experiences thanks to its clear waters. But it has just as much excitement on land: think cave tours, extensive hikes and even a van tour of the island's coastline.
The Greek island of Symi takes third place. Its oceanside homes, painted as gold as the sand itself, are actually preserved buildings from an early settlement that helped declare Symi as a 'historic place in need of special protection'. From July to September, the island gathers for its annual festival that celebrates Greek culture and music, and events are held across the area's sites like the Monastery of Panormitis that overlooks the bay with its giant, Baroque-style tower.
Need more island inspiration for your next holiday? Take a look at the full list below.
These are the top 10 underrated European islands, according to Avis
Lesbos, Greece
Porto Santo, Portugal
Symi, Greece
Skopelos, Greece
Cres, Croatia
Andros, Greece
Karpathos, Greece
Brac, Croatia
La Maddalena, Italy
Thasos, Greece
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gorgeous European destination with barely any tourists, £16 flights and 50p wine
Znojmo, a town in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic, is one of the most pleasant yet overlooked places in Europe and the flights are so cheap. A stunning European destination where you can visit for merely £16 and savour a glass of wine for just 50p ranks among the continent's most undervalued gems. You'll want to visit it. Znojmo, situated in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic, stands as one of Europe's most delightful yet overlooked locations. Frequently likened to Tuscany for its wine tourism and vineyard landscapes, this hidden European treasure also boasts numerous vineyards and breathtaking vistas. In other travel news, a woman claims 'I work in a hotel - you should never turn your lights on when entering your room'. With 34,000 residents, Znojmo represents one of Czechia's most ancient municipalities, tracing its origins to the 11th century. Established by King Ottokar I of the Premyslid dynasty, this enchanting Royal settlement continues to radiate its abundant heritage from every cobbled lane, reports the Express. Znojmo has earned recognition for its viticultural traditions, which have flourished since mediaeval times. Within Znojmo's historic heart sits Enotéka, a wine establishment featuring a contemporary café. Positioned on the grounds of the Znojmo brewery, offering spectacular panoramas of the settlement and Dyje river valley, guests can sample over 120 varieties of regional wines from prominent local vintners for as little as 50p. Nevertheless, Znojmo offers far more than viticulture. The settlement features a complex maze of tunnels beneath the town centre, known as the "underground passages". Guests can participate in a 60-minute guided exploration, discovering the settlement's history and its tunnels, which have generated numerous theories regarding their purpose. Some reckon these were once used as storage spaces and for transporting goods, while others suggest they served as hideouts from foes. Don't miss out on visiting the Znojmo castle, Louka Monastery - one of Europe's most significant monastery complexes dating back to the 12th century, now housing millions of wine bottles - and Podyjí National Park, nestled between the towns of Znojmo and Vranov nad Dyjí. Despite its relatively small size, the park is teeming with natural beauty. It tempts travellers with its stunning vistas, untouched charm, pervasive tranquillity, and hundreds of rare animal and plant species. Podyjí is a must-visit for every nature enthusiast. With Ryanair flights starting at just £16 from the UK to Brno, a nearby airport, you can reach this delightful destination in merely two hours. Brno, the country's second-largest city, is just over 70 km away from Znojmo, while Vienna, Austria's capital, is less than 90 km away. The short distance from these two popular cities makes Znojmo an ideal day trip destination. If you're planning a journey to the south of Czech Republic or even to Vienna, make sure to include Znojmo in your travel plans!
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Holiday expert reveals exact time to book your tickets for August bank holiday flights & how you can save hundreds
Set your alarms to get on board TRAVEL SAVER Holiday expert reveals exact time to book your tickets for August bank holiday flights & how you can save hundreds Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAY experts have revealed the exact time and date Brits should book their tickets ahead of the August bank holiday to save hundreds of pounds. It's not too late to book last-minute flight tickets for holiday trips over the August bank holiday weekend. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The day and time flights are likely to be cheaper for the bank holiday has been revealed Credit: Getty Brits can still find ways to get out of the country that won't blow the budget for the weekend of August 25. This includes trips to classic European escapes and hotspots like Disneyland Paris. Ticket experts have analysed pricing data and industry travel trends. CEO of AttractionTickets, Oliver Brendon, explained: 'It's easy to assume the early bird always gets the deal. "In reality, travel companies adjust fares repeatedly based on demand, and we see opportunities appear even in the final days before departure. "There's still time to save on last-minute August bank holiday travel if you know when to book.' Brendon reveals the trick to finding value no matter how late the purchase is made. Through review of historic pricing, as well as industry reports, Sundays have been found to regularly deliver the lowest average booking prices. This is because airlines adjust seat availability and prices over the weekend. Therefore, holidaymakers who plan to book on Sundays can more often find a better deal and pay significantly less than those who book on other days. 3 tips to help you get the cheapest flights when booking holidays Furthermore, Fridays have been found to be time to avoid as it is the time when prices tend to spike due to increasing demand. A clear morning advantage has also been found through analyses. Around 6am is when the fresh fares tend to show up, so it is good to get in early before search traffic ramps up into the day. So those looking to book a getaway from the bank holiday this month should set their alarms for Sunday morning. Oliver adds 6am on Sunday, August 17 "both sit within the sweet spot before the long weekend and will give you a chance at potentially unlocking better pricing.' This timing tip comes from expert insights and data-driven research from travel and ticketing platforms. It also focused on last-minute booking trends by travellers in the UK. The advise follows suggestions from CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, who said flights could also be booked cheaper in the first two months of the year. Winter months are believed to be the best time of the year to find cheap air fares, as well as just before the peak of school holidays. Another study looked in to the best time to book flights for certain destinations. For Faro in Portugal, the cheapest flights for the summer holidays were found to be just five weeks before travelling. And for long-haul flights like to New York, the best time was found to be June to book for an August vacation.
Time Out
3 hours ago
- Time Out
Melbourne is officially the second best city in the world for Gen Z to live in
Move over, Melbourne millennials – Gen Z (you know, those born between 1997 and 2012) have well and truly stepped into the spotlight, and they've got thoughts on the best cities for young people right now. Every year, Time Out releases its annual ranking of the world's greatest cities (ICYMI, Melbourne was named the world's fourth best). This comprehensive survey quizzes more than 18,500 locals on everything from their city's nightlife, food and culture, as well as important lifestyle factors like happiness, access to green space and walkability. These insights were then filtered to include only responses from those aged 30 and under, revealing which city is best for Gen Z in 2025. And, drum roll please... Melbourne has landed in second place (slay!), beating out zoomer hot spots like Barcelona, Edinburgh and Mexico City. According to the data, 77 per cent of Gen Z described Melbourne as diverse and inclusive, with a whopping 96 per cent giving high ratings to the city's art and culture scene. Our beloved city also scored highly for quality of life, with an impressive 91 per cent of twenty-somethings saying the quality of life in Melbourne is 'good' or 'amazing'. To dive a bit deeper, we reached out to our Gen Z audience via Instagram to discover exactly what they love most about Melbourne – and yep, the responses well and truly confirmed the global findings. The most common answer was just how multicultural our city is, with Melbourne's café culture also getting plenty of mentions (given how twenty-somethings are gravitating towards 'third spaces ' that offer a matcha-fuelled antidote to nightlife fatigue, we're not surprised in the slightest). Street art, sport, the electronic music scene, theatre and how safe the city is were also specified. So, which city beat out Melbourne to snag the top spot for Gen Zs? It was none other than Bangkok. The Thai capital took the crown thanks to its stand-out scores in happiness (84 per cent of Gen Z say they're happy living there) and affordability (71 per cent say it's a budget-friendly city to live in). Rounding out the top five behind Melbourne were Cape Town, New York City and Copenhagen. The only other Aussie city to make the global top 20 list was Sydney, coming in at 11th. These are the world's best cities for Gen Z in 2025 1. Bangkok, Thailand 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Cape Town, South Africa 4. New York City, United States 5. Copenhagen, Denmark 6. Barcelona, Spain 7. Edinburgh, United Kingdom 8. Mexico City, Mexico 9. London, United Kingdom 10. Shanghai, China 11. Sydney, Australia 12. Beijing, China 13. Paris, France 14. Tokyo, Japan 15. Berlin, Germany 16. Seville, Spain 17. Chicago, United States 18. Chiang Mai, Thailand 19. Prague, Czech Republic 20. Lisbon, Portugal Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox. These are the best nightclubs in Melbourne for a big night out
