Crete has been named first in a list of the best wedding destinations in Greece as revealed by a large international survey by luggage storage network Stasher.
Stasher created the list for its travel blog by ranking the destinations after the evaluation of scores relating to criteria related to accommodation, restaurants, attractions and weather conditions.
Over the past year online searches for honeymoons in Greece have increased by 33%, mainly due to the relaxation of measures against Covid-19, but also because of the excellent accommodation.
"Known for their beautiful beaches, rugged coastlines and sparkling blue seas, the Greek islands are a perfect choice for your honeymoon,” writes Stasher.
“With the average couple spending £4,500 (€5,163.49) on their honeymoon, it’s important to get it right.
“But which Greek islands have the most to offer newlyweds? To help you avoid choosing the best-marketed location over the best honeymoon experience, the data analysts at Stasher have done the hard work for you.”
Crete takes first place on the list of Top Greek Wedding Destinations with a score of 78 points out of a possible 100 due to climate, beaches and food, while in second place with 77 out of 100 is Karpathos thanks to its peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty. They are followed by Milos with 74 out of 100 and Kalymnos which is tied with Astypalaia and Rhodes, having a score of 73 out of 100. Ios completes the top five with 71 out of 100.
Karpathos
“Karpathos has the "raw materials" to emerge as a destination for newlyweds,” says the Deputy Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Karpathos, Manolis Paragyios.
“Our picturesque and traditional villages, exotic beaches of incomparable beauty, local cuisine, quality accommodation and the range of options for holidays and special forms of tourism make up an ideal environment for newly married couples. For this reason, meetings are planned at the WTM international exhibition with bloggers and journalists who also aim at couple and newlywed tourism.”
[su_custom_gallery source="media: 219787,219789" link="attachment" width="670" height="670" title="never"]Kalymnos
"Kalymnos has had a very satisfactory tourist season with high performances in September and October,” said the Mayor of Kalymnia, Dimitris Diakomichalis when contacted for comment.
“Indicatively, there is a significant increase in air arrivals from April to the end of August by 85.3% compared to 2019, while the traffic was clearly enhanced by expatriates, but also through tour operators. The multitude of options such as diving and the hundreds of climbing fields have contributed to the lengthening of the tourist season, while wedding tourism also has prospects."
[su_custom_gallery source="media: 219815,219816" link="attachment" width="670" height="670" title="never"]Ios
"This year in Ios we have taken a step in the direction of lengthening the tourist season, a fact that can also be seen from the increased ferry arrivals in September by 13.5% compared to the corresponding period of 2019,” the mayor of Ieton, Gikas said with regard to the survey results.
“Interests such as walking tourism, the Ios Festival, the marine activities and gastronomy deepen our tourist appeal. To these, wedding tourism is added, especially for the month of September, which also contributed to the increase in arrivals."
[su_custom_gallery source="media: 219818,219819" link="attachment" width="670" height="670" title="never"]Astypalaia
"Astypalaia is developing into a destination of authenticity, quality and sustainability, gaining ground in arrivals from abroad as well,” says the mayor of Astypalaia, Nikos Komineas.
“The increase achieved this year is impressive with a 52% increase in air arrivals and 7.4% by sea from May to August compared to 2019, justifying the new strategy that has been adopted. With allies of idyllic landscapes, gastronomy and the excellent services of professionals, honeymoon tourism has its own place and can contribute to the expansion of the tourist season."
[su_custom_gallery source="media: 219817,219820" link="attachment" width="670" height="670" title="never"]After reading through Stasher’s top 5 destinations there is most probably one question on your mind: But what about Santorini?
Renowned as an island to visit on honeymoon Santorini was still credited with an honourable mention, being placed as equal 10th on the list, along with Sifnos and Kos.
Stasher’s Top Greek Wedding Destinations
1 Crete
2 Karpathos
3 Milos
4 Astypalea
5 Ios
=5 Rhodes
=5 Kythira
=5 Naxos
=8 Naxos
10 Kos
=10 Sifnos
=10 Santorini
