8 Best Small & Walkable Greek Islands (No Car Necessary!)

There’s a special kind of feeling you get when you arrive on a tiny Greek island where life immediately slows down. You walk off the ferry, drop your bags at your hotel, and everything you need is a short walk away – tavernas by the harbour, a beach for a swim, sunset drinks, bakeries, boat trips, and little backstreets to wander through in the evening. Even better if it’s the kind of place you can explore on foot. Extra bonus points if it’s car-free!

As someone who travels a lot by public transport, I relish trips to these tiny islands when I don’t need to immerse myself in bus timetables in order to figure out how to get around. I love a human-sized island. Here are my favourites.

Symi

Symi is a tiny island not far from Rhodes, and it’s one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been. I snagged myself a room with a view not hard here – most of them have a view) in the scenic harbour town Gialos, and spent a good chunk of my trip just sitting and admiring the dazzling view. Especially as the sun goes down and the whole island seems to glow a luminous pink colour. With a U-shaped harbour that has steep sides packed with pastel-coloured neoclassical houses and a waterfront lined with tavernas, it’s the perfect place for people watching.

It is steep, but if you book accommodation close to the harbour then you rarely need to go up a hill (not so fun in the heat). Most of the beaches can be reached by water taxi. They’re pricier than buses though, just something to bear in mind when planning. I loved Nimborio which is also walkable when it’s not too hot.

If Symi appeals to you, then Chalki and Kastellorizo are similar and in the same island group. Symi has the most frequent ferry connections to Rhodes, but visiting all three would be divine.

Poros

Poros is such an underrated island, you rarely see it mentioned on social media which is strange considering its main town and beaches are so photogenic (I mean, with its pine forests and terracotta roofs, it basically looks like it could be in Croatia). This sense of serenity just envelops you as soon as the ferry glides into the harbour. And it has these amazing views at night of Galatas, the town on the mainland just across the water. 

Poros is actually made up of two islands (Sferia and Kaalvira),  separated by a narrow channel (but connected by a road). The smaller island contains Poros Town and the larger is all hills and beaches. Poros Town has just enough tavernas and boutiques to keep you entertained for a few days. It’s quite lively, thanks in part to the large number of yachts that peruse the Argo-Saronic Islands.

You can walk from Poros Town to the handful of beaches and coastal villages facing it. Unsurprisingly, I loved Love Bay – it has the most stunning green setting. But the beach bar at Anasa was another favourite spot for a swim.

Koufonisia

One island which has definitely seen its popularity on social media soar lately is gorgeous Koufonisia, one of the Little Cyclades group which is not far from Naxos.

I’m not kidding when I say Koufonisia is the most beautiful island I’ve been to. It has that proper no-shoes deserted-island feel. You step off the ferry to whitewashed village with golden sands and vibrant turquoise waters. If you think the beaches on Naxos are great, Koufonisia is even better.

Koufonisia is also made up of two distinct islands – inhabited Ano Koufonisi, and uninhabited Kato Koufonisi. The latter is popular with boat trips thanks its striking rock formations – if you enjoyed the boat trips on Milos then this is very similar. You can walk around Ano Koufonisi no problem, but some people also hire bikes.

I visited pre-bloigging and somehow forgot to take any photos except of the rocks (which means I definitely need to visit again) but the other thing that sticks in my mind was the food at Finikas Restaurant which has lots of traditional dishes (I had goat stew!) in an amazing beachfront setting.

These days, the big ferries call here directly, and it’s often linked with Mykonos as well as Naxos, so it is a lot busier in the summer (relatively speaking) and certainly has a lot more high-end places to stay than when I visited.

Agistri

Little Agistri is my favourite hidden gem of the Greek islands. It’s one of the Saronic islands and not too far at all from the big city of Athens, yet feels a million miles away. Agistri is a popular weekend escape for Athenians but it hasn’t really caught on with tourists, mainly on account of the absence of attractions.

But, for me, that’s the point. There’s nothing to do here but eat, swim, relax, hike, and wind down to island time. It has some glorious pine-forested scenery, turquoise seas, a few sandy beaches, and some of the noisiest cicadas I’ve ever heard. Don’t make the mistake of visiting on a day trip because you won’t be inclined to leave. If you enjoy hiking, it’s possible to walk around the island. If not, there are buses. It only has two villages and a handful of bays.

You can literally walk off the ferry (which is one of the shortest, cheapest, and nicest ferry journeys from Athens) and be at your hotel in minutes. 

Read more: 2 Perfect Days on Agistri

Gavdos

Another island that’s little-known by visitors is Gavdos, the most southerly Greek island (no, Mamma Mia! fans, thereis no such island as Kalokairi). This is the last stop before Africa.

Now, Gavdos is not the easiest island to get to – ferries leave from the south of Crete. But that’s what keeps the crowds away. Channel your inner Joni Mitchell and leave any buttoned-up attitudes behind as Gavdos is a hippie haven, with a clothing-optional vibe and relatively few official places to stay. I definitely recommend booking in advance because I left it too late and unfortunately ended up with a much shorter stay than I’d intended (I hadn’t realised there was a trail-running race on that weekend). But it was enough to sample homemade wine and roasted goat, inhale the intense aroma of thyme everywhere, admire the stars, and chat to a hippie on the beach.

Accommodation is dotted around the island, there’s not much near the harbour. But most hotels will offer to come and get you when your ferry arrives. It’s that kind of place. You can walk most places on the island in under an hour.

It might not be the easiest to get to, but it does feel like you’ve gone back in time.

Paxos and Antipaxos

For me, Paxos is the perfect size for an island – two miles wide but with a lively harbour town, and a handful of villages and bays to explore beyond Giaos. But crucially, you can do this by boat. 

Giaos is a charming harbour town – I liked it a lot. If you haven’t seen Maestro in Blue on Netflix then you should, and you’ll be researching a trip here promptly. But make sure you get to Longos and Lakki (easy by bus, or walkable if you like a long walk and it’s not too hot – Paxos is just two miles wide), as well as over to Antipaxos for the amazing beaches Voutoumi Bay and Vriki (water taxis are available from Gialos).

Just in case you’re wondering, I’ve included Paxos on this list but not Ithaka because it’s smaller and much easier to get around by bus or on foot. Ithaka is so stunning and has a great vibe, but the buses suck and the ferries don’t call at the main places you’ll want to visit.

Hydra

Hydra is the classic island for people who don’t want to drive, because there are no cars allowed on Hydra. It’s also one of the most beautiful harbour towns in Greece (a strong category). And it’s known for being the one-time home of Leonard Cohen.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular day trip destination. It’s also a well-heeled place – the arty Athenian set love it, as do the yachties, and it’s pretty lively during the summer. There are a few swanky hotels. If you’re visiting Athens and only have time for one short island trip, this is usually the one.

It’s not the best for beaches – although there are some rocky platforms and sunbathing areas, a few straggly beaches, and a couple of expensive beach clubs. Like all the best Greek islands, you can get water taxis during the summer. And if it’s not too hot you can do some hiking. But, for me, this is another one of those places where it’s great to just chill out in the main town and people watch. 

Pserimos

Pserimos is a short boat ride away from the popular island of Kos. You might not have heard of it, but it’s a popular stop on excursion boats (most doing the 3 Island Cruise route). This is how I discovered it.

Tamarisk trees on the beach, soft golden sand, and a smattering of taveras. I’m definitely coming back sometime to spend a few nights drinking ouzo under starry skies here. It’s about 6 square miles and, if it’s not too hot, you can explore the coast of the island on foot – there are no roads or other villages. The boat trip tend to arrive in the morning and then head to Kalymnos for lunch.

There’s a ferry to Pserimos to Mastichari, the nicest beach town in Kos which also happens to be close to the airport. If you spy a cheap flight to Kos, Mastichari + Pserimos would be a nice little way to spend a short holiday (and then maybe onwards to Myrties in Kalymnos?).