The cheapest island breaks this summer

1. Sicily

Best Mediterranean island for luxury stays

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily reveals one surprise after another as you explore its craggy coastline, hilltop villages and historic cities.

It’s not just beach lovers who will want to jump into the inviting sandy coves at the foot of chic Taormina – history buffs will revel in the glory of the ancient Greek and Roman amphitheatre that overlooks the Ionian Sea. And in the background is the smouldering white peak of Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe.

While the eastern side harbours other treasures – Siracusa and its ancient Greek ruins and the baroque splendours of Ragusa, Noto and Modica – head west to the vibrant capital, Palermo, for some of the island’s best street food. Chill out on the beaches at San Vito Lo Capo and Castellammare del Golfo.

Don’t miss: A visit to the terraced vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna.

2. Crete

Best Mediterranean island for family holidays

Greece’s largest island has a compelling mix of exceptional beaches, a fascinating ancient Minoan culture and some of the Mediterranean’s most celebrated cuisine.

Go west past Chania and you’ll be bowled over by Balos Beach and Falassarna Beach. Step back in time 4,000 years ago to the age of the Minoans among the ruins of the Palace of Knossos.

As you stroll the cobbled streets of Heraklion and Rethymno, you’ll discover the legacy of the Venetians as well as wonderfully long stretches of beaches. For five-star luxury, take your pick of the classy resorts in Elounda.

Don’t miss: A family day out to Watercity.

3. Gran Canaria

Best for Canary Island value

You’ll find good value across the board in Gran Canaria, so you can take your pick of full-on fun in Playa del Inglés, laidback retreats in Meloneras or both city and sand in the capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

If you’re up for exploring, Gran Canaria’s dramatic interior is a hiker’s heaven, and the town of Teror, with its balconied buildings, is probably one of the prettiest places on the island. Public buses will get you to the main attractions on a budget if you don’t want to hire a car.

4. Majorca

Best Mediterranean island for couples

This Balearic beauty has more than 200 beaches to explore, including the blinding white sands of Cala Llombards and Es Trenc along the southern coast.

Combine the seaside with dramatic views of the Tramuntana mountains on the west coast, where exquisite villages are tucked in among the peaks and valleys. Look out for pretty Valldemossa and the spire of its Carthusian monastery or take the vintage tram from Port de Sóller through orange groves to the attractive village of Soller.

If you fancy adding some city time to your Mediterranean island holiday, head for the capital, Palma. In just a few days you can soak up an astonishing amount of sun, culture, history and sublime food.

Don’t miss: Catching the sunset from Cap de Formentor.

5. Zante

Best for late-summer Greek sun

Got your eye on Greece? Zante (Zakynthos) is a solid starting point for a last-minute summer deal.

While party town Laganas is the best-known name here, there’s a quieter side to Zante in serene resorts such as Alykes and Alykanas, as well as traditional little villages like Exo Chora.

As with many of the best summer deals, you’ll want to visit in September when the mercury hits 28C and the sea is a gorgeously warm 25C. Don’t miss an early morning boat trip to Smuggler's Cove to capture the island’s most iconic shot.

6. Kefalonia

Best Mediterranean island for romantic breaks

Kefalonia is the biggest of Greece’s Ionian islands, leaving plenty of room for rugged landscapes and limestone cliffs overlooking sandy and pebbly beaches.

If you use the northern village of Fiskardo as your base, you’ll have the soft white sands of Myrtos Beach within easy reach. Backed by limestone cliffs, it’s one of the most picturesque beaches on the island.

Fans of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin will want to bask on the pebbles of Antisamos Beach near the port of Sami where the film was shot. For romantic sunsets, find a spot on Petani Beach on Kefalonia’s west coast and prepare to be dazzled.

Don’t miss: A horse riding trip to explore the island’s rural interior.

7. Sardinia

Best Mediterranean island for fabulous food and beaches

North, south, east, west – wherever you choose to stay in Sardinia, you’ll have a dizzying range of resorts, beaches and scenic villages to visit. If all you’ve ever heard of is the glitzy Costa Smeralda on the north coast, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

The south is home to the charming capital, Cagliari, along with countless heavenly beaches including Chia’s Su Giudeu and Santa Margherita di Pula.

Stretching along the west coast are the seemingly endless sands of Pineta di Is Arenas, while along the east coast in Ogliastra is Bari Sardo, whose beach seems to go on forever.

Don’t miss: Buying local goods like pecorino sardo cheese and cannonau red wine at the food markets.

8. Skiathos

Best island for quiet beaches

Rounding off the list is tiny but mighty Skiathos. Despite its small size, this quiet Greek island has more than 60 beaches, pine-covered hills and postcard-pretty harbour towns.

There’s a decent choice of accommodation too, from modest studios near the sea to boutique boltholes tucked into the hills. Look for last-minute deals around Megali Ammos Beach or Troulos for a peaceful base near the coast.

For the best prices, look to early or late summer when the crowds thin but the sea is still inviting.

9. Corsica

Best island for natural beauty

It may be part of France, but Corsica has its own distinct identity thanks to a mingling of Ligurian and French influences.

It has some of the most enchanting coastal towns in France, from colourful Bastia in the north to the gravity-defying clifftop town of Bonifacio in the south. Head into its mountainous interior for breathtaking hikes through the Natural Regional Park of Corsica.

Take a tour of the beaches of the Balagne coast on the northern coast, starting in fashionable Calvi with its lofty citadel. Hop on the little train that trundles all the way to Bastia.

Don’t miss: A boat trip to Scandola Nature Reserve.

9. Hvar

Best island for beach clubs

There’s more than a little of the Ibiza spirit going on in Hvar Town, where lively beach clubs line the harbourfront and boat taxis take party-goers across to Carpe Diem’s second outpost on the tiny island of Marinkovac.

For one of Croatia’s most famous views, follow the zigzagging path up to the Spanish Fortress and you’ll have the Old Town and the Adriatic spread below you.

It might be a major ferry port, but the town of Stari Grad is remarkably quiet – and a very attractive place to stroll around, swim and explore the marble alleyways of the Old Town. Head further east for the family-friendly beach resorts of Vrboska and Jelsa.

Don’t miss: A sundowner cocktail at Hula Hula beach bar.

10. Formentera

Best island for getting away from it all

Ride the ferry from Ibiza and you enter a different world once you land on the jewel-like island of Formentera. In the mood for doing very little?

This baby Balearic is one of the best islands in the Mediterranean for kicking back on a blissful white-sand beach that wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean. Flop on the sands of Llevant, Migjorn or Illetes – they shouldn’t be hard to find, as the island is only about 20km long.

Hire a bike for lazy excursions from sleepy village to village, including the capital, Sant Francesc. It’s easy to slide into the island’s slow pace, as they’ve kept development to a bare minimum.

Don’t miss: Kayaking or paddleboarding in the Freus Marine Reserve.

11. Malta

Best island for fascinating culture

Fly to the deep south of the Mediterranean to discover Malta’s captivating blend of cultures, unusual landscapes, ancient ruins and underwater marvels. Once you’re within the historic walls of Valletta, you’ll see why this baroque gem was a former European Capital of Culture.

Check out the laidback beach resorts on the northern fringe of the main island, including Armier Bay. From here you can catch a boat to Comino and swim in the Blue Lagoon.

Another boat will take you to Gozo, where you can bask on the red sands of Ramla Bay or go diving in the Blue Hole.

Don’t miss: Exploring the ‘Silent City’ of Mdina.

Cities and islands combined

Fancy combining the tranquility of Mediterrenean island holiday with the excitement of a city break? Just a pebble-toss from the bright lights of some of our favourite city break destinations lie pretty little islands where life moves at a gentler pace – the perfect relaxing antidote to days of frantic sightseeing and nightlife.

1. Dubrovnik and the Elafiti Islands

Huddled within its ring of massive ramparts, ultra-photogenic Dubrovnik became a must-do pilgrimage for Game of Thrones fans after it served as King's Landing in the long-running saga of swords, sex and dragons.

But within easy reach lie the Elafiti Islands, a group of lovely, rugged dots on the map where rugged limestone shores are crowned with pines and cypress trees.

If time is limited, Koločep is your top pick for a day out from Dubrovnik. Plan to get there early if you want to bag space on one of its two small beaches at Gornje Čelo and Donje Čelo, where there are modest beach restaurants (less modest is Donje Čelo's nudist section).

Sail a little further to discover Lopud, where a gracious fortified medieval monastery (now a boutique hotel) overlooks a dinky harbour village. There are plenty of cheerful café-bars here, and if you're not already sated with history after your stay in Dubrovnik you can slog to the hilltop Sutvrač for outstanding views. You'll find a super sandy crescent beach at Sunj, about 2.2km (1.3miles) from the harbour – but you'll have to foot it, as there are no vehicles on Lopud bar a few mini-tractors.

If you're looking for a laidback spot to stay for a few days, Šipan, largest of the Elaphiti Islands, could be your best bet. Its beaches are pebbly, but the water is brilliantly clear and blue, and its hinterland is a verdant patchwork of vineyards and olive groves. You'll find plenty of friendly guesthouses and self-catering apartments in Suđurađ, Šipan's harbour village.

How to get to the Elafiti Islands from Dubrovnik: Ferry timetables vary throughout the year. Journey times are 20 minutes to Koločep, one hour to Lopud and up to two hours to Šipan.

2. Florence and Elba

Elba is famed as the island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled in 1814, only to escape for the comeback attempt that ended badly for him at Waterloo. Plan to spend two or three nights to kick back after exploring Florence's fabulous but tourist-bustling palazzos and churches.

Apart from the two houses where Napoleon briefly stayed before getting bored with exile, Elba's pleasantly free of dutiful sightseeing, but you can ride an open and slightly terrifying cable car to the summit of Monte Capanne, the island's highest point.

Sandy beaches on the west coast have the usual Italian portfolio of sun-loungers, seafood restaurants, gelaterias and watersports. Accommodation ranges from simple guesthouses to beach hotels with pools.

How to get to Elba from Florence: You’ll need to combine transport modes. It will take around three and a half hours by bus and ferry.

3. Istanbul and Büyükada

Istanbul is about as urban as it gets. But join the locals on an away-day to the ‘Princes’ Islands’ to discover a trio of isles some 22km (around 14 miles) south of the continent-straddling megacity. You might even spot dolphins from the deck of the old-style ferries that carry Istanbullus to Büyükada for a lazy weekend lunch at one of its waterfront seafood restaurants, where fresh-caught tuna, red mullet, anchovies and lobster glisten on beds of ice to beckon you in.

Büyükada's name means 'big island', but you can cycle round its car-free roads in less than an hour, among old-fashioned wooden houses set in rose gardens and lemon groves. A visit here is a step back in time to an era – within living memory – before Istanbul became an ocean of brick and concrete.

Don't expect big sandy beaches on Büyükada, but for a quick dip or a lazy day in the sun you'll find a scattering of beach clubs with loungers, watersports and café-bars.

How to get to Büyükada from Istanbul: Ferries from Istanbul to Büyükada take around 50-75 minutes.

4. Cancun and Isla Mujeres

Mexico's favourite Caribbean resort has its own collection of sand-between-your toes islands where the pace of life is a good deal slower than in buzzy Cancun itself.

Isla Mujeres, a short hop, is a great day out. You'll see pelicans wheeling overhead as you sail in. Rent a golf buggy to drive round the island (which takes less than an hour), visit perfect beaches like Playa Norte with its talc-white sand, and make a lunch stop to sample spicy grilled tikinxic fish, an island speciality, at a Playa Lancheros beach shack.

For wilder island experiences on Cancun's doorstep, take a boat trip to Isla Holbox to snorkel with giant (but harmless) whale sharks, or visit uninhabited Isla Contoy, a nature reserve that's home to endangered sea turtles, frigate birds and fleets of pelicans.

If you're tempted to stay longer on Isla Mujeres, you'll find accommodation ranging from thatched beach cottages to full-service holiday hotels with pools at Playa Norte on the north coast.

How to get to Isla Mujeres from Cancun: Isla Mujeres is 30 minutes by boat from Cancun.

5. Athens and Aegina

Greece is a small country population-wise but, with around 4 million residents, its capital is a big city by any standards. But it's easy to escape its seemingly endless concrete sprawl. When you've had your fill of ancient Greek culture, head for Piraeus, Athens’ seaport, and take a fast ferry to the islands of the Argo-Saronic Gulf.

It takes just 40 minutes to get to Aegina, so this little island makes a great day out from the city. There's the mandatory harbour village, where colourful horse-drawn carriages wait to take on a trot round town. Athenians travel to Aegina just to sample fresh seafood and sip ouzo in the village meze eateries.

The sandy beach at Agia Marina, about 12km (7 miles) from Aegina Town, is a perfect place to cool off after visiting the island's must-see sights, the deserted medieval village of Paleochora and the 2500-year-old Temple of Aphaia. For a longer stay, you'll find affordable hotels in town and by the sea at Agia Marina.

How to get to Aegina from Athens: You can get to Piraeus from central Athens in around 20 minutes by car. Aegina is a 40-minute ferry from Piraeus.

6. Naples and Ischia

Everybody has heard of Capri. Its larger neighbour in the Bay of Naples is less well-known, except to Italian cognoscenti, who flock to its fabulous beaches and boutique clifftop hotels in summer. Perhaps they're keeping it to themselves.

Adding to Ischia’s appeal are top-notch restaurants and traditional trattorias serving fine Italian cooking, a spectacular coastline, and a handful of sights including the Castello Aragonese, a splendid 15th-century royal citadel set on its own tiny island just offshore.

Soak in hot volcanic waters at Casamicciola, on the north coast; bask on the beach at Citara, on the west coast; or flop on Maronti, on the quieter south coast. For something more energetic, hike through lush chestnut forests to the 789m (2,589ft) summit of Mount Epomeo for an amazing view of the Bay of Naples.

In summer, there's a lively, very Italian nightlife scene around Porto d'Ischia, the island's main town – dress up to the nines if you want to blend in with the Italian crowd. If you're looking for a quieter break, head for the stunning south coast.

How to get to Ischia from Naples: Ischia is around an hour by boat from Naples.