Even though summer isn’t here yet, we can still (day)dream of our idyllic summer holidays. Have you been to any of the unknown European islands listed below?
On this tiny British island belonging to the Channel Islands, cars and street-lighting are banned – locals get around either by horse or bike – and there’s only one policeman. Can you imagine what the night sky at Sark looks like with no light pollution?
This Turkish island is definitely the best place to relax. Its landscape full of grapevines and whitewashed houses can only be improved by its hidden beaches and Mediterranean-influenced food.
This German island is covered in white sand and surrounded by the UNESCO-protected Wadden sea. Besides the obvious sunbathing plans , Juist also offers spas and hikes on mudflats.
Grinda is a peaceful Swedish island that belongs to Stockholm’s archipelago. It’s probably one of the easiest islands to reach on our list; only two hours away from the Swedish capital!
This remote Danish island is part of the well-known Faroe Islands and is only accessible by either boat or helicopter. The inhabitants of the island are mainly puffins as only ten people live here year-round.
This trio of islands is the European version of the Seychelles: powder-fine sand? Check! Turquoise waters? Check! Golden sunshine? Of course, they’re in Spain! Now a national park, in the Cíes there are no cars nor hotels, just a campsite where tourists are allowed to stay for a week maximum.
Inishmore is the largest Irish Aran Island, although it can’t be described as idyllic, it does have its own charm thanks to its green landscape, stone walls and dramatic cliffsides.
Situated just a couple of minutes away by boat from the French coast, this diminutive Mediterranean island will surprise you with its scent of rosemary, eucalyptus and pine.
The Estonian island of Saaremaa is probably the most fairytale-like of them all. Its capital is overlooked by a castle and surrounded by forests, windmills and ruined churches.
Belonging to the same Portuguese archipelago as Madeira, Porto Santo offers 9km of soft white sand and only a handful of hotels and restaurants.
This is probably the most terrifying – and exciting – island on our list. This Italian volcanic island could only be described as wild; its volcano is totally active. The daily eruptions do not disturb the locals but they will for sure be the focus of your visit, specially at night when you’ll be able to appreciate the lava!
Pronounced Tessel, this Dutch island is exactly what you’d expect from the Netherlands: extensive cycle trails, cosy villages and fields of tulips.
This idyllic island belongs to Croatia and can be easily accessed from Dubrovnik. When you visit Mljet all you can do is relax, surrounded by pine trees, small villages and lakes.
Ýdhra is clearly a Greek island: white houses, clear blue water and donkeys that help tourists carry their heavy luggage uphill. So, why is it not packed with tourists? Its beaches are not sandy but pebbly; which scares most tourists away.
This Norwegian island is probably the most famous of the list – at least for foreigners – as it annually hosts the world’s most remote music festival: Trænafestival.
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