Crete tops Greek island searches on Google ahead of summer, survey finds
Crete recorded the highest number of Google searches among Greek island destinations this year, according to a survey by Aurora Digital Marketing, which also found that travel and holiday-related searches dominate what Greeks look up online during the summer.
The survey, based on 7,000 unique search terms and phrases entered into Greek Google and analyzed using Ahrefs data, covered the period from June 2025 to May 2026. Its authors note that the figures represent estimated search volumes rather than actual bookings or arrivals.
Travel searches dominate, ferry tickets lead
Travel and holidays made up the largest single theme in the survey, accounting for an estimated 343,140 monthly searches, or 42.9% of the sample. Within that category, ferry tickets were the single most-searched item overall, with 204,100 estimated monthly searches. Air tickets followed with 114,340 searches, while hotels (12,800) and camping (9,100) trailed well behind.
Crete leads island destinations, mostly by air
Among individual island destinations, Crete recorded the highest number of transit-related searches, with an estimated 18,950 per month. Of those, 72% concerned air travel and 28% concerned ferry connections, according to the survey.
Syros ranked second with 7,250 searches, followed by Tinos (6,800), Corfu (6,150), Aegina (5,900) and Naxos (5,750). Rhodes (5,550), Paros (5,250), Santorini (5,200) and Mykonos (4,550) rounded out the top ten.
The survey highlighted sharp differences in how travelers plan to reach each destination. On Tinos, Aegina, Andros and Kythnos, all related searches concerned ferry travel, while ferry searches also dominated on Syros (94%) and Naxos (92%). By contrast, air travel prevailed clearly for Rhodes (76% of searches), Crete (72%) and Santorini (71%).
Search patterns shift through the year
According to the survey, searches for ferry tickets begin rising from April and peak in July, reaching roughly 5.6 times the volume recorded in the lowest-demand month. Air ticket searches follow a different pattern, staying elevated for most of the year and peaking in May, while hotel searches tend to pick up closer to departure, mainly from June onward.
The survey’s authors said the timing has practical implications for tourism businesses. Hotels, ferry operators and destination-based companies, they noted, need relevant digital content available well before the start of the high season, since much of the travel decision-making process is already underway in spring — a period that has also seen rising passenger numbers at Chania airport and Heraklion airport this summer. Travelers heading to Crete looking to explore beyond the airport may also consider options to rent a car in Crete once they arrive.
