Help me pick a European Island
 

Hello!

My husband and I are torn on our next vacation and need help. We are deciding between three islands - Menorca Spain, Vis Croatia or Corsica France.

We will be there for 9 days in early June, with a rental car. We love beautiful beaches, quaint villages, historical sights, and the less tourists the better.

We went to Paros Greece 2 years ago and loved it - we want a similar feel but we want to go somewhere new.

any advice would be appreciated! If you have a different recommendation than what I listed, I’d love to hear it!

thank you :)

If Corsica is one of the choices, why not Sardinia, or even Sicily?

Or Ischia.

I think you could easily spend 9 days exploring Corsica. The same is true of Sardegna. 9 days would barely skim the surface of Sicily.

I'm not so sure of Vis and Menorca. I've never been to either, but from what I know of Vis, 9 days might be 7 too many for me. Even Menorca may not hold your interest for that long.

I think that Corsica or Sardinia are more likely to give you a similar feel to your Greek experience if you want to go to an island. You can also take the ferry from one to the other if you want to do a day trip or 2 centre holiday.

It would not be nine days on Vis in all likelihood, as you will be flying to the Croatian mainland and then traveling by ferry. Vis is the smallest--I could do four days there because I like nature, but then I would want to pair with the mainland or a different island, which is easy to do.
Any of the more sizable islands would be a no brainer. I'd pick the one with the best flights--do you have a preferred language or cuisine?

Why not Madeira or The Canary Islands?
OK Madeira doesn't have beaches but it's like Europe's Hawaii.
The Canary Islands have sandy beaches and are also very exotic.

Mallorca, Corsican, Sardinia, Sicily all have great beaches - of those Sicily and Corsica have better food.

someone suggested The Canaries - if I was drugged and woke up on a plane only to find the destination was The Canaries - I’d jump without a parachute - my is son 18 and is interested in the geology, drinking until 6am and then sleeping until 6pm - it’s fine for him -other than that generally it’s dire. The Exumas , Moorea (Fiji) or Palawan are exotic , I’m afraid The Canaries are anything but…….

If we are looking to throw other options into the mix, have you considered Malta. June is shoulder period so before the school holidays. It has a really interesting history and mix of cultures and food.

Even with limited time, I would give strong consideration to Sicily.
Crete would be another island for consideration..

Corsica is a great option, beautiful beaches, mountainous terrain, many gorgeous perched villages & historical sights. Bonifacio is beautiful. The food & wine is great too, many local specialities, the Corsican holy trinity of meat, cheese & chestnuts.

But it is a holiday destination so it won’t be touristless although June is early in the season.
Due to its terrain, getting from north to south isn’t easy, so dividing time between both is recommended.

If it were me, I'd opt for Sardegna. Was just on Ischia for 5 days and loved it, but I think 9 would be 3 too many days for me.

Can’t go wrong with Corsica: much to see and do, with some of the best beaches and swimming in Europe in addition to its pretty villages and mountains.