No long weekend, but plenty of booking surprises: the islands that stood out on 28 October

Tinos takes the top spot, while bookings to the North Aegean rise 40% year on year

Ferryscanner’s booking data for 28 October – OXI Day, one of Greece’s national holidays – point to changes in how Greeks chose to travel this year. The ranking of the most popular destinations was reshuffled, and interest grew noticeably in the islands of the North Aegean and the Dodecanese. Tinos claimed first place, overtaking Aegina, which slipped from the top spot in 2025 to third. Meanwhile, Mytilene (Lesvos), Lemnos and Kos stood out with strong year-on-year growth in bookings.

The figures cover bookings made by Greek travellers on Ferryscanner for domestic ferry routes departing between 23 and 28 October 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.

Favourite destinations – and Chios stands out

Tinos maintained the strong presence of the Cyclades among Greek travellers’ preferences, ranking first in bookings on Ferryscanner. Heraklion came second, up 5.9% on 2025, while Aegina placed third. The top 10 also included Syros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Chania, Corfu and Paros.

This year’s top 10 also featured a notable newcomer: Chios, where bookings rose 34% compared with 2025. Its rise was part of a wider trend, with the North Aegean islands as a whole recording a significant increase in bookings over the period.

From Mytilene to Kos: the islands gaining ground

Demand for the North Aegean was particularly strong, with bookings up 40% and passenger numbers up 56% on last year. The surprise of the list was Mytilene, where bookings grew by 65.8% and passenger numbers more than doubled (+103.6%). Lemnos also posted a significant increase (+38.1%).

In the Dodecanese, Kos recorded a 59.2% rise in bookings, followed by Kalymnos (+25%) and Rhodes (+7.6%). Overall, bookings for the Dodecanese were up 5.8%, with several destinations across the region attracting more interest than in 2025.

Change in bookings by region for 28 October 2026 compared with 2025. Source: Ferryscanner

Corfu also performed strongly, with bookings up 23.9%, while in the Cyclades, Paros (+13.6%) and Naxos (+4.3%) both rose. Crete held steady, with Heraklion remaining one of travellers’ top choices.

The fastest-growing destinations in Ferryscanner bookings for 28 October 2026. Source: Ferryscanner

Beyond finding and booking tickets to a wide range of destinations, Ferryscanner users can also manage their bookings easily and flexibly. With the Ticket Changes feature, travellers can change their travel date or route themselves – instantly and without contacting customer support – through the platform’s Manage Booking section. In fact, 16.8% of ticket changes for departures during this period were made this way.

Alexia Kotsi, Marketing Director at Ferryscanner, said: “This year’s 28 October figures point to some interesting shifts in Greek travellers’ preferences, with destinations in the North Aegean and the Dodecanese gaining ground. Travellers’ choices are constantly evolving, reflecting interest in a wider range of island destinations, including outside the summer season. At Ferryscanner, we follow these trends closely and always put travellers and their needs first. That is why we continue to develop our services, so that every stage of the journey – from search and booking to managing tickets – is simpler, faster and more flexible.”