This Spot Was Just Named the Best Island for Hiking in Europe—and It Has 500 Trails and Stunning Ocean Views

From vineyard strolls to countryside jaunts, Europe is absolutely loaded with hiking destinations. Out of all the places to go hiking across the continent, islands are among the most memorable, offering dreamy seaside views along coastlines and through interior forests and mountains. But some, of course, are more striking than others. Island Hopping, a family-owned tour company that specializes in Greek island travel, recently conducted a study to find the best of the best.

For the survey, each island’s trail offerings were assessed in terms of quality and quantity. To determine quality, for example, average trail length, safety, climate conditions, and accessibility were all considered. Certain travel metrics were also taken into account, such as average nightly room rates and the number of online searches for trails on that particular island. Afterward, each of the 20 destinations included in the survey was assigned a Hiking Quality Index score.

After combing through all of the data, one island easily summited the list: Mallorca, Spain.

Mallorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, with 500 trails crisscrossing its surface. It’s home to roughly 949,00 people and is anchored by the capital city of Palma, where you’ll find Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI). The hub is serviced by airlines such as Ryanair, Lufthansa, Iberia, and easyJet from other major European cities like Frankfurt, Barcelona, Milan, Madrid, Vienna, Zurich, and London.

“Hiking has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel trends, with more visitors seeking authentic, nature-focused experiences,” Island Hopping said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. The company went on to emphasize the appeal of islands with “diverse landscapes and unique cultural heritage” that offer travelers “the perfect balance of adventure and escape.”

Mallorca has just one national park: Cabrera Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, on the largely unpopulated Cabrera Island, 14 miles off Mallorca’s south coast. It’s reachable by boat tours departing from Porto Petro or Colonia Sant Jordi for a day trip, taking anywhere from 30 to 75 minutes depending on conditions. Visitors like to explore the island’s caves and grottos, as well as a fortress tower and lighthouse at Cape Punta de Anciola. At S’Albufera Natural Park, hikes pass through wetlands and are often punctuated with flamingo sightings. Mondrago Natural Park’s terrain includes pinewood forests, olive and pistachio groves, and beaches. Notably, Mallorca earned a perfect 100 Hiking Quality Index score, plus an average 4.6-star rating for its trails, despite having the highest average nightly room rate ($212).

Interestingly, all of the top four islands in the survey each have 500 trails. Crete, Greece, earned the second-highest Hiking Quality Index Score, which was 23 points lower at 77. But it has much more affordable hotel rooms ($106 per night on average) and a 4.7-star average rating.

Crete was followed by Sicily, Italy, and Madeira, Portugal. In fifth place was Sardinia, Italy, which has 363 trails, followed by Texel in the Netherlands with 62 trails. Coming in last was Santorini, Greece, with just 42 trails and the third-highest average nightly room rate ($192).