The August 15 holiday period once again confirms its status as the peak of Greece’s summer tourism season, with the short-term rental market recording exceptionally high occupancy rates across the country’s most popular destinations. Demand from both domestic and international travellers has pushed pre-booking levels as high as 94%, leaving very limited availability for those planning last-minute holidays.
According to data from the Panhellenic E-Real Estates Network, the Airbnb market continues to operate at full speed, although availability and accommodation costs vary considerably from one destination to another. While prices are higher than last year, several destinations continue to combine strong demand with relatively affordable accommodation, even during the busiest week of the summer.
Paros and Naxos lead demand
Paros tops this year’s ranking with a pre-booking rate of 94% for the period from August 13 to August 17. Naxos follows closely with 93%, while Santorini and Corfu have each reached 92%.
Milos and Skiathos are also performing strongly, both recording occupancy levels of 90%, followed by Kythnos and Lefkada with 89%. Skopelos stands at 88%, Kea and Zakynthos at 87%, Rhodes and Kefalonia at 86%, Chania at 85%, and Andros at 84%.
Mykonos presents a particularly interesting case. Despite its international reputation, it records the lowest pre-booking rate among the destinations surveyed, at 76%. This is largely attributed to the island’s significantly larger supply of short-term rental properties, which leaves more accommodation available even during the peak holiday period.
High occupancy does not always mean higher prices
Strong demand has not necessarily translated into prohibitively expensive accommodation. The data show that several popular destinations continue to offer competitive prices even during the August 15 holiday week.
For a family of four renting an entire home for four nights, total accommodation costs start at approximately €628 in Zakynthos, €670 in Lefkada, €680 in Santorini, €749 in Chania, €768 in Naxos and €800 in Kefalonia.
At the higher end of the market, prices start at around €1,700 in Milos, followed by Corfu from €1,150, Paros from €1,115, Andros from €1,108 and Mykonos from €1,008 for the same four-night stay. Kea, Skopelos, Rhodes, Kythnos and Skiathos fall somewhere in between.
The figures demonstrate that even with occupancy levels approaching full capacity, travellers can still find accommodation across a broad range of budgets, allowing them to choose destinations based on both availability and affordability.
Prices continue to rise, but demand remains strong
According to the President of the Panhellenic E-Real Estates Network, asking prices for short-term rentals are higher than during the same period in 2025. Strong demand for the August holiday, combined with the steadily shrinking supply of available properties as the peak dates approach, continues to support higher prices.
Across the islands, accommodation rates have increased by between 6% and 11%, confirming that Greece’s most popular destinations continue to attract strong demand from both domestic and international visitors.
Mainland Greece emerges as the preferred alternative for families
Demand is equally strong in mainland seaside destinations, where pre-booking levels range between 84% and 93%.
Halkidiki leads with 93%, followed by Parga at 91%, Syvota at 90%, Kalamata, Nafplio and Messinia at 89%, Tolo and Leptokarya in Pieria at 88%. Nafpaktos, the coastal villages of Pelion and Paralio Astros each record 87%, while Xylokastro, Preveza, Gytheio, Kavala and the coastal areas of Ilia range between 84% and 86%.
Accommodation prices remain significantly lower than on most islands. For a family of four, a four-night stay starts from around €650 in Akrata and reaches approximately €1,180 in Halkidiki.
Price increases in mainland destinations are more moderate, ranging between 4% and 8% compared with 2025. This trend is attributed to the larger availability of properties and the continued development of new short-term rental accommodation in several regions.
Total travel costs are reshaping holiday choices
The growing preference among many families for mainland Greece is not driven solely by lower accommodation costs. The overall cost of the holiday plays an equally important role, as travelling by private car significantly reduces expenses compared with ferry tickets required for island destinations.
Easier accessibility, the opportunity to enjoy shorter getaways or multiple trips during the summer, together with already high occupancy levels, confirm that Greece’s mainland coastal destinations are becoming one of the strongest performers in the country’s short-term rental market during the August 15 holiday period.
