Greece has been named the best country in the world for 2026 by readers of the renowned travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller, which targets some of the world’s most affluent markets.

Greece came close to a perfect score in the highly influential magazine’s readers’ poll, scoring 98.14 out of 100 and leaving behind established destinations such as Italy, Spain, France and Turkey.

“Our love for Greece has reached its peak, and you, the readers of Condé Nast Traveller, have named it the best country in the world for 2026,” the magazine notes, praising and showcasing the natural beauty of Greece to a particularly discerning travel audience.

The article notes that Greece “is attracting record-breaking numbers of tourists,” without this discouraging voters who named the country their top destination. “The crystal-clear waters of the Aegean are calling us back to some of your favourite islands in the world: Santorini, whose perfection looks like a postcard, Mykonos, steeped in mythology, and vast Crete, with its resurgent wine scene,” Condé Nast Traveller notes.

**“**The list of dream islands continues to grow, as more and more visitors explore the less-heralded Paros, car-free Hydra, mysterious Ios and windswept Tinos,” it continues.

The magazine, however, does not limit its praise to the islands and makes particular mention of Athens, recommending that its readers visit the Greek capital.

Condé Nast Traveller notes that the historic city has moved beyond the era of the economic crisis, displaying a “fierce, creative energy” that has brought “cutting-edge restaurants, avant-garde exhibition spaces and fashionable hotels” to the forefront, making Athens “one of Europe’s unexpectedly coolest capitals.”