Island picks: Mauritius & Greece
If you need beach inspo: Mauritius is trending as an escape for turquoise lagoons, white sand, snorkeling reefs, hiking and Creole cuisine that blends cultures. In Europe, serene Paliouri Beach in Chalkidiki and classic Santorini remain top picks for relaxed seaside views and sunsets. (x.com) (x.com) (x.com)
Mauritius reported 1,382,177 tourist arrivals in 2024, up from 1,295,410 in 2023 according to the national statistics office. The government announced 1,436,250 tourist arrivals for 2025, a 3.9% year‑on‑year increase, information the Minister of Tourism presented at a Port Louis briefing on 12 January 2026. Industry data for mid‑2025 show shifting source markets — India arrivals rose roughly 30.5% year‑on‑year in January–June 2025 while several European markets also strengthened, per AHRIM’s monthly arrival breakdown. Mauritius has been promoting longer stays with its Premium Travel Visa, launched in 2020 and allowing non‑citizens to live and work remotely in Mauritius for up to one year with renewal options, applications handled via the Passport & Immigration Office. Paliouri is on the Kassandra peninsula of Chalkidiki and the local community had 852 residents in the 2021 census, with the nearby Chrouso/“Golden” beach noted for long shallow sands and family‑friendly waters. Santorini’s tourism load is driven heavily by cruise calls — around 800 cruise ship visits in 2023 brought roughly 1.3 million cruise passengers, and peak‑day disembarkations have reached about 17,000 visitors, dwarfing the island’s year‑round population. Greek authorities have discussed measures to manage cruise traffic and peak congestion — proposals have included berthing allocations, daily caps on cruise calls and visitor levies as part of a broader effort to ease overcrowding in Santorini and Mykonos.
