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Revealed: Europe’s quietest islands for a true escape

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 794 words · By Saskia O'Donoghue
Sustainable Tourism travel_trends
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As searches for “quiet destinations” soar, a new ranking has revealed the European islands where travellers can still escape the crowds – with a tiny Greek island coming out on top.

Claims checked 21
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left20%
Center60%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

As searches for “quiet destinations” soar, a new ranking has revealed the European islands where travellers can still escape the crowds – with a tiny Greek island coming out on top.

Why it matters

As life gets ever busier, many of us are hunting for holidays where we can really get away from it all.

Common ground

Research shows that searches for “quiet destinations” are up 1,268% year on year and the trend has even been given a name: "quietcation”.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/19/europes-quietest-island-revealed-and-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11
check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Vis, close to buzzy Hvar, comes in 19th”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 2: “searches for “quiet destinations” are up 1,268% year on year”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results regarding adult websites and general definitions of Google Search. No evidence was found to support or refute the specific statistic about 'quiet destinations' searches.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Google Search (also known simply as Google) is a search engine operated by Google. It allows users to search or ask for information by entering keywords or phrases on a website page or in an installed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Search
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Search may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Search may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Search
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “In Anafi, there’s no airport and no busy roads”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 4: “The island [St Martin's], the third-largest of the Isles of Scilly, has just 135 residents”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 5: “The island [Stewart Island] has... the world's southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Southern Way, BookRetreats.com, and CN Traveller) confirm that Stewart Island is the world's southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Southern Way is home to the southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary on the planet. With 85% of Stewart Island, Rakiura designated as a national park and minimal light pollution, visitors can…
https://southernway.nz/experience/after-dark/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Stewart Island, New Zealand is the world’s quietest island.With virtually no light pollution, Stewart Island is the world’s southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary and one of the few places in N…
https://bookretreats.com/blog/press-releases/bookretreats-re…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The world’s southernmost International Dark Sky Sanctuary is almost entirely untouched and virtually free of artificial light. The Greek island of Anafi is second, with a tiny population and no airpor…
https://www.cntraveller.com/article/quietest-islands-in-the-…
check_circle
Claim 6: “the Greek island of Anafi... was found to be the quietest in Europe and second most peaceful in the world”
CORROBORATED
Both Euronews and another travel ranking source confirm Anafi is the quietest island in Europe. CN Traveller further corroborates that Anafi is second globally.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Unspoilt Index. All 100 Islands Ranked by Quietness. The higher the score, the emptier, wilder and quieter the island.Methodology. BookRetreats.com’s Unspoilt Index ranks 100 islands around the world …
https://bookretreats.com/blog/the-worlds-quietest-islands/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The quietest islands in Europe. Despite its proximity to Santorini, Anafi is world’s apart. Just 300 people live on the 40 sq km island, that’s nearly 30 times fewer per square kilometre than busy San…
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/19/europes-quietest-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Anafi: The Quietest Island in Europe.A recent ranking examined the world’s quietest islands: Europe’s number one is part of the Greek Cyclades and remains a true insider tip even for Mediterranean fan…
https://www.travelbook-magazine.com/travel-destinations/the-…
schedule
Claim 7: “The Isle of Skye comes in 11th place”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 8: “the Unspoilt Index... used insight from silence researcher, author and psychology professor Olga V. Lehmann as well as satellite and mapping data for 100 islands across the globe”
CORROBORATED
Euronews and other web results confirm the index used satellite and mapping data for 100 islands and incorporated insights from psychology professor Olga V. Lehmann.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BookRetreats’ new Unspoilt Index analysed 100 islands around the world using satellite and open mapping data, ranking them according to six factors considered important for creating a peaceful soundsc…
https://www.timeout.com/news/worlds-best-islands-for-a-quiet…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Now, BookRetreats.com, a leading retreat booking site, has released its Unspoilt Index, which used insight from silence researcher, author and psychology professor Olga V. Lehmann as well as satellite…
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/19/europes-quietest-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Using satellite and mapping data, each island was scored on six measures that help shape a quiet place—rich nature, few roads, low air traffic, uncrowded space, dark night skies and natural coastal sp…
https://bookretreats.com/blog/the-worlds-quietest-islands/
check_circle
Claim 9: “BookRetreats.com... has released its Unspoilt Index”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Euronews, Outlook Traveller) confirm that BookRetreats.com released the 'Unspoilt Index'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Now, BookRetreats.com, a leading retreat booking site, has released its Unspoilt Index, which used insight from silence researcher, author and psychology professor Olga V. Lehmann as well as satellite…
https://travel.yahoo.com/guides/articles/europe-quietest-isl…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Havelock Island ranks ninth on BookRetreats’ 2026 Unspoilt Index, which assessed 100 islands across nature, roads, air traffic and more.What The Index Measures.
https://www.outlooktraveller.com/News/indias-havelock-island…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Why Use BookRetreats.com? Best price guarantee. Hosts are required to give you the lowest prices to be on our site.
https://bookretreats.com/
info
Claim 10: “the Stewart Island brown kiwi... outnumbers the island’s 500 human inhabitants by 40 to one”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific claim that brown kiwi outnumber humans 40 to one is only mentioned in one source (Time Bulletin). Another source mentions a population of 450 humans but does not provide the 40:1 ratio.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Globally, it was New Zealand’s Stewart Island which topped the list. It’s perhaps most famous for its feathered resident, the Stewart Island brown kiwi, which outnumbers the island’s 500 human inhabit…
https://timebulletin.us/revealed-europes-quietest-islands-fo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Stewart Island is sparsely populated in human terms, with just 450 full-time residents.A quarter of New Zealand’s total population of kiwi live on the island. Māori have lived on Stewart Island since …
https://nzmcd.co.nz/destinations/southland/island-in-the-sun…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The current world population is 8,313,393,591 as of. Sunday, September 6, 2026 according to the most recent United Nations estimates [1] elaborated by Worldometer. The term "World Population" refers t…
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
schedule
Claim 11: “Mljet, off Dubrovnik, is in 17th place”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 12: “Europe scored well in the top 25 quietest islands, taking ten of the spots”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the number of European islands in the top 25.
schedule
Claim 13: “BookRetreats.com actually named it [Malta] Europe's most overcrowded island in 2025”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 14: “New Zealand's Stewart Island... topped the list”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (CN Traveller, BookRetreats.com press release, and another news source) confirm Stewart Island, New Zealand, topped the list as the world's quietest island.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Aryan (), or Arya (borrowed from Sanskrit ārya), is a term originating from the ethno-cultural self-designation of the Indo-Iranians. It stood in contrast to nearby outsiders, whom they designated as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fiordland (Māori: Te Rua-o-te-Moko, "The Pit of Tattooing", and also translated as "the Shadowlands") is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the Sout…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiordland
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paterson Inlet (officially Paterson Inlet / Whaka a Te Wera) is a large natural harbour—specifically a ria—in the eastern coast of Stewart Island, New Zealand. Much of the land surrounding Paterson In…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterson_Inlet
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 15: “St Martin’s... was in fifth place”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “Herm, in the Channel islands, is in 14th place and... is home to just 60 people”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 17: “Salina in Italy's Aeolian Islands (23rd), Flores in the Portuguese Azores (24th), and La Gomera in the Canary Islands in 25th spot”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 18: “the Cycladic island of Milos taking 22nd position”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 19: “Just 300 people live on the 40 sq km island [Anafi]”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figures of 300 people and 40 sq km for Anafi are mentioned only in the Euronews source. While the claim is likely true in context of the report, it is not corroborated by a second independent source in the provided evidence.
info
Claim 20: “Santorini... placed 99th out of 100 on the list”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one source (Outlook Traveller) specifically mentions that Santorini ranked 99th out of 100. Other sources mention the index but not this specific ranking.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Santorini ranked 99th out of 100, while Phuket came 95th and Ibiza 85th. Malta occupied the final position. For Indian travellers, however, the headline is closer to home.
https://www.outlooktraveller.com/News/indias-havelock-island…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Crowds equal noise, and it’s easy to return from an adventure feeling more burnt out than before. For those of us seeking a more tranquil holiday destination, BookRetreats.com new index has uncovered …
https://www.cntraveller.in/story/these-are-the-quietest-isla…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — BookRetreats Global Support Coverage. 24/7 Customer Support. Our team of experienced Yogis have travelled to hundreds of countries around the globe and have decades of first-hand travel experience to …
https://bookretreats.com/
schedule
Claim 21: “Malta in 100th place”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.