One full day in Athens is perfect and enough time for most visitors (just try to pack in as much as you can and definitely get up to the Acropolis). I’d spend longer on Santorini than on Paros. [links]
See full version: The Best Greek Islands
One full day in Athens is perfect and enough time for most visitors (just try to pack in as much as you can and definitely get up to the Acropolis). I’d spend longer on Santorini than on Paros. [links]
My family of 5 (wife, myself, 14 yr., 12 yr. & 12 yr. old boys) will finish a trip to Turkey ending in Kusadasi. This will be mid-June. As 1st time travelers to the Greek islands, which islands do you recommend for a short trip of 5 days? I was thinking Santorini and Paros or Santorini and Crete.
All the greek islands have great food and restaurants. The best Greek islands for foodies are Santorini, Crete, Naxos, and Paros. This is a gyros plate from a restaurant in Crete.
Naxos is a wonderful family destination. Great beaches, a relaxed vibe, cheap hotels (and luxury ones too), and there’s even a water park.
Transport between the three islands relies on local ferries and these are unsophisticated ‘landing-craft’ style boats that do little more than ferry passengers and vehicles in Spartan comfort, but they are very functional and vital to the inter-island communication. There is plenty of on the ground support excursions and infrastructure and the islands are well-used to tourism; the only exception is that travellers will need to use a bit of independence in getting between the islands.
We spent our days either lazing around the pool admiring the views from high on the hillside without a care in the world except for reapplying sunscreen and keeping a good book at hand, or down at Lemonakia Beach, a picturesque, sheltered bay with a taverna where we enjoyed crisp Greek salads and moussaka for lunch. We wandered into the heart of Kokkari in the evenings to enjoy fresh seafood, local Samos wine, and watch the sunset over the Aegean. [links]
Some of the areas where you can find excellent accommodation are: Potos, Limenaria and Chirsi Akti. If you are looking for a Greek island with affordable prices, great food and incredible views then you should definitely choose Thasos.
Apart from being very beautiful and home to warm and friendly people, it is unique in many ways. It is thought to be the birthplace of Homer and was once the shipping hub of Greece. [links]
Views of Kea Island Greece
If you love luxury and sunsets, you’ll love Santorini. It has some of the best luxury hotels and resorts in Greece. Santorini is actually quite a popular and busy island. It’s on both the ferry and cruise ship routes, with ships coming and going from Thira Harbor. Tourists flock to the village of Oia in the north for the awe-inspiring sunsets and to photograph the iconic blue-domed churches that are symbolic of Santorini. more
We went on a day tour to little Leros and it was glorious. We had the entire place to ourselves. It was unbelievably beautiful. here
In fact, there are some journeys that can take ten hours or more by ferry, particularly if you are starting the journey from the port in Piraeus (the main ferry port for Athens). here
Many of the islands are volcanic in origin, which tends to give them quite distinctive and dramatic scenery. This is particularly seen in Santorini, which has stunning villages making it one of the most romantic destinations in the islands.
There are a total of 168 inhabited Greek islands that are located in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, and these have been broadly split into eight main island groups.
The Cyclades Islands have the best range of inhabited islands to visit, with Santorini famous for its towns and villages, and Mykonos and Paros home to some wonderful beaches. more
The islands can be grouped into broad clusters and, while many are inhabited, there are also plenty of smaller islands and outcroppings in the ocean that have no-one living there at all.
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This spot, featured in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, is a snorkeller’s dream, with secret caves to explore and water so clear you can see forever. A switchback road makes the steep descent down — you’ll find a bar and brollies.
On Andros’s west shore, Apothikes is your ideal paradise beach: white sands tickled by clear waters in a sheltered bay, with just a few umbrellas, sunbeds, a tiny wooden pier and a beach-shack bar. The crowds head to Chalkolimionas beach, leaving this one empty. more