In my opinion I'd say you'll want more than one full day in Athens. Two would do it, but since you're arriving late I'd extend the stay. That being said, you'll love the trip no matter how you decide to split it up. Have fun!

One day in Athens would be very rushed so three nights is much better giving you two full days to explore the main sites and museums.

There's a lot to see in Athens, so i'd say 3 days would be better.
You could use the one of the tree days for a full day tour to Argolis, which will take you to Epidaurus, Mycenae and the lovely city of Nafplio.
In Athens the Plaka, the Acropolis,the New Acopolis Museum and the National Archological Museum, will keep you occupied for 2 days.

THANK YOU. Exactly the help I need. I will keep the three nights in Athens. I am really looking forward to this trip.

If anyone has comments on the Naxos hotels please let me know.

When will you travel?
Which hotel have you booked in Athens?
What is your budget, so that we can recommend suitable hotels?

Naxos will be 8/25 thru 8/28. Used points for Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. Finari villas in Oia.

I would like to stay around 175 - 200 euros per night. Don't need extreme luxury but want great location, views, clean and character. I have been looking at nissaki beach hotel but am a little turned off because it is a best western....thanks for the quick reply. Part of the excitement of the trip is planning but I need to get the hotels booked as it sounds like they fill up quickly that time of year.

We stayed in Naxos at the Nissaki Beach Hotel, which is within easy walking distance of town and the port. The hotel was gorgeous (!!), right on a beach ( although from what I've heard this is NOT the best beach in Naxos) and the food was out of this world. We really enjoyed both the hotel and the location. In fact, the hotel was one of our favorites during a nearly 3-week stay in Greece.

Without knowing when you're traveling and how much you want to spend, it's hard to make other recommendations, but overall I think the split should be: Athens: 3 days Naxos: 4 days. And if possible, I would recommend going to Naxos immediately after you arrive in Athens. Of course that depends on the connections. Then visit Athens at the end of your trip. This saves you from backtracking and helps you avoid any possibly delays/cancellations due to weather etc. from the islands.

Ok thanks. We are flying athens then directly to santorini. Ferry from Santorini to Naxos and Naxos to Athens for the three night stay. I appreciate your comments about Nissaki and will look into it further. What is the best beach?

I think Nissaki and the St George area are an excellent choice. I stay in St George myself when in Naxos, at a very nice, but more modest, hotel called Argo. The Greek name for St George, btw, is Agios Georgios. There are a string of beaches south of St George, including my favourites, Agios Prokopios and Plaka. These are easily reached by bus, either from the station near the docks or at a bus stop in St George not far from the hotels. You will need to buy bus tickets in advance, as they aren't sold on the bus itself.

Plaka is considered by many to be the best beach on Naxos. There are many others, including Mikri Vigla, popular with wind surfers, Kastraki, and others along the same stretch of western coast. Many of these have no bus service, so you will need a rental car to reach them. With a car you may find a beach that will become your own favourite. Guides to the Naxos beaches can be found here:
http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/naxos/naxos-beaches.htm
http://www.naxosnet.com/beaches/thebeaches.shtml

One of my favorite hotels is the Medusa Resort located on sandy and quiet Plaka beach. The hotel is located directly on the beach, in a very quiet location.

http://www.medusaresort.gr

I am looking into this now and will be able to finalize thanks to all of your responses. I promise to give back and share my travel experiences with others on this site and will definitely provide feedback after this trip. Thanks again.

even though Anna, Prokopios and Plaka are much better beaches, you should probably stay on St. George because it is walking distance to the main waterfront strip in Naxos Town, which is where you will want to spend your evenings. We enjoyed staying at Nissaki Beach. They have great rooms and a beautiful pool, with a lovely breakfast buffet that changes daily. The front desk can arrange a car for you in a flash - no need to book anything in advance.

tejana
I find Plaka much nicer before it is much quieter, always in combination with a car...
Personally i would never book anything through any reception, as this would add a 20% commission to the price.
Since OP will be on Naxos in August, i recommend booking a car in advance, as there might not be any available on the spot.

Tejana and Clausar thanks for your recent comments. I just received a message from Medusa which looks like my kind of place in the pictures. We are thinking of renting mopeds or motorcycles to get into town 8 miles away which does not seem too far. Does this sound like a good idea or is it too busy or difficult to get around that way?

sphs

This is a very bad idea, if you don't drive a moped/scooter/motorcycle at home. Due to the low price it is a temptation, but you have no idea how many serious accidents happen every year on the Cyclades.
The streets are narrow, sometimes in bad shape ( especially out of the main roads), locals are having their own driving style often ignoring moped drivers...
I would say renting a car or using public buses is the best way to tour the island.
I have worked on the Cyclades, and i have seen many serious accidents with my own eyes.....

Even a minor accident could ruin your holiday. Because of the heat, few people bother to wear proper protective clothing when riding mopeds or motorcycles on the islands — just teeshirts and shorts. Then when they come off the bike they leave their skin on the road.

I'll second clausar's advice to rent a car if you plan to stay at Medusa. If you want the wind in your hair you could pay extra for a small jeep, but personally I would prefer the a/c. To me, though, the greatest luxury is staying somewhere I can walk into town, and not have to worry about cars.

Clausar, remind us, please — what is the current cost of gasoline and diesel on the islands?

Agree. My husband races dirt bikes in the US and we rented mopeds in Positano which was probably stupid but came out unscathed. I respect your opinions however. I am really torn between staying at Agios Georgis vs Plaka now as it makes sense to be able to walk into town but the Medusa looks beautiful. We will rent a car etc regardless as we want to explore the area.

Today in my area ( we have the lowest price in Attica here)
the price of gasoline is 1.785 per liter, diesel 1.539

On the Cyclades the average price for gasoline today was 1.895 and for diesel : 1.622
All prices are in Euro and per liter.
Greece is the most expensive country in the EU at the moment

Thanks, clausar! So, by my calculations, at the current EUR-USD exchange rate, that works out to be about $2.50 per liter, or $9.50 per US gallon for gasoline in the Cyclades. Ouch!

Totally agree with the other posts above. Don't rent a bike! The streets in and around town are extremely narrow and sometimes pedestrians have very little sidewalk to use, so they are in the street, too. Much better idea to rent a car for getting out of town and exploring the rest of the island.

Just read your comment that Nissaki is a Best Western. It's nothing like any Best Western you or I have ever seen in the U.S. As I remember, the owner's son or daughter completely designed the rooms and public spaces of the hotel. Think bright colors- oranges, reds, vibrant pinks and greens- lots of artwork everywhere, beautiful wooden floors in the rooms, and very modern bathrooms with every amenity. If Best Western were like that, I'd be more than happy to stay at one here at home!

Being a Vespa rider at home here in the states, I would have to vote "no" on renting scooters to ride to town from Medusa. No on scooters in general there as it was too chaotic and busy even for an experienced rider.

We stayed at Nissaki, rented a car and took it down to Plaka and even hung out at the beach side tables to enjoy the view with lunch and cold drinks. It is a beautiful beach reminding us of Caribbean beaches. Not the white sand but the golden soft sand. You'll love it.

Also, take your car into the hills of Naxos. We were so surprised at the beauty of the countryside, abundant flowers and charming towns. It was a highlight of our time on Naxos and happy we took the time to do that.

A note about the beach quality at Nissaki. For us we were quite disappointed at the type of beach - it was a dirty, grey murky water that I had no interest in enjoying. We walking to the right of the beach across the parking lot to the beach there which is clear water and smooth rocks nearby to sunbath.

Nisakki was a chic and stylish hotel that I would not compare to what we know as a Best Western. Nothing close!

Enjoy your trip. We leave for Paros next week and look forward to returning to these beautiful, friendly islands.

Thanks. Beach girl, based on your comments about the beach by Nissaki, if you had to do it over again would you stay at Medusa on Plaka?

We will rent a car in advance thanks everyone.

I would again stay at Nissaki and rent a car to drive down to the beach. Medusa has a beautiful beach but it was too remote to sight see and wander town for us.

Enjoy!

If i am right, the distance to Naxos town from Plaka is only 8 km... this isn't remote at all.....
But to me it's a matter of priorities....
I prefer a very quiet location, with a great and not too crowded beach, and i don't mind driving a short distance to the town.

In August the closer to the town you go, the crowder it will get.

Finding a place to park your car in Naxos Town may be a problem during August. Nissaki Beach and some other hotels in St George have their own guest parking, but if you drive into town from Plaka you will have to look for a scarce empty space in a public car park.

You are absolutely right Heimdall....
Same happens in Fira, Naousa or Mykonos town....
I remember parking once my car at a private parking in Mykonos and paying the ridiculous amount of 12 Euro...

Clauser, when we visited, there wasn't anything within walking distance except the next group of beach restaurants and the closet bus stop. I consider it "remote" as there isn't anything around it and town is not within walking distance.

This is why i said it's a matter of priorities.....
I prefer what you call remote... but at the same time i want to have a car to drive to the city.
Of course this is me... others prefer to be in or close to the town

I have to agree w/ BeachGirl247 that the beach at Nissaki is not good at all. But of course with a car, you'll be able to reach the best beaches easily.

We stayed at Nissaki in late July/early August, and were very glad to be close to town for restaurants/sightseeing/drinks, etc. It really depends what's important to you. Parking in town seemed almost impossible during our visit.

Medusa is a lovely location. Their beach is absolutely beautiful and so relaxing. If I were going for a relaxing beach trip it would be my first choice on Naxos. I was with my husband who was in the mood to go go go, so we had to stay on the move being our first trip. I could have lounged at Plaka beach for days!

We are staying 5 nights at Medusa in June based on the rec of another poster (didn't know clausar liked it too!)and you might check to see if there is a 5 night minimum - which I think is more than you want. We chose it b/c it is out of the town - for all the reasons listed by others - but if you want a report when we return I'll let you know!

Thanks to all who provided feedback. I booked Nissaki Beach and had wonderful, quick responses from both properties. I don't think you can go wrong with either based on my experience so far. Since this is our first trip we decided to be closer to town so we can walk everywhere. We will rent a car for exploring. Now the only remaining items are ferries and to do list each day. The stressful part of planning is done and now to the fun part. THANKS AGAIN

I am asking for a bit more help fine tuning our trip to make sure I don't miss anything. We arrive early (in late Aug) to Athens with an evening flight to Thira (using ff miles so will try to get earlier flight) - QUESTION - if we cannot get an earlier flight how long does it take via ferry?

Staying at Fanari Villas 3 nights. Any must see, must eat, must do advice?

Ferry to Naxos. Is it necessary to book in advance or can I book the ferry once I get there? Staying 4 nights.

Nissaki Beach Hotel - walk around town etc. Drive island and day at Plaka beach. Any other recommendations? Great low key tavernas, etc

Ferry to Athens. Once again, is it necessary to book the ferry in advance or once I get there which is my preference.

3 nights Athens. 1 day = Acropolis, New Acropolis Museum, Lycabettus Hill

1 day = Ancient Agora, Byzantine, Plaka

Fly to Istanbul - 4 nights

day 1 = Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque
day 2 = Grand Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palance
day 3 = Bosphorous by Boat

are these grouped correctly based on ease of getting to each place and time allowed? what other sites should I put in for the fourth day?

Any recommendations on restaurants is also appreciated - we like the very low key local great food as well as upscale dining.

THANKS - getting excited!

Flights take 30 minutes. Ferries take 5-12 hours depending on which one.

Very close to Fanari is Kastro Restaurant. Right below Fanari is Amoudi Bay where there are 4 waterfront fish tavernas on the wharf. Sigalas Winery in Oia has some excellent and award-winning wines. It's right behind Santorini Mou, a fun taverna where the owner serenades his dinner guests.

You wrote: "We arrive early (in late Aug) to Athens..." How early is early? If you arrive in Athens no later than 4 am, then you have time to make one of the morning ferries from Piraeus. Hellenic Seaways' highspeed departs Piraeus at 7 am, and arrives on Santorini at 11:25 am. Blue Star Delos departs Piraeus at 7:25 am and arrives on Santorini at 3:10 pm. No other ferry will get you to Santorini earlier than the evening flight.

There is no need to prebook the ferry from Santorini to Naxos, as it is never full leaving Santorini. Blue Star Delos (the same one that left Piraeus at 7:25 am) picks up additional passengers at Naxos and Paros on its way back to Piraeus.

If you are travelling from Naxos to Piraeus on a Saturday or Sunday, it may be a good idea to prebook that ferry, but you can wait until you arrive in Athens to do so. Ferries returning to the mainland on weekends in late August and early September are often full, with families returning from the islands for the start of the school year. On the second weekend of September last year all the seats were sold out on ferries from Naxos and Paros.

Best Western hotels in Europe are very nice, locally owned hotels with lots of local color. They bear no resemblamce to Best Western motels in the US. However, Best Western motels in the western US are quite nice motels, a cut above the average motel.

Thanks everyone. We will not be able to look at a ferry from Athens so will keep trying to get an earlier flight. Looks like I will not need to pre book ferry tickets which is good news. Brotherleelove, I will be visiting the winery and tavernas you mentioned - thanks.

If anyone has recommendations on Athens schedule or Istanbul events, please let me know.

This might be too late in the conversation but I just came back from Greece (2 weeks ago). I spent one day in Athens, saw Acropolis and the rest of the city. After one full day I've seen enough and kinda got a little bored. Then I went island hopping and that's where you want to spend most of the time. The islands are beautiful. That's my two cents.

One day is not enough to see a city like Athens, i could mention many places, museums and neighbourhoods where you haven't been.

Athens is everything but boring... it's a shame that you didn't discover it

You saw Acropolis and the rest of the Athens city in one day???? The very city center covers 39 km2 (15 sq mi) and the wider Athens area 412 km2 (159 sq mi) . Please let me know how you managed to do this in a day!
As clausar wrote, there is lots to do and see in Athens. I agree that marketing skills from local authorities are in not up to much, because all those things to see and do are not advertised a lot... But if you open any decent guidebook, you may choose at least a few things for any kind of interest to spend pleasantly a few days or weeks there. With all due respect, my opinion is that getting bored in a 5 million metropolitan diverse urban area (with thousand years history in addition) means either poor research, either a very very hard to please person.