Headed to Greece for a birthday vacation at the end of May with my husband and I. We only have 9 days so we only have time to go to 3 islands.
We'll be flying into Athens and are hoping to use the ferry system unless you all say that flying is much better.
I'd like to do Santorini, Mykonos, and Hyrda, but I don't know which order is best?
Any other recommendations?
Fodors was so helpful planning my safari a few years back so I appreciate all of your thoughts!
Greece Islands-Santorini/Mykonos/Hydra
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Santorini is lovely and well worth the visit. I personally would go for the flight bet Athens & Santorini - it's just that much faster that for 9 days, it's not worth spending the time on a ferry. We stayed in a cave house in Oia, and loved being able to sit on the patio, looking over the water while the tourist throngs headed to see the sunset.
There are others (Brotherleelove) here that will certainly chime in on order, etc. Enjoy!
Fly to Santorini, ferry to Mykonos via Paros. You could easily also stay on Paros (Naoussa) which was our favorite experience in the islands, less touristy. Hydra is off of the Peloponnesean coast so you'd need to travel back to Athens to get a ferry there. We liked Spetses which is near Hydra. There are many good islands for you to think about. If you go to Santorini, before booking a stay in a cave house,make sure you aren't claustrophobic.. You only get any daylight at one end of the room.
I would fly to Santorini first, by connecting flight upon arrival in Athens if at all possible. Santorini - Mykonos is best done by FlyingCat 4, a catamaran taking about 2½ hours. From Mykonos back to Athens you have a choice of flight or ferries. If you intend going to Hydra it would probably be best to take Blue Star to Piraeus where you can connect with a ferry to Hydra.
Be sure to save a day or two for Athens at the end of the trip. Frankly, with only 9 days, I would skip Hydra and spend the extra time in Athens.
Personally i would skip Mykonos, end of May the water will be cold for swimming, and the island can be a bit boring....
I would spend more time on Mainland Greece, where you can go to Nafplio, Epidavros and even to the beautiful islands of Poros and Spetses ( both are 10 min away from the Mainland, in Argolis).
Spending 2-3 days in Nafplio, which is a beautiful romantic city, will give you the possibility to see many ancient sites ( Mycenae, Tiryns, Nemea etc) and the above mentioned islands. Best way to do this tour is with a rental car.
If you are lucky enough you will have the unforgettable experience of blooming orange groves...
On second thoughts, it may be risky to take Blue Star to Piraeus for a connection to Hydra. Blue Star arrives Piraeus at 19:45, and the latest ferry currently shown for Hydra departs at 20:30. That would be the simplest route if connection times allow, and there may be a later ferry to Hydra when May timetables are released. It's also possible there will be a Hellenic Seaways highspeed from Mykonos to Piraeus arriving earlier, but nothing is showing up on the websites yet.
Your other alternatives would be a morning flight to Athens, then bus or taxi to Piraeus; or, a very early ferry from Mykonos to Rafina, then Rafina to Piraeus by whatever means. Do you really want to go to Hydra?