Greece June 2011 - Mykonos Naxos Santorini hotels

Your itinerary is a good one. I don't think you're moving around too much at all. 3-4 days is the minimum stay I would recommend.

The only reason to split your time between Oia and Fira is if you want easy access to the youth-oriented nightlife. Otherwise stay in Oia and enjoy this beautiful village. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and galleries there plus a few mellow bars and cafes.

The water will be swimmable but not as warm as in the Caribbean.

Other hotels of the same general quality as Perivolas and Mystique: Ikies, Kirini, Andronis Suites, Katikies, Aspaki and Oia Castle. Although the last two don't have a pool on site they have an 'arrangement' with a lovely new facility, the Lioyerma Cafe/Pool.

You should know that if you have no other reason to go to Mykonos, there are daytrips to Delos you can take from nearby Naxos and Paros.

Your plan works OK. BLL is correct if you are only going to Mykonos to get to Delos then you can catch the boat excursion from Naxos. Reducing one island gives you almost an extra day because cutting out one island hop saves a helf day of ferry travel so you can spend more time in Naxos and Santorini. Also if you are going to blow your budget in Santorini you should be aware that Mykonos will likely also blow the budget as these 2 islands are quite expensive. Naxos on the other hand is substantially less expensive for accommodation and dining.
As you beach in the Caribbean and Greece is not going to be a beach holiday I would suggest you consider St George Beach area of Naxos. It is a good beach (for Greece) and it is just a short 10 minute stroll into Naxos town waterfront. So you get all the best of a beach but everything the town offers.
Here are some pictures of Naxo to give you an idea.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT?start=72
Actually this album has more on St George
http://travel.webshots.com/album/552001505EYxVYT?start=72

I think you have a good plan. Mykonos is a beautiful island, and perfect in June. Mykonos has many high end hotels, including Santa Marina, but I prefer to stay in the town itself.

The excursion from Naxos to Delos takes 10 hours, most of it at sea in a small boat. From Mykonos it takes only 30 minutes, and you can choose how long you stay on Delos. That more than makes up for the half day or so you will lose in the transfer from Mykonos to Naxos. Recommend you stick with your three island itinerary.

At the beginning of June the sea is definitely swmimmable, and the beaches warm enough for sunbathing.

stanbr - thanks for the pix! Definitely makes me think that 6 days in Naxos might make a lot more sense for us than splitting 3/3 with Mykonos. It seems like our kind of place.

heimdall - sorry, I responded to stanbr before I saw your post! That ability to stay as long as we want on Delos might end up being the thing that sways us to keeping Mykonos in the mix (we spent six hours at Pompeii and hubby only left then because I was ready to drop and giving him that piercing stare that should strike fear into the heart of husbands everywhere).

I have been to Delos twice, both times from Mykonos. I wouldn't dream of doing it any other way! The earliest boat from Mykonos harbor leaves at 9 AM, and when you get there the island is deserted. It's a wonderful time to explore the ruins, especially if you go in the opposite direction of the route on the map. Imagine having Delos almost to yourself for an hour or so!

Naxos is nice as well, but has few hotels of the caliber you are staying in on Mykonos and Santorini.

We stayed in a suite at Perivolas and didn't think - except for the sensational caldera view- that it was worth the money. This was three years ago, so things may have changed, but I would probably look at Katikies or a Brotherleelove2004 recommendation if we were going back to Oia.

About Naxos: We visited in June, and had a wonderful stay at The Nissaki Beach Hotel, which is right on St. George's beach. The rooms are gorgeous- very modern, beautiful colors, great beds and AC, even during an unexpected heatwave. There is a small pool on site, and the staff couldn't do enough to help us. The hotel is within a very short walk ( about ten minutes) from Naxos Town. It's probably too soon to book for next summer,but don't leave it for the last minute. The hotel is small and increasingly popular.

weadles - thanks for the feedback on Perivolas. After reading some of the reviews on tripadvisor (especially about the bathroom and shower), I was afraid that might be the case (overall disappointment, I mean). For that much money, I don't want to be disappointed. But given that it is probably going to be our only trip to Santorini, I don't want to regret not getting the best "experience" possible, so that means a hotel with a caldera view and don't think too hard about the budget.

I've seen some really nice reviews on Nissaki, so I think that might be a winner for Naxos.

tejana

The Santa Marina on Mykonos gets mixed reviews and has for a number of years.

Ornos is a good location but closeby is Agios Ioannis which, in my mind, is much better and more beautiful (almost all of the movie Shirley Valentine was filmed there). It is served by the same regular bus service from Mykonos town. This is hourly off-season, every 30 minutes in high season, journey time 10 mins, cost 1.10e per trip and last service operates at midnight. It's route is Mykonos Town - Ornos - Agios Ioannis - Mykonos Town.

Here you have some of the islands best hotels such as the Mykonos Grand, St Johns and the Apollonia. If it is good sea views you want then Agios Ioannis wins easily as those hotels all face Delos.

There are now three tavernas and one full service restaurant there.

Of course, you can also easily walk to the restaurants and bars at Ornos from Agios Ioannis which is a 10 to 15 minutes stroll.

Bill

Agios Ioannis - my favorite beach on Mykonos! Seriously consider Bill's recommendation.

Hi again-

I would strongly recommend that you take Brotherleelove2004's advice for Santorini accommodations. He really knows the island and will steer you in the right direction for your budget. As far as the bathroom issue goes, you should know that this is likely to be the same situation in all or most of the hotels in Santorini and many, if not most of the other islands.

Oh, and if it matters at all, Mykonos has consistently been our least favorite island of the several we've visited these last few years ( almost every summer). It's party and cruise central in the summer months, although we didn't have time to get out to the quieter/more beautiful parts of the island.

Something to know in advance about the bathroom situation so you won't be surprised: Regardless of the stature of the hotel, you will be requested not to flush any paper products down the toilet, including your toilet paper. A small bin is provided for this and will be emptied every day. This is necessary to protect the antiquated sewer lines and septic systems throughout the islands, as well as on the mainland, even in Athens. Please comply.

Hi Weadles

I hope that some time in the future you get the chance to visit Mykonos in it's quieter months. I thoroughly recommend just before Pentecost in May, through June or from late September to late October.

Although Mykonos Town, one of the prettiest in the Cyclades, is at its best during those times, the rest of the island's surprises are too.

Don, I'm delighted you too found the magic of Agios Ioannis. It's a very special place to me. The old tales about mysterious pirates, evil mermaids and an optical illusion caused by the sun that provides a glistening pathway across the water to Delos. Never guaranteed, but spectacular to behold.

bill

brotherleelove - I have no problem with complying with requests to respect fragile sewer lines (I've spent just enough time on a boat to not question, just do). My focus on the bathrooms at Perivolas was reports I've seen complaining about the fact that they are small (because of the cave structure I presume), and the reports about the shower reminded me of delightful little albergos I've stayed at in Siena or Assisi (or perhaps a sailboat or two). If all of the hotels in Oia are the same, I can live with that, but if there are one or two with caldera views and bigger bathrooms, that is something to consider!

tejana,

The small bathroom at Perivolas was the least of the problems in our suite . There was a terrible sewage smell throughout our accommodations, which was never resolved. Also, the AC didn't do a good job of cooling down the room. And lastly, the king-size bed was a thin mattress placed on a carved out rock slab in the stone wall. For the amount of money we were paying, we were pretty disappointed. But the wonderful view of the caldera from our terrace almost made up for all the problems we encountered. ALMOST.

bookmarking.
great info!

so... brotherleelove... lets say someone you really cared about was visiting Oia and you wanted to put them up someplace fabulous, convenient to exploring Oia and with great views (and I think a pool onsite is probably important for a 4 day stay), but not have them think that you were throwing money away. Beautiful, comfortable, and just enough "special" without feeling overdone. Budget isn't a problem (only gonna do this once), but don't want to feel like you paid way too much for too little. Where would you send them?

Probably to Ikies, Kirini, Katikies Hotel, Katikies Villas, Perivolas Villas, Mystique or Andronis Suites.

If I could convince them to use the Lioyerma Cafe/Pool, http://www.lioyerma.gr/gallery.php instead of requiring one right at their hotel, I'd send them to the two best locations in Oia, Aspaki Suites and Oia Castle Hotel, depending on whether they prefer a caldera or sunset view. In that vein I'd also recommend either house at www.myblue.gr

P.S. The Olympic Villa, Aqua Suite and the Eros Villa at the Oia Castle Hotel have amazing indoor pools.

thank you so much for your expertise... I just hit the link to Dream Blue and want to go NOW, not wait until next June.