wallos

We fly to Santorini with our 14 year old end September. Draft itinerary - all comments welcome.
Day 1 - fly from Oz via Athens to Santorini. Stay Tzekos Villas
Days 2,3,4 - suggestions ??
Day 5 - ferry to Naxos arrive lunchtime. Stay Galaxy Hotel
Day 6 - Naxos - suggestions
Day 7 pm high speed cat to Pireus. Taxi or metro to Athens ?? Stay hotel Plaka ( or other )
Day 8-9 Overnight trip to Meteora - is this worthwhile ? other places to see in the vicinity ?
Return to Athens pm .
Days 10 ,11 Athens
Day 12 fly pm to Naples
Please feel free to comment on hotels etc. Only thing locked in at this stage is the flight to Santorini.

Heimdall

Looks good to me! You aren't giving yourself much time for Naxos, but one full day there would allow you to tour the island villages and spend evenings in Naxos Town. With all your wonderful beaches in Australia, I'm guessing that isn't a priority on your trip to Greece.

It looks like Akrotiri will reopen on Santorini this summer, so that, along with Ancient Thera, would be my top choices of things to do.

I've never been to Meteora, but would love to go one day. Also consider Delphi, a magnificent archaeological site. Your choice, then, is between ancient or Byzantine. ;-)

cathies

We hired a car on Santorini and visited the beaches on the other side of the island. It's very different from the Calderra side and really worth a visit. Akrotiri was still closed much to our disappointment.

Meteora is amazing! We went there via the Corinth Canal to Epidaurus where the open air theatre has the most amazing acoustics. My husband sat in the very top row and took turns reciting Shakespeare with a young man who was standing on the stage and they were just speaking in their normal voices. Olympia was next, where you can go for a run on the original Olympic running track and and see where the Olympic flame is light every 4 years. It's a very peaceful place and the Greek people are so relaxed that when we asked if we could sit, we were given a nod. Turned out we were sitting on a ruin of a piece of 2,000 year old column. We then headed on to Delphi which is gorgeous as you are up high and can see right down to the sea, and of course there are very interesting ruins to visit. Then on to Meteora which as I said, is amazing! Keep in mind that at the monastery was the ONLY time we were warned not to use the toilets. Pretty gross apparently. The Byzantine art in the chapel was incredible. If the 14 year old is a girl she will need to be covered up in the monasteries, they are quite particular about legs and upper arms being covered.

We took 4 days to do this little trip and could easily have slowed it down further, so you won't be able to do all of that in 2 days, but you could pick and choose what interests you,.

I'm glad you have allocated a couple of days to Athens it is worthwhile. That first view of the Acropolis is breathtaking.

travelerjan

I would respectfully suggest that -- if the Akrotiri excavation is still closed, which is alas quite likely -- that you pare one day off Santorini and add it to Naxos. Assuredly Santorini has a spectacular caldera view. But the island is 12.5 miles long, it certainly can be covered very thoroughly in 3 days, unless you want to spend whole afternoons sitting on a balcony, gazing at the sea & sipping wine. That's what a lot of honeymooners remember fondly on these forums, and well they might! However, that can get old pretty fast for a 14-year-old who doesn't drink (hee hee). Naxos is about the largest island in the Cyclades. Your headline implies that interesting things for a teen may influence your trip plan -- and Naxos has a lot to explore! Here's a Fodorite's slide-show of some highlights (it has a narrative approach, from ferry arrival to departure: http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT

HappyTrvlr

Take at least a day from Santorini and add it to Naxos.