Are there day cruises from Santorini to Heraklion? How about Zakynthos to Olympia?
 

I notice that cruises combine stops to Heraklion and Santorini in one day.

If we were to stay on the island of Santorini for several days, could we take a day cruise to Crete to visit the Palace of Knossos ruins?

If we stayed on the Ionian Island of Zakynthos, could we take a day cruise to Olympia on the mainland, or would it have to be the other way around?

And if we stay in Athens, can we take day tours as far as Delphi, and still be back to the same hotel at night?

Thanks in advance for any info.

You could probably do Knossos as a day trip from Santorini if you really had to. One way would be to take the 4 am ferry from Santorini that gets to Heraklion for 8.30 am. Go to the Archeological Museum (opens at 8 am). Have lunch then take a cab (only 5 km)to Knossos for the afternoon (open til 7 pm). Take a cab back to Iraklion. Grab and early dinner. Take the 8 pm ferry back to Santorini that gets you back at 11.45 pm.

It would be a bit of an insane day, but if you can't bear to move to Iraklion for a night or two then I guess it can be done.

You'd have to spend at least one night on Crete. No day cruise is available.

If you're staying on Zakynthos, you'll find that there are plenty of organised trips on offer to Olympia. I did it about 20 years ago and found it well worth the long journey.

Thanks for the prompt replies!

Xenos, could you tell me a little more about Zakynthos? I had never heard of it until someone recommended it for an "authentic" Greek island experience. Nice to know we could include a visit to Olympia. How long was the journey?

Matrexx and Brother... Are you contridicting each other? Has the ferry been recently added or cancelled? Or maybe you were refering to a day tour?

Perhaps we should fly to Heraklion for one or two nights, and then ferry to Santorini for the beach R&R.

No contradiction. I wasn't taking into consideration the 4 a.m. ferry. I was thinking more about a leisurely day trip, not a "middle-of-the-night" trip!;) You'd have to get up a lot earlier than that to make it to Athinios to catch that one.

I think your idea of flying to Crete first is an excellent alternative that solves the logistical problem.

Flying most definitely sounds better than attempting it as a day trip.

I went through the stages of it just to see if it could be done!

I hope you have a wonderful time. We leave in 2 weeks for Greece and will be spending time on Santorini and Crete as well.

Dreamer2

It's about 15 years since I last went to Zakynthos, because I felt at that time that it had become too touristy and commercialised for my tastes. 15 years on, I'm not sure how much of the "authentic Greek island experience" it still has to offer. I do know that it has become one of the most popular islands for package tours from all over northern Europe and the UK in particular.

Why don't you check out Kefalonia instead? It's the next Ionian island north from Zakynthos, so it's quite possible you can do an Olympia tour from there as well (as I'd already been to Olympia, I never bothered checking it out on the 2 occasions I visited the island) and it doesn't seem to have suffered from over-development to quite the same extent that Zakynthos has. It also has some fantastic olive and pine-clad mountain scenery and places of interest to visit on the island itself.

As a confirmed Ionian addict (20-odd visits so far), I would definitely recommend trying to see at least one of these beautiful islands whilst you're in Greece - you'll find them a complete contrast to the barren landscapes of Santorini.

=:)

Thanks, Xenos. I appreciate the additional info, as I don't consequently think Zakynthos is what I'm looking for. I'll put Kefalonia on my list. I'm also considering Corfu. Do they have sandy or rocky beaches? Or will I find various types of beaches on one island. Also, we may be there over Easter, if that makes any difference.

Corfu is gorgeous, my second favourite Ionian after Paxos. Like most Greek islands, there are places to avoid - Kavos and Sidari spring to mind - but you'll soon find out about those if you start doing some research.

Most islands have a mixture of sandy and pebbly beaches, but if you're going at Easter, you may find the weather a little too cool to spend much time on the beaches.

If you're talking about Greek Easter (23 April), you'll need to get moving quickly, because the islands are always packed at that time of year with Athenians returning to their "home" island for the celebrations. Western Easter is a week earlier and will be much quieter, but you'll find fewer hotels and restaurants open.

=:)