Hi all - I'm planning a trip to Greece with my girlfriend and starting to get *really* excited! We'll be heading out on July 14th - July 26th and have enough time to spend in Athens (~5 days) and the islands (~6 days). I've been to a few islands in the past (about 11 years ago!) but am excited to go with a different lens given this stage of my life. We are in our mid-30s and have a good amount of experience traveling, we love to experience authentic culture (i.e., stay in Airbnbs, don't gravitate to major hotspots) and would love some advice from more experienced travelers:

Athens
- Which areas would you recommend for our Airbnb search?
- Are there any must-see neighborhoods or shops while we're there?

Islands
- Given we have about 6 days, we think our time is best spent across two islands. We've ruled out Mykonos and Santorini since we're looking for something a bit less touristy / commercial. But also looking for two islands that are also logistically easier to reach given the ferry schedules from Athens. We're looking for great food, culture, beaches, and some nightlife (doesn't have to be crazy, but would love an island with some personality).

Any recs on the above are very welcome and thx in advance

Regarding the islands, my suggestion would be Naxos and Paros. They are near each other and are served by the Blue Star Ferries. We returned from Greece at the end of May. We spent 4 nights on Naxos and loved it. Haven’t been to Paros but while on Naxos we talked to people who were coming from Paros and they loved it.

Regarding Athens, we enjoyed visiting the Athens Flea Market and the Athens Central Market, which includes the meat market and fish market. In May these places were not crowded at all. Not sure what July will be like. The flea market is also shady which you will appreciate in July.

You can fly from Athens to Naxos. It’s about a 30-minute flight. This will save you some time. Also, it makes sense to fly to one of the islands first, and end your trip in Athens since you will be flying home from Athens.

You need to check ferry schedules and flight schedules.

Syros, Tinos, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos are all a short ferry ride from Piraeus.
From Rafina (bus from Athens) you may reach Andros and Tinos.
Kea and Kythnos can be reached in less than 2 hrs from the ferry port of Lavrion (close to Cape Sounion).
All these Islands are mainly visited by European tourists (with a big percentage of Greeks).