Athens or Naxos?
 

Hi - My husband and I are travelling to the Greek islands in June. Our itinerary includes 2 nights in Mykonos and 3 nights in Santorini. We have an additional 2 nights to decide between Naxos or Athens.

In terms of islands - we are afraid that the 3 islands might look similar and therefore Naxos won't be a big miss if we skip it. However, we are not sure if Athens is something that should be seen instead of an island. I have heard bad things regarding - pollution, traffic and crowds. Confused.....

Athens is wonderful. Traffic can be a bit scary but no more than any other big European city, and I did not find the pollution to be worse than many other places either.
Am I right in surmising that you only have 7 nights in total for your trip? Then probably Athens would be the best choice.
If you are flying into and out of Athens you will probably have to stay there anyway - you will need a one-day buffer at the end of your island trip to allow for possible delays in getting back to make your flight.
It really would be a shame to go to Greece and not see the Acropolis IMO!!

Naxos town is quite charming, especially the Old Town section up on the hill above the harbor. But I agree with taggie. If you haven't seen the Acropolis then you should spend at least one whole day in Athens. Find a nice little boutique hotel in the Plaka and spend a day walking around, do some souvenier shopping and enjoy eating al fresco at one of the numerous restaurants where you can sit and relax and people-watch to your heart's content.

Definitely add Athens, but I'd swap Naxos for Mykonos -- just to get away from the U.S. tourist cliches.

Athens is fantastic, full of surprises and wonderful people. Do a morning visit to the Acropolis and stroll through the Agora before grabbing a late lunch.

Kouzina Cine in Psirri has great rooftop dining in a cool neighborhood. The restaurant is tucked away znd a little hard to find, but once you hear the sound of the outdoor cinema next door, you'll know you're close.

Post Olympic Athens is a delight! museums,strolls,shopping in vibrant city.
If you wish to keep the island feeling why not staying on the Athens riviera like Vouliagmeni,Glyfada etc...

One really needs to spend at least a couple of days strolling the sites in the Plaka area of Athens. Indeed Athens is a big hot and dusty city but the Plaka area is very special.
Personally after being on both Naxos and Mykonos I would suggest if you are looking for a very cosmopolitan party place then Mykonos is the answer. If you are looking for a more laid back, truly Greek experinece then you may want to consider Naxos.
Much of the main town is an historical site in it's own right, it has great beaches and is certainly cheaper than Mykonos.

I'd say you have to do Athens, I mean when you look back at a trip to Greece, how can you say you saw Greece, without seeing AThens.
Naxos would be a nice stop if you had time, but it sounds as though you don't, I'd say relax and just do Athens, along with the other 2 major greek isles, Santorini and Mykonos.

Just make sure you spend at least one evening in a rooftop bar in Athens to watch the lights at the Acropolis come on. It was the highlight of every night there!

Don't leave Greece w/o spending some time in Athens; it is polluted and crowded but wonderful, all the same. My inclination would be to replace Mykonos with Naxos, but I've never been to Naxos so probably shouldn't speak to that.

Calling Santorini and Mykonos the ``other(?) two major Greek islands'' is a little misleading.

Perhaps through the lens of U.S. tourism they are, but by most other measures, they fall short.