I am in the beginning stages of planning a multi-generational family trip for next summer and could really use some input on which island may be best to finish our trip off with.

The current plan is to fly into Rome in late June 2016. We will spend 3-4 days showing the kids (ages 16/14/10) the city and then connect with a cruise which will have us disembark in Athens. We only have about 16 days to be away total.

Two of our cruise stops are Crete & Mykonos.

I am trying to determine which island would be fairly close (under 3 hours by ferry) and provide the family (grandparents - 70ish) with ample walking opportunities and some beach/relax time for the kids.

We are definitely interested in searching out a VRBO type lodging since we will have 7 in our group.

I greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have!

Taking one of the highspeed ferries you can reach Paros in 3 hours. There's plenty to do there for everyone.

Ferry schedules: http://www.gtp.gr

I agree with brotherleelove that Paros would be a good choice, and it has lots of VRBO listings: http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...cyclades/paros

Be careful about location, because many of the villa-type accommodations are outside town, and you would need rental cars to get your party of seven around. If you can find somewhere in a town itself (e.g. Naoussa) you can walk everywhere, and there is also a good bus system to get you to other parts of the island.

I assume (and hope) you will want to spend a few days in Athens, and it would be best to put those days at the end of the trip. If Mykonos is the last stop before Athens on your cruise, consider getting off there, because it is only 45 minutes by highspeed ferry from there to Paros.

Seven of us (active siblings and siblings-in-law in our late 60s, early 70s) went to Greece this spring. We visited Athens, Santorini and Naxos. We really like Naxos - it has nice beaches, excellent hiking, good sightseeing and is otherwise a great place to travel. It is a manageable ferry ride from Athens.

We had a minivan which accomodated all of us comfortably and stayed outside Naxos town, convenient to an excellent beach. We stayed at a rental called Villa Paradise in a unit called Villa Yellow. It was ideal for our group and would be for yours. Sorry, I do not have the contact information as my sister-in-law made the arrangements.

Naxos would be another good choice, but it's an hour further away from Athens than Paros (ferries from Piraeus stop at Paros first). Were you to leave the cruise at Mykonos, Naxos is also about 45 minutes away by highspeed ferry.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. Can I ask if anyone has any experience with the Saronic islands(Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Methana and Salamis)? Travel wise, they are the closest to Athens but I'm not sure if they fit the need of walk-around and beaches.

Maybe what you need isn't an island at all, but a coastal village not far from Athens. Nafplio, in the Peloponnese, is only 2-3 hours by road from Athens, and in the area has some of the most Important archaeological sites in Greece. From a nearby port you could take a day trip to the Saronic Gulf islands of Spetses or Hydra. Leave your rental vehicle at the ferry port of Porto Heli or Ermioni, and it's only a 20 minute ferry ride.
http://www.visitnafplio.com