Crete and one island in the Cyclades
 

Hi everyone. My husband and I have decided to go to the Greek Isles this fall, ideally late September/early October. We will have about 10 days, give or take a few. We know we want to go to Crete, and I really want to experience one island in the Cyclades as well. I've been reading about the islands, and Amorgos sounds great to me, but will it be reachable from Crete at that time of year? Alternatively, I'm thinking of flying back to Athens and taking the ferry to Sifnos or Serifos. Is October 1 the beginning of low season for the ferries?

Also, has anyone here ever flown straight to Crete from the US? We're thinking of skipping Athens and going straight to Iraklion, spending a couple of days there, and then a couple of days in Rethymnon, and possibly on to Chania from there.

Thanks in advance for any responses. It's great to be back on the board!

Amorgos is reachable from Santorini, which is only 75 miles north of Crete. It's also reachable from Naxos and Paros. Of the three, Naxos has more scheduled routes that include Amorgos. http://www.gtp.gr

You can get from Crete to Santorini or Naxos at the end of September or early October on the Hellenic Seaways highspeed catamaran.

http://www.ferries.gr/hfd/

The problem is that the schedules for Naxos-Amorgos-Naxos won't be published until probably sometime in August, so making plans will be very difficult unless you're able to stay flexible.

I would say that Oct. 1 is the 'unofficial' end of the summer season, by then many hotels on less-popular islands are closed or in the process of closing.

Your idea of flying back to Athens and taking a ferry to an island closer to the mainland is probably a good idea just from the convenience standpoint.

Amorgos in Sept. would be great. I was there in May and there were ferries about every 2 days to Naxos. A great hiking island. The Chora is charming. The locals still have donkey's parked out back. The beaches are very good.

If you go to Amorgos I would stay in Aigialis as the hotels will be competively priced there. That is where most of the tourists stay. Then visit Chora and Katapola, the port.

So you guys think it would, in fact, be possible to visit Amorgos directly from Crete in the fall? We want to go the first week of October, but should we go in late September instead because of hotel openings and ferry schedules?

If we do it this way, should we plan to return to Crete more than a day in advance so we don't miss our plane home?

Thanks for the help!

Theoretically it's possible, but it all depends on the weather and ferry schedules. For the sake of your peace of mind I suggest you plan on reaching an island that's more accessible to the ferry system, either Santorini or something closer to Athens. If high winds kick up, which happens at that time of year, you might find yourself stranded and unable to get back to Crete in time for your flight onward.

Unless you're actually flying directly to Crete without touching down in Athens, the best plan would be to visit your optional island first before heading to Crete so you don't have to worry about missing your plane.

"...the best plan would be to visit your optional island first before heading to Crete so you don't have to worry about missing your plane."

I was thinking about that. I'm now considering flying into Athens, and either staying a night or catching a connecting flight to Naxos and catching a ferry from there the next day.

Is Olympic Airlines the only airport that serves Naxos? Their website and Orbitz won't let me price a one-way ticket Athens -> Naxos.

Yes, Olympic's the only one for Naxos. You can book directly from the Olympic website:

http://www.olympicairlines.com/

Thanks for the help, everyone! I think we're going to try to spend a few days in Sifnos first and leave Amorgos for another time.