We are going to Greece for 6 days the first week of Oct. and are trying to decide which location. We will spend 2 days in Athens at the end of our stay leaving 4 days for an island. We are trying to decide on whether to go to Chania in Crete or Santorini. We prefer a reasonably low key island with beautiful beaches, whitewashed houses, good restaurants, a few sights , an authentic feel and less touristy. We don't need clubs or busy nightlife.

Given that we only have about 3 1/2 days after travel time to spend on an island

1.Which one would you recommend and why?
2. Would the weather in Oct.be warm enough to swim or be any different in either of the above islands?

Thanks for your help!! (There are so many places I would like to go its hard to choose)

Low Key Island is NOT Santorini, even in October. And 3 1/2 days is really not enough time for Chania and surrounding area, but do-able.

I would recommend an island closer to the mainland like Aegina, Sifnos, Milos, Paros, & Naxos which will be easy to get to via ferry and still have enough time to experience a more traditional Greek Island.

October is off-season so these islands will be a lot quieter with less tourists, but still nice weather and less expensive. They'll always be something open for locals which may be a better time to go because you'll be dealing with locals rather than pushy and demanding tourists!

Naxos may be a good option, but again 3 1/2 days is not enough but still OK.

October weather can be very nice, especially early October. Still mild temps without the heat of Summer, the Aegean very swimmable, maybe a little rain here or there but probably no wash-outs.

Santorini does not have nice beaches either. Western Crete has beautiful beaches. However, I agree go to Paros or Naxos, both wonderful island to visit. We spent 4 nights on Santorini and it was way too much time there.

I agree with crazyh, except that I would say that 3 or 3.5 days is perfect for Naxos.

Hi there

If your choice is between Crete and Santorini then Crete would get my vote - for the reasons the other posters mentioned and Octobers a great time to visit the sea is still lovely and warm but with just 3.5 days I would focus on Chania and don't be tempted into trying to see too much.

Hi MG.
Chania is perfect for a short stay. Don't try do too much just enjoy Chanias ambiance. It takes a good two days to essentially explore the old town and harbour area.

We always stay at or near Theotokopoulou street. It is a pedestrian only street full of small hotels in every price range has tavernas and shops but is just a 2 minute walk to the harbour.
Chania http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632117917828/

Chania May 2016 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57671465596275

Theotokopoulou St area http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632118491316/

I couldn't agree anymore with Stanbr. Chania is truly a lovely town to stay in and Theotokopoulou St. is a perfect to base yourself to explore the town and surrounding area. Lots more to offer than Santorini and a lot more "Greek"!

Just one more thing about Crete: Stanbr's photos of Chania/Crete are outstanding and only a tease about what to expect in one of Greece's loveliest towns.

Do yourself a favor and pick Chania and/or Crete over Santorini.

Hi there! Both islands are great during October, however you should always have in mind that Crete is an all year round destination since many of the locals live and work there not just during summer season. Also, the weather is milder in Southern Greece... and of course it is very hot between Jun-Aug!

Santorini is perfect due to its volcanic landscape and amazing sunsets but I suggest you visit it the latest before September ends. The nightlife is better then and you'll have more things to do and explore...

If you have enough time you should go to both with the e-pass ( www.hostelbay.com/ferries ) I tried it this summer and went to Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Mykonos, Amorgos AND Crete! Crete alone needs 2 weeks for Chania, 2 for Heraklion etc, it is a BIG island, takes time to explore it all!

I have a similar question, should I visit Crete or Santorini? I am going to Greece in October. I want to see ruins or archaeological or historical sites; Santorini has Ancient Akrotiri and the museum of Ancient Thira, and ancient thira. I probably will go to Santorini and skip Crete. I could be wrong and there is not time to see everything. You probably should go to Chania in Crete because don’t want to be near partying and you didn’t say anything about archaeological sites.

@ michaelpianko: Are you posing the question, or simply responding to the OP of this thread? If you are still considering which to visit, note that Crete has the extensive Minoan sites of Phaistos and Knossos (not to mention Roman ruins at Gortyna), and the archeological museum in Heraklion is outstanding.

Chania has everything you mentioned except whitewashed houses which it does NOT have. Santorini has the ultimate whitewashed houses but not the other things though would be lower key in October I would think than high season. I think Naxos or Parson would hit more of the things you mentioned. If you didn't ask about them because you didn't know about them then you should consider one (or both) of them, but you certainly can't go wrong with either Chania or Santorini.

Here are my photos of all those:http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f320347206

@kja My guess is that I want to see sites in Athens and then I don’t know where else in greece; probably Delphi and mycenae; in addition I could add more sites in the peloponnese like Corinth and/or nemia and/or Isthmos; or Islands like Santorini and/or Crete; Would I just be better off skipping Crete? I am thinking of skipping Crete. I can ask for no more than ten weekdays off of work. Then there is the problem of whethervI need to rent a car or whether the buses will be good enough.

@ michaelpianko: Lots of difficult choices! the good news is that none are bad choices. With limited time, you might consider deciding on just the 1 or 2 -- or at most 3, places that are the places you MOST want to see on THIS trip if possible (remain flexible!), then see what those choices mean in terms of transportation options (e.g., whether you really NEED to rent a car for those priorities?) and you consider what would be "easy" to add in light of those choices, paying attention to timing and cost to the extent those those factors matter to you -- and that includes the decision of whether to rent a car (which will add to your cost). Personally, I felt hard-pressed to come up with an itinerary for Crete that fit into a week; YMMV. If you haven't already seen my trip report, you might find some useful information there -- just click on my screen name to find it. Good luck!

I love Chania but it does not have the iconic white cube houses trimmed in blue. Lots of Turkish and Venetian influences instead.

A compromise will be needed here - Santorini's beaches are composed of black volcanic grit but it does have the whitewashed cubic houses which Crete does not. Crete has the great beaches and is replete with archaeological sites, most of which are relatively easy to access via public transport.

Santorini is 12 miles long, Crete is 150 miles long, I've been visiting for well over 20 years and still have not seen all the island. This means you have to prioritise, make a rough itinerary, and stick to it or you will end up charging around the island trying to squeeze in as much as you can.

A base somewhere close to the capital Iraklion makes it quite easy to reach the sites at Knossos and Malia but bear in mind too that Iraklion itself boasts a cornucopia of wonderful sights and should most definitely be on your agenda.

Chania is also a great base, has just as good bus connections to many parts of the island and of course, like Iraklion, has its own airport. I have never stayed in Chania, only visited but I know stanbr holds the city in great esteem and that it is way more an attractive town than Iraklion