C_C

This summer we are interested in visiting Athens, Naxos, Santorini & possibly Folegandros. We have 3 weeks.
How long should we spend in each?
Any advice on hotels?
We are hoping to average 200 Euros a day for accomodations and would like the hotels to be very nice and peaceful. Has anyone stayed/heard reports about Santorini Princess? Villa Mirandi or Kavos Studios in Naxos? Anemomilos Apartments in Folegandros? In Folegandros, what is there to do? Are the beaches nice? Do we need a car?
In Athens, any advice on hotels? A hotel with some outdoor space would be lovely (bar/patio/pool).
THANKS!

brotherleelove2004

So much depends on what sort of activities you require to fill your time. If you're travelling in High Season you'll be better off with confirmed reservations, but if you're not I suggest you take it one island at a time, staying until you're ready to move on. It's much more relaxing that way. If you have to stick to a schedule I'd say to first of all leave your exploration of Athens until the end so you have extra days to get off the islands in case of ferry trouble or high winds. Go to Naxos first since the ferries stop there before Santorini. Stay 5-7 days. Move on to Santorini for a week, then Folegandros or another island on your way back to Athens.

Folegandros is not a highly-developed island. There's not much vegetation at all, it's considered a barren island as far as that's concerned. There are several beautiful blue-water beach/coves for swimming but they're not too easy to get to. This is an island for long walks and taking it easy at your hotel.

brotherleelove2004

Hotel Vrachos is on the beach on Folegandros, at Karavostassi Beach (the port village) - 3 kms from Folegandros Town. Beaches are accessible by hiking or by buses that will drop you off where the main road intersects unpaved roads to the beaches themselves.

repete

Villa Marandi on Naxos gets pretty good marks here. I know roughly where it is and the area's fine.

We got very lucky on our last trip with Lianos Village, which is in the same general area. The quiet end of Agios Prokopis is a nice 5-minute walk down a quiet, semi-rural lane. Lianos was small, quiet, beautifully landscaped on a small rise above the beach. Friendly pool/bar area. Freshly baked cake every morning for the breakfast. Each room has a private veranda looking out into a garden.

Kavos looks very nice, but I have no experience there.

I often suggest to spend a little more on accomodations on Santorini and save elsewhere -- you usually get better value.

I'd say spend a few more days in Naxos than Santorini. It's a great island to explore and has much more variety than Santorini. The villages -- especially Apiranthos, Apollon and Halki -- are stunning with unique handicrafts and crafts people. (Fish & Olives ceramic and the Kitron distillery in Halki are wonderful stops.)

C_C

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, we must travel during high season so we must plan well in advance if we want to get what we are looking for.
Keep the advice coming!! I really appreciate it.

stanbr

Depending on what your interests are, will dictate where the best location is for you on Naxos.

If you are looking for great beaches then the area Repeat suggested is ideal. That whole coast has excellent beaches, but beware there isn't much else but beaching to do there.

On our first trip to Naxos we stayed 4 nights in Naxos town at a hotel on St George beach and three nights at Prokipos Beach. The contrasting experience demonstrated to us that staying in town was more to our liking.
The location in town on the beach gave us the best of both options. Lots of old world charm in the morning, beaching in the afternoon, great dining in the evening and quiet sleep during the night.

Staying in town gave us a variety of activities. We generally started the day with a leisurly breakfast on the balcony overlooking the Aegean. We walked into town to do our marketing for bread, wine, tazicki and vegetables for our lunch, visited archeological sites, wandered the old town, the waterfront, shopped and then headed back to the hotel and the beach for a couple of hours each afternoon.

Each evening we walked back into town for a late dinner and shopping.

If this appeals to you I'd suggest you look for a hotel directly on St George beach. It is quiet at night and away from the noise of the town but is an easy stroll back into the town and all it's action.
We stay at a very small hotel on St George beach called Glaros at about 50 euros per night. There are several hotels right on St George beach a little more in your price range. You will probably find these hotels to be somewhat modest compared to a 200 euro per night budget. I think someone else suggested you save money in Naxos so you will have more to spend in Santorini and that is probably good advice. Naxos is laid back, relatively inexpensive and truly a Greek experience. Santorini is a wondeful place and is not to be missed but it is far more upscale and expensive compared to Naxos.

I'd also suggest you consider renting a car and visit the interior villages and sites, including an abandoned 16th century Jesuite monistry, Pano Castro a remote and somewhat inaccessable fortress in the middle of the island, Demiters temple, a very well done reconstruction of an ancient temple/church, the two Kuros ( 6 century statues abandoned in the marble quarrys) as well as an abandoned Cathedral in the middle of the countryside.
5 to 7 days on Naxos will only scratch the surface of all the sites, sights and experiences the island has to offer.