We have travelled to Greece on previous summer holidays, visiting Rhodes and The South Peloponnese, and we are now planning a late August/early September, fifteen night trip to the Cycladic Islands, with return flights booked to/from Santorini.

We will be taking a short ferry ride to Ios a few hours after we land in Santorini, and we are considering these three scenarios:

- 5N Ios, 4N Paros, 4N Mykonos, 2N Santorini
- 6N Ios, 6N Paros, 3N Santorini
- 6N Ios, 6N Mykonos, 3N Santorini

There are morning ferries between these islands in the three scenarios so we would not be losing any full days to travel.

Any advice and opinions would be very helpful and really appreciated.

Thank you.

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I can't help with your other questions. Santorini and Mykonos were both FAR too heavily touristed for me, though I thought Mykonos, in particular, quite beautiful.

Good luck with your decisions!

All depends on the areas in these 3 Islands where you will stay.
All Santorini and Mykonos is very very toruristy. Certain areas of Rhodes are touristy too, but not the whole Island. If you are looking for beaches like Tsambika, forget Sanmtorini and Mykonos.
So, if you like tourist hordes, you will be fine.
The harbour town of Ios is a open air disco where it may be rather difficult to sleep during the night. But there are other areas of the Island which are not affected.
If you want to go to sandy beaches far away from all tourist trouble, go to the far south of Ios: Manganari (airbnbs and 3 restaurants, beach service).

- kja: We requested the post be tagged to Greece. Thank you. Is Mykonos a good island to explore, with any historical sites, nice beaches and interesting villages outside the main town?
- We are leaning towards visiting 3 islands instead of 4, so the only decision left is either staying in Paros or Mykonos for 6 nights.
- We will be in Mykonos right at the beginning of September. Will it still be that touristy?
- We are booked at a hotel in Ios a few km from Chora.

Thank you!

- kja: We requested the post to be tagged to Greece (thanks). In your experience, is Mykonos a nice island to explore, with beautiful beaches, sites and villages scattered throughout the island?
- We are leaning towards visiting 3 islands instead of 4, so the decision now is whether to stay in Paros or Mykonos for 6 nights.
- Are both Mykonos and Santorini still very touristy in the first two week of September, when we will be there?
- In Ios, we are staying at a nice hotel a few km north of Chora.

Thanks

If you do choose Mykonos, a visit to Delos is very interesting.

Not sure why, but we have replied a few times, but it is not showing up on this thread. We will try again

We are leaning towards visiting three islands instead of four, and we reserved a really nice hotel in Ios for the first six nights, a few km north of Chora. It is now a choice between six nights in either Paros and Mykonos, before ending our trip in Santorini for the last three nights (we are leaning towards to Mykonos but have not decided for sure).

- We will be in Mykonos and Santorini in the first two weeks of September. Will they still be overly touristy?
- After six nights in Ios, would you choose Paros or Mykonos for the following six nights?
- Is Mykonos a nice island to explore, with sites, nice beaches and villages scattered around the island?

Thank you.

We loved Paros, staying at Alexandros Suites & Hotel. Easy to drive around to sties, small towns and beaches (we heard, as we did not do this time).

"After six nights in Ios, would you choose Paros or Mykonos for the following six nights?"

the harbour towns of neither Paros (Parikia) nor Mykonos are all night open air discos like Ios.
All depends on what you are looking for.

"Is Mykonos a nice island to explore, with sites, nice beaches and villages scattered around the island?"
Mykonos is full of nice beaches and more or less new tourist settlements. Besides Mykonos town (a gem but usually too crowded), only 1 village (Ano Mera) is more than 100 years old.

My guess would be a resounding YES. I could be wrong.