Thanks in advance for some lovely ideas. Fodorites have been so helpful in making my fall trip to Italy so wonderful.

Planning a week in Greece in October. I know that a week is not enough time, but it's the amount of time my friend has available. I know October is "late" but that's the time frame that is open. Hopefully, there will be a return trip that will be longer in the next few years.

Current plans - a couple of nights in Athens. A couple of nights in Oia on Santorini at my bucket list (too expensive) hotel with terrace overlooking the caldera. That leaves 2 nights to be decided. A (much) more moderate hotel near the water/ beach on Santorini or maybe another island. That part of the vacation would be a mix of images = Mamma Mia meets Shirley Valentine. Walking to a local restaurant/ bar at night. No big plans. Just being there.

Please share some of your favorites memories/ experiences and if you have a particular hotel and/or restaurant/ bar on Santorini OR a suggestion of another island a ferry ride away, please tell me about it. This will be more of a "slow" trip than a busy one. But all ideas are welcomed!

The beaches on Santorini are not all that great. Oia is a nice place to stay. We stayed at the Filotera Suites in Oia hanging off the cliff. It was very nice and very expensive! We went to two other islands; Paros and Mykonos, which are both a ferry ride away. We did not go to Naxos which I understand has some very nice beaches. Paros is very quiet. Beaches were so so. Mykonos is more lively, although will be fairly quiet in October. We stayed near the beaches rather in the town. Mykonos town is all shopping. It is a short ride away on a quad bike or by taxi. We stayed at Nissaki hotel and it was very nice. We could walk to two beaches. It was on the water and we liked the location. There are restaurants within walking distance. I am not sure how much is open in October?
There is a larger island near Santorini, Crete. Crete has two cities and lots of beaches and if I ever get back to Greece, it will be the island I will go to. It has more year round occupants I think.

This is EXACTLY what I need/want to hear!

I want my two days of doing not much of anything other than spending time on that terrace (or nearby) and looking at that view. I'm paying enough for the room. I'm going to soak in that view!

But your descriptions are just want I needed to hear. It sounds like a second location closer to water at Santorini is not what we are imagining. Paros sounds lovely.

I DO hope to return and see a lot more of the Greek islands. I had hoped to go to Greece in October this year, but planned another trip. A friend PM'd and said "let's go somewhere" and we tossed out ideas. She was excited about Greece too, but we know there's a challenge to fit things in during the time frame.

She would like to take the ferry to/from Athens, but I'm concerned about 7.5 hours on the ferry from Santorini to Athens. Maybe fly to Santorini. Take a ferry to another island. Then a ferry back to Athens from said island and at the end of the trip, I won't mind being on the ferry for an extended period of time. I have booked a hotel near the Athens airport for the night before departure.

girlonthego, thanks for your suggestions as well. Very helpful.
We aren't really looking for a "beach" vacation but I thought that staying closer to a beach or a town would be a good contrast to our two nights (each) in Athens and Oia.

We aren't looking for the "perfect" trip. But a nice one and knowing full well that a return trip will be wanted!

Facts:
-Santorini is a stunning geological marvel.
-many thousands agree with that assessment and thus crowds are part of the deal, pretty much year-round.
-it ain't especially cheap.
-there are numerous additional isles, some close to Santorini, that would make nice, lesser-crowded foils, after a visit to Santorini.
-one can record their next album on Santorini (see Black Rock Studio---ask Joe Bonermasa).

Opinions:
-clever travelers who've done their homework can mix a stay at say, laid-back Perissa Beach, followed by the kind of caldera-hugging hotel that our Starrs refers to above.
-a most sympatico hotel @ Perissa would be ZORSIS.
-only a fool would overlook Zorsis; the owner couple are 2 of the kindest, most helpful hosts that a traveller might meet.
-those pondering which caldera hotel, should also consider instead renting=VG idea IMHO.
-perhaps the best music combo of Greek styles-meets-rock would be the great, underrated Canadian band Max Webster's song 'America's Veins' (honorable mention: their song 'Coming Off the Moon').

*With your time frame, Starrs, I would stick to Santorini.
ENDAHKSI!

I am done. The Tzaybek dance.

Next time: Folegandros (reached from Santorini).
I am done. The end.

Loving these! I edited the list a bit.
15 years ago I decided on my Oia hotel because of the clip-clop of donkeys' hooves. A friend rented a 3 bedroom villa and was in the back room. Woke up in the wee hours of the morning, hearing a strange sound. She later realized, she was hearing the clip-clop as donkeys walked the road above her head. I've wanted to go there ever since!

Octopus! Want grilled octopus!

I'm staying for "free" in Athens and an Acropolis view is an option. I was hoping for a upgrade but I may go ahead and "pay" for that room type.

Socrates...and Paul. My friend is in seminary (second career) and "our" week is the week break in her studies.

"Sitting in a waterfront taverna as fishermen arrive..." - When I said "beach", I probably should have said "waterfront". The beach is not important, but I would like to be close to the water for a night or two.


"Having dinner outside in a neighborhood taverna..." = my friend's #1 goal is drinking ouza with the locals one night. Just hanging out. This taverna sounds exactly what she describes.

SO very appreciate for these lovely vignettes!

Perissa Beach is where I've been looking. Zorsis sounds wonderful!

I'm trying to leave the 3rd place open for my friend to decide after research, but a full time job and research for paper leaves little time. I'll share this suggestion with her!

The Oia hotel is my splurge. I've been wanting to go for 15 years. The Athens hotel is "free". The 3rd hotel/ location can be any price range but moderate is better.

If you haven't already seen my trip report, you might take a look at it. What I liked best = post # 26.
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

Mykonos has a lovely beach. We stayed at the Mykonos Grand outside of the town.

Gorgeous photos, Richard, and you look great!

Thanks, kja! I'll go look now.

zebec, it appears that they have no availability for our dates. They may already be closed for the season. I'll email to confirm.

And Oia.

Gorgeous!

Perissa was merely part of our 'shaking off the jetlag' strategic plan for the first few days. Beaches are not normally our thing. Frankly, we were happy with Zorsi's pool and treated the beach strip as simply part of our sympa sunrise/sunset walking path. I totally agree with HappyT (note the cadence) that lesser-known islands not yet totally surrendered to commercial tourism are the most compelling destinations, with a higher quotient of authenticity. There are so many isles to choose from and which are best remains a topic of fiery debate. Bowie apparently favoured Cyprus, plus Patmos off-season, but so would you and I if we too were being hosted/feted by Brit royalty (posh voice of female royal relative):

"Would you like some more tzatziki, or moussaka David? Fancy more retsina? What's that you say, hash? B-but David, we all finished that final chunk last night. D-don't you remember?"

I am done. Memories to follow.

PS Starrs, poster 'brotherleelove' over on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum, also posts on Rick Steves' site. He has been to Santorini a smazzillion times and seems to have roots of some sort there. Friendly guy. I'm sure that he'd be happy to answer any and all questions from you.

Your friend might like to visit Patmos where St. John was banished. We saw the grotto where he is said to have dictated the Revelation to a scribe. One of my favorites was the temple of Athena Aphaia on Aegina. The ruins are on a hilltop where the wind blows around the columns, and I got more of a sense of a civilization "gone with the wind" that I've ever felt anywhere else. There were not many people there on the day I saw it, and I will never forget the experience.

For a future trip, don't miss Delphi.

Memories:
-1985: waiting for some of my tardy young offender students to arrive for their lessons at the Toronto public library, I killed time by perusing travel guides. Not yet a seasoned traveller, I had to make do with the fantasies generated by those guidebooks. The red Baedekers 'Greek Isles' edition particularly grabbed my imagination:
"Santorini is best reached by boat, preferably arriving at sunrise..." How I salivated over such imagery.

-1988 Crete: a group of us complete strangers, all shapes, sizes, genders and ages, teamed up to rent a van together. Our goal was to head up into the mountains that day. Everyone hit it off, there wasn't a single killjoy in the group. The result was the quintessence of travel---- laughter, food, laughter, wine, laughter, and meeting plenty locals. At the outset, I approached each person with a serious expression and an imaginary form that needed filling out. My explanation: the van rental company owners were demanding everyone's weight, due to the load-bearing limitations of the vehicle. Everyone believed me and complied. After 'listing' everybody's data, I went into the office only to return moments later with an equally serious face, "Now they need all our shoe sizes" (see 'ice-breaking'). After some mock slapping of my rascal face, we all set off.

The raucous party atmosphere lasted right to the end. Turning one final corner as we snaked down the mountain, we chanced across a solo donkey munching grass in a field. He must've just been watching donkey porn because he had the largest erection that any of us who were not whale scientists had ever seen! We all laughed so hard that I feared my ribs were broken. Even funnier when the suggestion came to consider photographing the donkey, with one of our Tilley hats atop his head, so as to thereafter sell t-shirts bearing the picture, with the label 'Donkey Dick'.
After a great day, a pair of the young Scandinavian gals among us invited us to their house-warming party that night. They were married to local men.

-1992 Folegandros: alone on the isle during off-season March, I had no choice but to interact with locals--I was the sole tourist. My entry into that island world was an impossibly-cheeky 9 year old who alone among his mates, spoke VG English. Turned out that his mom was from London. Most visitors compare the main Chora village square there to be akin to a theater set. Well, for a week, my little companion guide and his parents were my intro to the remarkable cast of characters who lived there on that picturesque set. One such person: the boy's late grandfather, who as a 9 yr old himself had been, wait for it.....mailed to Athens by his impoverished parents nailed inside an orange crate; at least there he could possibly scrounge a meal.

Enough. Next....
I am done. The end.

what oia hotel is the splurge?

I was wondering if we could do Delphi on this trip.

Thanks for the other suggestions!

We'll be together in a few weeks so can gather notes and make decisions.