Nikki,

The ferry I took stopped briefly at Paros & Naxos before Santorini. Though pretty little villages from the ship they weren't anything like spectacular Santorini.

With only 8 nights you could take the slow ferry to Santorini relaxing along the way after a few hectic days in Athens. Watch the unbelievable sunset, weather permitting, from a Fira hotel. Have a nice dinner. Fly out the next morning.

The slow ferry left Piraeus at 8:00am and arrived at 3:00pm. I had the gorgeous views from the boat deck. The faster hydrofoils are enclosed so it's more like an airplane ride from what I've read. If you want to take the faster ferry for more time in Santorini you might as well fly both ways.

Though it was beautiful to stroll the little town you wouldn't really need 2 nights there. The town is endless stairs so you wouldn't want that for very long anyway.

Honestly how much can you sit on your balcony sipping VO and ooohhh-ing and aahhh-ing over the view? All right I did it for a two night stay, but it could be done in one. :-)

Thanks for all the ideas. Grasshopper, Meteora looks fantastic, but it looks like you'd have to do some heavy climbing. Is it less daunting than it looks? The photos I've seen make it look like there is no access at all, but that can't be possible, and I assume that from some other angle there must be a path or a road or something. Also not sure about the time element. There are tours that go to Delphi and Meteora, so I might look into that. Would like to spend the night at Delphi, I think, rather than make it a day trip.

Dave, flying from the islands would make the farther ones such as Santorini seem more accessible, but it seems fairly extravagant. I haven't checked prices, though. I am a little worried about ferries in March, as I have read that they are sometimes cancelled if it gets too windy.

It is LOTS less daunting than it looks. You get driven to a spot where there are only a few stairs. Or you can ride up in the rope basket like James Bond did! :-)

topping for thin margiela.