Greece is not just Myconos & Santorini!
 

I've been reading lately most of the messages posted here about Greece and this got me thinking. Greece is not just Myconos & Santorini!!!
It is so unfair that most of you guys out there only want to travel to these islands and not in any other places -except maybe Crete, sometimes. Greece has so many beautiful islands, I couldn't begin to describe them all to you. And, not just islands. Mainland is also extremely beautiful with different sceneries in only a few hours drive from one place to another.
I don't know, maybe we should all give it another chance and start thinking differently, for a change. Check other options as well.
It's going to be worth it, believe me. I wish you all nice travels.

There are plenty of contributors who agree with you and who regularly suggest alternatives to the Cyclades islands. No one is being "unfair" here, we're just making suggestions based on our experiences. What islands do you like best and which ones do you recommend? That's more helpful than just criticism.

Don't get me wrong, I never meant to criticise anyone on the choices they make. It's just that I think we need to keep our minds open for other options as well.
It's not that I want to suggest a particular place. In fact Myconos is one of my very favorite places -I've been there often, as a single, as a couple and with family. Myconos is not just for night-life or great beaches. It has something for everyone. What I mean to say is that we need to show how beautiful and friendly Greece is to other people. And, Greece is not just the 2-3 most famous Aegean islands.
By the way, your comments Brotherleelove2004 are always precise and correct. A very trustworthy source of information on this thread.
Anyway, I never meant to bring anyone down. If I can be of any help to anyone, please be free to ask.

So I ask you again: Where would you recommend for visitors to Greece to go in the Aegean other than Santorini and Mykonos? And why?

For me, I enjoy mainland Greece. I travel most times a year to Peloponnese and Thessalia. It is good to have contrast to living on island.

tereza, I agree with you of course that there is many beautiful parts of Greece to visit. I think to ask you that for both this island and Santrorini it is tourist that make them popular not locals people.

Maybe it is because both can easily be visited and they are very beautiful. But locals here do not define that, the tourist do.

Also, where charter flights are paid to come then many people will too. Where regular scheduled flights operate then more people visit. Maybe is supply and demand.

For the other beautiful areas of Greece maybe government needs to spend money telling people about them and provide easy access. Until this happen people will not change their travel plan.

Gee, I can jump onto this post. I think everyone going to Greece for the first time visits Athens, Santorini, Myconos and perhaps another spot. Good choices especially if you're not planning on return visits. Once you start to return annually your tastes and expectations change.
We've been to Myconos every year for the last five, but then again we spend 90% of our time on the beach.On our first trip we also visited Santorini. Beautiful scenery and a very dramatic place to visit. The beaches were very disappointing, the shops and galleries are the same as you see in most of Greece and it's very pricy.( Akrotiri was also about 20% open which was disappointing). No offense Brotherleelove. I'd always recommend everyone see Santorini, but return visits for us haven't happened. I don't expect they will until friends want to see Greece and then we'll be back on Santorini. Myconos has been our place for the past 5 years but we're not going back this year. There are a few reasons why, a lot of it has to do with the cost, it's very expensive. The other reason is we have found some new places we like. Half the cost, nice beaches, etc.
I have to agree with tereza, there are a lot of great places in Greece. You just can't do them all on an annual vacation of two weeks.

angeliki
Can you recommend a hotel on the beach - your favorite beach, restaurants, towns in Mykonos.

Agreed. Corinth, Sparta, and other areas of the Peloponnesean peninsula, Delphi , and the Meteora area, can be very memorable trips from Athens. You can take busses or rent a car. No worrying about flights. But if one has to go to an island, going by ferry gives one a real sense of seeing how Greeks travel to the islands.

Hi Cathyt,
I'd like to help, but we don't follow most of the recommendations you'll see on Fodors.
My advice about Myconos would be to make a decision on a hotel. You can either stay in town and travel to the beaches daily or stay on the beach and travel into the town at night.
If you like the beach stay in Platis Yialo or Ornos. Don't have any recommendations for in town.
I think most of the younger people, more into the clubs and nightlife choose the first option. We are in our early fifties and we choose to stay at the beach.
Myconos town is not much different than Fira, Oia, the Plaka in Athens, etc. etc. You're going to see the same merchandise for sale in the same types of shops. There are some exceptions but for the most part the experience is the same. Wherever you stay you should have a wonderful time.
Angeliki

Just a few suggestions for any one interested :
1. Aegean Sea
- Tinos (Tinos town is not worth it - but all the other villages are great!)
- Syros - absolutely beautiful
- Anafi - small out of the way island, mainly unspoiled
- Symi - simply unique
- Rhodos - so full of history
- Skopelos & Skiathos - such greet waters
2. Ionian Sea
- Kerkyra (Corfu) - rich in history & beauty
- Paxi - absolutely beautiful
- Lefkada - great beaches, the most wonderful sea
3. Mainland Greece
- Meteora - once you see it, you won't believe it
- West coast of the Peloponnese - long stretching beaches with some of the nicest hotels in Greece
- Olympian Riviera - near mount Olympus - great beaches, nice hotels
- Ioannina town - rich history, worth at least a visit
- Metsovo - so picturesque!
- Mount Pelion near Volos town - beautiful all year long (skiing in winter, swimming in the summer)

Are these enough?

Cathyt
I'd stay in Ornos if I were you. Near the town if you're interested in night life, but very nice also in the morning as there is a really nice beach there, not as crazy as Paradise beach or overcrowded like Platis Gialos.
For dinner, don't forget to go to Ano Mera in "Vangelis" restaurant. You'll taste the best beef ever.

Bravo tereza, I like your list.

Did you take some time in Volos also? What did you think?

thanos

Great insider tips! I'm reading them and making plans for my future Greek trip.

I have not been to Greece since I spent a month there in 2000- 2 weeks in the Peloponnese and the Mani and another 2 weeks on the island of Mytilini(Lesvos) The overnight trip out on the ferry was a fun experience.
I love Greece, but have a phobia of tour boats and lines of tourists, so I much prefer finding my way to the more out of the way places!

I am going to Greece with my daughter for 16 days, arriving July 5th/06, I'd like to spend at least 3 days in Athens then perhaps a couple of tours, Naxos and Crete and a stop to see Santorini....any suggestions on other places we should see..keeping a budget in mind?

That's at least 4 stops in 16 days not subtracting travel time between the island. If you don't fly from Athens to Crete I suggest you take the night boat so as not to waste daylight hours in transit. From Heraklion on Crete you can then head north by highspeed ferry to Santorini, Ios, Naxos, Paros and Mykonos. I'm recommending Paros as a good addition if you really need one, but I suspect that what you have planned will be more than enough to occupy your time after Crete. From Mykonos you can either fly or take another highspeed ferry back to the mainland.

http://www.aegean-air.gr/aegeanen/home/

Aegean Airlines is having an airfare sale.

Can you suggest some reasonably priced places to stay in Athens that aren't too far from the sites, and also perhaps tell me whether or not you would recommend the 3 or 4 day overnight bus trips from Athens to places like Delphi?

As has been done here a zillion times by me as well as others, I recommend the Attalos Hotel on Athinas Street. It's close to the Plaka and Syntagma Square and the Monastiraki Metro station is just down the block. It was refurbished for the Olympics so it's in very good condition. There's a rooftoop lounge.

http://www.attalos.gr/

If your purpose for day trips is to see archaeological sites then yes, I do recommend them. You might want to contact a reputable agency in Athens to help you decide where to go. Check out Fantasy Travel-they have an excellent reputation.

http://fantasytravelofgreece.com/english/

Add Nafplion.. beautiful Peloponesean city.
Least favorite place of 6 week trip was Santorini in spite of its specatcular views.Even in Oia it was crowded, tours from cruise ships, many unfriendly, burned out,non- Greeks working in tourist industry there.

Sounds like late-August, early September. Everyone's pretty burned out by then.

Mid Sept, to late October. The rest of Greece was so very welcoming and friendly

So much has already been destroyed. Tourists should leave at least are few places as they are. Does even the smallest island has be invaded by us. Big hotels, fully air-conditioned and all inclusive. We should limit ourself to those places mentioned by teresa. Or at least accept the existing infrastructure. Does everything have to be destroyed?

Yes, that's the tail-end of the season. No wonder everyone was so cranky!! :) Sorry you were disappointed.

Hi tereza, Are you saying first time visitors would be better seeing other places and not Santorini and Myconos?
I'm very interested.
We are going to Greece in October for 16 days, and have chosen a tour that we think covers some great locations.
We will be in Athens for 2 days , then Myconos, Paros, Santorini and Crete. Although it's never enough time, we're hoping to see the highlights and feel this tour is a good one.

Would we have been better to go to the more out of the way places if this indeed is our only time to visit Greece. ( Hopefully, we'll be able to return someday and visit some of the places you have mentioned, but would you have recommended seeing them instead of what we are doing?)

I'd appreciate any advice and anything special that we should be doing on the islands we will be seeing.

Tereza - I tend to agree with all you have said about the Greek Islands. When I first visited the islands, we looked at the glossy brochures for the main well trodden tourist groups, eg. Myknonos, Santorini, Naxos, etc, and we even looked at this Travel Chat Board, and noticed the huge number of people who actually travel to these above mentioned islands. it was then that we decided, no this is not for us, too many people, too touristy, etc. so we opted for a stay in the village of Ormos on the island of Samos, in late September./early october (hence lack of tourists) and thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Ormos was no way touristy, most locals couldn't speak english, hence we learnt many of their words to get by, the village is a working fishing village, and after visiting other nearby islands, where tourism is a major factor, we realised that we were staying in a traditional greek island village, so we savoured every day in ormos.
Our next trip will be to either Halki or Symi

When people look at this question, there's no right answer. I think people have to first know what they like -- and THEN ask the right questions.

For example, while I personally think that way too many people get on the tourist treadmill and visit only Santorini and Mykonos, the truth is that those destinations might well be the best fit for a lot of them. (A similar argument is that while plenty of folks turn up their noses at Disneyworld -- it's not a bad fit for families expecting that kind of thing.)

When sizing up the islands you can put Santorini, Mykonos and a few others on one end -- as the islands that are truly driven to put up an iconic experience for tourists. Crete, by its size, is somewhat less so.

I'd put Paros, Naxos and Lesbos in the midrange -- and plenty of islands most haven't heard of are on the other extreme, where they care very little about cultivating a tourism economy, but the tradeoff for fewer tourism comforts is often a more realistic slice of Greek life.

That's not to say you can't find that on Santorini or Mykonos. And it's not to say you can't be comfortable on a tiny unknown isle -- but it's just not a priority.

Greek visitors are well served to figure out where on this scale they fall -- and then there are plenty of folks here who can make suggestions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would imagine that Santorini and Myconos became popular with tourists for a reason. Are they not beautiful islands to see?
And now that they are so popular, they get a bad wrap for being too touristy.

It's the same as Niagara Falls. The falls are beautiful to see and that's the whole reason tourists started going there, and now when people express and interest in going there, they are told by many to not bother, but to go to Niagara on the Lake instead, which is really a cute town, but all about shopping and quaintness.
People WANT to see the falls.

The same as people want to see the most talked about Greek Islands.
I'm going to Greece for the first time this year, and I certainly am very excited about seeing Myconos and Santorini as well as Paros and Crete.
Perhaps on a return trip, I can visit some of the lesser known islands. But I'd sure hate to miss the ones I've always heard so much about.

That's exactly right. It does't matter how many tourists visit these islands, that doesn't diminsh how beautiful they are. The views of the caldera from the cliffs of Santorini are and always will be spectacular. The whole island is worth exploring. Don't let anyone else tell you differently.

tt

OK, since you asked, I'll correct you -- or at least expand and try to clarify. There are a lot of reasons for popularity.

First of all, I wasn't recommending for or against the Mykonos/Santorini duo. I was just advising folks to take a broader view rather than following the well-worn path.

As regular readers here can attest, I've said several times that Santorini is a must-see. It is flat out spectacular. Mykonos does a number of things well, but in terms of beauty, I don't know if it would be in my top 10 islands.

There are plenty of reasons why a place becomes popular. In tourism (and many other industries), it's very often tied to opportunistic development, marketing, logistical convenience, momentum and a variety of other reasons.

As for ``too touristy'' . . . that's a purely subjective, personal call. But it's undeniable a valid factor when deciding on a destination -- at least for many people.

My point is that just because Santorini and Mykonos each can be great fits for a lot of folks, they are not a one-size-fits-all pairing for the everybody. When it comes to U.S. visitors choosing island stops, it's often a matter of following the pack rather than doing the research.

That's all I'm advising.

Repeat,I do understand what you are saying. Places do become popular for different reasons and I do agree tourists should perhaps take a broader path. One fit is not for everyone.

BUT for the first time visitor, I think the well worn path is still the one I've dreamed of taking for many years and is still a good plan.

With more time in the future, it would be great to walk down a different path and see some of the lesser known islands.

However, responding to the original post, Teresa stated that she thought it was "unfair that most of you guys out there only want to travel to these islands and not in any other places".
This is the posting that I disagree with. I'm sure Terese is correct in saying there are so many beautiful islands.
This is the post I have the problem with. I don't think tourists ( or me) are unfair, they simply want to see the beautiful places the've heard so much about.

After my upcoming trip, I'll gladly go back when I have the time to see the other places. But I don't think it's unfair of me not to do that on my first trip.

I'll still wecome any advice on what obscure things there are to do on the islands I will be visiting, which I mentioned earlier in this post.

kodi -- Not unfair at all. As I'm sure you've noticed brotherleelove is a great resource for all things Santorini.

Plus the great thing about Greece -- and especially the islands -- is that it's very hard to make a bad choice.

Best of luck in your trip planning and happy travels.

Thank you repete. I'm really very excited about our upcoming trip. I've wanted to see Greece for a very long time.
Perhaps I'll start a new thread , asking for any special tips on things to see and do.

..

tereza- though for first time visitors (who can't do it all in 2 weeks or less), it's difficult to prioritize. Also, one hears that if you go in the real heat of the summer it can get really hot and Athens can be polluted, so one would think that being by the shore (hence the islands) would be more comfortable, too. So I think it depends on what time of year one is traveling, too. We are going in July and have been told the weather can be uncomfortably hot, to see things in the morning before it is very hot and to be by a beach or pool in the heat of the afternoon. Is this not true?

kodi- we have similar itinerary except for Paros since we are going 12 days not 14 so it would be too much. We decided on Crete over Paros.

The Ionian islands are so different from the islands such as Mykonos, etc.The landscape is more lush and less rocky. Corfu (Kerkira)is so beautiful, but my favorite is Cephalonia. Has it been mentioned? My ancestors come from Corfu and the little island of Hydra in the Saronic Gulf (a short ferry ride from Athens)which has no automobiles or mopeds. One of my fondest memories is having breakfast on the terrace of the Mistral Hotel on a Sunday morning and listening to the myriad of church bells ringing one after the other.

What a beautiful image! The island of Cephalonia was highlighted in the movie, "Captain Morelli's Mandolin" (may be mispelled) I had an occasion to visit Corfu as a kid when we took the ferry to Brindisi, and remember images suggesting that these Ionion isles have some spectacular landscapes. Alas, for most Americans, a visit to Greece is hard enough to engineer, much less trying to visit these islands on the side of Greece "opposite" from the Aegean. But for those who can, a "killer" itinerary is to start in So. Italy, ferry to Corfu and Cephalonia, cross to the mainland, cut over to Salonika*, travel via rental or rail to Athens, a few days in Athens, then cross the Corinthian Isthmus to the Peloponnesean peninsula, go to the Western port city on the penisula whose name I connot remember, back to Italy. Do this itinerary and you will experience dozens of "greeces."
*It is technically feasible to do this itinerary by ferry and rail, except for the Ionian coast to Salonika connection which is feasible by bus or rental, but not for the faint of heart.

tereza and brotherleelove2004, I'm making my first trip to Greece (since Corfu in the 70's) this April. I'm planning to start in Thessaloniki, then Kastoria, Ioannina, Kalambaka, Athens, two-week Peloponnese tour, Crete, Rhodes, Kos. Can you help with hotel suggestions for Kastoria and Ioannina (my specific request has drawn 0 replies...)? How about Chania, Rethymno and Kos? I'm looking for small and friendly, definitely not beach resorts.

I'm sorry, I have no experience with those destinations.