abs004

Greetings.

I'm planning a second trip to Greece and was hoping to get some advice. Several years ago (in Sept) I visited Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini. This trip I would like to return to Mykonos (for some beach time!), then visit Paros and Crete. This would be early/mid Sept again. I'm thinking of flying from Athens to Mykonos (while the weather is warmest in my travels), then taking a ferry to Paros, then ferry to Crete.

I am interested in Chania but know very little about it. Are the beaches nice in that area? How is public transportation (bus network?)? I've rented 4-wheelers on Santorini and explored the island...is that a good way to explore around Chania (I won't be renting a car)? It seems a ferry from Paros will only to go Heraklion...is that area enjoyable to explore, and is it easy to get to Chania (bus, private car?)? I can then fly out of Chania to Athens before heading home.

I've thought about doing the trip in reverse (fly from Athens to Chania, then ferry to Paros and Mykonos) but I really wanted to be in Mykonos for the warmest possible temps during my travels. Any insights would be greatly appreciated from those who know these areas and have traveled between them.

Cheers!

brotherleelove2004

Chania is beautiful and so are the nearby beaches. Your reverse itinerary is a good one and it will be plenty warm in mid-September on Mykonos, have no doubt.

kja

Must you fly into Athens to start your trip? Or to end it?

You might find some useful information on Chania and Athens in my trip repot. It's long, but there are headers so you can skim as necessary.
With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece

Heimdall

I can think of lots of reasons for going to Mykonos, but wouldn't go there specifically for beach time unless you enjoy paying exorbitant fees to beach bars for sun beds. Mykonos does have some nice beaches, it's true, but the ones on Naxos and Paros are better. Antiparos (next to Paros) also has some very nice beaches, especially the undeveloped ones at the south of the island you can reach by ATV.

If you prefer flying from Athens to your first island, Paros has a new airport (opened a few years ago) with several daily flights. Unlike Mykonos and Santorini, it doesn't have charter and budget flights from northern Europe, so it's quick to get your bags and hop into a bus or taxi.

Golden Star Ferries go from Paros to Rethymnon on Crete twice a week (Tue & Sat) in 2019, so if you have no interest in eastern Crete you don't need to go Heraklion. Greek Travel Pages

abs004

Yes, most likely we will need to fly in/out of Athens. I am liking the idea of flying straight to Chania and lounging on those beaches. Thank you brotherleelove, and agreed, it should be plenty warm throughout Sept.

Hi kja, I've already found your trip report and combed it for info...thank you for writing up in such detail. Perhaps there is another large city/airport that I could fly in/out of but so far Athens seems to be the best bet.

Hi Heimdall. Great to know about Paros/Antiparos and the new airport. That could be a very easy way to travel...fly directly from Chania to Paros, then take ferry to Mykonos. I want to go back to Mykonos b/c it was the first place I was able to lay on a beach for hours and enjoy the water, weather, food/drink, and scene. I liked that it was active with people and there was a lot going on. I am assuming Paros is more like Naxos, which was wonderful, but much more quiet.

That said, perhaps there is another island I could go to instead returning to Mykonos. Ideally it would more on-the-grid in terms of people/activity/party scene (not raging/crazing but more active than sleepy), accessible via ferry from Paros, and on the way back towards Athens. I guess it would need to have an airport too, so I can fly back to Athens before returning home.

Any suggestions? Thanks all.

travelerjan

They say that Paros is the "Mykonos wannabe" and it certainly has clubs in port town of Parikia ... albeit the adjoining beach is not like Mykonos' Paradise beach etc (but sunbed + umbrella is about €7, not €30 as I saw advertised in a Mykonos beach photo). Another place that may be quite lively in September would be the beach & town nightlife at Rethymnon Crete, because that's a college town -- the major University on Crete is there. Depends on your age level.

Heimdall

You can't fly directly from Chania to Paros without going back through Athens. Paros is the last stop for the ferry before it reaches Piraeus, so there aren't any other islands on the way back to Athens. If you need an island for your last stop that has an airport that certainly narrows your choices. Islands with airports in the Cyclades are: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, and Syros.

If you really want to go back to Mykonos, go ahead. If it's some years since you were there you may be surprised how much it has changed. Most ferries from Mykonos to the mainland go to the port of Rafina, which is very near Athens Airport, so that is an option along with a flight.

abs004

That's good to know about Parikia, and also Rethymnon (which seems easily accessible from Chania via bus). Thank you travelerjan.

Heimdall, good point about the flight to Paros (not direct). I'm thinking now of flying into Chania, spend some days, then bus to Rethymnon and taking a ferry to Paros. I am still intrigued about Mykonos and it has been years since I've been there (and Paradise Beach, though spendy, was a glorious experience...but I suppose that's why I save money for vacations). Also It would be fun to rent a 4-wheeler and explore the island more, something I didn't do last trip. I'll research those other islands you mentioned though and see if one stands out.

Thanks again; cheers.

Heimdall

I happen to like Mykonos, primarily as a base for visiting Delos. Paradise Beach is nice, especially if you like the late afternoon beach parties in the bars there. I’ve always preferred laying a beach mat on the sand, but it’s very hard to find a space empty of sun beds there these days. You might also check out Agios Ioannis Beach, made famous in the Shirley Valentine film, but sadly that has changed out of all recognition.

If you go to Paros don’t waste your time with the beaches in Parikia Bay unless you enjoy watching ferries coming and going from the docks. There are lots of better beaches around the island and on Antiparos. For a real treat book an island cruise with Captain Ben Antiparos Lazy Day ? Daily cruises from Antiparos and Paros Greece ? Boat trip arround the island which will pick you up at Pounta on Paros.

HappyTrvlr

For Paros, look at Naoussa, nice town, hotels, restaurants, and beaches.

neckervd

Last summer (2018), there was a daily ferry (not catamaran) Heraklion - Santorini - Paros - Mykonos - Tinos - Andros - Rafina. Rafina is close to Athens airport (buses).
There is no direct ferry from Rethymnon to Paros. You can take a catamaran from Rethymnon to Santorini and change there to a ferry or catamaran to Paros.
Buses Heraklion - Rethymnon - Chania are frequent (abourt every hr).
The best beaches in Western Crete are 1-3 hrs by bus West of Chania: Falassarna, Elafonissi....

Heimdall

No, but there will be in 2019: Greek Travel Pages

brotherleelove2004

But apparently only on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Heimdall

Exactly!

kja

If flying into Chania, you might have options other than routing through Athens, I did!

neckervd

Thanks Heimdall!
Good to hear that (from April 30th according to the website of Golden Star Ferries, resp. from May 15th according to that of gtp), Superferry II of Golden Ferries will go twice weekly from Rafina to Rethymnon instead of Heraklion.
I guess that the timetable is not yet finalized, however.
Or can anybody explain, how the boat that arrives at Rethymnon TUESDAY at 22.00 (according to Golden Star Ferries) resp at 21.15 (according to gtp) can start the return journey from Rethymnon to Rafina TUESDAY at 7am?

Heimdall

I would assume, with a late night arrival at Rethymnon, the ferry would remain overnight and depart for Rafina the next morning, so that would be Sundays and Wednesdays. A departure time of 7am the next day makes more sense than immediately returning to Rafina at 10pm.

As we all know, ferry timetables this far in advance of next summer aren't perfect, and some are less perfect than others. Golden Star had a very reliable Rafina > Heraklion > Rafina service last summer, and adding Rethymnon to the mix seems like a good idea, as so many people head directly to Western Crete. Be patient and Golden Star will sort out the timetables. With the two Superferry vessels both carrying over 1,600 passengers there would be no need to book very far in advance if at all.

abs004

That's fantastic about the new ferry route. I'll watch it as time goes on. Thank you for bringing to my/our attention.

I'll look and see if there are better hub cities to fly into instead of Athens, thank you for the idea.

I'll do more research, including Paros/Naoussa and Cap Ben outings. Thanks again all!

travelerjan

Abs, your comment about "hub cities" is puzzling without knowing where you are from; it's not required of course, but is thoughtful when you are seeking the most useful advice. If you are from US/Canada (which I'm guessing at), All nonstops from N. America, as far as I know, go only into Athens. You can only fly into another GREEK "hub city") if you make a connection in Europe. In that case, you could fly direct to the 2 main Crete airports, to Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, etc etc. These would be handy only if you can do an "open jaw", i.e., fly BACK home from Athens. Otherwise, you have to return to your original Greek entry point, thus backtracking.

kja

When I searched for my air options, I simply specified the city into which I wanted to fly and the city out of which I wanted to fly. In my case, those were Chania and Athens, respectively. The option that best suited my needs routed to Chania through Vienna, with no stop in Athens.