mjmom

I have been doing lots of work but find I need some unbiased help! We are traveling the first week in June with 2 other families. We will have 6 or 7 older teens, and 6 adults. We will spend a couple of nights in Athens, and then were thinking of Santorini for 3 or 4 nights, and then to Crete for 3 nights, and then back to Athens. My question ....Is Santorini a better choice than Mykonos, and what part of Santorini, and Crete should we find accomodations to best keep our group entertained? We were thinking Thira in Santorini? and ....don't know in Crete. I'd appreciate all help! and any advice... Thanks

brotherleelove2004

Thira is the other name for the island; I think you mean Fira, and that's a good place to stay if you want to be centrally located in the social/commercial center, but it will be very busy there, so I suggest you focus your search on Firostefani, which is only a 15-minute walk from Fira but is a lot quieter. I do believe Santorini is a better choice than Mykonos for families. There's a lot more to see and do there. Granted Mykonos has better beaches but the water is still wonderful on Santorini and the best swimming isn't at a beach anyway, it's at the end of the seawall that begins on the wharf below Oia in Amoudi Bay. The water is clear, beautiful and calm and there are large rocks and a man-made platform for sunbathing. The girls from "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" jumped off the rocks there at the end of the sequel.

Going to Crete for only 3 nights won't really give you a chance to see much. You'll be arriving by ferry from Santorini in the island capital of Heraklion which is a large city without much charm, so more than likely it'll mean travelling outside the city to a better location, which will take time. The ferry from Santorini arrives in the evening, so that first day is gone by the time you get settled at your hotel. If you fly to Chania, in the northwestern part of Crete, from Athens, and then move on to Santorini, you'd at least have a couple of days in a better part of Crete before moving north, and the ferry from Crete to Santorini arrives at 11:30am so you'll have part of your first day to explore after you get to your hotel.

Heimdall

Think about Naxos or Paros rather than Crete. Easier to reach from Santorini, and on the way back to Athens by the main ferry route.

Naxos, for example, has a charming main town, with the best beaches less than a 20 minute bus/car ride, so no difficult decisions to be made on where to stay. Naxos has some beautiful inland villages to explore on days away from the beach. It's much more manageable for a three night stay.

Paros would also be a good choice. Although smaller than Naxos, its resorts are scattered around the island, so you would have to choose between Parikia, Naoussa, or others.

brotherleelove2004

I agree, Naxos and Paros are better choices.

travelerjan

I say, Naxos rather than Mykonos.

If you choose Naxos, and you find accommodations on Ag. Giorgios (St. George) beach... it will be a LOT easier on the adults, more restful. Why? Because you won't have to be hauling the teenagers around in a car all the time! The beach is directly adjacent to Naxos Town, and the teens can walk there in 5 minutes. OR -- if all of you have having dinner at the waterfront there, and the teens want to leave, you don't have to move. Just say 'see you later.' It's a completely safe environment for teens, and it allows them to hang out on their own in town or at the beachfront & be independent safely. There are a lot of teens their age around Ag. Giorgios, many are Scandinavians (but of course they speak English well!.

Ag. Giorgios is a shallow beach, not crowded in Early June ... but it has water-sports like wind-surfing & the like. AND if some or all of you want to sample some different beaches, there's an excellent bus service, every half hour that take just 10 minutes to the next beach, Ag. Prokopios, very deep water. Naxos Town has a fascinating "agora" (windy maze of lanes) that goes up to a castle at the top... lots to explore. 2 nights a week there's a concert up there.You can rent a car(s) and tootle around the island one day. FUrthemore, there are a lot of hiking trails; check this site http://www.cycladen.be/NaxosEng.htm

As far as accommodations go, finding a huge Villa is difficult on Naxos or actually, almost any island.. Greece does not abound in old mansions built for the wealthy. And the brand new huge villas are out in the countryside. You will do best if you're 'near the action' so your teens won't turn surly. In Ag. Giorgios, there are numerous places with both apartments (1-2 BR) and "studios" (units w. a BR and a living/dining area with 2 day beds, a kitchenette niche, tables etc). Almost all units have a balcony or a patio. It would be best to split up this way; 3 units like this would cost no more than 1 large villa, and would be better situated.

Here are a couple of websites (NOT travel agencies) that show pictures of accommodations in each Naxos area ... and give direct contact info to the hotels. ad to orient you, here's a good map of Naxos Town which shows Ag. Giorgios beach right next door AND a "SkyMap" of Naxos Town that really helps you visualize the beach area.
http://www.thegreektravel.com/naxos/hotels.html
http://www.naxos-island-greece.com/n...os-hotels.html http://www.naxos-greece.net/villages/TOPOGRAFIKO.HTML http://www.skymap.gr/?ElementId=59724&Category=0
... If you see some you like and have questions, ask us about specific places!

Finally, here's a couple of slide shows of Naxos by FOdorite StanBR
When their teenagers were 17 and 18, they took them to Greece, including Santorini and Naxos. Afterwards the kids said they liked Naxos the best of all and wished they had stayed there longer.
http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/570796960FtMsPF

mjmom

Wow! See..I'm glad I asked. I'm suggesting Naxos to our group instead of Crete...and we'll see what accomodatons we can find. I'm sure I'll have more questions soon! Thank you for your prompt feedback!

mjmom

We have found a large villa in Pygos, Santorini. Would that be a good spot? The hotel Porto Naxos looks good in Naxos. Any feedback on these? Thanks Mary Jane

travelerjan

MJ, did you look at that SkyMap link of naxos Town & Ag. Giorgios Beach that I sent you? http://www.skymap.gr/?ElementId=59724&Category=0 YOu wll find that Porto Naxos is way back from the beach, and is on the most-traveled road. If that's what you want, fine. How does the price compare with Naxos Resort.

Have you looked at a MAP of Santorini? http://www.santorini-web.com/map.pdf I can't think that you have. Pyrgos is inland, on a big highway, not even walking distance from Fira Town. Since Santorini is all about the view, are you sure you want to be that far from the view? With Grandparents? And Teenagers? I thought you were talking about Thira (Fira Town). Rethink. Do you want a place with a pool? Here is a place in Oia with NO steps, with a pool, with a sea view from terrace (not the caldera, the other side)... it has apts that accommodate from 2-5 people each. check its rates; used to be quite budget..
http://www.anemomilos.com/oia-santorini-apartments.html

brotherleelove2004

Not all of Pyrgos is quite as grim Jan has characterized. The heart of the village is traditional and quiet. Pyrgos is the village with the highest elevation on the island, 400m above sea level, and the views from those properties that overlook the island from Pyrgos are some of the most spectacular on Santorini. If your villa offers this view you will not feel all that deprived. There are some shops and restaurants there. One restaurant, Kallisti, is actually one of the best "local" restaurants I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing on Santorini. Bus service is reliable and frequent during the summer but of course having a rental vehicle at your disposal makes the best sense. In that regard if you're from the U.S. or Canada be sure to bring along International Driving Permits from your local AAA/CAA office if you plan to rent vehicles.

If a private villa isn't as important to you as good facilities, then Jan's recommendation of the Anemomilos Hotel in Oia is worth your consideration.

stanbr

I have to agree with Jan about Porto Naxos. It is a very good hotel but it is at least a half kilometer from the beach and indeed is on a busy road.
If you are looking at that price range then try Naxos Resort Beach Hotel just a few meters from St George beach.
If you are looking for a nice hotel with kitchen and even two bedrooms just behind Naxos Resort try hotel Spiros. It is half the price and with kitchen facilities you can do breakfast and snacks and stretch that budget a bit for things like dining and car rentals to explore the island.

On Santorini I am always plugging Pyrgos as a lovely town to visit. For me Santorini is about the caldera view and while Pyrgos has a beautiful view of the island I would certainly try to find a place on the caldera. Expensive sure, but it is worth it.
Santorini Pictures
http://travel.webshots.com/album/563832695pKqudI

mjmom

Thank you for your feedback. It's really hard for me to see on the maps how close it really is to the beach, and certainly I have no way of knowing if it's on a busy street. So your advice means loads. I looked at the Naxos resort Beach Hotel and it looks very reasonable...only 3 stars but I don't know what that actually means there. If you believe that is the best location for fun, nightlife and view, please confirm. As far as Pygos!-this place looks like it has a beautiful view...and is pricey, but we would give up staying in one villa to be in the right location for sure! We have a couple of other villas in mind, but they are near Megalochon village. Is that any better? The view and the relativity to the happenings are important, being right on the beach, less so. We will continue to look, and I will look at the apartments you recommended Jan. Thanks for your feedback...lots of work ahead! Mary Jane

stanbr

For sure Naxos Resort is a very good quality hotel very close to the beach. I would take 50 meters from the beach on a quiet lane over 500 meters from the beach on a busy road in a second. There are not many true 3 star hotels in Naxos but this one is legitimate.
With respect to Pyrgos it is a medieval era fortified town with great views of the island. Frankly it is well worth a day trip to visit but Santorini is all about the views of the caldera. Since you do not have any desire to be near the beaches ( which is actually a good thing because Santorini beaches are not the best) in my opinion the caldera view is why you go.
you do not appear to be interested in being in the crowded town area either so I would suggest you look at Caldera Butterfly Villas. it is 2 km outside of town with a great view and reasonable prices. i have never stayed there but it looks very interesting for people who do not care about being in Fira area.

mjmom

No we are not too concerned with the beach, but we do want to be where the action is because of the 7 older teenagers traveling with us! We have been trying to get a place IN Fira, ...is that not that important? We understand about the view, but also don't want to take a taxi everytime the kids want to do something. I will look at the Butterfly Villas, but we have been looking at the Volcanic VIP Villas, and th Aigialos Hotel and Villas. Both are pricey. We have decided to rent a large villa in Mykonos for a week following Santorini,although not everyone will stay that long. We really would like some help in deciding if we should spend the money to be in or very near Fira or if there is another place that would also satisfy. Thanks again for your help!!!

brotherleelove2004

About the same distance from Fira as the Caldera Butterfly Villas but in a different direction (and with no caldera view} is Villa Manos in Karterados. It's family friendly, inexpensive and less than a mile from Fira on the road to the beach, and the bus passes by out on the road. http://www.villamanos.gr

If you want to be near Fira and have a pool w/view check out Villa Ilias. http://www.villailias.gr

travelerjan

BRotherlee's recommendation, Villa Ilias, is in "Firostephani" which is the north edge of Fira, out of the hurlyburly yet a 15-20 minute walk to the nightlife action. Besides Villa Ilias, check Blue Dolphins Apartments very same area... the TRip Advisor reviews mention that they have some apartments that accommodate 6, so surely 3 apts would handle your group amply.

stanbr

You have been searching for out of the way locations so far however your comment about 7 teens who are going to want action means you are really searching for something close to Fira.
Personally I would want to be just outside of Fira so you can avoid all the cruise ship passengers so consider Firostephani. It is a short walk to town and you can get great views from there. We actually stayed at Blue Dolphins several year ago with our teens and it was very nice and quiet at night.

brotherleelove2004

If a pool isn't a 'must' check out Villa Maria Damigou and Hotel Mylos, both also in Firostefani, reasonably priced and both with a caldera view.

mjmom

We have booked the Agali Houses in Firosteni and a house in Mykonos. Has anyone heard of the Agali Houses? It was rated well on tripadvisor, and looked a little nicer than Villa Ilias. Also, does anyone have a recommendation on a tour guide for Athens that would take all of us in a van? We have alson booked theElectra Palace in Athens. Any feedback here?
Thank you!

travelerjan

mjmom, more homework. You don't need a "tour guide" for Athens, if by that you mean a vehicle. Most taxi or van drivers for hire are NOT licensed guides... they just own cars. They are not even PERMITTED to accompany you onto the site -- all they can do is drive you there. And guess what!! All the major sites are within easy walking distance of Electra Palace. What is more, a lot of the streets are pedestrian-only, so a car/van could not even take you there.

OK, what to do? First, a simple Map of Athens; here's one showing landmarks + some hotels: http://www.cretetravel.com/Athens/At...Athens_map.htm Find #30, that's Electra Palace. Oh Look! it's right in the middle of everything! So, all you need is a licensed experienced guide, and you have your own walking-tour group.

The outfit that has been praised on forums like this is http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/ Its #1 tour (Acropolis & surroundings) is the key tour (4 hours @ 34€ adult €25 student) ... you can figure out most of the other Ancient sites yourself, given a good guidebook (and with a party of 13, I do hope that you have invested in at least one guidebook. Please tell me you have bought a guidebook).

Athenswalkingtours does Customizing ... so I'd suggest you look at all their tours, not just # 1. THen e-mail them, tell them the size of your group, and say what you'd like to do and ask what their price is.

Yet another option is to contact an independent licensed guide, and ask for their price per hour to cover the Acropolis, the ancient Agora, and a visit to the new Acropolis Museum, for example. Here is a list I've found of licensed guides: It's only in FRench-German but you can figure it out easily.
http://www.tourist-guides.gr/fr/cont...desguides.aspx
Anyone on the list whose phone number begins 210 lives in Athens. If no special site (i.e. Olympia) is listed, the Guide is a specialist in Athens. The list says what languages they work in. Write to any who work in ENglish and list an e-mail address --and tell them what you want, and ask for a Quote. I think you'll do Great!

PS: as payback, tell us what your results were, so we can help others.

mjmom

Thank you! I will get to work on this. And will let you know! Soon! We are alittle worried about the Greed economy, and paying in advance for any hotels!