Hi all!

My husband and I are going to Santorini at the end of September for a friend's wedding. We will be spending 2 nights in Athens first and then flying to Santorini for 4 nights. We are trying to decide on one more island. Paros sounds pretty incredible with a day trip to Antiparos but Mykonos is a hot destination for a reason. We aren't party people but I'm sure we could find some quiet (Especially at that time of year) on Mykonos. What I am reading, makes me think that Paros is very similar to Mykonos but smaller and quieter? If anyone has any input on which would be better for a first timers trip to Greece, I'd love to hear it!! Thank you

Moved to Europe and tagged for Greece.

Paros is a much bigger Island than Mykonos, with good beaches and good hiking possibilities.
Myconos get's overtouristy and overpriced in high season, but it is the best starting point for the stunning archelogical site of Delos Island.
Myconos has flights to all over Europe whereas Paros has no international flights.
End September, the season is over, days get shorter and the first rains arrive.

Mykonos has more high end restaurants and hotels than Paros, with prices to match. Yes, Paros is much larger than Mykonos, with more choices of villages to stay. By the end of September the island will be quiet, with the exception of Parikia and Naoussa. Paros is less touristy than Santorini and Mykonos, with more traditional inland villages.

An advantage of Paros over Mykonos is that it is on the same main ferry route as Santorini, and has daily Blue Star ferries on the route. From Santorini you must take a high speed ferry, more expensive and more prone to weather cancellations than the larger Blue Stars.

You don’t say where you are coming from, but unless you plan another couple of days at the end of the trip, it would be better to leave Athens for after the islands. There are often storms at the end of September, some of them severe enough to interrupt travel from the islands. It is better to be back on the mainland a day or two before the flight home.

Go to Paros! Too bad the wedding is on Santorini instead of Mykonos which I preferred. But Paros, although a vacation destination has more of a real Greek feel than the other two over touristed islands. I have been to many Greek islands and still rank Paros at the top for me and my spouse.

Thank you. I forgot to tag Greece after I made a small edit.

We just enjoyed Paros for 4 days! We have not been to another island except Crete.