My wife and I are coming up on a big anniversary August 19. We've always wanted to visit the Greek islands and are strongly considering it. However, we have two young children, a boy aged 5 and a girl aged 7. We'll have about a week, maybe 10 days. We'll be flying to and from New York City.

Ideally, we'd be very happy in a small town or village with little traffic and a large beach, so the kids could run around safely. I'm assuming we'll rent a car and take a few day trips to other parts of whatever island we visit, as well as into a larger town for meals. Of course, I've noticed that recommendations vary wildly as to which islands are the most family-friendly. I've read, for example, that Crete is a good choice for its variety; Naxos is less developed and touristy, but with great beaches; and that Lesvos is also still quite authentic with wonderful variety of landscape (can't get a read on whether it's kid-friendly, though). Don't think island-hopping would be such a great idea on such a short vacation with young kids, so one island is all we'll try on this trip.

I'd very much appreciate some advice on:

1. Best Greek island for young families
2. What would be the better way to go: hotel or vacation rental?
3. Auto rentals—is it better to take a ferry from Athens to an island and then rent a car there? Are there any issues with auto rentals on the islands (insurance, etc.)? What about parking in mid-August?
4. Family-friendly restaurant recommendations on the island?

I went to Crete with my kids a few years ago and we stayed at the Ammos hotel near Chania. It was heavenly. Super kid friendly but great for adults too - very stylish and wonderful service. Crete was delightful and Chania in particular is utterly charming. There's lots to do, but also very relaxing (and the food is amazing).

TIME -- You had better think about 10 days or at least more than 7... because it takes a full day to Get somewhere. If you get the Delta nonstop from NY (4 pm or so) you arrive next AM at 930 clock time -- then if u are able to catch a flight to an island, it will still be midaft by the time u are in a hotel. Coming back, if you depart 9 AM, you will take until 2 PM to arrive nonstop (but it will be really 12 hours airtime). W. small kids I woud not advise doing a plane change in England or Europe either way.

TO/FROM ISLAND - w your short time-frame u need to think about FLYING to/from Island ... this website shows what's available on your days http://www.airtickets.gr/flights.asp?lang=en Naxos has 2x per day sell out MONTHS in advance because it's planes are modern but Small (40 pgr) .. Chania has more flights bigger planes but Still!. If u do not fly, ferries take tooo long to these isles for short-timers.

AUTO RENTALS -- You rent ON the island, not rent on mainland & take to island. Parking will be OK except for insane crowd situations like Santorini & u are not going there anyway.

RENTALS -- Hotels best, hard to get any kind of "vacation rental" (do u mean a small house?) for just a week or so. Best bet on most islands are "studio units" in small hotels -- which have a BR, and a mainroom w 2 daybeds, kitchenette, table/chairs and eat-on balcony as well.

FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS - In Greece, ALL restaurants are family-friendly.

ISLES & HOTELS
WESTERN CRETE (fly into Chania) -- AMMOS HOTEL -- This would be perfect if you could get a room at this late date ... that Eden on Crete has only 30 rooms and divine reviews, what's more it gives a 5-star experience at nowhere near 5-star rates. Unusually for West Crete, it is both ON a beach and has a pool.

NAXOS -- This Island is still my best recommend for families with kids the age of yours ... but you have left it late ... The Good thing is, after Aug 20-21, Europeans have to get their kids into school so the crowds ease off.
Beaches & Lodging --
(1) St. GEORGE/ AG. GIORGIOS Is The Beach nearest town -- shallow, great for kids this age, can be very crowded in August ... but at the far end, not so much. Look at SUN BEACH (hotel) for family units, also Villa Naxia, HOtel Akrogiali ... these are all just a few metres off the sands, small, not fancy but have the accoms suitable for your 4-some. All these have websites but do NOT delay!!! The nice thing is, from St George u can stroll into town in 15 minutes, w.o. use of a car, to dine, shop, explore, rent car by day.
(2) PLAKA BEACH -- the farthest-out on Beach Bus route. My fav. here is at end of lne, http://aronisnaxos.com/index%20en.html because the Hotel is right on sands, has wonderful shaded terrace restaurant, serves food from their organic farm, has 2 bldgs w. rooms & 2-room units.Staying here, u would rent car for whole time.
-- here, some "eye candy" about Naxos & Naxos Town: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645113682278/

I think LESVOS is not for your family at this age ..

I never get the questions about family friendly destinations... Most of the time how a holiday turns up has to do with the family's attitude and approach rather than the destination.
What a 5 and a 7 year old are happy with? Playing with their toys, napping, watching a kids DVD every now and then, if they are lucky visit nearest beach and play with/on the pebbles/sand or paddle on the water, visit the local kindengrarten, sit on a park's bench and eat their ice cream...
Which island fits the bill for this? All of them!
As far as you plan carefully and try to work around the children's needs rather than rushing among activities and places non-stop, I think you will be fine. August is not the best time to visit for quiet. Even islands with limited foreign tourism will be jam-packed with Greeks visiting friends and fammily. Full stop. The same applies to mainland destinations, that been beach resorts, sea side towns or mountain villages. Obviously destinations that are really hard to reach and have limited tourism infrustructure are less crowded than others, but this doesn't mean they are convenient for your family. Compromises have to be made here.
I would check which destination seems interesting to me without worrying about crowds and children and take it from there.

I would add Paros in addition to Naxos. Chania area of Crete too.

Another recommendation for Paros, though I think Naxos would be great, too. We have stayed several times in Nauossa, most recently last June at STELIA MARE, a tiny boutique hotel that's only about a 10 minute walk from town.

Anyway, I'd highly recommend it. The hotel has gorgeous, simple rooms, a small pool, and an outstanding staff.

You could also look into renting a house in Ampelis, although there are only a few restaurants in town, and it might be a bit isolating.

With a car you can easily access some of the best beaches on the islands, none of them more than about a 15 or 20 min drive from Naoussa.

Town itself is very kid-friendly: There's a car-free zone, a beautiful cobblestone square shaded by big trees where you can linger with a gelato, and some excellent cafes and fish restaurants.

In August all the islands will be insanely busy, so if you're serious, you need to decide your destination soon and book a hotel or house!

Just a FYI: There are two nonstops from Delta on Fridays- and I think on Saturdays, too. But they are very busy in the summer months!

Sorry-- typing too fast! I meant to say that there are two non-stops from JFK, leaving I think on both Friday and Saturday afternoon/night. I actually think the later flight ( leaves around 7:30 PM) is better because if you get in early, you may have to wait several hours to check in to your hotel.

Just want to thank everyone who has responded so far. There's some terrific information here. We have a lot to work with.

Mariha, I think you can understand that there are destinations that are much more geared towards young adults, with nightclubs and bars and a lot of partying, which simply aren't family-friendly. Certainly not for the quiet vacation we have in mind. That's all I was alluding to, and most of the posters on this thread have understood and made recommendations accordingly.

But you can easily avoid drunken parties even on the islands popular for this reason Newsie, that was my point. If an island with a party fame has some other features that interest you, don't skip it due to the party crowds, this is all I say. And please do not be surprised to meet lots of partying in islands such as Naxos or Paros on August. This doesn't mean you can not have great family holidays there. It has to do with where and when exactly you go.
I think some posters focus on one aspect of some islands and ignore the other aspects and then there might be a faulse impression on the islands their selves.
Where is this quiet beach?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJPnRc8Y9Y8
On Mykonos.
And where is this zoo?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bydoU0YgorU
On Paros.

If your focus is only quiet and beach you may look on an island with limited infrustructure to have it as quiet as possible, say check Platy beach on Lemnos. But a beach can be anywhere on the world, I would focus on what else I'd like to experience on Greek Islands.

I completely agree with Mariha! Every island is family-friendly (Greeks love children) but there are some resorts on some islands I would avoid. The video clip of Paros is a good example: Punda Beach on Paros is a well known party beach, but that is just one of dozens on the island. Another example is Malia on Crete, but on that vast island are literally hundreds of other beach resorts from which to choose.

One thing you can't avoid is the huge number of holidaymakers from all over Europe who come to the Mediterranean in August, their traditional vacation month. Were you to wait until the beginning of September it would be much quieter. I realise that your children start school in September, so perhaps you are unable to delay.

And even the "to avoid" resorts can have great family friendly things to do... Hersonnisos in crete for example has Star Beach with amazing, free, kids pool complex complete with slides, a beach where you can watch the party animals bungee jump and a quieter more family friendly beach all part of the same complex. It also has a reptile house that kids love. We stayed in a quiet village in the hills and visited it all by day, and the daughter (7 at the time) loved every minute. And Hersonnisos would probably automatically be on the "no go" list of most people over 25.

For me though, Naxos and Paros have nicer atmospheres and are easier to get around than Crete. Easy to get around = manageable with kids = everybody happy. While I loved Chania (we were there this summer), I would prefer to go back for an adult weekend away than a family holiday. Never been to Lesbos, sorry

In August, the weather is going to be hot and I think I'd avoid long car trips or wandering around in the heat of the day. I wouldn't choose a large island like Crete, but I would recommend Corfu. When our daughter was a similar age to your two, we stayed at Glyfada beach on the island and it was a fantastic spot for a lovely beach, lots of tavernas and restaurants round and about and only 30 minutes into Corfu town with everything it has to offer.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel, but there is also the Menigos resort. There is a large pool at the Grand, as well as the obvious access to the sea. It was one of the best holidays we ever had.

<<Ideally, we'd be very happy in a small town or village with little traffic and a large beach, so the kids could run around safely. I'm assuming we'll rent a car and take a few day trips to other parts of whatever island we visit, as well as into a larger town for meals>>
What about Aliki on Paros…small village, feels ‘traditional’ but geared for tourism….beaches, small fishing harbour, beachside tavernas, accommodation…have a look at http://www.ostria-aliki.gr/ for example. While we’re youtubing, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1hdYIulch4 for a flavour.
If you’re hiring a car, makes it easy to visit port town Parikia, mini Mykonos Naoussa, hill village Lefkes…. a trip across to Antiparos Island, or some other of the many, many beaches, all on undemanding roads and at short distances.

yiannis1089,

Great description of Naoussa, though it seems less like a "mini Mykonos" end of May/early June. Never been to Aliki, but it looks wonderful. Where is it on the island?

And to the OP: Another beach that we loved last year was PAROS POROS, very close to Parikia. Lovely quiet bay with an excellent seaside taverna. There's a hotel on one end of it, but I don't know what kind of accommodations they offer.

Good luck with your choice!

Aliki is located on the south of the island. It is a pleasant small town with a tiny harbour, some nice beach front taverns and a grit/sand beach. If one is happy with limited infrustructure around, he/she might enjoy Aliki on early season. I am not extremely familiar with this area but I think there are a couple of mini market and shops too, so could serve as a very quiet but sufficient holiday spot. Buses are fine to connect on rest of the island if you need a change of scenery every now and then.

I believe WWK talks about Parasporos which is 3-4 kms away from Parikia. It is not a real town but a gorgeous beach with a couple of snack bars/taverns and a few hotels around. I am not sure if there is an alternative path but I think the walk to Parikia is mainly walking along the car road, so even if distance to Parikia is not great, it is not very covenient without own transport, even more so having the children... or maybe there is a bus stop uphill by the road, I am not sure.

mariha2912,

The OP would definitely need a car to stay at Parasporos. It is not within walking distance to Parikia. I just mentioned it because we enjoyed it so much. It was a really special beach- not too crowded ( though in August that could change) gorgeous scenery, and wonderful taverna ( the first one as you enter the grounds from the parking lot, not the one in the middle of the beach).

Yes, you are right WWK, nice beach to spend a visit, not sure if so nice to pick as a base.

How about Rhodes? It's a wonderful island, with various cultural and natural beauties. The Old City of Rhodes, -a UNESCO world heritage site-, is a gorgeous walled Medieval city with the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights, the Upper Town is one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Gothic period. In the Lower Town, Gothic architecture coexists with mosques, public baths and other buildings dating from the Ottoman period. It's even a candidate for the title of the 2021 Cultural Capital of Europe. It has many museums, local tavernas and beautiful shops. Did I mention that Rhodes housed one out of the seven wonders of the ancient world, The Colossus of Rhodes. Another beautiful town is Lindos, a picturesque settlement with outstanding architecture crowned with a beautiful ancient Acropolis. There is a sandy beach next to the town. There are many byzantine monasteries, archaeological sites, medieval castles and excellent beaches all over the island that you can discover with a car drive. The natural wonder of Rhodes is the Valley, an oasis filled with green and waters in which each August Mediterranean Butterflies flock in great numbers in order to reproduce. Rhodes has world class hotels, an exceptional gastronomic scene and it's incredibly tourist friendly. You can even do a day trip to the gorgeous island of Symi. Trust me, Rhodes is truly a beauty.