how to fit Antiparos in between Heraflion, Santorini & Rodos
 

I heard it's serene and beautiful. I am not seeing ferry from Heraflion to Antiparos, and Antiparos to Rodos. I can spare 36 hours for that island, I hope I don't have to backtrack.

You most likely have to ferry to Paros and catch the smaller ferry to Antiparos. Do you mean Heraclion?

I meant Heraklion

Antiparos is a tiny but beautiful island, just next to Paros...
You have to go to Paros first to get to Antiparos.
The trip from Paros only takes 5 minutes by ferry from Pounta..

I will fly into Chania and my last stop has to be Rodos. In between I like to visit Santorini and Antiparos. Like i said, I am not seeing ferry from Heraklion to Antiparos, and Antiparos to Rodos. How the Greek ferries work have been a mystery to me all along. I figure you could know something I don't.

clausar, I am not seeing ferries from Heraklion to Paros.

I think that there are no feries from Heraklion to Paros.
There are ferries from Heraklion to Santorini and from Santorini to Paros, since you mentioned that you want to visit there 2 islands.
Since Greece has too many islands, don't expect that one island can be reached from any other island...
In some occasions, it is better to ferry/fly to Athens, and then continue to another island.....

The same ferry that goes from Heraklion to Santorini continues on to Paros and then Mykonos. So if you go to Paros first to catch the little local shuttle ferry to Antiparos, afterward you can return to Paros to catch the ferry back to Santorini before continuing on to Rhodes. But with only 36 hours to accomplish this side trip I'm afraid it won't be worth your time and in fact might not even be possible, all depending on the schedule for the Santorini-Rhodes part of your itinerary.

I suppose that technically it can be accomplished. The ferry from Heraklion, the Hellenic Seaways FlyingCat4, departs at 9:45am and arrives at Paros around 1:45 that afternoon. The ferry to Antiparos leaves fromthe same dock where the FC4 docks. The trip to Antiparos takes only about 45 minutes and it departs quite often every day. You would need to return to Paros by ferry the next day by 11am if you are to be in time to catch the Blue Star car ferry to Santorini when it stops at Paros at Noon, arriving at Santorini around 3:30pm. The other option is to return to Paros a little later in the day in time to catch the FC4 around 2pm, arriving at Santorini around 5:30.

http://www.ferries.gr/hfd (take note of the "No sailing" dates)

Thanks brotherleelove2004. You are the BEST.

Mea culpa brotherlee :(

I couldn't agree more! I spend up to a month every year on Antiparos, but it just isn't worth your travelling there in the timeframe available. Go there on your next trip to Greece when you have time to relax. :-)

I absolutely agree and most probably won't go to Antiparos this time. We talked about being flexible and this is how I do it. I read up on the guidebooks, equipped myself with knowlege, ask the questions I need to ask and know my options. If for some reasons I can't get to the islands of my first choice, I know i have second choice waiting for me. Better to have plan B and C installed, do my homework now and relax when I am supposed to relax. I know we will go back to that part of the world, spending a month or two in Antiparos sounds good, to get a glimpse of what we would be going back to ain't bad idea.
Dear Heimdall, any tips in how we go about spending a month in Antiparos? Should we look into timeshare or what?

Hi mohan,

By "up to a month every year" I mean two separate trips of 2-3 weeks at a time, but last year was there only once. Antiparos is a place where many people come year after year, have friends, and look at the island as their second home. As a single traveller all I need is a simple room, but many couples and families rent apartments, and can get a good deal for a long term stay. Antiparos has villas for rent, but the prices are eye watering, so don't even think about it unless you are prepared to pay well into the four figures per week. I don't know of any timeshares on Antiparos. :-)