Itinerary Suggestions for Greece?
 

Hey, All!

I'm planning my 2-week vacation to Greece, July 17-Aug 1. I am traveling alone, and looking for ruins, Cycladic islands, some relaxation and some partying -- basically a little of everything! Here's what I'm thinking:

3 nights in Athens (day trip to Delphi on Day 3)
2 nights in Crete
3 nights in Santorini
2 nights in Naxos
3 nights in Mykonos
1 more night in Athens to be ready for my flight the following day.

What I can't decide on:
CRETE: not sure if 2 days is enough, and not sure where to stay. 1 night in Iraklion and another in Chania? And after seeing Knosssos, would a day trip to Matala be recommended? I am thining of renting a car -- is it hard to get around?

NAXOS: Can't decide if I should go at all, and instead spend more time on Crete? I'd like to get a sample of more than just Santorini and Mykonos in the Cyclades, but I can do day trips, perhaps, if I spent more time on either one of those 2 islands? And I will certainly check out Delos from Mykonos one day. Will Santorini be "relaxing" enough? And, since I am by myself, will Naxos be too "remote" and not have as many people to interact with? There is something to be said about having a couple of days on this low-key island to balance all the hopping around I'm planning.....

Thanks for the advice!

Alex

Take a day away from Santorini to add to Crete. Stay in Chania the whole time on Crete.

Don't forget the Parthenon in Athens. A few small museums there and a subway for getting about (as traffic is bad).

Crete is a very long island and roads aren't great, however you can easily drive to Iraklion from Chania and spend some hours there before returning. Pop into Rethymnon if possible. Scenic harbour with lots of eateries and people watching.

Any possibility of swapping Naxos or Mykonos for (south) Cyprus?

It's hard to answer your question in the abstract without knowing a little bit more about you. How old are you? Are you male or female [you have one of those gender neutral names :-)]? By partying, do you mean drinking and dancing, and is that why you are interested in Mykonos? Are you thinking of staying in Iraklion solely to facilitate a trip to Knossos? Are you outdoorsy - do you want to do hiking and swimming? How active do you want to be?

I'm only asking because I could answer your question a zillion different ways depending on the kind of person you are!

Generally speaking, two weeks is not a long time. For my tastes, you are spending too much time moving around from place to place and not enough time enjoying where you are.

Crete is a large and diverse island and has a lot of things to do. For me, 2 days is not enough. I like renting a car there, because I love driving around on its back roads, and getting to some of its more remote beaches. Good hiking if you are into it, good archeology not just at Knossos, but Knossos is wonderful. I prefer staying at Chania and don't like Iraklion, but it is more convenient to Knossos and the ferries.

Santorini is small, and on a two week trip, I wouldn't stay there 3 days.

The Naxos/Mykonos answers depend on the questions I asked above.

Hey, Eleni

Thanks for your reply!

To answer your questions: I'm a 32-year-old straight male, and by "partying" i mean going to a local watering hole, not necessarily dancing. I've just heard that Mykonos is/can be fun, which is why I've picked it.

Re: Crete: yes, I had chosen Iraklion due to its proximity to Knossos. Not big on hiking, but would do it if it's not-to-be-missed, and I do enjoy swimming. It sounds as though Crete has a lot to do for outdoorsy activities.

Finally, when staying in Santorini, are there day trips to a nearby island that you'd recommend? I've just heard the Santorini is beautiful, which is why I opted for 3 nights there.

Like you. I was wondering if I'm jumping around too much....

Any other tips now that you know more?

Thanks so much!

Alex

Yes, more information helps!

At the time of year that you are travelling, there are going to be tourists pretty much everywhere in Greece. People from all over the world travel to Greece in the summer, and many Athenians travel to the islands. For this year, something to keep in mind is that I have read that cruise traffic if up considerably. This has something to do with the price of the dollar against the euro and people being able to pay for everything on cruise ships in dollars.

So what does this all mean? Santorini and Mykonos are both big cruise ship destinations and both relatively small islands. That means, from my point of view, that they tend to be crawling with tourists. There is a reason for this. Both are very beautiful places, with interesting side trips. From Mykonos you can go to Delos. From Santorini, you can go to the Volcano and see the Caldera and consider whether Santorini truly was Atlantis.

But on a two week trip, if it were me, I would pick one or the other, but not both. Otherwise you don't get the benefit of the true joy that Greece has to offer, which is sitting back and relaxing a little. Since you're not so into dancing, you might like Santorini better. Its visuals are pretty spectacular. I would also suggest scaling back your time in Santorini to 2 nights, sort of like I said before.

As for Naxos, I think it would provide you with an interested contrast to the mass tourism of Santorini. Like I said, at the time of year you are travelling, there is no way it will feel "remote" - there will be lots of people around and you should have a great time. At the same time, you will more easily be able to see a more traditional side of Greece than on Santorini. I'd stay here 3 nights. Have you seen this Naxos site? http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/naxos/

Crete - as I said before, it's wonderful, and your idea of getting a car is just right. As for where to stay, Iraklion is very, well, full of cement buildings. I just have never warmed up to it at all. I like Reythymnon and I like Chania, both seem like warmer places to stay, and their towns and waterfronts are much more interesting to walk around than Iraklion. But there are people who like Iraklion, so it's all a matter of person preference.

When we have gone to Knossos, we've just made a day trip out of it, driving on every interesting back road we can find, rather than staying in Iraklion. Speaking of Knossos, last time we went we took a friend and hired a guide at the gate. It made the whole experience much more interesting.

I'd stay on Crete 5 days. So that would mean
3 Athens
5 Crete
2 Santorini
3 Naxos
1 Athens

Changing your schedule in this way might help you achieve the relaxation (as well as the partying) that was part of your original goal!!

Agree with Eleni for a 5 nights stay in Crete , in Chania .You could visit Knossos and Matala during day trips from Chania