nutsnbolts

19 Days (minus 2 travel days to Greece)
17 Total Days in Greece.

How would you break out 17 days to visit the following Islands. I would like to fly out of Athens directly when we land to one of the islands.

• Milos
• Naxos
• Paros (from what I read, I can probably drop this from the list)
• Santorini
• Athens (would like to probably do last two days)

I would like to visit Paros but to save and enjoy more time and not to constantly move, Milos, Naxos, Santorini would probably the main islands.

Please help. I know that you can spend so much more time in any but with these days, I would like to see what everyone who has been there would suggest.

We will be a family of 5 (fit) with 3 children (all able) so there are no limitations.

brotherleelove2004

Milos>Paros>Naxos>Santorini>Athens

This order gives you the least amount of time at sea in the two Sea Jets ferries between Milos and Paros. These ferries are the smallest in the Sea Jets fleet, and in July when the winds are strong, these ferries can cause mass seasickness. From Paros to Naxos to Santorini you can avoid these two by taking the larger and much more stable Blue Star car ferry. The Blue Star ferry is also much less expensive, and arriving at Santorini standing out on the open deck is something you will never forget. Fly back to Athens for your last days so you don't waste a full day on a ship.

nutsnbolts

Ok i should go to Milos first then Naxos and from there Santorini and fly back to Athens from Santorini.

Any suggestions on how many days I should break up. Also you mentioned Paros but should I simply drop Paros to ensure more days on the islands mentioned.

Heimdall

I love Paros and Antiparos, but don’t hype the two islands. In July you might see the actor Tom Hanks on Antiparos, because he owns a villa there and comes to the island every summer. Should you choose Milos and Naxos it would be best to put Santorini in the middle to take advantage of larger ferries. Milos and Naxos also have airports (as does Paros), so it matters little which island you leave for last.

Naxos to Santorini has the large and luxurious Blue Star ferry, which goes through the caldera when it reaches Santorini, offering the best views of the whitewashed villages perched at the edge of the cliff. Stand on the open deck of Blue Star and you will see some of the best scenery in the Aegean Sea.

Santorini to Milos doesn’t have a Blue Star, but in July there is usually a large highspeed ferry on that route, and two or three times per week a slower conventional ferry, Dionisios Solomos, with an open deck. Timetables for July aren’t complete yet, but are already showing Speedrunner, a large highspeed ferry which changed hands over the winter. Also already showing on the Santorini-Milos route is SeaJet 2/Superjet, the same small ferries that go between Milos and Naxos, the ones that brotherleelove warned about. Given a choice, choose Speedrunner.

HappyTrvlr

I also love Paros and was surprised by your earlier comment. The only place I didn’t like in Greece was Santorini and couldn’t wait to leave. I absolutely loved the rest of Greece, islands and mainland.

Heimdall

Hi HappyTrvlr, no need to persuade people to come to Paros and Antiparos. If nutsandbolts has decided on Naxos and Milos they are also fine islands. Naxos has a large mountainous interior with picturesque villages, and Milos has some unique beaches. Paros and Antiparos are my favourites, but are at risk of overdevelopment with plans for expansion of the Paros Airport for international flights. Naxos will be very busy in July too, especially in the south-west corner of the island from Naxos Town to Plaka Beach.

nutsnbolts

I'm not opposed to Paros. Originally the plan was to have 4 islands.

3 Full days on Milos
1 travel day from Milos to Naxos
2 full days on Naxos
1 travel day from Naxos to Paros
2 full days on Paros
1 travel day from Paros to Satorini
3 full days on Santorini
1 travel day from Santorini back to Athens (flight)
2 full days on Athens

In between those days are considered travel days (which I would assume will take at least half a day to get to the next location but will also probably allow a half day extra on each island.

This was the original plan but people on other forums have suggested that that is a lot of travelling around (hence, where removing Paros) would slightly help. Also I would love to visit all these islands despite the limited amount of days. I know I will only scratch the surface with all these islands and I don't plan to do everything the island has to offer but I do have "things" I have planned for each Island as what we would like to do.

I'm just confirming with everyone whether at a minimum these days would suffice as a first time visit or to definitely remove one of the island to fit in more days for others.

travelerjan

I am glad you are re-thinking ... I see the Milos & Santorini are your Must-haves... and do encourage you to have just ONE additional stop -- either Naxos OR the Paros/Antiparos thing. It's always good to remember, Santorini is only 12 miles long... and you're devoting 3 full days to it (and it isn't even a "beach island") ... whereas Naxos is the biggest Cycladic island... and PAros/Antiparos together, pretty sizable. Just look at it this way... you'll be back (Greece is addictive!).

Heimdall

Good point by travelerjan. I’ve often heard on the various forums phrases like ‘… Santorini and a smaller island.’ Well, Santorini is a smaller island, but it’s mentioned so much in the media that many people assume it is larger. Not only is it about 12 miles long, it is only 3 or 4 miles wide at the widest point. Much of what used to be Santorini was destroyed by the volcano mellennia ago, and now lies underwater. Atlantis? Some people think that’s where the legend originates.

Is that a problem? Not really, unless you consider as many as six giant cruise liners disgorging their thousands of passengers every day, mixed with the high season crowds in July and August.

There are several worthwhile things to see on Santorini, including the Minoan village at Akrotiri, and Ancient Thera atop the mountain overlooking the black sand beaches and the airport. From Ancient Thera you can look down at the airplanes coming in for a landing. See those things, along with a view of the caldera villages, but don’t bother fighting the crowds at Oia for the sunset. Then move on to Milos or Naxos, whichever you decide to do first. These islands will also be crowded in July, but at a more tolerable level.

nutsnbolts

So here's my thought process for 3 days for Santorini and please by all means correct me if I'm wrong or revise my thinking if it's not right

Here are the things I plan to do which I originally assigned 4 days in Santorini, just so I'm not rushing. I would like to take my time and with the crowds expectations during July timeframe, I really don't want to fight the crowd so why I originally chose 4 days. However, someone mentioned that 4 days is a bit much but to each it's own and usually they can't wait to leave Santorini because of everything I just mentioned.

With that said, I reduced it to 3 days. Here is what I "plan" to do.

• Day 1 - Hike from Fira/Oia (I know it's 5 miles long, it's hot, hazy, etc. I may cut the hike down a little but we are fit enough to handle it. However, I expect that will take half a day (we will do this early in the morning and hopefully be done before noon). Half day of hike, then we spend half a day in Oia. Depending on the crowds may leave to do something else once we are "satisfied"
• Day 2 - Go to black sand beach to spend a morning at the beach. I don't want to go there just to look and leave. Possibly just relax, get something to eat and then leave at some point. Perhaps visit another small village and a couple wineries that will probably lead me into the evening. Spend time wherever we are staying (caldera or Oia) and simply try to relax.
• Day 3 - Perhaps drive to Acrotiri, Spend some time around the island of whatever else may try to go to (Almoudi bay), really just relax day. Spend some time in Fira or whatever else. Pretty much the last full day to relax.

I know there are other things to do and obviously if I missed other things please let me know but this is how it's playing out in my head

HappyTrvlr

I can’t imagine walking down and up from Amoudi Harbor in the heat. Perhaps you can take a taxi down there or a rental car. . We hiked it from our hotel.
We did return to Santorini for a day after Akrotiri was reopened. It had been closed for years due to a roof collapse that caused the death of tourists. Akrotiri is an amazing site.

nutsnbolts

Ok just wanted to throw this out there. I have finally decided on the following:

Athens to Santorini (fly via Skyexpress) - 3 days in Santorini
Santorini to Naxos (bluestar ferry) - 5 days in Naxos
Naxos to Milos (seajet/seajet2) - 5 days in Naxos
Milos to Athens (fly via tbd) - 2 days in Athens

While in Naxos, I may do a day trip in Paros.

Any other last suggestions or improvements to this plan?

marinakosm

With 17 days in Greece, I would recommend spending around 3-4 days in each of the islands you mentioned, and then ending with 2-3 days in Athens. Here's a possible itinerary:

Day 1-3: Milos - Fly directly from Athens to Milos and spend the first three days exploring the island's beaches, caves, and traditional villages.

Day 4-7: Naxos - Take a ferry from Milos to Naxos and explore the island's beaches, archaeological sites, and charming old town.

Day 8-11: Santorini - Take a ferry from Naxos to Santorini and spend the next few days admiring the stunning caldera views, exploring the island's traditional villages, and watching the sunset from Oia.

Day 12-14: Athens - Fly or take a ferry back to Athens and spend the next few days exploring the city's ancient landmarks, museums, and vibrant neighborhoods.

Day 15-17: Hydra or Aegina - Take a day trip from Athens to one of these beautiful islands, which are both easily accessible from the city and offer a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Athens.

This way you get to see some of the most beautiful and diverse islands in Greece, while also giving you enough time to truly enjoy each destination.