Milos; Folegandros, Corfu advice
 

Traveling to Milos, Folegandros, Santorini, Corfu and Kefalonia at the end of May. I know Santorini pretty well, but would appreciate any specific advice about what not to miss on the other islands (for example, specific boat trips, excursions, even restaurants you love, etc.) I've read so much information, yet hard to narrow it down to the best choices (not wanting to waste any time) with only a few to several days in each locale. Thanks for any specific favorites/advice based on your experience.

Hi again! Have you worked out how to get from Corfu to Kefallonia and how long it will take? When I replied to your previous post I couldn't find any direct ferries between the two islands, but there are ferries from Corfu to Patra, and other ferries from Patra to Kefallonia. Most likely scenario would be a 6 hr ferry from Corfu to Patra, overnight in a hotel there, then a 3 hr ferry the next day to Kefallonia. Alternatively, ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, travel by road from there to Patra, and ferry from Patra to Kefallonia. Perhaps I'm missing something, but wonder if combining those two islands is worth all the time and effort?

How about this instead? Between the Ionians and Cyclades is one of the most beautiful parts of Greece — Peloponnese. If you took the ferry from Corfu (or Kefallonia) to Patra, you could travel from there by bus to Olympia, then on to Nafplion, which is not far from Athens. I visited the Peloponnese for the first time last September, and it was a pleasant change from islands. Getting around by road is much quicker than by ferry. If Mariha or Yiassas (who lives in the Peloponnese) see this post perhaps they can comment further. :-)

We stayed on Folegandros, Milos and Santorini in August two years ago. August was not the best month to be there, we knew it would be very hot, but love Greece and had no choice of dates. We could have gone somewhere else but Greece is a favourite destination.

I must say Milos was not a favourite island, we've visited around 10 and Milos would be at the bottom. It didn't have a lot of charm and none of the picturesque views you get on, say, Mykonos or Santorini. We had a nice day at Pollonia, by the beach, it was extremely hot so nice to cool off in the water but the beach was very dirty with cigarette butts etc. The town beach was even worse.

One meal on Milos stands out in our memory but I can't remember the name of the restaurant. It's a very small Italian place, in Adamas, near the bus stop. It's on the main road leading away (inland) from the port, on the left just past a wonderful cake shop - not the bakery, which is on a corner.

We thought Folegrandros was charming, very laidback though busy with tourists. The place we stayed was a highlight of the trip http://www.polikandia-folegandros.gr/
beautiful setting, clean and well kept by a quiet Greek family. It was a few minutes walk into the main village.

We didn't venture far, it was too hot to think about doing much. We swam, enjoyed the cafes in and near the main square and just soaked up the atmosphere. There is a steep walk on a zigzag path, up to the little white church overlooking the village, with wonderful views. We would go back to Folegandros if we had the opportunity.

Kay

Thanks Heimdall and KayF for your responses. Our travel agent, for the Ionian part of the trip, said we would take a ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa and connect there directly to Kefalonia (3 hrs). However, he said ferry schedules will not be available until sometime in March. Then we would fly back to Athens and connect to our flight to Milos. I have wondered long and hard(!) whether Corfu and Kefalonia are worth the effort. Your suggestion to take the ferry to Patra and then drive to Olympia then Nafpilo (and see Nemea) and then on to Athens may be a good one. To be honest, I have no idea how long this would take without having studied it yet. Then I question whether we should simply skip the Ionians and just add Naxos, Paros or Sifnos. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Much as I love Paros and Naxos, I hate to discourage you from trying somewhere different. The Ionians don't lend themselves to island hopping like the Cyclades. I can't find any connections between Igoumenitsa and Kefallonia either on the ferry websites or in <i>Greek Island Hopping</i>, which lists high season sailings. If your travel agent is a Greece specialist, perhaps he knows of one.

What I have learned, though, is that Greece is much more than Athens and the islands. My trip through the Peloponnese last summer was a real eye-opener: the seaside towns are just as pretty, beaches even better than those on the islands, and lots of ancient sites to see. Travelling from place to place in the Peloponnese by car is easy, and bus service very good.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the Peloponnese than me can advise on travel times. :-)

Corfu town is charming and has lots of nice restaurants. One that stands out in my memory is called The Venetian Well. Not by any means cheap, but well worth it.

Worth a trip - and a couple of days if you can spare it - are the islands of Paxos (Paxi) and Antipaxos. Two delightful little islands with some excellent restaurants. About 45 minutes from Corfu Town by ferry.

We enjoyed Folegandros and highly recommend it for a laid-back visit. We stayed at Fata Morgana which was lovely. The town has wonderful tree-shaded squares with open tavernas. Great casual dining. Most of the beaches are remote - either hike in or take a boat. We avoid organized tours but loved the day boat tour around the island. It stopped at several beaches and took us to swim in places we never would have found on our own. The island feels a little magical.