Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos or Paros?
 

We're planning on being in Greece in late May for our honeymoon and currently have about 9-10 days set aside for Greek islands (we will have a day or two in Athens on each end of the trip). It's our first time visiting Greece and so far we were thinking Mykonos, Santorini and one other island so it's not too rushed.

We were thinking of Naxos or Paros for the third island - looking through past topics it seems like both have their fans (possibly with a slight edge to Naxos) but is there any reason to choose one over the other? Would one or the other fit in better with the rest of the itinerary and give us something we wouldn't get with Mykonos or Santorini? We're generally very laidback travelers, love walking around a place, photography, and good food is important to us. Or is there another island we should consider instead of Naxos or Paros for our last island?

Lastly, we were currently thinking of splitting our time equally among the 3 islands - but do you think we should spend more time in any 1 of the 3?

Thanks!

Well Naxos or Paros should not be your last island. The 3 islands are in a sequence wiht Santorini being the furthest away and Mykonos the closest to Athens. A logical sequence would be to fly to say Santorini then ferry to Naxos then ferry to Mykonos and then either ferry or fly back to Athens.
Santorini is about 7hours from Athens by conventional ferry so flying at least one way makes a lot of sense.

If you have read past postings then you will know that I am a big fan of Naxos. Having said that Paros is lovely, we have been there 3 times and plan another few days this summer, so really whichever one you choose you will have a good time. Both Islands are strong contrasts to Santorini, being quite laid back and certainly far easier on your wallet than either Santorini or Mykonos.

Paros and Naxos are great choices but I also suggest you put Syros in your consideration for a different feel and it would be a nice way to end of your islands visit. If you do, start your honeymoon in Santorini, then ferry to Mykonos and end in Syros and ferry from Syros to Pireaus.

I will recommend you get to Paros. But that's me. Going to either Paros or Naxos will ideally round out your island experience. Take a look at photos and trip reports to help you decide. Also, you might want to post questions about hotels to help make the choice.