Naxos - and which other island?
 

Hi - first trip to Greece, there's a lot to pick from, and I can't really make any wrong choices here :) But, I want to make sure I can travel between my 2 choices.

Early 30's couple - we love beach, relaxing, swimming, fresh food, farm to table, supporting local farmers, exploring, biking, nature, scenery.

For example -We went to Croatia and did Hvar and Vis and we loved the contrast. Hvar didn't feel too ritzy, the crowds were lively- you could also choose not to participate in the parties- and during the day we took day trips to the smaller closeby islands.

We definitely want to do Naxos. Any suggested combinations for a second island? Other islands that I liked: Crete, Corfu, Milos, and many others!

Crete is huge and takes a minimum of a week with a rental car just to barely scratch the surface. It's best to stick to islands that are close together so as not to waste your precious time in Greece. From Naxos you have many options, depending on what you want to see. Check this island map and then do more research about those islands so you are making an informed choice: http://0.tqn.com/d/goeurope/1/S/w/e/...slands-map.png

Thank you, this map is clear and helpful. I'd prefer not to rent a car.

What do you think about Naxos and Milos? Is it easy to travel between the two and then get back to the mainland for the airport?

Agree with brotherleelove, and your informed choice is dependent upon connections between islands. That leaves Corfu out unless you are willing to go back from Naxos to Athens and take a flight from there.

Milos isn't the easiest island to reach from Naxos either, depending upon time of year you are travelling. Islands on the same ferry route from Athens include Paros, Ios, and Santorini. There are few inter-island flights, so that usually means going back through Athens to travel by air.

It's helpful to mention what month you are travelling, especially where ferries are concerned.

And you can check ferry connection timetables here: www.gtp.gr Just don't expect every island to be connected by ferry to every other island, and especially on a daily basis. You may have to do some creative island hopping to see the ones you prefer.

I prefer to to travel between two islands directly without going back to Athens. . When you said "islands on the same ferry route from Athens include Paros, Ios, and Santorini", you mean those are the 3 best options from Naxos?

Santorini looks beautiful, however it reminds me of Amalfi coast/Positano - it just did not feel authentic to us and I'm worried about the same feeling in Santorini.

But, we do like convenience and having lots of options of things to do.

We will be going in June.

It looks like there is a daily ferry between Naxos and Paros. Right now I'm deciding between Paros and Ios but I read Paros has better food and Ios is maybe more of a party place?

Would Naxos and Paros be a good combination?

I just found this map with a Google search that shows the main ferry routes in Greece: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...b2553e8ed8.jpg

The map shows the main ferry routes that operate year-round, primarily from/to Piraeus and Rafina. As well as the routes shown, are local ferries and summer catamarans that provide additional connections.

As you can see from the map, Naxos and Milos are on different main ferry routes. It's still possible to travel between the two islands in summer on certain days of the week or by connecting with another ferry on a third island. To make life easier for yourself you can choose islands on the same main ferry route.

We are cross-posting. None of the islands are "party islands" in June—that comes in July and August. If, as your original post suggests, you are interested in agrotourism, the Cyclades Islands are mostly dry and barren in summer, as there is little rainfall. In late winter and spring they are green and blooming.

After the end of summer and into late autumn, grapes, olives and other fruit are picked. Several islands, including Paros and Santorini, have vineyards you could visit.

Islands in the Ionian and northern Aegean are greener, and so is the mainland. Have you considered including the Peloponnese in your trip?

Have you considered going by ferry from Naxos to the coast of Turkey? I like Kuşadası.

Doing half of what is now being suggested would take a month. People get carried away with themselves.

How much time do you have? On what day will you arrive where and on what day will you leave from where? ie. Arrive in Athens on June X and leave from Athens on June Y.

Assuming you can get to the island you choose, on that first day, your vacation will actually start on your second day. If you have to return to Athens the night before you fly home, then that day and your departure day are also lost. If you only have 1 week, that would mean you actually would only have day 2,3,4 and 5 to work with before losing day 6 to returning to Athens and day 7 flying out. If that were the case, with only 4 real days to use, I would not attempt to visit more than 1 island.

Without knowing how much time you really have, people make assumptions. The most obvious being that you actually have enough time to even consider 2 places. I don't like to assume things. So how much time do you actually have?

I would suggest going to Paros instead of Ios

@Dogeared completely agree. I haven't purchased my tickets yet, but I want to make sure I really want to visit Greece/ these islands before doing so. ie, is this the place for me?

Also we like switching areas - we typically do 3 nights and then another 3/4.

Well are you asking is Greece the place for you or are some specific islands the place for you? I really don't understand what your issue is.

You wrote, " Early 30's couple - we love beach, relaxing, swimming, fresh food, farm to table, supporting local farmers, exploring, biking, nature, scenery."

Greece can certainly provide for all of those interests without any problem, so I would say yes, Greece is a good choice for all of that in June and as for which island/s, that is impossible to answer for you as there are 227 inhabited Greek islands of which almost all can provide a degree of what you are interested in.

It seems as if you are trying to ask, 'which are the best islands for me to visit?' There is no BEST, there are many alternatives that will all provide what you say you are interested in. You can try to ask 'which is best' in as many ways as you can think of to ask that same question and you will never get an answer that is anything other than someone's biased opinion, based on THEIR definition of best which is always based on their limited experience. It means nothing in terms of what YOUR best would be.

Some people say that Bora Bora is the most beautiful island in the world. I've been there and it is beautiful but I cannot say it is THE most beautiful unless I have been to every other island in the world in order to be able to compare it. So there is no point in asking me or anyone else, which is the 'most beautiful' or which is the 'best' island for you to visit.

"Is this the place for me?" There is only ONE way to actually answer that question. You have to go there and see for yourself. OR, you have to have a crystal ball.

Though not feeling quite as, hmm, adamant (?) about the whole thing, I do tend to agree with dog-person's point. Though it sounds to me like you're asking yourself, more than us "is this the place for me". In that vein, I think we all overthink these things sometimes. Consider the possibilty that you can't really go too wrong and maybe shift your attention to convenience rather than the unknowables like which island will be the best for you. You'll very likely like them, go, find out, then try others later or not. It's the way of travel for all of us.

I re-read my original post and nowhere did I include the word "best". In fact, I stated that there's many possible options and I can't really make a wrong choice, unless say, I deliberately go to a party island, having stated that that's not really my thing.

So, given that I want to be on the same ferry line, and Naxos is one of my choices, that really leaves either Ios or Paros. I am checking in to see which better fits my descriptions and if I could get any input. Or, to hear others' experiences about their travels to those places. Or, perhaps someone has similar interests and wants to suggest a completely different island.

thanks!

Silly me. Carry on.

We fell into the dog-person's trap...lol

Or stepped in it.