You asked about walking tours. I took an Acropolis/Agora tour with Athens Walks. The guide was very knowledgeable, but not particularly entertaining - don't know how she would go over with kids. Admittedly, it was a solo tour, and my ability to concentrate wanes after a couple hours, so by the end I wasn't able to contribute many questions to keep the flow a little more fluid.

If you are interested in Akrotiri, make sure to visit the museum in Fira, where some of the wall paintings from Akrotiri are. The rest of them are in the Archaeological Museum in Athens. All of them are well worth seeing.

I am looking at hotels in Naxos and would love some recommendations. It sounds like St Georges Beach would be a good area for us. Where else do you recommend? My minimum requirements are: family friendly, pool and near a town that has some night life. Thank you!

You are going in July and most places with a pool will be heavily booked especially for apts. for 5... You surely don't want to be jammed nto 2 rooms with no main room... and apartmets for 5 on or near a beach are VERY hard to find....esp. this late in booking, in peak of high season.

you will have best luckk looking for 2 units in same building need to go on Booking.com and put in your dates and "Naxos St. George Beach" and ask for a twin-bed room (or studio unit (this is for your 2 older boys), and a 1-bedroom studio (this will be BR for you, and a main room w. kitchenette ell + a day bed, for u and your 12-year-old). When the list comes up, click on the first hotel name, and then look at the GOOGLE map of St. George beach. It will show all the available places as blue "baloons" and the fully-booked ones as RED balloons. Observe carefully to see how close to the beach each one is. (do not choose those that say "close to town center" -- that's far from the beach). Click on a baloon to bring up descript of each hotel to see if it has a pool... then go back to map. If you can find hotel with 7.8 to 8+ Review ratings, they'll be reliable.

Some of the hotels with pools are Hotel Spiro (the best, but likely to be full up)...Aegeon Hotel, Ilovasilema, Korali Palace Hotel ... if you can do without a pool (and why need one when a beach is just 50 meters away??? ) you have much more choice -- Argo Boutique hotel, Naxos Edem Studios & Apartments, Mayromatis Studios, Fragias Studio Apts, Korali Palace Hotel... 2 of my faves right on the sand Kalergis Studios & Thomais Studios almost certainly are sold out. I could have checked these, but you say only "day 9-12" which gives me No Clue. So, the homework is up to you. (lesson for future; when you give specifics, u can get more specific recommends).

About "famiy friendly" -- the entire island is family-friendly.

traveljan,
Of course I know how to look up hotels, etc. and there is no need to have you or anyone else check the dates for me;). My request was to obtain names of hotels that different fodorites have actually stayed at and can recommend. In looking at the hotels on line, most of them look fabulous and most have positive reviews. I have been using fodors' forums for years and my experience is that if a place is strongly recommended by someone on this forum then it is highly likely to be nice and meet my expectations.

You actually would be surprised by how many hotels do not show availability on line (whether it be booking.com, another booking agency's site or their own website) but when you email them directly they do have availability and often at a discounted rate due to the timing. I have consistently found that the rates offered on line are higher than the rates offered when you email or call. This has proven to be true in the three hotels that I have already booked for Greece.

Thank you for the names of hotels that you recommend-- truly appreciate it! I will check each.

Sorry to ruffle your feathers -- was just trying to help u get a booking for party of 5 at late date ... Didn't want to give you a list of hotels u will waste time checking when they are probably already full for your dates some of my faves off the list because so many are fully booked already for entire month. Wish u luck at getting what u need! Your bunch will like Naxos, I promise.

Akrotiri has poor signage so a guide might be useful.
Also, check out Matt Barrett's website - lots of useful info on Athens and the islands.

http://greecetravel.com/

Despite Santorini not being known for its beaches, my husband and I enjoyed the black sand beach. It was protected from the wind due to large cliffs and the water was warmer than in Naxos.

Thanks Debbielynn!

We have booked a lovely hotel in Paros and are very excited about this trip!! Thanks so much for your feedback and suggestions.

Sorry for chiming in late -- I only recently returned from Greece, and loved it!

Re: Akrotiri -- I spent about 2 hours there, maybe a tad less. I had planned to hire a guide while there, but unfortunately, none were available, so I was pleased to find that the signage was better than I had been led to expect. The signage isn't extensive, but it is informative. If Akrotiri interests you, I second artsnletter's recommendation to visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thira in Fira (not to be confused with the Archeology Museum of Thera, also in Fira, which I'm sure is also wonderful) to see the wall paintings and other artifacts from Akrotiri, and also the spectacular wall paintings from Akrotiri at the National Archeological Museum of Athens.

Enjoy!

Thanks kja! We weren't planning on hiring a guide so I am happy to hear that the signage is good. Any good restaurants on Santorini that you would recommend?

I only ate one meal on Santorini, but enjoyed it – I went to the Tavern Aktaion in Firostefani. Whether there or elsewhere, try the fava beans!