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Old Aug 7th, 2005, 08:53 PM
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santorini or mykonos??

Daniel Gusner

Im heading to greece for a couple days.. and am trying to decide which island to go to either santorni or mykonos.. anyone have any suggestions? and why?
thanks
Dan Gusner
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Old Aug 7th, 2005, 09:31 PM
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Hi

Mykonos has great beaches, qaint town and good night life. This island is popular for the gay community. Santorini has spectacular scenery, beaches, the lovely village of Oia and a decent nightlife as well. So if you love a beach, Mykonos but if you want to see the most spectacular site in your life the caldera at sunset on Santorini.

Both are great in their own way.
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Old Aug 7th, 2005, 09:32 PM
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It all depends on what YOU are looking for.

Mykonos is probably the best known of the Greek islands and has a very active night life.
Santorini is probably the most beautiful of the islands. It is spectacularly beautiful and very quiet - at least it was when I was there 4 years ago.

Here's an informative web site on Mykonos:
http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/mykon.html
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Old Aug 7th, 2005, 10:01 PM
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Both islands are going to be incredibly busy and crowded when you are there. If you want concentrated nightlife choose Mykonos. If you want nightlife mixed with beauty and timelessness choose Santorini. Once you make your choice I suggest you try to get reservations NOW for your hotels.
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Old Aug 9th, 2005, 08:12 PM
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Santorini is absolutely beautiful. It was our favorite island on our recent trip to Greece. Lots to see and do in an idyllic setting.
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Old Aug 9th, 2005, 08:30 PM
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Hi Dan:

2 of my girlfriends and I went to Greece and Turkey last June. We went to both Santorini and Mykonos - and we had much more fun in Santorini. All of the postings are right about Santorini being beautiful. The sunsets at the caldera are breathtaking. But there was indeed a very lively - and much less "poser" - party scene in Fira as as opposed to Mykonos. There are some wonderful restaurants on Santorini as well - particularly Restaurant 1800 in the village of Oia, and Kouklamavlos in Fira. If you do go to Santorini, I'd advise against staying at the Hotel Chromata. It's a good location, but not at all worth the serious room rates!
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Old Aug 9th, 2005, 09:06 PM
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I have been to both but preferred Santorini. Mykonos had a rough splendor while I found Santorini beautiful in a more classic way. I enjoyed the size Mykonos. We rented small motor bikes and could wander endlessly. I found it quieter though Fira can be just swarmed during the day when the cruise ships come in. I enjoyed the Minoan ruins of Santorini but while we were in Mykonos we went to Delos(sp??) for a day which was spectacular..you really can go wrong with either!!
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Old Aug 9th, 2005, 10:24 PM
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I just came back from both of them this week. I will limit my comments to reinforcing Brotherleelove2004's advice to make a decision and reservations as soon as possible.

Both were jammed with tourists as well as cruise ship passengers.
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Old Aug 9th, 2005, 11:23 PM
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Here are a couple of suggestions:

I suggest you visit Athens first, then the islands for the romantic and relaxing part! The order you do Crete & Santorini depends to a degree on whether you are planning on flying or going by boat - if by boat probably best to go to Crete first by high-speed ferry and make your way back to Athens stopping off in Santorini on the way.

In Santorini you can swim in the caldera of the volcano - I wouldn't call this a hot spring though, more a reddish brown muddy vaguely warm part of the sea! Still, it's one of the essential experiences of Santorini. Not sure on the day spas other than that.

You can get good vegetarian food all over Greece - stuffed vegetables, stuffed vine leaves (make sure to ask if they are stuffed with rice and not meat, aubergines, and all the dips - hummus, tzatziki etc. I would hope most of these would be vegan also. My personal favourites in Fira for vegetarian food are the Selene and Archipelagos, close by each other, both with a caldera view and both serving fantastic tomato fritters. But you should be able to get good vegetarian food in any greek restaurant if you order a few starters and salads instead of a main course (main courses in many places will be meat or fish based without a vegetarian option).


In Santorini, if views are a priority, you should stay on the caldera side - Oia, Fira, Imerovigli etc. You will probably have to blow your budget here to get a nice view.

In Mykonos, I would stay in Mykonos town. Taxis on the island are very limited and most of the nightlife / restaurants is in Mykonos town. I stayed at StJohn beach last September, a little bit outside the town, and would definitely stay in Mykonos town next time.

On Crete, if you want to hike the gorge (and I don't know of any reason why you couldn't) I suggest looking at staying in the Chania area. You can take day trips from there to Knossos or better still rent a car and explore the mountains too.

Or you could stay near one of the luxury hotels which I think are mostly gathered on the northern coast of Crete where they will have spa facilities. Hiking the gorge from there is do-able by way of a day trip but would involve a very early start and is a long tiring day.

Hope this gives you a steer!

J
 
Old Aug 9th, 2005, 11:25 PM
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Sorry - posted the above reply to this thread in error. Meant to post it on the thread from wifeybug a couple of messages down. (I haven't woken up properly yet)...
 
Old Aug 18th, 2005, 06:37 PM
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Santorini is the Pearl of Greece. If I had to decide for myself, I'd choose Santorini. Most memorable. Breathless views and enjoyed the nightlife as well.
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Old Aug 19th, 2005, 12:54 AM
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"Mykonos is probably the best known of the Greek islands." Maybe this is true for Americans, here in the UK there's plenty of islands better known (although not necessarily more desirable).

I don't think there's really a contest here. Mykonos provides a nice beach holiday, Santorini combines a nice beach holiday with one of the most wondrous spectacles you'll ever see.
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