Three nights per island in the Cyclades?
 

We are planning a trip to Athens and the Greek islands. Would three nights each be enough time in Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini? We are also planning to visit Crete for 4 nights. Or do you think we should cut out one of these islands? Thanks very much!

depends on what you like . . . and don't like.

These islands offer varied pleasures -- all lovely in their own way -- so if you post a few priorities folks will give more guidance.

Crete needs 3 weeks minimum. Santorini 4 nights, Naxos a week, Mykonos 5 nights, something like that.

Hi

I haven't been to Naxos or Crete unfortunately but these islands are highly rated. Three nights per destination is certainly possible. However you do lose time with ferry journeys, hotel changeovers etc. so it is less than this. I would be inclined to take Crete out. Santorini is fabulous and not to be missed (make sure you get accommodation that allows you to see the sunset on the caldera). Mykonos town is quaint and the island has nice beaches. Naxos is also renowned for its beaches and is a short ferry ride from Mykonos. Of course Mykonos and Santorini are much more touristy and prices are higher as a result.

Good luck

Please pardon my interruption, but does that 'short ferry ride' from Naxos to Mykonos mean one could stay on Naxos and daytrip to Mykonos? If the answer is 'no way, idiot', don't answer and I'll assume I'm jumping to silly conclusions. I'm a train traveler; I know nothing about the Greek ferry transportation system (system?) Thanks. J.

I havn't taken the ferry from Mykonos to Naxos, however I have taken the excursion on the Naxos Star tourist boat. It took an hour and a half from Naxos to Delos. We spent about 4 hours on Delos and then another 3 hours on Mykonos and then returned to Naxos. A long day but certainly well worth doing.

(As a sidebar: It is really worth it to research the islands to decide where YOU would enjoy spending more time. Mykonos in our experience is a very "tourist season" type place, lots of night life, transient local population. For my wife, that three hour visit was plenty. For others who enjoy the intense holiday experience, it's a great place.)

I think many people make a mistake in trying to do too many islands. I feel it is better to stay longer on one island and really explore and take in the whole life on that island. It is remarkable how much time it takes to get from one island to another when you take into consideration checking out of the hotel, waiting for the ferry then finding a new hotel on the next island. For example on a trip between Paros and Naxos (an hour ferry ride) we checked out of the hotel after breakfast, spent an hour or two wandering around town, caught the ferry and arrived in Naxos at 1:30 and by the time we were checked in to our hotel it was 2:30. That doesn't leave much of the day on the next island. Personally I'd suggest you do Mykonos, Naxos and Santorini because they are fairly close together and leave Crete for another time.

If you would like to see my pictures of Naxos go to www.webshots.com then hit 'community' and search for member 'lollypeter100' We think Naxos is great!

I agree with you 100 percent. I'll take a look at your Naxos photographs. Thanks. J.

Crete requires much more time, even if you do only one section of the island. You could go to Crete ONLY and eliminate the others. Or, you could skip Crete, leaving it for another trip.

I didn't know that you could take a tour to Delos from Naxos, Going to Delos was the only reason we had planned to stay on Mykonos. I'm wondering if that tour is available in late May/early June? I will have to do some more research. But if we can cut out Mykonos, that will give us plenty of time for the other islands. We may still cut out Crete though, and pick another Island in the Cyclades. Any suggestions? Thanks for all your help!

The idea of taking a daytour from Naxos to Mykonos and another one from Naxos to Delos, appeals to me also. Then we could add the days we planned to stay in Mykonos to the ones in Naxos...the hotel would be a lot less expensive. Are the restaurants also less expensive in Naxos than in Mykonos? Can we fly from Athens to Naxos? Would it be the same kind of airplane as the one from Athens to Mykonos?

Thank you for all your experienced opinions!!!

Naxos has limited flights, one or two per day most of the year. Haven't flown into either (only ferry), but the planes I've seen landing in Naxos are of the commuter variety.

Again, a big thing is what you're looking for. I'm a big Naxos fan an yes, you can get a lot more bang for your buck their than Mykonos, but you'll give up a lot of the glitz and party scene for a much more diverse Greek island experience. Even if you go to Mykonos, I'd suggest dividing your days up to allow more exploring on Naxos, which has so much to offer.

If we do not rent a car, what does Naxos have to offer over Mykonos? We will be there in mid-May.

We were in Naxos in late May early June and the Naxos Star was taking daily trips to Delos and Mykonos. That tour does a combined visit to both Delos and Mykinos on the same trip.

This year we flew from Athens to Naxos, about 45 minutes. Initially there were only two flights per day but they added an extra flight in June. It is about a 35 seat commuter turbo prop. Unfortunately it is Olympic and not Agean.

Repete is quite correct when he says a few extra days on Naxos will give you a much more diverse island experience at a much lower cost. I see you are still planning on going to Santorini which has a very active nightlife so you wouldn't be completely missing this scene if you skipped Mykonos.

We normally rent a car on Naxos. The daily rate is about 30euros including insurance. The roads are very curvy but there is virtually no traffic, so driving is quite easy.
If you don't want to rent a car, there are several travel agencies who offer bus tours of the island, and the local public buses are actually very comfortable and inexpnsive. There are many towns, villages and antiquities to visit out in the countryside.
In one remote village we found a 100 year old olive press that the villagers had turned into a musuem. We saw a tiny sign at the side of the road and found a self guided tour with not another soul around. Little treats like this abound in Naxos.

When flying to the different islands is there a weight limit on your luggage. I will be traveling to the different islands with 2 weeks worth of luggage. Will this be a problem?

You're allowed 20 kilos, or 45 pounds of luggage.

We spent four weeks in Greece last summer and carried two day packs, 18 kilos total for two of us. Greece doesn't require a lot of luggage. Travel light. We use the rule of threes. One set of clothes on, one in the wash and one clean for tomorrow. Anything else is just extra weight that has to be lugged mostly uphills and stairs. Just wait till you get to Santorini and you will understand.

Hi Lauren,
We had the same island dilemma summer of 2004. We decided to save Crete for another trip and chose Santorini and Mykonos. We had one week for the islands, so we spent 3 nights at one and 4 at the other. I was worried we had picked the "touristy" islands, as I heard that from a lot of people. As it turns out, we were so thrilled! These islands are the most touristy for a reason. They are beautiful!!!
Santorini is not to be missed for sure, as another poster said. But Mykonos is SO charming. You can have a small island feel here if you like by staying outside the main town and taxing in at night for dinner, shopping, and nightlife. The beaches are gorgeous. We were with our kids, so we weren't into partying into the night, but we all thought those 2 islands were amazing and perfect.
To save $$, we took an overnight ferry to Santorini from Athens (a room with bathroom and 4 beds was cheaper than 4 airline tickets), and then the fast ferries between island and back to Athens. They take longer than you think, even though they're "fast".
Have a great trip!