what greek island should be next?
 

Hi everyone
I was hoping I could get some advice on what to do next.
So far We booked athens for the first 3 days (7/28-7/31) and then we head to mykonos staying at the hermes (comments? reviews?) from 31 of july to 5 of august. We want to then head to santorini where we are willing to spend a cpl extra bucks a night (250 dollars) for our Honeymoon romance (any suggestions) figured from 8/5 to 8/10 and then Im in a pickle..
Should we go back to athens and do day island trips? head to another island for 3-5 days... (we leave for the us on the 18th of august)
Sidenote- I have a family friend that lives in Patras so I was thinking head there for a day to visit and then maybe over to zakynthos or is that like mykonos/santorini and pointless to see...
I was hoping for hopefully an island that isn't a carbon copy of santorini and mykonos.. Ive read that there are parts of the mainland that are island-y thats a thought...
ugh all this planning is stressful yet VERY exciting..
Thanks for your help
euxapisto
Eleni

furthermore .. for santorini we really just want to relax beach and pool and drink .. is there all inclusive or is it better to stay at a villa??

For the best use of your time stick to another island close to Mykonos and Santorini such as Paros or Naxos. Keep in mind that you'll be travelling during the busiest time of year so it will be crowded everywhere. Make sure you have confirmed reservations and get them ASAP. If you want something on the quiet side check out Antiparos, Anafi and Folegandros.

Here's a map for ferry route planning: http://www.greeceathensaegeaninfo.co...erry-chart.htm

Here's a list of hotels on Santorini separated by village: http://www.santorini.com/hotels-in-s...ira-hotels.htm

Fira is where the best nightlife is located. The two main beach villages are Kamari and Perissa, the quietest village with a great sea view is Imerovigli and the most beautiful and romantic village is Oia.

what do you mean by confirmed reservations? I've booked my accomodations via booking.com..

One Greek island that is certainly very different from those you have mentioned would be Paxos.


http://www.paxos-greece.com/

http://www.travelalacarte.co.uk/paxos/index.htm

However, this might be tricky for you to get to, as it is in the Ionian Sea, and you'd probably have to get there via Athens and Corfu.

It is a small island, unspoilt, covered with olive groves, has many small private beaches often reached only by a hired motor boat; there is only one town (Gaios) and 2 other coastal villages (one of which - Lakka - is a yachties haven). The other village - Loggos (Logos/Longos) is absolutely delightful.

I have friends who honeymooned there 25 years ago (Loggos) and loved it so much they have been back every year since, and often more than once. About 10 years ago they bought the top floor of a traditional house overlooking the harbour and have renovated it over the years.

http://www.travelalacarte.co.uk/property/lemonia.htm

I stayed there in 2001 before it had any work done on it, and it was a wonderful place to stay. There are some super restaurants in the village, and my partner and I had the best and most relaxing time.

But while I may wax lyrical about it, realistically it is probably not conveniently going to fit into your plans.

"what do you mean by confirmed reservations? I've booked my accomodations via booking.com.."

If it were me I'd contact the hotel directly to make sure they had me on the books. That's what I mean.

Try Paros - we honeymooned there - there was a gorgeous little resort and adorable fishing villages with good cafes/food (Note: I'm not saying the coffee is good - all we could find throughout greece was Nescafe - I'm not kidding - or Turkish coffee, which I thought was okay but my husband did not). My husband was happy to eat out every night so he could watch sports on the cafes' TVs, LOL. Also a nice, very quiet beach near the little resort - wish I could recall its name but it's probably the only one on the island.

You can do a day trip to Antiparos and see the caves. I would *not* stay on Antiparos; it is too small.

The wonderful thing about Paros is that unlike the other places you're going, it is not crowded with tourists and traffic. It has some, but is mostly a beautiful little island with some breathing room, great church photo ops, and delicious fresh seafood.

You do not need more time in Athens. Speaking quite frankly, and with my apologies to the Athenians here, it is a hot and polluted city of concrete. I think 3 days is enough to see the major sights - it was plenty for us. Instead of basing yourselves there, try just taking ferries between the islands.

All the islands, including Paros, will be extremely crowded in July and August, have no doubt. What saves Paros from the total madness of Santorini and Mykonos is that there is no deep-water port for cruise ships and the islanders want to keep it that way. That doesnt mean there won't be thousands of visitors there on any given day. There will be.

Paros is a good choice because of the easy access to Antiparos, and if after Santorini and Mykonos you want to decompress, Antiparos would be a good choice. It's going to be busy relative to its size, but it will seem calm compared to the other two.

I think you should head to Patras. You'll get a really good experience seeing your friend and perhaps that person will take you out in the night with their company and take you to the local places especially if they have a car. I spent quite a bit of time in Patras meeting local friends living there and really enjoyed it. Rio also is nice to stay in and have dinner. You can also take a day trip to Olympia from there(take bus to Pirgos and bus from their to Olympia). From Patras, you can go the Ionion islands. Corfu is a really nice island too. It is different from the Cycladic islands, the architecture in town is wonderful and the natural beauty is right out of the Odyssey, and it has really nice beaches. You can take a trip to Paxos from there which is really a nice day trip.

Antiparos is a great island, but far from quiet in August. In the evenings the main street is so crowded you are walking shoulder-to-shoulder, and it's hard to find a table in restaurants and tavernas. Totally different from June and September, when it <i>is</i> relatively quiet.

Numbers on Folegandros and Anafi are limited by available accommodation, which is booked up solid in August. Paros and Naxos are large enough to absorb the high season influx, so may be your best choice.

If you stay on Paros, do try to take a day trip to Antiparos - a lovely island with much to offer. It may be small, but has enough to do to keep me occupied for three weeks at a time, and many of my friends stay there even longer. :-)

Last year I visited Kefalonia, a beautiful Ionion island. Some nice places to visit are Fiskardo and cave Melisani. Myrtos, Antisamh, Makrys Gialos and Petanoi are the most famous beaches. They have crystal clear waters and are well organised.

For more info and photos, you may visit my blog http://greektraveler-ifigeniaki.blogspot.com/