BeachGirl247

We enjoyed our May trip last year so much we are returning again this May. I secured a flight from Athens to Paros arriving around 4pm. We have 7 nights to stay someplace before our time on Santorini. I am considering we could stay several days on Paros with a visit or two to Anti-Paros. My dilemma is choosing another island to visit for a couple of days after Paros that would be an easy travel day to Santorini for the end of our trip. I prefer not to spend all day on the ferry making several stops and will go to whatever island makes sense time wise on the ferry route.

I'm still learning my way around the website for the ferry system and trying to find maps of routes in addition to using Greek Island Hopping Guide.

We were hoping for Folegandros but it doesn't appear to be on the ferry route for Santorini.
Also, Ios is on a good route but I have read that it is quite the party island for 20-somethings but in May it may not be that way and not sure it has enough to offer if you're not a party gal.

Any island suggestions following Paros?

Also, I think I'm leaning towards Nauossa over Parikia on Paros - a little quieter but still tavernas and near the water. I'm still researching places to stay so if you have any favorites I'd appreciate it.

Anti-Paros: is it worth staying a night or two there or leave it as a day trip? Paros is at the beginning of our trip so down time is what we are looking for.

If Paros and Anti-Paros are plenty for 6 full days I am ok with that if you recommend it.


Thanks.

Heimdall

It's spelled Antiparos, BTW. ;-) I stay there every year for two weeks at a time, and is my favourite island. As it's only 30 minutes from Parikia, you can easily visit on a day trip, but will miss out on the evenings when people sit down for drinks around the harbour or on the pedestrian-only main street, and have dinner in one of the excellent tavernas. If you have the chance, take one of the round-island boat trips (10am - 5pm), which also pick up passengers at Pounta on Paros.

For another island between Paros and Santorini I would choose Naxos, but Ios would be a quiet (yes, quiet) alternative. Forget everything you hear about "party island". That's only in high season, not May. I wonder if Ios will be too quiet for you, though? Naxos has a little bit for everyone — sandy beaches, scenic mountain villages, beautiful chora (main town), and a few antiquities.

Should you still want to go to Folegandros, www.gtp.gr is showing ferries from Paros in May on Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat. I was on Folegandros in May a few years ago, and it was very popular with walkers. It has a beautiful chora set high on the island with great views, a good place to chill out. I was bored after a couple of days, and moved on to Antiparos.

mariha2912

What type of accommodation you are after? Budget? Requirements? I might be able to help with some suggestions on Naoussa,Paros -and maybe Naxos if you decide on that one : )))
On May nowhere will be extremely busy, especially at start of the month- Parikia might be a good option too, ok the port is always busy but town will not be far too wild on May.
I guess Ios and Mykonos might be alternatives too between Paros and Santorini ferry-wise , but I am not so familiar with those.

BeachGirl247

Thank you, Heimdall. I should have mentioned we visited Naxos last year and enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the advice on Ios. It looks like it will have to wait until another trip.

You have piqued my interest even more for <i>Antiparos</i> . With the long ferry from Paros to Folegandros (looks to be 5 hours) I may look into sharing time on both Paros and Antiparos instead. The evenings on Antiparos sound perfect.

Cathinjoetown

Mykonos? Around 40 min by ferry from Paros.

From Mykonos it's an easy day trip to Delos.

I flew from Mykonos to Santorini, maybe 30-40 minutes; ferry is about 2 hrs, 45 min.

Judy

We stayed at Stelia Mare Hotel in Naoussa last year and would highly recommend it. Our room was lovely and had a large terrace, the staff was wonderful and we could walk into town for dinner each evening. We visited Antiparos as a day trip.

Our favorite island is Folegandros, which is very close to Santorini. Consider the ferry time part of getting to Santorini. We stayed 3 days and found it incredibly relaxing....not much going on there! We stayed at Anemomilos Apartments and the views from our terrace were spectacular.

You'll have a great trip whichever island you decide on.

clausar

I would recommend the island of Syros, Ermoupolis is the biggest city of the Cyclades and also the capital.
It is a non touristy island, mainly popular among Greeks, with a very very beautiful city ( Ermoumolis)
The city is actually divided in two parts, an orthodox and a catholic area, with either beautiful neoclassical or whitewashed cycladic houses.
There is lots to do and see, plus endless cafes, bars and restaurants so that you won't be bored...
Here is a link t soe information about Syros, and pictures uploaded from visitors

http://www.greeka.com/cyclades/syros...ermoupolis.htm

Heimdall

You already have a flight booked to Paros, so that will obviously be your starting point. Another consideration is when in May you will be travelling. Early in the month the smaller islands, e.g. Antiparos, Ios, and Folegandros will be quiet, while Mykonos, Syros, and Santorini a little busier. Late May is an ideal time to visit any island in the Cyclades.

I've only seen Syros from the ferry, but Ermoupolis looks interesting, and has a large year-round population. Mykonos is great in May, with nearby Delos one of the most amazing archeological sites in Greece. Either Syros or Mykonos would require some backtracking to Santorini, so may not suit your plans.

You have "6 full days" before Santorini, and I think Paros and Antiparos would easily fill that time. On Paros you could visit Parikia (don't miss the Church of 100 Doors and the next-door archaeological museum), Lefkes, Naoussa, and the stretch of sandy beaches around Chrisi Akti (Golden Beach). On Antiparos is the round-island boat trip, the stalactite cave (if you like subterranean adventures), the southern end of the island with its beaches and beautiful villas, one owned by a well known Hollywood actor, and Antiparos Town itself.

BeachGirl247

Thanks for the quick replies!

cathyinjoetown, last year we visited Naxos, Mykonos, and Santorini. All were wonderful and looking to add something different in the mix. Sorry I didn't mention all of that in the original post.

clauser, thank you for the recommendation and I will look in to Syros and the ferry schedule.

judy, I think I came across your travel blog and remember you mentioning Stelia Mare and will check it out, thanks! And, another vote for Folegandros....hmmm.

mariha2912, budget is good this trip so we're looking into vrbo as well as a hotel/b&b as we would love a terrace to enjoy the views.

Thanks everyone!

clausar

Heimdall, Antiparos seems to become an elite island lately..
I've read an article about the owners of some amazing villas on Antiparos ( all of them extremely wealthy but low profile Greeks) and i was totally amazed

Judy

BeachGirl, wrong Judy. I don't have a travel blog but, if I did, I probably would have mentioned Stelia Mare.
We love Greece...for us, it is second only to Paris! We have been to many islands in Greece and still think Folegandros is awesome.

BeachGirl247

Oops, sorry Judy! We have similar likes as we feel the same about both Paris and Greece.

Judy

No need to be sorry....just didn't want to accept credit for someone else's blog!

I have 3 weeks in Paris this year so will need to revisit Greece next year. Where are you staying in Santorini?

BeachGirl247

We like an apartment we rented last year in Oia. So much so that we're sending our son there on his honeymoon in September.

Three weeks in Paris sounds lovely!

Heimdall

Hi clausar,

Antiparos is an island of two halves. Most visitors stay in Antiparos Town, which has rooms, studios, and apartments at reasonable prices. The southern end of the island, around Soros and Agios Georgios, is composed mainly of villas, both privately owned and rented at eye watering prices.

There is a little island between Pounta and Antiparos owned by the Goulandris shipping family, including a large villa that can be seen from the ferry.

I believe the appeal of Antiparos to these wealthy individuals is the privacy they have in their villas, and the fact that people leave them alone when they come into town.

mariha2912

If beach on the spot is a priority, then Agioi Anargyroi side of Naoussa are handier to be based. Bast beaches of Paros are elsewhere, but choosing between Piperi beach and Agio Anargyroi beach, A.A. is a much more decent one. On the other hand I somehow prefer the Piperi and Vounali site of Naoussa in terms of architecture. On my opionion there is more Cycladic feeling there, while on A/A side it is mostly more modern houses that could be on any mainland town, mixed with some (newly-built?) windmills and a couple of remaining old Cycladic houses....
Anyway, Stelia Marre gets really good comments on A.A area, along with Contaratos, and a smaller place in the wider area called Lilly Residense. I am more familiar with Piperi side of Naoussa, where Antirides gets the hands up for a very different and unique style that might or might not suit you, Senia offers great views (but requires some climb up), Kanales features many stairs but has great sea views from its suites and superior rooms (avoid standard rooms that are not as nice as upclass rooms) and Anemomylos and Alexandros are recommended for a bit more spartan accommodation. Both locations are a 10-15 minutes walk to Naoussa harbor.
I am not extremely familiar with villas on Naoussa, but I think those are not very handy located. Those along with more upclass large hotels are situated towards Kolybithres and Monastiri beaches and you'll need your own transport to connect to Naoussa. If you are willing to hire a car, you might want to check Stagones Villas located on Ambelas too. Ambelas is a rather sleepy town 15 minutes drive from Naoussa. I haven't been on the particular villas but they are managed by a guy that I know personally, he is very professional and has long experience owning and managing luxury accommodation on Santorini and elsewhere. Villas are newly built, only one or two years on operation, and get good feedback. Just some ideas....

BeachGirl247

mariha2912, thank you for all of your helpful information.

I think we've decided we do not want to spend 5 hours of our day on a ferry so Folegandros is off of this year's trip. Hopefully, next year!

Heimdall, we are traveling the last two weeks of May so I hope the main town of Antiparos will be open and ready for us!


On Naxos we enjoyed getting in a car and driving out of the town and in the countryside (which was beautiful) and driving down to Plaka Beach. We didn't wander the town as much as we did on Mykonos or Oia. I think Naxos town was much larger than I was expecting.

Now, how to spend the time on Antiparos or Paros. Or, divide time between the two. I am leaning towards staying on Antiparos and going into Paros on days we want to explore and move about a little more.

Heimdall

Hi BeachGirl,

You wrote: <i>"I am leaning towards staying on Antiparos and going into Paros on days we want to explore and move about a little more."</i> Well, that's exactly what I do. Antiparos is so well connected with Paros that a lot of people commute between the two islands every day. Antiparos high school students go to Parikia, for example. It all depends on what you want to do. If you like being on the go every day, Paros would be a better base. If you like some lazy days on the beach, long lunches, and the occasional trip to Paros, then Antiparos is perfect.

The easiest (and cheapest) way to get to Paros is the 7 minute ferry to Pounta, connecting with a 15 minute bus to Parikia. The ferry leaves every half-hour, and Pounta - Parikia buses hourly during the day. There are also boats directly from Antiparos to Parikia, taking about 30 minutes. If you have a car, the ferry to Pounta is the way to go.

The last two weeks of May are great for Antiparos. All the rooms, studios, and apartments will be open, but occupancy low, so you should be able to get a good deal on room rates. Some places to check out for rooms are Mike's Place (where I stay), Maria's Place, and Theologos Place, all in a quiet corner of town near the harbour. At the other end of town is Kastro Rooms & Apartments. If you decide to rent a car, Dolphin Hotel is in that exclusive southern end of the island at Agios Georgios.

Some links for you:
http://www.gto.gr/eng/accomm/hotel/detail.php?id=5146
http://www.angelfire.com/super2/gree...roshotels.html
http://www.antiparosgreece.com/
http://www.dolphinantiparos.gr/
http://www.antiparos-isl.com/

ParisJo

If you do decide to spend some nights in Paros, here's another vote for Stelia Mare as we stayed there for 3 nights last September and really enjoyed the room, the wonderful service and the location.

Nice to see I'm not the only Paris addict with Greece as a side lover. Paris trip # 8 coming up next month with our grandson and a return to Naxos and Santorini in September to feed my hubby's newfound love of the Greek islands, food and people.

My blog for anyone who enjoys long winded descriptions of food, wine and walking, as well as lots of pictures:

http://thisoldbroadsblog.blogspot.ca...om-athens.html

Sounds like you will have a wonderful trip regardless of where you decide to stay. Enjoy!

Jo

BeachGirl247

Any opinions of Kouros Village? I've read mixed reviews of it but most comments are a couple of years old.