Honeymoon: Vis, Croatia or Greek Isles?

Precise dates could matter. I suspect that "living like the locals" may be a no-go on a small, busy island like Santorini if your honeymoon falls during the peak vacation season, but it has been many years since I was there.

In addition, though I like islands a lot and have seen eight in Greece alone, two weeks on one small island would have me stir-crazy. (Full disclosure: I have spent 0 minutes lying on European beaches. I know that matters.) I'd be looking for either a very large, varied island (which means Crete in the context of Greece) or one with good ferry/hydrofoil connections to other islands or to nice spots on the mainland. Or I might split my time.

I haven't spent enough time on Croatian islands (none on Vis) to be of any assistance there, but again we're talking small.

If you hadn't said you were drawn to a place with a slow pace, I'd have recommended that you consider Sicily. But to me, that is a place where you move around a lot, because there are such wonderful, and varied, things to see scattered all over the island. I don't think that's the sort of experience you're looking for on this trip.

Thank you! That was very helpful.

To answer your question-- we are getting married in May of next year but can delay our honeymoon. So it could be June, September or whatever works best depending on where we choose.

I agree that two weeks on an island alone might be a little much. I was thinking that, if we did Vis-- for example, we would fly into Dubrovnik and stay there for a couple of nights before traveling by Daytrip (they JUST added services in Italy and Croatia) to Split, spend a night there, then take the ferry to Vis. If we could fit Plitvice lakes in-- even better. And of course there's no end to the list of things to see in Greece outside of the islands... It's just that I am very much the kind of person who is happy filling my days tooling around on a scooter and eating olives, too.

I like the Sicily suggestion! I've been to Capri/Amfalfi but not nearly for long enough and I'd love to go back to that area.

If you really dream of santorini, why go there for your honeymoon. It was the precious moment you 2 have.
If you go at a non-peak season, say, March and April, it is not crowded and the airticket price is not expensive, too. So do the hotel of Oia.I
If you want to make it more cheaper, you may consider easy jet, ryan air. First fly to a European place of cheaper airfares. Then change flight by ryan air to santorini.

If you want to go to Santorini, then go there. Don't forget that someone may take a hundred or more photos of the same scene before they publish one, as I know from personal experience! Getting the light right plus no people in shot etc. The weather maybe mixed in early May.

Reality check - Santorini is hideously busy and suffers from far too many cruise ships disturbing what was once a peaceful island. There will be more Americans than locals there! I just did a random search for this May on two random dates and there were 10,978 and 15,088 cruise passengers expected in Santorini! That's far too many for such a small island. Santorini has been ruined, sadly.

Look at the Pelion or Kalamata, Paxos or Alonysos if you want to see the more laid back, more traditional Greece. March and April, as maylm suggested is not a great idea - you could get 2 weeks of cold, wet weather and if the seas cut up, the ferries may be cancelled.

Food is better in Croatia and the local wines too. Both are good value, except for Santorini and Mykanos, which are about double the price.

With Croatia, there is a temptation to dash around trying to cover lots of ground. However, with two weeks, you would have time for a week on Vis, possibly hiring scooters to explore plus on the mainland, exploring Split, Trogir and Dubrovnik in the other week. Plitvice is a long day trip from Split and best with an overnight stay.

Although I have had many good holidays in Greece, if you want quiet and relaxation, I would head to Croatia. The sea will be warmer in early June (or even warmer in September).

Jennifer, I think your comment about people taking a thousand photos and just the right moment is *exactly what I'm afraid of with Santorini. I could not wait to visit what I thought was the sleepy, quaint village of Hallstatt last year but, when I got there, it was so packed with tour buses it was hard to enjoy myself. It's not fair to complain about tourists when I'm a tourist myself, but I guess I'm wondering if Santorini is 100% worth the crowds or just a little pandering to Americans those days. The answer could be: both! I *just discovered Vis but my interest in it keeps growing. I feel like I could rent a VRBO or villa there and feel like a true Croatian for a week. Unless there is another CROATIAN island you all recommend?

I'd flip a coin. I have managed to make it to Croatia four times (including my honeymoon), so I am obviously a big fan, but Greece is still high on my list as well. I would choose based on airfare plus schedules to make the most of your time/budget.
Vis is lovely, with fantastic rocky cove beaches (often best reached by scooter or car, then a hike). the seafood is excellent. I wold want at least four days but maybe not quite a whole week, but since you have to get there from somewhere else, then visits to Plitvice, Split, etc. would round out your two weeks nicely.
Late May/early June is ideal for both locations. If you can't do early June, I would wait till September for either.
If you do choose Santorini, just balance it with another less crowded place like Naxos. You really can't go wrong. Congrats!

Lauren -- I've been to both places and loved both. They are totally different experiences, so it depends on what you're looking for. With either, I'd visit in September if only to give yourself more time to plan. And with either, I'd visit them as the first stop of a trip that includes other places.

Santorini is absolutely gorgeous but you do have to contend with crowds and higher prices. If you decide on this, fly directly to Santorini after arrival in Athens. Stay for 3 nights, then ferry to another island (Naxos? Milos?) for a week, then back to Athens for 3 nights and fly home. I love Greece ... have been there many times ... and you'd have a great honeymoon.

Vis is totally different. It's very quiet. Much less expensive than Santorini and very few tourists. If you do Vis, I'd recommend that you fly to Split, stay overnight, and then take the ferry to Vis the next morning. The ferry docks in the main harbor (Luka), which curls around the harbor and adjoins another (prettier?) town named Kut. You can probably walk the whole length, from the far end of Kut to the far end of Luka, in less than an hour. Across the island is a fishing village called Komiza. And this is where I think you'd want to stay. Absolutely gorgeous, tiny village. It has restaurants along the harbor. And there are day-trip boats you can take to Bisevo, where there is a Blue Cave ... best seen on a bright sunny day. Vis is the kind of an island where you just relax and enjoy the pleasure of being there. You might sit by the harbor in Luka at sunset and watch the yachts dock. Or rent a car or a scooter and explore the island. But there are not lots of busy activities.

After a week on Vis, you can ferry back to Split and maybe go down to Dubrovnik (although I'd stay in Cavtat rather than in Dubrovnik itself. Cavtat is another fishing village, not quite so sleepy as Komiza but still really lovely). Take a day trip to Montenegro and see the Bay of Kotor. Or maybe from Split you go to Plitvice? And then?? You can figure that part out later.

Now the decision is up to you.

Lauren

Vis is gorgeous and ideal for a honeymoon. I also like the north of Hvar (not Hvar town) - places such as Stari Grad with its old harbour and great walks on the plain (World Heritage Site), Vrboska (little Venice) or Jelsa (not quite as cute as the other two). Alternatively, Korcula is great, but is further from Split.

Early September would avoid the crowds and the sea would be warmest, but it is nice to have the honeymoon right after the wedding!

Food is a big part of my holidays and the food in Croatia is far better than that in Greece, in general.

Having spent a lot of time in Greece before it got airports everywhere, I know why my younger sister loved today's Vis last year. She and her man rented bikes and explored the island, and loved it. Vis is so far off the coast it has its own flora and mood. A Croatian friend is still trying to buy a house to spend the winters there in peace and quiet. The extra distance on the ferry probably keeps away the jet set and drunks on vacation who are turning some Croatian spots into replicas of - pick your least favourite place. Split will give you a hip, waterfront cafe and culture blast. and history fix, and Vis will be, like many Croatian islands off the main route, very special. September or June are my favourite months on the Adriatic. Rent a boat and skipper for a day of swimming in that sea. There is a research station for dolphin observations on Vis, the water is so clean. Google Blue world institute - the main site is up on Loshinj island in the north Adriatic. They use zodiacs out of Veli Loshinj. I was on one with a Greek from Crete last September and she was very happy to be in the Croatian 'Mediterranean as it once was', watching dolphins in a glassy sea. Get out on that sea.