Advice for Greece in April

With only 6-7 days you may want to focus on only 2 places (arrive Athens(?) on Day 1 - location 1 (Athens) for nights 1 and 2, then 1/2 day PM travel to location 2 for nights 4 and 5, and the morning of day 6 - then travel back to Athens for night 6 and fly home on day 7). Athens has the obvious, Acropolis, Archeological Museum, Forum, etc. For location 2 - I might pick Napflio as location 2 for Mycenae, Epidavros, etc. Or - the Delphi area, or one of the nearby islands for something very different. RS likes Hydra. I know nothing about surfing in Greece in April, but that is what tourism sites and the internet are for.

My husband’s and my first Greece trip was in April 2018. Dates included Western Easter (no impact in Greece) and Orthodox Easter Sunday (things were all basically closed, with people at home with family, but we found a small restaurant that was open and serving roast lamb in the afternoon. In 2027, “our” Easter is in March, and Orthodox Easter is in May, so that wouldn’t be an issue for your April trip.

We flew to Athens, went to Hydra the next day for a couple of nights, then once back in the mainland, rented a car and drove clockwise on the Peloponnese Peninsula (staying in Nafplio, Monemvasia, Aeropoli, Kalamata, and Olympia), then up to Galaxidi/Delphi, and finally over to Athens for a few nights at the end. We had 2 weeks, and didn’t go to Crete until our second Greece trip the next year, which was only Crete.

Don’t try to include Crete if your schedule is just 6-7 days, and you want to see any other parts of Greece. Do you have a surfing location identified?

With just a short time I would do Athens and one location either island or mainland.

Athens deserves a minimum of 2 days with three better.

If you have 7 days do 3 in Athens usually at the end of your trip to make sure you can get to the airport in case of any delays.

That leaves where to go either island or mainland.

The easiest islands to get to are the Saronic Islands with Aegina your best option as it has most everything one would want in a Greek Island.

For the mainland most would say Nafplio as it's the perfect base to explore nearby archeological/historic sites. Easy to get to by bus then you can rent a car in Nafplio and explore the Argolis area.

As far as surfing in April the Aegean may be a bit chilly for that but the weather itself may be enjoyable without the heat of summer.

More homework on your part is advisable. The Mediterranean/Aegean is NOT like the caribbean .... it has virtually no tide, thus for most of year, not enough waves for surfing.... in August /September, the Winds create enough waves if you find the Right beaches on the right islands to access them.

I agree with others that with such a short visit, you're best off mainly seeng Athens and maybe an overnight on a nearby island. Another propect might be a magical place just 2.5 hours away by modern highway, but feels like a world away -- NAFPLIO. It's a gorgeous "OLd Town" (16th century architecture) at the tip of a peninsula, surrounded by the sea. for the 14-year-old adventurer, there's a castle wall above the town, an gigantic fortress (Palamicdi; 999 steps up), local boat trips, and nearby an Oddyssey-era giant ruin (TIRYNS), buit with boulders the size of Cars... and almost no tourists. The food, in small family-run taverns, is dellicous, there are countryside walks galore... look it iall up on this superb NONcommmercial website http://www.visitnafplio.com/ From central Athens or airport, u get rental , bypass city traffic... Stops en route enclude Corinth Canal (So deep! so Skinny!) .. and an authentic Olympic-compettitor Ancient Games Site (-- http://nemeangames.org/ -- where your son can run from racing blocks 2500 years old!

Some people (unlees they have had a 20 hr journey to arrive), have a strong cup of espresso, pick up a rental car on arrival, and go stratight to Nafplio. A great place to get over Jet Lag, spend 3 days, then return to Athens for its major landmarks at the end. If your plane doesnt arrive ATH until afternoon, just get a room near airport (but scenic) that has free shuttle... go there, crash early, return to airport and head for Nafplio. Hotel Avra, in nearby Rafina, is on the water, and has a dtree-staded square for dinner.

If you are suggesting Rafina to overnight they may as well get a ferry from there to either Andros or Tinos for a few days and then back to Athens.
There is a possibility of surfing from kolimbithra wild beach on Tinos. Not sure if it is available in April though. If available dry/wet suit would be needed.

Driving immediately on landing from a transatlantic flight is not the best idea even after a strong coffee.

As others have mentioned 6-7 days is a mere scratch in a visit to Greece. The countryside will be awash in wild flowers, the water probably too cold to get into the sea. I would do Athens and Nafplion. Period.

You might consider an itinerary of Delphi, Meteora and Athens. It may also be possible to squeeze in a day trip to Aegina or Hydra depending on how fast you like to move. On our first trip to Greece, we picked up a car on arrival to Athens and drove directly to Delphi (no espresso needed!), spent the night, visited the archaeological site and museum in the morning and drove on to Meteora. Meteora is a wondrous place of indescribable beauty and fascinating monasteries — for us a highlight of our travels. From there, we went on to Sifnos (loved) and Milos (meh), but your time this trip will not permit doing the same. Then, we returned to Athens for a few days before departing for home. Crete is wonderful but needs more time than a week.

Good luck planning. Have a wonderful trip!