I will be traveling to Greece this June for the first time, 2 of us in our 50's. Flight arrives in Chania, and we have 15 nights in Greece. Flying home from Athens. What are the must see sights? Prefer low crowds, good food, good beaches, historical sights. Please suggest must see trips/excursions, and if this is enough time in each location? Will rent a car, Possibly rent a motorcycle to sight see. Suggestions please.
Day 1 Arrive in Chania at 7pm
Day 2,3,4 Chania
Day 5 somewhere else on Crete ?
Day 6 somewhere else on Crete ?
Day 7 somewhere else on Crete ?
Day 8 ???
Day 9 Naxos (fly or ferry?)
Day 10 & 11 Naxos
Day 12 Naxos or day trip on ferry somewhere else, Santorini? Tinos?
Day 13 Naxos
Day 14 Athens (fly in or ferry ?)
Day 15 Athens
Day 16 Depart Athens at 8am
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
13230 posts
Possibly rent a motorcycle to sight see
Are you an experienced rider?
June and 'low crowds' are mutually exclusive terms. Make peace with the fact you will not be alone.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Yes, very experienced rider. We were hoping the first 3 weeks of June would be a little less crowded than July/Aug, but we are prepared for crowds. Wondering if Tinos is off the beaten path?
Posted by
Chania, Crete
9 posts
Yes, June is a lot less crowded than July and August (especially August) in Crete. It's a good time to come.
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
3451 posts
Wondering if Tinos is off the beaten path?
Nowhere in the Cyclades is truly "off the beaten path."But compared to Naxos, Tinos is the obvious and undeniable choice if you want to avoid the crowds. A vehicle will be essential in Tinos.
Speaking of vehicles, yes, a motorcycle could be an option. You don't need to be an super expert rider, I've ridden quite a bit in the islands. However, you should consider a few factors:
The wind (always present and often strong, especially in Tinos) is not only annoying but sometimes almost dangerous.
The limited capacity to carry things (luggage or other items) on a motorcycle.
Other drivers, especially tourists, these are the most dangerous.
day trip on ferry somewhere else, Santorini? Tinos?
You can take a day trip to Santorini from Naxos; there are local travel agencies that offer this service. However, using the regular ferry lines can be difficult to organize due to scheduling issues, as these lines are not designed for day trips. Forget about a day trip to Tinos from Naxos, it's not possible in one day.
That said, if you want to avoid crowds, a day trip to Santorini is not really compatible. There are plenty of other day trips possible, especially to the smaller Cyclades islands or by boat to explore Naxos and its secluded coves (with a picnic on the beach, for example).
Also note that there are several scooter/motorcycle power ratings, each requiring a different driver's license category (up to 50cc for the smallest, or from 50cc to 125cc, or more). The equivalencies are easy to find with a European driver's license, but with a US license, you should check this website:
https://www.motorbikerentalcrete.com/en/drivers-licence-requirements#details
Posted by
4 posts
a couple of suggestions for you considering your wishlist.....
90 minutes away is the arkadi monastery, very impressive and steeped in history.
you could also try the south coast, its a beautiful drive over the mountains, and fewer people. as you love good beaches, you could visit frangokastello beach maybe. sandy, shallow, and vey quiet.
there are also a few other sandy beaches a short drive away.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
1654 posts
You are going to love Chania particularly if you get a hotel inside the city walls. There are lots of things to see and do using Chania as a base for day trips so you can do days 5 through 8 from Chania.
However if you want to change locations you might consider heading to the south coast. Consider the village of Sougia or Plakias. both are lovely. Plakias may be the best choice because I suspect you will have to take the ferry to Naxos from Heraklion.
Naxos needs a minimum of 4 nights a week is better.
Here are some images .
Chanai, Sougia Plakias https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157711266062752/
Naxos https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720329571437/
Posted by
Colorado
2333 posts
We love the little villages on the south coast of Crete, especially Sougia. You could easily spend a couple of nights there. The beach is rocky, not sandy, but the little town & its people are wonderful. Good little hikes available & lovely seaside tavernas.
Depending on your ferry schedule, you may need to spend a night in Heraklion.
Posted by
NH (USA) aka crazyh
1403 posts
You could spend your entire time on Crete and just see a small part of it as it's the largest of the Greek Islands with something for everyone from touristy to non-touristy.
The first time I went to Naxos was 2013 middle of October and at the time it was just pleasantly busy and most of the interior villages were very quiet but just locals out and aboout.
However, Naxos has been discovered so may have changed but can't say for sure.
If you want a gem of Greek Island then Tinos may be a good option as it's one of my top four Greek Islands. Simple beautiful with some the prettiest villages I've seen in my trips to Greece.
Check out my photos:
Kythira is another of my favorites way off the main ferry lines so hard to ferry hop which probably saves it from being hounding by tourists.
Read my trip report with photos:
Another gem if Chios, one of the last large islands still very Greek:
Trip report:
I could go on for islands that still hold out from submitting to mass tourism but you get the idea from above.
Just in case you need more options:
Amorgos
Ikaria
Astypalea
Then there is the Peloponnese which has just as much offer as any island and probably.
Still lots of options to avoid mass tourism if you do your research.