Hi Everyone,
Greece is on my bucket list, and I have a 8 days free time in April, and wondering if Greece is a good place to go, though I have night booked anything. Can you give me some suggestions, on where to go and stay, to enjoy the history and culture of Greece? Heard about Naxos, Mykonos, SAntorinin, crete and other islands but would love to explore and enjoy.
Your suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Greece can be pleasant in April, but it can also be very wet. Crete has more to see and do than the overrated Disneyfied Santorini at that time of year.
Athens is the best place for culture and history.
The first two weeks of April are Easter school holidays, so places will be busier and more expensive.
Also, Greek Easter this year is a week later than Catholic/Protestant Easter. A lot of sights will be closed or have very limited hours that weekend. Many many people go to their family homes in the small towns and villages, so public transportation could be very crowded.
What are your interests? Will you be in Europe or arriving on a long-haul flight? How are you counting days? It's always best to count nights. Beaches will be scenic but the water will be icy. Food and history are everywhere. Allow 1/2 day to travel from place to place.
We have friends who went to Santorini for a week in April and had a wonderful time. Prices were much lower. I saw their pictures and they had a light weight jacket on in most of them but it was sunny.
Assume you'd fly into Athens. I would spend 3-4 days there at the end of your trip unless you go to a place where you can fly home from - in that case start your vacay in Athens. Since you mentioned islands, pick one and go. To me 8 days means 7 nights and I don't think you should move more than once. If you had 9 nights then I'd add a few on the Peloponnese. Regardless of where you go you'll enjoy a trip to Greece!
Given the time of year and amount of time I think I would stick to the mainland. Weather is not predictable and the islands are more enjoyable when it's sunny and warm and it very well might not be in April. But all the sights in AThens could still be enjoyed. And there are plenty of places within easy reach of Athens such as Nafplion and Delphi to fill out the 8 days. There are also the close in islands such as Hydra and Aegina which could be day trips from Athens. They are no where near as amazing as other islands but make more sense in a very short time frame at that time of year.
I have been to Greece a couple of times, and my most recent trip I actually ended up sailing the Greek Islands with a private boat rental. And let me tell you, it was my favorite visit to Greece! I found a catamaran rental online with Click&Boat, and it came with a skipper for the week. All we did was explore the islands, swim, snorkel and my favorite- relax!! Personally, I think that if you want to do Greece right, this is the way to do it!!
Last time we went was the beginning of April. We went to Athens and the Peloponnese. It was sunny and warm the whole nine days we were there. The water was freezing. It felt like mountain glacier water not cold ocean water, which means it was so cold it hurt. This was over by Monemvasia. We stayed in Athens, Nafplio and Monemvasia. The highlight of spring in Greece is fields of wildflowers: irises, orchids, daisies, etc. It is the most botanically diverse place in Europe. We spent a few days in the mountains near Nafplio visiting my husband's YiaYia (grandmother) and that is where you will see incredible views and flowers everywhere.
