I am going to Greece with my wife and two teenagers who are both into Ancient Greece - in April during Easter. We are going to be there 8 days and want to spend some time in Athens. I assume we should go to Athens at back end of trip (which won’t be during Easter). What one island would you go to and knowing it will be over Easter?
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Philadelphia, PA, USA
3388 posts
Please be specific, not general. Easter is April 20th -- what date do you plan to Arrive? Good Friday April 18? And what date is Departure: April 27? Count Arrival day only if plane lands by `11 am, then it counts as half-day.; can't count Departure day at all --- so your stay may be 7 1/2, or less.
You are smart to think many months ahead about domestic flights to/from an island... because Athens airport will be Crazy for days before & After Easter. NAXOS is a good island choice because there's much to do & see when its too early for swims -- ancient ruins & mountains and fascinating port town. Now's the time to do sme of your own homework, not just rely on us for knowledge. Go grab a guidebook like ROUGH GUIDE from library and read up -- don't make decision on basis of You Tube videos only.
Also, be realistic about the difference between ancient history in reality, and what kids read in Percy Jackson fantasies... There are not giant statues of Hercules and Neptune everywhere .. much of what's visual are broken columns. Good tours (there's a great local b us tour in Naxos) will show dramatic scenery and ancient temples etc and make it real... the same for Athens.
Another place to consider is actually on the Mainland --- just 2 1/2 hours away from Athens on a modern highway, but feels like a world away --- NAFPLIO -- and is the center of the Most ANcient Sites in All of Greece! Here's a great noncmmerical website -- http://www.visitnafplio.com/ -- tells everything about where to go/what to do... click every Link! If you r ent car, enroute you can visit the CORINTH CANAL< the kids can actually Race in an ancient Olympic-style stadium at NEMEA... You can visit the huge fortresses of Mycenae or Tiryns... ANd Nafplio itself has 2 amazing forts/castles... one has 999 steps up, another is accessed by an elevatoro IN a acliffside. Its museum has the world's Only existing warrior armour of the Iliad era. The famous Epdiaurus theater seated 15,000 anncient Greeks watching famous plays! This onlline map - https://tinyurl.com/zekuft9 -- shows exactly how you get there directly from airport... on a bypss avoiding Athens altogether (click on map & it get's huuuge & you navigate around it with side-slides). Nafplio is on a peninsula surrounded by water, so feels like an island -- here are some photos of highlights in Old Town and ancient surroundings -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094108982/
The advantage of choosing Nafplio is that you don't have to cope with the huge throngs ofo Greeks tring to get to/from their families islands to celebrate with kin. If going to Nafplio, DO rent car far in advance... because almost half of all Greeks will be on the move that week!.