Hi all!
Looking for suggestions on which two Greek islands to choose. I'm leaning towards Paros for sure. Possibly ruling out Naxos since I think it's similar. Milos seems to have unique landscape and Crete seems to have lots of history which we do enjoy. We will have our 9 month old with us. I'd love input on more information about any of those islands and which is your personal favorite. Thanks!
We loved both Naxos and Crete. How many nights do you have for your trip? Crete is huge, which you may want to consider when narrowing down your choices.
We love Paros and Naxos, but favor Naxos. Paros lacks the tourist crowds. Naxos has much more to see and do. More shops and food. The airport on Naxos is very close to the town - a short taxi ride. The Paros airport not so close. Yes, those islands are similar with Paros the smaller. Either one will be a good choice. Enjoy your trip.
I have no comments or suggestions about Crete; it's been over 30 years since I've been there, but after several stays totaling a few weeks exploring Paros and Naxos, I honestly can't recommend one island over the other. There are similarities and also differences that only become apparent after a more prolonged visit..
Both islands have airports, making them among the top 5 most crowded islands in the Cyclades.
Naxos is larger and mountainous than Paros, but to truly enjoy it, you need to do more than just stay in Naxos Town spending most of your time on the surrounding beaches. The same is true for Paros if you only stay in Parikia or Naoussa. Going to Paros also allows you to visit Antiparos its chic little neighbor. As for shopping, I can’t comment much as we only pickup essentials like food and drinks at local supermarkets.
Anyway, you can just as easily choose any of the other 20 Cycladic islands and won't be disappointed by either if you rent a car and have enough time to explore them.
We also stayed in Milos, it's not our favorite island. There are no villages other than the capital and its neighbor Chora, and Pollonia in the far north. It’s mainly famous for Sarakiniko, a volcanic beach that attracts a lot of social media attention. Almost half of Milos is a Natura 2000 protected area, practically deserted and only accessible with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. You may also encounter difficulties getting to or from Paros/Naxos by ferry from Milos. Milos is in the western Cyclades and is not on the same ferry routes.
However, the small island of Kimolos, accessible from Pollonia, is worth discovering if you are seeking a place away from the hustle of mass tourism.
Thank you all for your responses! We only have a little over a week in Greece so it sounds like we may not have enough time to properly explore Crete. Possibly ruling out Milos too due to responses. Sounds like we really can't go wrong. Thanks again.
Since you only have a week you only have time to visit one island plus Athens for at least one night before your return flight.
I am going to suggest you chose to go to Naxos. Its the largest of the three islands and has enough interesting aspects to keep you busy for a week.
It has a main town with a waterfront promenade and back alleys that wind up tot he Venetian era Kastro. It has great beaches and mountain villages to explore.
Here is what Naxos is like.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720329571437/ Naxos 2025
And Naxos 2024
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720318182518/
I think you could do 2 islands in 7 days , We did. We went to Greece this past May and from Athens we took a ferry to Milos. We spent 3 days there. The 2nd day we took a boat ride around the whole island and the 3rd day we rented a car and drove around the island stopping at various beaches. The next day we took a ferry to Naxos and were there for 3 days. We also rented a car and drove around the whole island. From Naxos we flew to Athens because it was quicker than the ferry, cheaper and more convenient. In choosing between Milos and Naxos, Naxos has better beaches and better archaeological sites to see as well as quaint villages.
