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Greek island on ferry route from Santorini that is easy on the knees

Posted by (Vancouver, BC, Canada) on

I have a ~ 3 week itinerary in May:

3 nights Santorini
11 nights Naxos
3 nights Paros
2 nights Athens

My daughter will be flying into Naxos on the 10th or 11th day and staying for the remainder of our trip, which is why the stay in Paros is disproportionately short.

I’m interested in adding in a different island between Santorini and Naxos and have heard great things about Amorgos, but unfortunately I have pseudo gout in one knee and have to be careful about how much I walk and the type of terrain (too much up/down is not good). I know that Santorini is terrible for this but I will be careful!

Alternatively I am considering adding some day trips to Koufonisia or Mykonos/Delos but am not too excited about being on watercraft too often as I get motion sickness.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Posted by
3712 posts

Antiparos is perfect ... I prefer it to Paros ... but it's a change from Paros ... and 15 minutes away on a little ferry! Here's a video of what it looks lilke in May... it's perfect for you. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632126687570/
Cute little harbor, adorable little port town. I went there on my own & had a super time. All you have to do is take the Ferry from Santorini, go PAST Naxos 1 hour to Paros. Right at the dock is the Antiparos ferry. After your stay, the BLUE STAR leaves Paros heading South at about 12 noon, and is at NAXOS by 1 pm.

A few hundred yards from the tiny pier is Mike's Place, with a little beach of its own https://www.mikesplace.gr It's the favorite stopping-place for the most-experienced Antiparos contributor from Trip Advisor forum & R Steves ... If Mike is already booked, write back asking him to recommend a place he likes right nearby, with few steps. He'll do right by you.

Here's the beach at the edge of the village... a level walk https://antiparos.com/explore/psaraliki-beach/ when I've been there in May, it was sparsely populated, beach chairs, no noisy tavernas. In the evening, the winding "market street" (Agora) that curves thru the village is lit with japanese lanterns... a fairyland. I dream of it sometimes.

Posted by
3679 posts

As long as you're not hiking in the mountains, Amorgos is a good option. Both seaside villages/ports, Katapola and Aegiali, are quite accessible, even more so than Santorini, although there might be some steps depending on where you stay.

See for yourself:

Aegiali

https://youtu.be/ln4m10FPkUw

Katapola:

https://youtu.be/XaVsneH37rI

Chora, inland, is also relatively easy to get around.

If you have too much difficulty with steps up and down, unfortunately I don't recommend going to the Panagia Chozoviotissa Monastery.

That said, what's interesting is exploring the island, so walking is always a plus. If all you need is to stay on the beach without necessarily wanting to see what the island has to offer, the small and relatively flat Koufonissia could be the perfect place for you, as well as Antiparos, suggested by Janet (Antiparos is a bit more upscale than Koufonissia).

Also note that Naxos is a mountainous island. I hope you won't be stuck for 11 days in Naxos Town or its immediate surroundings without being able to explore the rest of the island.

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