When the ferry system says "island hopping," do you have to pay for
each leg? Or can you hop off on any of the islands the ferry stops at
and get back on later?
The term "island hopping" has nothing to do with anything like the "Hop-On Hop-Off" tourist buses, it's only a way of describing a traveler who spends time on island A, then takes a ferry to island B, then to island C, etc. You must buy a ticket for each leg, just like you would for a train ride.
A ferry ticket is valid for a specific trip; there is no package-style ticket that would allow you to make multiple ferry trips.
But the important thing, in my opinion, is to know why you want to visit Mykonos, not how to visit Mykonos.
Tourists who know why they want to go to Mykonos are those who want to party (and spend a lot of money), since the island has been made for that for decades.
Those who don't know why think that's the only place they'll find whitewashed houses, blue domes, and sandy beaches. While this is the style of all the Cyclades islands, including Naxos.
In August, the first ferry to Mykonos from Naxos is at 9 a.m. The ticket costs €58, and the ferry ride takes 1.5 hours.
The last ferry back to Naxos is around 6:30 p.m., with the same price and travel time as the outbound trip.
Anyway, if you stay in Naxos for only two nights, that's only one full day on the island. You won't have time to go to another island, and you'd need at least five full days to visit Naxos, even partially.
Basically, I don't see the point of going to Naxos for only two nights. It's just a huge waste of travel time and ticket costs.
