Itinerary check and hotel recommendations Crete-Santorini-Naxos-Athens

Crete - I just chilled in Chania for 5N, slowly exploring the city's sights (low key, but nice) and neighborhoods, eating a lot of good food and doing a lot of afternoon drinking and watching the sea and the tourists as the sun set. I was very pleased with the Elia Palatino Hotel right on the Venetian Harbor, but you won't want to be near there if you have a car. If you want to hike the Imbros Gorge, I think the best would be what friends did to hike the Samaria Gorge, arranged to have a driver take them from Chania to one end and pick them up from the other and bring them back. OTOH if you want to explore Crete, maybe just spend a night or two in Chania, then rent a car and travel, the dropping the car when you get to Heraklion. You can visit the archaeology museum (2-3 hours) and Knossos in a single day. The bus stop to Knossos is meters away from the museum. I went to the museum first and felt it gave me a much better understanding of the site itself (where I recommend splurging on a guide - maybe a small group tour). So one full day in Heraklion is enough, which means 2 nights.

Going to/from Santorini is hectic because sooo many people do it. It was easy to board the ferry in Heraklion (note that everywhere in the islands they encourage you to arrive about an hour before sailing). There were literally hundreds and hundreds of people getting off the ferry in Santorini. I lined up early so I was one of the first off. I arranged a private driver through my hotel in Firostefani and it still took nearly an hour. And I was there at the end of tourist season, in mid-October! Crowds everywhere. BTW Firostefani is the cheapest place to stay, and it's an easy 15-20 minute walk to Fira. You need a bus to Oia. Some leave from Firostefani. Aside from all the people who took the ferry with me and those arriving from other isles and those flying in, there were 1-3 big cruise ships tendered off Fira disgorging thousands of daytrippers every day. Getting on the ferry in Santorini to Naxos was awful. I lined up among the first and it was hot and crowded. Since most seats are reserved, you might as well be among the last to board. If you have unreserved seats, it's not that hard to find a place. Honestly I don't think it's worth it to battle the crowds for 2 nights. Skip it and spend 2 nights in Nafplio!

Naxos was a delight. There were only a handful of passengers getting off there. It's a short level walk to the center. And it's a short ride to the tiny airport (really tiny). If you get to the airport an hour before your flight, you'll have a lot of time to sit around and wait! I stayed on St. George beach, it is quiet in October and should be in May as well. The water is very shallow so the beach itself attracts mainly families - in July and August. I stayed at Studios Naxos and had a fully equipped kitchen, the toilet and shower in separate rooms and a bedroom with twin beds facing the beach, with a little balcony just big enough for a table and 2 chairs, perfect place for breakfast and a glass of wine at sunset. Good restaurants, laundromat, and supermarket very close, about a 10-15 minute walk to the center of town. One day I took a bus tour of the island that was very good, one day I chilled on a nearby beach. My guess is that in mid-May the crowds will be similar to mid October, in other words, non-existent.

I've only been to Athens in the recent years. I'm told it's changed immensely since the Olympics in 2004. There's a lot to see and do. You won't fit it all into 3 full days. In October, I stayed at the Pan Hotel, just 5 minute walk from the bus stop for the airport bus (best way to/from the airport). Central location, great staff, good breakfast, very comfy, small room (and I was in one the last that hadn't been remodeled yet - I'm sure they'll be finished by spring.

Chani's response was PerfectI (i'm smiling a little because I think she took some of my advice he he). I'm delighted at the timing of your trip -- everything's open, nothing too crowded (except Santorini). I'll just add some commentary to Chani's super-hellpful report:

CRETE - 6 nights (5 days).. u can see a lot. This fab map - http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-maps/images/Crete-eot.png - (click to enlarge) is great for planning. Re Chania, suggest taxi from airport on Arrival Night. Suggest look for room on Theotokoupolou St, a no-cars lane on West side of Harbor; it's PACKEd with many pensions/small hotels; 3 best situated, at seaward end of Theo St, Hotel Hera 4 rooms, Casa di pietra http://www.casadipietra.gr/ 5 rooms, & a bit upscale Hotel Palazzo (ask for front room balconies on all 3). Full Day #1 just exploring Chania (and still not see it all!) Onward options: Day #2AM, Car Rental (they'll deliver to near hotel), drive to top of Imbros Gorge, nice 4 hr trek down (bring folding trek sticks; path is bumpy stony), all floral and fragrant in May (bushes of Thyme!), bring picnic lunc; at bottom walk to taverna, get taxi (usually a pick-up truck) back to car -- on route back u could stop in Rethymnon for a hr just to see Fortezza.
Day #3 - Drive South?? thru Spili... stop @Phaistos? then on to Matala. Beach pensions are meh, I recommend just back from beach Dimitris Villa, lovely landcape, pool, cafe, family-run. Daughter can scale bluff to caves (while you applaud from a beach chair). Day #4-5 ?? - head N E toward Heraklion, possible stop @ Gortys en route - u want to seek Knossos AND Museum & avoid crowds - 1 strategy is to go to Hotel (I like Kronos, right on seafront), drop bags, drive car 1/2 mile to ferry pier (u can see it from hotel, Drop car (no extra fee). Depending on timing Go to Museum (it helps to see the treasures before the ruins), Take local bus to/from Knossos (either 8 am or after 2 pm, to avoid Cruise Crowds). Back in Heraklion, stroll seafront to Huge Fortress, enjoy "meze" dinner feast at waterside taverna (hippocampus?). Day #6 - Ferries leave 9:45 --- Some just to Santorini... others stop @ Santorini, then go on to Naxos.

NOTE -- I highly agree with Chani re Santorini -- the hassle of huge cruise crowds is awful. If you MUST have snap-shots of the "famous Caldera View" ... I suggest a Fast-Fast "glancing blow."... 20 hours! On Noon arrival, check into handy Fira hotel with view.. walk around Fira... cathedral, small but good museum? (Avoid OIA from 10am-4;30pm or so, when it's crammed with Incredible cruise/bus group crowds). Instead, take public bus to OIA to arrive 4:30, leave by 6:30, go to restaurant in FIRA (I recommend top terrace view of "STANI"), for serene sunset dinner. Next AM, check out, get taxi (€15?) to pier for 10:45 Championjet ferry --open back deck to see View on Departure... Another option is 1-day tour from Naxos-Santorine, but the best excursion boat goes only on Wed & that may not work for your calendar.

NAXOS -- What she said. Tell Studios Naxos that Janet sent you, for Unit #1 (which chani had) or if that's booked, #2. There are a dozen ohter places wth balconies right on the sand.. Diogenes Studio, Studios Kalergis, LefKes Studios, Hotel Asteria -- check booking.com. Devote a full day to exploring port town, Kastro, museums, winding lanes. Great bus network - do a full "beach day" @ Plaka - using sunloungers at Aegean Palace. Naxos Sun is good-value allday tour; llunch stop for swims (bring suits!). Also check fab NEW half-day tours - https://philemafoodtours.com

ONWARD -- if you fly in AM to ATH (and have skipped Santorini or given it just 20 hours), you might have 2 nights, 1.5 days to Discover Gorgeous NAFPLIO -- the most beautiful Old Town in Greece. Get car @ airport just 2.5 hrs on Greece's most modern multilane hiway, no stops til after Corinth canal ... I recommend a quick stop (just 5 Km off highway) to NEMEA.

RESPONSE (Continued) -- DARN these RS Rules (word limits + when you hit reply, all previous reponses disappear! grrr.

NAFPLIO --This website tells ALL - check out all the links - http://www.visitnafplio.com/ and here's a fab map http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg -- like Crete map, it gets huuuge.
if you arrive late afternoon, you can enjoy it a lot with 2 nights, 1 full day. Stay in Old Town ( I've stayed 6+ times i now find moderate-priced Hotel Agamemmnon has BEST location if bookable; another is boutique Omorfo Poli)... wander Old town, enjoy sunsets at seafront cafes (better than Santorini IMHO)... drive up back road to Palamidi, walk waterlevel path around the peninsula point, breathtaking views. On full day there, check small & choice arch. museum; Mycenae is a Big project many hours, but Tiryns - also an Iliad-era fortress - is 15 minutes away, NO crowds. after Night #2, start early AM drving east to Epidaurus, skip ruins go straight to AWESOME theatre ... then (no backtracking) drive up the SEAcoast road to Isthmus, Ucan make a quickie stop for snapshots of Corinth Canal then get on biggie intercity highway. NOTE!! At "elefsina" Fork, be sure to turn LEFT -- the only turn of trip -- to go back to Airport, NOT into Athens Traffic Hell. Drop car & taxi (€38) to Athens hotel.

ATHENS - If u are a budget traveler PAN is a good choice, also check out my budget fave, not as easy to book since I've been singing its praises for years -- Hotel Phaedra, not a fancy lobby but very comfy beds, AND balconies with either a view of Acropolis or on other side, a great Church with sunken courtyard -- PLUS a fab top terrace with canopied tables, open to all free, great for takeout breakfasts, snacks, late-day sipping time On 1 trip we bought wine at Nemea vineyard, enjoyed final-night celebration on terrace.. Phaedra only a few hundred yards from Acrop Museum & south entrance to Acropolis, along a lovely pedestrianized promenade. Madly convenient yet away from traffic. If u want a walking tour in Athens a newer one (I know the Greek guy who started it) is AthensWalks - its advantage is it starts earlier than other tours, so you avoid the bigger crowds. If you want to D-I-Y, you're on the Right Site! R Steves has amazing step-by-step FREE podcasts to download, for Acropolis, Ancient Agora, AND Nat. Arch. Museum. No podcast for Acrop. Museum, but it's easy to understand, good signage - I highly recommend 20-min video on top floor of entire Acrop/Parthenon history... and also lunch (moderate=price) in Museumm's terrace cafe looking up at Parthenon.

Wow, thank you both for all the great advice and map! Nafpoli sounds great but I think I will save it for another trip instead of rushing it and the surrounding sites. I decided to cut a day from Santorini arriving on a Saturday and there is only one large cruise ship in port so hopefully the crowds will be a tiny bit better, will spend the extra night in Matala at the Dimitris Villa and explore the surrounding area. With the extra day in Crete I might also have time for both Elafonisi and Falassarna. Would you recommend them as side trips from Chiania? Should take a bus to Elafonisi instead of driving? If I only do one which would you suggest?
Any hotel recommendations for a splurge in Santorini with a view?
How early do I need to book ferry tickets?

I haven not visited Elafonisi, despite all the internet "eye candy" about pink sand, having heard from fellow Crete buffs about the massive invasion of tour busses from about 10 am to 4 pm ... but maybe in Mid-May it will be better. I HAVE gone to Falassarna, stayed over One night, a memorable stop. I don't like the idea of backtracking to a Chania hotel... so you might consider the idea of when u are ready to leave Chania, drive straight west to Falassarna... it's a remarkable beach one of the very few with some moderate surf (News item: the Med-Aegean has no tide thus usually no surf)-- The Falassarna surf is actually wind-driven, because it's the most western point in all greece... all ocean hundreds of miles, to Spain! Above beach is a bluff, and a lovely family-run place, Hotel Petalida http://www.petalida-crete.com/MainE.html it has a lovely long porch but ask for a room in the small adjacent building with patio overlooking beach. THE most remarkable sunsets!! Was there in 2007 and remember it like yesterday; took man yphotos. When we were there owners ran a fishing boat AND served the day's catch nightly in their taverna, considered the best seafood place around.

SANTORINI -- I've had to visit Santorini a number of times because I've brought along "newbies" for whom it's a must-see, so I've discovered strategies for crowd-avoidance, as Follows:
• Stay in FIROSTEPHANI - (see google map tiny url - https://tinyurl.com/rclhtx4 ) It's the "goldilocks location" - very convenient but out of the hubbub. It's really the northern fringe of Fira.. but cruise mobs & bus tours don't know it's there, they just zoom by. On Map, about everyhing above the NOMIKOS Conference Center is Firostephani. Ther are lots of hotels with great balcony caldera Viewss --- Look at Hotel Mylos, Sunset Hotel (this one has a grand shared terrace), Blue DOlphins, Villa Remvi (also has good restaurant/lview), Gaby Apts (tiny but a view) Villa Ilias. Go to booking.com/FIrostephani & plug in your dates; blue "balloons" show available ones & rates & exact location. (also they don't list all rooms w agencies so u can also email direct). You can walk to center of Fira town in 10-15 minutes along the rim path - OR in a hidden flagstone path that parallels the main N-S Road. No need for taxis/car.

• With Mid-day arrival, check in, explore Fira town -- stop by STANI restaurant & reserve a table (no charge) on top floor terrace for sunset dinner (or else Mama Thira in Firostephani). Do NOT go for sunset in OIA - it's a zooo!! Next AM early, catch a BUS for OIA at 8 or 8:30 (ask your hotel re North-bound bus stop -- on "lower road", but South-bound bus stop is on MAIN road). Wander OIA, take pix, tour throngs arrrive around 10 AM, so u run for bus, go to FIra Museum, Akrotiri, wherever u want. On morning of Day #3, take the CHAMPIONjet ferry 10:30 or so - arrives noonish at Naxos.

FERRIES -- no booking ahead. CRETE - Get your Heraklion-Santorini tickets in Chania sometime: Fast-terry: The ChampionJet is best one, 8:40- 10:35. also has small outdoor deck for views on arrival. Santorini Palace 9 - 10:50 no outdoor deck SANTO to-Naxos Ticket - Buy on arrival to Santorini.

FLIGHTS -- I hope you've already looked at Naxos-ATH flights... these planes are (modern) small turbo-props, only seat 40 so they fill up fast for May - Sept flights. If you want best time of day/best price, book now. Last year I booked our Aegean flights in January. If you don't see a flight time you like, check SKY EXPRESS -- but be SURE to get the PLUS level of ticket which allows a checked bag.

.

And a huge long overdue THANK YOU to Janet. Your help was invaluable and you were correct about everything!

You're welcome, Chani - glad everything worked out for you... and I appreciate all the forum contributions you have made since your trip .... often people take a lot of advice on board and we never hear from them again. Sometimes inquirers get a little "huffy" when I'm too forthright about itineraries & possible mistakes. But I've learned through doing, and just want to help people avoid pitfalls and maximize their enjoyment-potential, so they'll love Greece as much as I do!

Wow, this post is great. We are a family of four (first timers) planning a very similar trip in June to celebrate our daughter's HS graduation and our 20th wedding anniversary. We may have to choose between Santorini and Crete. Any preferences among you? Also, we are considering a day trip from Naxos to Delos. Is that doable/advisable?
Thanks!

anbhogan its probably a good idea to start a new thread with a bit more information, When are you traveling, what are your interests and how many days do you have. Santorini is small and can be nicely done in 3 days, Crete is huge and a week would be the minimum. Any way with some more info on a new thread more posters are likely to find your question rather than tacked on the end of a longish one.

I'll do that!

Crete western beach comparisons-
Falasarna is big surf like California or Cape Cod.
Elafonisi has pink sand with lilies growing in it and calm aqua water. It reminded me of the Bahamas. So near and so different!

I agree with Chani. We could not wait to get off Santorini. But we returned to see Akrotiri when it reopened after the tragic accident , roof collapsed killing tourists. Saw Akrotiri and left!

Trip update: I have booked hotel rooms using some suggestions. I am very excited and wanted to share the update.

4 nights - Chania, Crete - Hera Studios

1 night - near Matala, Crete - Dimtris resort

2 nights - Heraklio, Crete - Kronos Hotel

1 night - Firostefani, Santorini - Vallas Apts

4 nights - Naxos - Naxos Studios

4 nights Athens - Phaedra Hotel

Taking public transportation for the Samaria Gorge hike. Still can't decide if we should take the time to visit Balos Beach or Elafonisi or spend more time exploring Chania. Would probably take public transport if we went. Renting a car in Chania for the trip to Matala and Heraklio. Taking the ferry to Santorini and Naxos, then flying to Athens.

Karen, thank you for taking my advice on the hotels... I assure you, you will not be disappointed. None of them are "fancy," but all of them are Great locations, and all but Kronos are family owned/run. Do tell dear Stavroula at Studios Naxos that Janet sends her love, and tell the Manager at Phaedra, Marianna, that Janet from Philly sends her greetings. Haven't been at Dimitris' place for SO long... their 2 little children probably now are at University at Rethymnon by now! Your trip sounds wonderful ... and you'll have some great swims. Secret tip re Matala -- when you swim out about 50 yards or so, in deep water there's a hidden ROCk you can stand on, so that you appear to be a mermaid, or Aphrodite emerging from the waves... great photo op.