Hello!
My boyfriend and I are going to Europe this July 2017 and will be in Santorini from the night of July 9th until the morning of July 14th. Is this too much/not enough time here? Should we be worried about crowds? Any recommendations for places to go on the island to get more seclusion would be much appreciated.
Also, recommendations on places to stay (hostels or AirBnB)?
We love being active so any tips on how to do that would be great as well.
Thank you in advance
Yes, way too much time for Santorini and another yes to large crowds. It is a major cruise ship port and if several of those large ships are in port at once it is terribly congested.
For a more authentic Greek experience go to Paros, Antiparos or Naxos after a few nights on Santorini.
There's plenty to see and do on Santorini for 5 nights. The time will fly by. The downside is how crowded it gets in July. I seriously doubt you'll find any island that isn't busy then, although certainly not as busy as Santorini. Your best chance for more seclusion is to avoid all islands with airports and where the cruise ships go.
If you want recommendations for accomodations you need to mention what your maximum daily room budget will be, in EURO. In the meantime try using the filter system at www.booking.com to search for what you can afford wherever you might like to go.
I think that 5 days/nights are quite a lot for Santorini. You will definitely find things to do, but I think that trying another island would give you a more complete feeling. I would propose that you try Naxos and Amorgos. Both are big and quite lively islands! And not very crowded...
Santorini is worth seeing. 5 nights is more than i would prefer and it will be crowded and expensive. One thing you could look into is you could break up Santorini with a side trip to Folengandros for two nights, not to far, bit more laid back, July will start to get busy for Folengandros, but nothing like Santorini.
I don't quite agree with those who say "five nights is too much". Our last visit to Santorini was two weeks, and weren't bored for a minute. It just all depends on what you are interested in and what activities you want to do. If you are satisfied with a peek over the rim of the caldera and one sunset, sure, even one night will do. If you want to explore the island more thoroughly, five nights are great, and more won't hurt.
"Seclusion" is more difficult. You'll probably have to hike up the Profitis Elias to find some of that. But then, you are looking for activities. :-)
Talk about activities, what kinds of activities are you looking for? It's going to be pretty hot in July, so any strenuous activities outside of the hotel pool or the ocean might better take place in the early morning hours.
