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Suggestions/opinions on Cyclades itinerary ?

It’s pretty hard choosing which islands are best when all of the Cyclade islands seem so wonderful but I wanted to know from actual people who have visited Greece what they think of my new intinerary. The 3 islands I chose are santonri, Ios & Naxos. Originally it was santonri, Naxos & Paros.. however since my bf and I are 23 years old, we would like some night life but can’t afford Mykonos on this trip.

Before I was going to do 3 nights santonri, & 5 nights in Paros and 5 in Naxos.

We are flying to Athens from Hamburg on August 23rd & then flying into santonri that same night. Our return flight will be in Athens on September 7th.

Our budget is from $3000-$5000. We usually always use Airbnb.

Day 1 - fly into Athens and take a flight into Santorini that evening. Spend night in Santorini.

Day 2,3 - Santorini (3 nights )

Day 4,5,6,7, IOS

Def will rent ATV

Day 8, 9,10,11,12,13 Naxos

with day trip to Paros maybe? Would like a day trip somewhere. Possibly will rent a car for a day or so if needed on this island.

Day 14, 15 - Athens.

Honestly my bf and I are interested in pretty much everything except.. historical sights & museums. We are only going to Athens because of the flights.. I love scenery, landscape, but also want Water sports, breath taking beaches, cute villages to explore, boat trips, night life etc. so i am hoping the 3 islands I chose will fit everything we are seeking?

Or should I stick with original itinerary and swap Paros back in..

Posted by
1444 posts

Your plan works. You are giving sufficient time to each of the islands and you will be able to really explore.
During your time in Naxos you will have the opportunity to take a day trip by excursion boat. There are two boats. You can choose to visit Delos and Mykonos (Delos is an ancient site) This trip gives you the opportunity to see mykonos without having to pay Mykonos prices.
There is also a trip to the small Cyclades islands near Naxos. Thats a nice day trip.
Paros can be done by conventional ferries. I have never done that so you will have to stop off at a travel agent on Naxos to determine which ferries to take. I am pretty sure the late Blue Star will get you back to Naxos around 11:30 PM.

I suspect you are going to have a bit of a problem finding air bnb on Naxos and Ios. Accommodation tends to be small family run hotels.
Here is what you can expect on Naxos and Santorini
Santorini http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632154800782/
Naxos Town http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632094558042/
Trip around Naxos http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157634605629689/

Posted by
2186 posts

I like your current itinerary. We've been to Paros but I think Naxos has more to do. You could rent a car for a day, or just take buses to various towns and beaches on the island.

On Naxos, there's a great water sports place on the end of St. George's Beach called Flisvos Watersports. We stayed on St. George's and passed by it on our morning beachwalks. They had all kinds of water toys lined up ... jet skis, windsurfers, paddleboards. You can even stay at Flisvos (they have a restaurant and hotel) (although St. George's has many options too, and it's just a short walk). On our last night in Naxos, we noticed that Flisvos has a "front porch" with comfy chairs and couches, so we had an ouzo and watched a beautiful sunset and wished we had stopped earlier in our trip.

Posted by
3397 posts

Another vote for the "Sunset couches" on the beach at Flisvos Sports Center. Friendly people, a great view.