Venice to Santorini - stay or go straight on to Naxos

Don't stay there's nothing for your children, they'll be exhausted at 11 pm. Get a hotel right IN FIRA, book a car service to pick you up at airport promptly and get the kids in bed ASAP. Have your hotel have a taxi booked in the AM to catch the 9:50 AM ferry -"Champion Jet" - its a large & stable "Fast ferry" that's all-reserved seats, so it won't be a mob scene on boarding (Get hotel's advice on taxi pick-up time; they'll know how much time it takes to get down the twisty narrow crowded road to pier). Have a pastry for the kids at hotel -- the ferry has an ample breakfast bar. ALSO, it has a small standing-room rear deck for viewing the Santorini cliffs on departure. The Ferry arrives NAXOS at 11 ... Arrange with your hotel for pick-up at ferry ... and with any luck, your kids will be in swimsuits and splashing each other by 12 or 12:30.

You need to act NOW on hotels -- the Santorini one is just "bed for a night" so don't bother about views, just convenience & service and easy location for road to ferry. But Naxos -- wow,.. doesn't sound as if you've done much homework - and alas Naxos has been "discovered" by the whole world now and you're goiing at height of High Season. I presume you know how to browse via booking dot com -- and only you know what requirements y ou have, regarding how close to beaches, views etc. You might do best by contacting 2 well-reviewed Athens agencies that are very used to working online w Americans. They are Dolphin Hellas & Fantasy travel. I suggest you email them with Exact specifics of arrival/departure dates, & your requirements & budget range per night. The 3 beaches I would suggest are (1) AG GIORGIOS (st George) -- adjoining port town, easy 15 minute wallk along shore to all the attractions of Naxos town --sights, cafes, shops etc. It's shallow at shoreline (you wade 100 yards, then it drops off deep), very popular w families. The other 2 are a 20 minute bus ride -- In hgih season served by busses every 30 mins until late night : (2) Ag. Prokopios, large beach, and (3) PLAKA Beach, my fave of outer beaches. See if you can book 3 Brothers (family hotel) ...also a larger Place, Aegean Land, has extensive sunbeds on beach & also large pool.

A few details about the Volotea Venice-Santorini flight on Mondays or Fridays (which actually arrives at 11:25 PM, not 11:00 PM):

Volotea is a Spanish low-cost airline. In France and Europe in general, this airline is well-known. For logistical reasons, I've already flown to Santorini from France to get to another island without actually staying in Santorini. So, be aware that Volotea's attractive base fare doesn't include baggage or seat selection.

With the base fare, you can only bring one small bag measuring 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm into the cabin, which must be placed under the seat.

• No free meals or drinks are provided during the flight.

• Seat selection costs €15 per passenger.

• Carry-on baggage (maximum 10 kg) costs €35 per passenger.

• Checked baggage (maximum 10 kg) costs €30 per passenger.

• Checked baggage (maximum 20 kg) costs €49 per passenger.

• You will be offered numerous additional options (insurance, Megavolotea, etc.). Decline all of these offers.

If you decide to take this flight anyway, at this late hour you will need to take a taxi. The price should not exceed €50, but booking a taxi through your hotel may result in a higher fare.

Staying in Fira, as Janet suggests, is the best option if you plan to take the ferry the next morning.

There's also a Seajets fast ferry at 8:25 am, arriving in Naxos at 9:45 am. From Fira, there are buses that leave for the port. The fare is €2.70 (€1.40 for children). The bus schedules are coordinated with the ferry departures.

Sorry to talk mostly about money, but since you like old jokes, as a French dialogue writer once said, "When you start talking serious moolah, once the numbers get fat enough, everyone's all ears." :)

Thanks so much for your responses! Yes, wish I had started earlier but here I am! Would you recommend a different island than Naxos?

While you don’t have much time, it seems like “worst of both worlds” to go all the way to Santorini but not see it at all. I would take a day to do that.

In August, all 21 Cycladic islands are crowded. The worst is Santorini, followed (in order) by Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and Milos.

If you want factual advice that takes into account the "avoid crowds" factor, and not just an opinion, the obvious recommendation is to avoid these five islands. Recommending one of the other 16 islands is impossible without knowing why you initially chose Naxos. Have you researched and compared Naxos with some other islands?

For example, have you looked at Amorgos, the "Big Blue" island, located just next to Santorini, 1 hour and 15 minutes away with a daily ferry?

https://amorgos.gr/

Thanks so much! I will look into this island. I chose Naxos initially because I wanted an island without cruise ships, that has sandy and kid friendly beaches, other historical sites, is not just a party scene, and does not seem to require a car (I do not drive). Very open to alternative suggestions!!!

Amorgos is a problem without a car ... The bus service is quite limited. I have enjoyed Aegali beach there, but it's small, and I was just on the island for 3 nights ... we had difficulty getting up to the High town (chora) and from there could not hike all the way down to the other isle highlight a sealevel monastery... finally got a taxi back to beach. Despite being alas discovered, Naxos has most accessibility for your family i think. Get busy...

The only islands in the Cyclades where large cruise ships dock are Mykonos, Santorini, and to a lesser extent, Syros.
A few smaller cruise ships dock in Naxos and Paros, but nothing comparable.

Naxos and Paros have many kid-friendly sandy beaches and a good bus network. However, most beaches and accommodations in Naxos and Paros aren’t easily reachable on foot and tend to be located away from the busier areas. This means you’ll likely need a car or will rely on buses to get around. However, you can do as the average RS member does: you can always stay in / near Naxos Town and stroll to the closest beach

The best place in Amorgos for a kid-friendly sandy beach is Aegiali. The bus network is adequate considering the island's topography, but not as good as in Naxos and Paros. And just as Janet learned the hard way while trying to visit the Panagia Chozoviotissa Monastery, hiking on Amorgos can take a bit of determination! :)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GCELvpx1HYbpdExr6

Other islands might fit your criteria, but arriving in Santorini limits your options.

In August, there's no perfect spot that has a beautiful kid-friendly beach, is easily accessible without a car, and isn't overcrowded.

You are going during the high season so its going to be crowded pretty much anywhere. Naxos is kid friendly and easy to explore the main town with lots of amazing views if you head into the interior.
If you want a bit less crowds you might want to look at the beaches about 7km from Naxos town. Plaka beach is a couple of kilometers long with lots of hotels and infrastructure all of it across the road from the beach. There is a clear separation from the hotels/tavernas and the beach.
There is regular bus service to and from Naxos town.
Here are some images of St George beach at Naxos town.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720299943096/
And Plaka beach.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720299954668/
Have a great time.

An alternative island to consider is Sifnos which has a daily afternoon connection from Santorini in August. Kamari has a lovely beach, tavernas and cafes and a decent bus service if you wish to travel round the island. August will be busy but not as busy as Naxos.
https://sifnos.gr/en/sifnos/