advice on visiting Greece

Hydra seems like the logical choice for you. It's close to Athens, only a couple of hours by ferry, and it is the one island where cars aren't allowed so it has retained most of its original 'feel' and traditional island lifestyle.

Thank you - Hydra was our choice but I wondered if it was a bit too touristy? The idea of no cars on the island, really appeals to us. Do you know if there is a ferry from farther south so we wouldn't have to backtrack to Athens to go there?

I would think all of the islands will be touristy or so small there isn't much to do that will interest you. I'd recommend Crete if you are interested in architecture and history. You can fly there from Athens.

None of the islands are very 'touristy' in April, especially if you're there before Greek Easter weekend. You can get to Hydra from Porto Heli and Ermioni on the southeast coast of the Greek Mainland. I think you can also get there by first going to Spetses from Porto Heli, then catching another ferry the rest of the way to Hydra.

Have you been to Crete? We are intrigued but wondered if 8 or 9 days would be sufficient. We spent two weeks driving around Sicily and thoroughly enjoyed the various sites. The northern resort areas don't interest us at all. Where would you suggest we fly into and what are favourite towns/villages? The palace of Knossos looks very new and artificial from photos so we could take a "pass" on that if there are other more interesting, traditional areas. We would love to see old Greek orthodox churches and experience Orthodox Easter on April 15th next spring. I appreciate any recommendations from someone who's been there. We have been to Italy 7 times but never to Greece as we've not had the opportunity to go when it isn't too hot and April seems like an optimum time to go for walks, etc. Thank you!

It's been a long time since I spent any time on Crete but I can tell you that the southwest section of the Crete coastline is still fairly undeveloped and 'natural'. You can walk the Samarian Gorge from the north (near Chania) down to Agia Roumeli on the south coast, then take the ferry to Chora Sfakion for the bus back, or go west to Loutro for some time in a small seaside village.

Hydra is a quaint island close to Athens but relatively peaceful. As I recall, no cars permitted on the streets. Check it out as I was last there several years ago.

natalie, You might find it helpful to have a look at This Excellent Website as it provides information on the character of all the Greek Islands. Your choices might be a bit limited due to the short time frame, as you'll have to consider transportation times and getting back to Athens easily for your flight home. I'm not sure you'll find any Greek Island that isn't a bit "touristy" to some extent. However, they'll probably be a bit "quiet" in April. Hydra would be an excellent choice due to the proximity from Athens (it's a short trip) or as Lee mentioned you could travel from Ermioni, as the trip via Hydrofoil is fast! Especially in April it probably won't be too "touristy". As you like walking, you'd probably enjoy the short hike to Kaminia. Just so you're not surprised, there are actually two vehicles permitted on Hydra (one is the garbage truck, can't remember the other - they use Donkeys for the most part for hauling goods from the dock to different parts of the island). One suggestion regardless of which island you choose - prepare to buy lots of bottled water as the tap water is dreadful! You might also have a look at Naxos, as there are lots of interesting places to tour on the island. One other important point to mention. For driving in Greece, each driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. Some agencies won't even rent vehicles without an IDP (I was asked to produce one when renting in Santorini last year). These are easily and inexpensively obtained at any BCAA office (two Passport photos required, but they can take care of that as well). Happy travels!

Some friends are planning a trip similar to yours in September (Athens and the Peloppenese) and then are visiting the nearby Saronic Gulf island of Poros, which you might want to check out. It's a less-touristed island that looks very appealing (I have not visited that one yet myself). From there, they will ferry back to Pireaus. However, I think your original choice of Patmos seems to be a perfect place to spend Orthodox Easter. It is about 8 hours by ferry from Pireaus, but if you bring a book and think of it as an Aegean cruise, it actually goes pretty quickly. If that doesn't sound appealing, an option is a one-hour flight from Athens to nearby Samos, and then a 2-3 hour ferry ride to Patmos (not daily, so you might need to time this carefully and/or plan to spend a few days on Samos as well). We really enjoyed our stay on Patmos. It will be crowded that weekend, so you would want to make hotel reservations well in advance. We can recommend the Hotel Blue Bay.

Hydra is nice but you will encounter hordes of day-trippers from Piraeus on the "wrong" days usually weekends. If you're driving to the Pelop... you could always drive up to Patras and get a ferry over to Kefalonia. Beautiful place. Or, if you're going to Olympia, there is a ferry to Zakynthos from near there.
Roger

I doubt Hydra will be crowded with "hordes of daytrippers" in April.

Wow - a big thanks to all of you who responded!! I look forward to planning our trip - wish we had more than 2 or 3 weeks!

Roger's suggestion was a good one that might bear more research. Kefalonia is one of the islands on our "must see someday" list. It's where they filmed "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and looks beautiful. Also, some people we met elsewhere in Greece told us there are places in Kefalonia where you can rent boats by the day (or week) and explore the island by sea. Sounded like fun to me.

Unless you've already made up your mind, I would say not to eliminate Santorini as an option. This is one of the most spectacular places I have ever been to and hope to return. We stayed in Oia, which I thought was quieter than Fira. Yes there were tourists (but we crazy people went in the middle of Summer!), but the sunsets were spectacular, especially because you're viewing them from the top rim of the caldera. The views from this amazing geographical wonder (3,500 years old) after a volcanic eruption are truly breathtaking. Our hotel, like many others, was perched on the caldera cliffs with jaw-dripping views. The narrow windy streets of Oia were my favorite to explore. Great restaurants and shops. Our hotel was a short walk from the center of town, so it was actually very quiet. You can walk (lots of steps) down to the water, if you wish, some 350 meters below. We rented a jeep and went all over. There's an interesting archeological museum in Fira and a Naval Museum in Oia. I think the fast cat from Athens took 4hrs, but that might only be available in the Summer. I'm not sure. Have fun whatever you decide!

I returned from a month touring Greece yesterday. I would second the votes for visiting Hydra. It is a lovely island - one of my favorites. The tourists were not there in high numbers, except when the one day cruise ship from Athens stopped. I was there for 5 days. Only saw them once. A caution about the ferry from Ermoni, though (Athens for that matter, too). It is not a car ferry, so you would have to leave your car in Ermoni or Athens. I would also agree that Santorini is well worth the trip there. We took the overnight ferry, had a cabin and arrived there in the early morning. It was not a bad trip at all. Santorini is awesome! Tourist crowds were not bad, either.