Greek island???

The first week of August every Greek island will be full of tourists, so you aren't going to be able to avoid "tourist hype". Santorini is a spectacular island. I've been going there since 1985 and it is definitely worth seeing. I don't know how many days total you have for Greece but there are some other lovely islands near to Santorini. Some are less-frequented than others, although again, all of them will be busy in August. I suggest you get yourselves a copy of T. Cook's "Greek Island Hopping" so you can make an educated choice as to where to go and what to see, based on what it is you expect out of your time in Greece. You will get as many differing opinions regarding what's "best" or what is a "must-see" island as there are people responding to your post, but ultimately it's what you are hoping to experience that will lead you to your perfect islands.

Sarah, As Lee mentioned, you won't be able to avoid tourists on most of the Greek Islands in August, and they're going to be HOT and crowded! Santorini is a very beautiful and unique island, and if you can deal with the crowds it's certainly one to consider. The crowds will get a bit "thicker" on cruise ship days! One benefit of that particular island is that it has an airport so you won't spend a lot of travel time getting there (as opposed to going by Ferry). With only four or five days, it wouldn't be worthwhile to spend two days in travel to and island and then back to Athens. You might find it very helpful to have a look at This Website, which has extensive information on travelling in Greece. That may help you to narrow down your choice of which island to visit at that time of year. Happy travels!

Sarah If you want somewhere more off the beaten track you might look at Andros. It gets relatively few foreign tourists, although in August you will find quite a lot of Greek holiday makers. One advantage is that it is two hours by ferry from the port of Rafina which, in turn, is only an hour by bus from the airport. This makes it one of the closest islands and saves going back through Athens if you don't want to. We have a little site recording some of the places we've been in Greece and our page on Andros is here http://www.greekramblings.org.uk/Andros.html I'm happy to try and answer questions if you message me. Cheers Alan

Santorini is unique and a perfect setting for celebrating a 10th anniversary. Don't worry about the crowds, just enjoy the magnificent view of the caldera from Oia while sharing a bottle of Greek wine. For added island flavor, Naxos is just a short ferry ride away and can offer another exposure to island life. You'll agree that Santorini was worth whatever inconveniences the crowds may have created.

we were in santorini last august. i was about to post what the last poster just wrote. i think you can spend some time in Oia and then take a ferry to naxos. we were there too. less crowded and some of the most gorgeous beaches. it was an easy ferry ride from santorini to naxos. i say to not put it off again and this year is your year! OPA!

Santorini doesn't need any hype. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Don't miss it because of the crowds. As suggested above, it makes a very good combination with Naxos which is a little less 'active'. I'm not sure but I would guess Naxos is not on the agenda of as many cruise visitors. In any case it offers some beautiful beaches and, along with Santorini, some of the most romantic - 10th aniversary - sunsets to be found anywhere.

Thank you all so much!! Im going for it, santorini & Naxos here we come!

Good choice!! BTW, as regards transport -- good idea, upon landing in ATH airport, good choice to fly directly to Santorini, if your arrival time permits; (50 mins vs 8+ hrs by ferry). And for transfer to Naxos, consider the daily 1530 (3:30pm) Blue Star Ferry... LARGE ferry w outside decks, good for snapshots of Santo cliffs! Also, enjoyable 2 hr ride to Naxos port. U doubtless have ample pix of Santorini; here's a slideshow of Naxos delights - http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/552001505EYxVYT PS: Full moon is August 1-4; how romantic! If u must spend a night in Athens, on Full Moon Night in August all ancient sites are lit up & Free, with music... a little Moon Festival!

I went in mid-July last year. Santorini was a little crowded in some of the main towns but still amazing. If you rent a car you can also go off the beaten path and visit some more tucked away spots, like wineries. The Red Beach was also less crowded than the black sand beach and the waters were very calm and clear there. :) The other island that I visited (and didn't want to leave) was Milos. It has a less touristy feel than Santorini and some AMAZING beaches and waters for swimming. If you do a google image search for "Kleftiko Milos", you'll see what I mean. Swimming through those caves was an unforgettable (not to mention romantic) experience. Also, the Sarakiniko beach in Milos was like nothing I had ever seen before . . . if the moon had a beach, this is what it would look like! If you're looking for something unique, romantic and a little quieter than Santorini, I would recommend Milos. It's an easy ferry ride between the two islands. I spent two nights on each and felt like I had pretty much "done" Santorini, but I wasn't ready to leave Milos!

Sarah,
Another vote for the Oia village on Santorini, and get a room w/ the view of the caldera. Some hotels have rooms that are actually built into the hillside. The views in Oia are fabulous. If you have a little outside sitting area (and most hotels seem to), you will love it. Every time I see a photo of Santorini with the Caldera in the background, I smile remembering the wonderful time (although too short...we were just there for the day) we had. How fabulous to celebrate a special anniversary there!! Happy Anniversary!