My boyfriend and I will be spending 6 nights in Greece this September.
We are planning on doing 4 nights on the islands followed by 2 nights in Athens. Is Santorini large enough that 4 nights would keep us entertained? Or would you guys recommend spending maybe only 2 nights on Santorini and 2 on another island?
I have a couple Greek guide books but they don't seem to lay it out as clearly as RS, so I'm open to suggestions! Thanks in advance.
Hi Jenny,
My husband and I went on our honeymoon in Greece a few years ago. We spent two nights on each island: Paros, Mykonos and Santorini. It's kind of hard to say what would be the better option. I think you could spend four nights in Santorini if you enjoy a mix of relaxation and exploration. You can explore the towns, hang out by the hotel pool or nearby beaches and rent a car and explore the entire island. Otherwise, it's easy and quick enough to travel to another somewhat nearby island for two nights. I guess it just depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for.
I hope that helps a bit!
No one can predict for you what your reaction to Santorini will be. I believe it takes a minimum of 4 days to explore the island with some time for relaxing thrown in.
Four nights would be fine, I was happy with less, but only one more stop would be feasible, it just does not make sense to spend any less than two nights on an island. If you go that route, fly Athens to Santorini (Aegeanair.com) then plan on an island that is on a ferry route from Santorini back to Athens. Maybe Paros, Naxos or Mykonos on the main route through the Cyclades, or Milos along the Westerly route. Save Athens for last. September is a great time to go by the way.
We just returned from Santorini, and 2 nights (1 1/2 days) was fine for us, because we went for the views arriving and of and from the towns along the caldera. We explored Thira and Firostefani (where we were staying) in the first half day. On our full day, we took the bus to Oia and back, then walked to Imerovigli and back in the late afternoon.
We also spent 2 nights on Naxos, where there was a lot more that we wanted to see. We rented a car on our full day there and drove around the north part of the island. If we had had more time, we would have spent it on Naxos rather than Santorini.
One thing we hadn't been warned about is that the fast ferries--at least all that we took--don't have a place to stand outside, and the windows aren't very clear. Fortunately, we took the Blue Star "Paros" to Santorini, almost by chance, so were able to see the view on arrival.
Your posting causes me to wonder if you asked for details such as whether or not the fast ferries had open decks. If you didn't, what would motivate someone to mention it?
Did you do any research on your own, such as looking for photos of the ferries you were considering? It's pretty easy to see from the photos which ferries have open decks and which are enclosed.
Thanks Marian for this heads up! I, also, am a Greek Rookie (I'm stealing this term from another post I just read on here) - so basically the sharing of any advice previous posters have learned from their experience in Greek travel is both welcomed and appreciated. I will be sure to keep this in mind as we book our ferries from Athens to Mykonos, and from Mykonos to Santorini. Thanks again =)
