KarenWoo

Hello,
About a month ago I asked people for their opinions on the best time to visit Greece, April or May. The majority recommend May for its warmer weather and better chance of sunnier days. I have not made any reservations yet, but we have decided on going in May, either the 2nd & 3rd week, or the last 2 weeks of May. The trip will be either 15 or 16 nights on the ground, so 16 or 17 nights including our overnight flight from Boston. My husband and I are retired, but I do a lot for my 91-year old mother, so I can't really be away for any longer than that.

First, a little bit about ourselves. By the time May rolls around, I will be 72 and my husband will be 75. YIKES!!! How did that happen? Where has the time gone? I visited Greece in 1972! I went with a tour group organized by the company I worked for at the time. We spent a week in Athens, and this included day trips to Delphi, Cape Sounion, and a day cruise to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina Marina. My husband has never been to Greece. We love just about everything: history, art, archaeological sites, beautiful coastal scenery, mountain scenery, eating local food, wine, visiting wineries, taking our time walking through neighborhoods and stopping at cafes, and easy scenic walks. We are not in shape to do any serious hiking. For example, to give you an idea, in September we visited Glacier National Park in Montana and we did 5 hikes, but they were all easy hikes that I chose from a guide book describing the best easy hikes in Glacier . Some of the hikes were flat, and a few had up and down walking but not a lot of elevation gain, and the longest hike took us 2.5 hours. While we generally do not go to Europe to go to beaches, we certainly wouldn't mind spending an afternoon or two on an island beach on this trip, either sunbathing and enjoying the scenery, or swimming if the water is warm enough.

I am in the process of reading 2 guidebooks: Lonely Planet's Greece and Fodor's Essential Greek Islands with the Best of Athens. I have also read many planning threads and a few trip reports. We want this trip to include 2 islands, the Peloponnese, and Athens. So this is the itinerary I have come up with in this order. I am very open to suggestions and advice.

Santorini - 3 nights
Naxos - 4 or 5 nights
Nafplio - 4 or 5 nights
Athens - 4 nights

I can't spend 5 nights in both Naxos and Nafplio, so should I add the 5th night to Naxos or Nafplio? Or I might just do 4 nights in Naxos and 4 nights in Nafplio, and this will be 15 nights on the ground. I have to think about this.

I know many people will probably tell me Santorini is expensive, crowded and touristy, and suggest 2 nights, but it is also beautiful and has been on my bucket list for years. We don't like to rush around at our ages so I do not want to stay less than 3 nights. I have checked some flights from Boston to Santorini and we typically won't get in until 5pm or 7pm. So that day is a wash. Besides taking the walks I have read about and just generally enjoying the views and beauty, I know we want to visit ancient Akrotiri so we do need 2 full days.

We will take the ferry from Santorini to Naxos. Does anyone know when ferry schedules typically are posted? Approximately how frequently do the ferries run in May?

On Naxos we want to explore Naxos Town and hopefully spend a few hours or more relaxing on a beach. We plan to rent a car for a day to explore the island. Some towns that interest me are Sangri, Galanado, Chalki, and Apeiranthos. Will a day be enough to explore the island?

I am currently thinking we will fly from Naxos to Athens Airport, where we will pick up a rental car to drive to the Peloponnese, and we want to stay in Nafplio. Does it make sense to spend all 4 or 5 nights in Nafplio? Some of the sights that interest us, in addition to enjoying Nafplio, are Ancient Mycenae, Epidavros, winery in Nemea. Is it possible to do a day trip from Nafplio to Mystras, which sounds fascinating. Are there other important sites nearby that I am missing?

Our last stop is Athens, where we will spend 4 nights. Some highlights to see are the Acropolis and museum, of course. I assume we could spend a greater part of a day here. We like to visit sites slowly, take our time wandering around, take photos, sit and enjoy the scenery and ambiance. The Benaki Museum and National Archaeological Museum sound interesting, and we love exploring neighborhoods, such as Monastiraki, Anafiotika, etc.

I would also love to hear what other travelers found interesting or special to them, especially if it's off the beaten track.

I apologize for such a wordy post. I look forward to hearing from people. Thank you!

Heimdall

For someone not much interested in beaches I think even 4 nights on Naxos is more than enough. Those “towns” on Naxos are actually tiny villages, and could easily be explored in a day or two. Don’t forget Naxos Town itself, which has a castle above the port, with passageways in the old town filled with touristy shops, wonderful to explore in the evenings.

Personally I think you should spend more time in the Peloponnese, and not just in The Nafplio/Argolis region.You could spend your whole holiday in the Peloponnese and just scratch the surface of things to see. There is a very good divided highway leading down to Kalamata at the south of the island. Near Kalamata is a small peninsula with the picturesque seaside towns Pilos, Methoni and Koroni. The huge and impressive archeological site at Ancient Messene is also nearby. It’s less well known than the sites near Nafplio, but dwarfs them in size. With more time at your disposal you could even drive on to Olympia to see where the games began before returning to Athens.

geetika

KarenWoo, following, I know the meticulous research you put into your trips. Was hoping to spend 10 days in Greece during spring break this March, but it of course wasn’t to be…

I too would do 3 nights in Santorini, it shouldn’t be very crowded at that time and you can relax and get over jetlag. Akrotiri is a must IMO, especially for those of us interested in ancient history.

Try and fit in Olympia if possible, I found it an extremely moving and evocative experience. And Delphi too, maybe a day trip from Athens…though you probably can fit in only so much!

KayF

I've been to all the places on your list except Nafplio, which I'm keen to visit. People complain about Santorini being touristy and it is - but with good reason! The views are sublime. A hotel room with caldera views is more expensive but if you are comfortable paying more, I'd go for it. On our second visit we were in a position to pay the extra and it was wonderful to wake up to the most amazing blue sea and sky as far as you could see. I'd be happy with 4 nights on Santorini but everyone is different.

Naxos was great, I'd say four nights is fine. You sound similar to us, we like time to sit at a cafe and just absorb the views or people watch. Or stroll around the streets looking in shop windows and exploring. Athens was not a favourite place but worth a few days to see some of the main sights.

If you get the ferry from Santorini to Naxos, get up on deck as soon as possible to see the views of the island as you leave. It's beautiful - it looks like white icing on a chocolate cake. There was another Greece thread recently where someone asked about ferry timetables, see what you can find from the last few weeks.

I've been a fan of the Lonely Planet books since their inception. The detail is great, though I think the later books were not quite as good. Maps in the LP books are a real plus, though maybe not so much these days with online maps. I found the Fodors Greek Island guidebook was scant on detail, not that helpful.

Heimdall

In post #2 I wrote: “There is a very good divided highway leading down to Kalamata at the south of the island.” Of course I meant ‘to the south coast’. The Peloponnese is almost an island, but not quite.

I agree with KayF when taking the ferry from Santorini to Naxos to get out on the open deck as soon as possible. You can only do that on a conventional ferry, because highspeed ferries don’t have open decks. Blue Star ferries have open decks and cruise right through the caldera, the best views from when the ferry leaves the port at Athinios until it reaches open sea after it passes Oia. Some highspeed ferries have open decks at the rear, but don’t go through the caldera, as the waves from their passage are too strong. Instead, they head straight out to sea and go around the island of Thirassia.

KarenWoo

Thank you to Heimdall, KayF, and Geetika! I appreciate all of your comments. Based on what everyone has says, I will stay with 4 nights on Naxos and if I feel comfortable adding another night to our trip, I will add it to the Peloponnese Peninsula, which would make it 5 nights.

Heimdall, it's not that we don't like beaches, but we usually go to the Caribbean for beach time (although we haven't gone in 2 decades, or nearby Cape Cod in Massachusetts). But I know that as long as we have warm weather while on Naxos, we would like to relax on the beach and enjoy the scenery at least for one afternoon. My husband is not the type who would spend all day on the beach. Although, who knows, when he sees the Aegean, he might change his mind! I do like your suggestion of visiting Kalamata and the seaside towns you mention. If we spend 5 nights on the Peloponnese, how would you divide the trip? Do you recommend staying in Kalamata or Pilos, Methoni or Koroni? Have you been to Mystras? I know we won't have time to visit all the ancient sites, so how would you rank the ones on the Peloponnese in terms of beauty, interest, and importance?

Geetika, the reason I haven't included Delphi is because I was there in 1972. I know, I know, a very long time ago! On this trip, I want to visit places I haven't been, but OTOH, I was there so long ago that my memory is blurry. I will put it on the backburner for now. Olympia would be wonderful, too. I'll talk this over with my husband. As you have already said, we can't fit in everything.

And thanks to KayF and Heimdall for your suggestions about taking ferries with open decks. KayF, I am also thinking of buying the Michelin Green Guide to Greece, too. I've used it for other trips, and find them to be very helpful.

Typically, how long is the ferry ride from Santorini to Naxos?
Thanks again!

Heimdall

No I haven’t been to Mystras, which would be another good destination in the Peloponnese if you have the time. Another would be Monemvasia, but I’ve never been to either.

Actually when I was in the Southern Peloponnese we stayed in Petalidi, but that was because friends lived there, and I just visited Pilos, Methoni and Koroni on a day trip. What I do remember is that had I not known better I could have been on an island, and there are some beautiful sandy beaches nearby. Incidentally, Pilos (also spelled Pylos) has Nestor’s Palace and Methoni a Venetian castle. If travelerjan sees this post she will tell you about her favourite nearby place to stay.

Blie Star takes 2 hrs from Santorini to Naxos. The daily ferry leaves at 15:30, but sometimes there is another Blue Star very early in the morning at 06:45. Some people prefer to take one of the highspeeds that leave Santorini mid morning, that will get them to Santorini earlier, but they only get a disappearing view of the caldera from the rear of the ferry, then round the island of Thirassia which blocks further views of the cliff top villages. I promise you, the first view of the caldera from a ferry is something you will never forget.

dreamon

"I promise you, the first view of the caldera from a ferry is something you will never forget."

Absolutely agree and for that reason, arriving by ferry instead of by air would always be my preference.

While true that the Pelopponese is wonderful, you can't really include much of it without either dropping other destinations (which are also wonderful) or adding time to your trip. There will always be somewhere that you wish you could visit but for which you simply don't have enough time. Like many countries, you could spent years exploring all Greece has to offer but most of us just see what we can. It's important to focus on what you can see and not what you can't - which I keep telling myself many times, as I find myself constrained by time and money.

HappyTrvlr

When we planned our first trip to Greece we had lots of help from friends who live there. One thing they said was to be sure to visit Mystras which we did and recommend you visit it too. It is the ruins of a Byzantine city, a change from the ancient Greek sites. We stayed overnight in Sparta.
I think you are spending one night too many on Santorini. We couldn’t wait to leave and loved every place else we visited in Greece and have returned.

KarenWoo

I agree with everyone who says there never is enough time. In my case, it's because of my 91-year old mother and my responsibilities to her. Unfortunately, my sister and brother are not reliable, but that is another story.

Dreamon, if we arrived in Santorini by ferry, would we take the ferry from Athens? How long is that? Just curious. I think I will be happy with Heimdall's and KayF's suggestion to take a ferry from Santorini to Naxos and go immediately to the outside deck. We don't want to drop other destinations because visiting Santorini and Naxos are a priority for us, and at least we will have a taste of the Pelopponese. Some day I would also like to visit Crete, and maybe when we do that, we could re-visit the Pelopponese to see what we miss on this trip.

HappyTrvlr, you make me want to visit Mystras!!!

dreamon

KarenWoo, given that Santorini will be your first real destination in Greece, it's a challenging choice as to whether to fly or take the ferry.

If you fly, you have to allow a cushion of time between flights in case your incoming flight is late arriving. Hanging around an airport is my least favourite thing to do and I always try to minimise my flights anyway (for lots of reasons).

If you ferry, you take either public transport or a taxi to Piraeus to catch the ferry (which you'd need to check but think it's about 4.5hrs). If your flight arrives in Athens in the morning, then sitting out on deck on the ferry is a relaxing way to start your holiday. If the ferry timetable means that you have to wait a while, then you could stash your luggage and take a walk around central Athens while waiting.

Depending on timetables, the ferry is likely to take longer (and so many people would opt for flying) but I'd still choose the ferry. It's a personal thing.

KarenWoo

Dreamon, thank you for your quick response. I have researched flights from Boston to Santorini. The flights would be on one ticket. One option is to change planes in Zurich, and another option is to change planes at Heathrow. I am sure there are others but this is what I found during a quick search. I think the problem you raise could happen if we fly RT Boston/Athens, and then book a separate ticket to Santorini. I admit the idea of arriving in Athens, and then taking public transport or a taxi to Piraeus to catch the ferry doesn't appeal to me. So I will stick with flying directly to Santorini. And we should get great views of the caldera when taking the ferry from Santorini to Naxos.

KayF

On our last Greek island trip, years ago, I used this website for ferry timetables and planning and found it really useful. I booked directly with the ferry companies and we picked up tickets at travel agents on the islands. I think I read recently they have e-tickets now. I checked a random date for May but this far out, I wouldn't expect timetables to be set in stone. Even when we were there last time, there were ferry departure changes from one day to the next. We were all set to get up at 5am for an early ferry but it was changed to lunchtime. Luckily our hotel advised us the night before.

https://www.go-ferry.com/

KarenWoo

KayF, thanks for the link. I saved it to my desktop!

Heimdall

Hi KarenWoo,

Athens is one of my favourite airports because it is small by international standards and well organised. Even though there are many flights to Santorini from where I live in the UK I prefer flying to Athens, then taking a flight or ferry to the islands. I feel, especially in these days of Covid, you would be better off flying directly to Greece and travelling domestically to the islands. I certainly wouldn’t consider flying to London and transferring to a flight to Santorini, as most of the flights from the US arrive at Heathrow, and most of the flights to Santorini depart from Gatwick.

The Blue Star from Piraeus to Santorini takes over 7 hours, and you won’t get those caldera views from a highspeed ferry. What I would do, if you want your first glimpse of Santorini from the deck of a ferry, and you still plan to go to Naxos, is fly to Naxos first, and after your stay take the 2 hr Blue Star ferry from there to Santorini. That’s the same Blue Star ferry you would take arriving at Santorini instead of departing.

joannyc

Did I miss any recommendation for Meteora?

progol

You’ve had some wonderful advice here so I don’t have a lot to add, but also agree completely that extra time should be in Nafplion, not Naxos. And I was mulling over the idea of arriving in Santorini by ferry and agree with Heimdall again - ferry from Athens would take too long and the best way to do it would be from Naxos. But I would also prioritize and see what is most convenient for the trip. It’s a lovely view, but you will have plenty of lovely views!

One more suggestion for a possible day trip from Naxos, if you hadn’t already included it - the ferry to Delos, first stopping at Mykonos. My 2 disappointments when we were on Naxos 10 years ago was that Akrotiri had not yet reopened and it was too windy for the ferry to go to Delos, so we never got there. But those were both sites we had wanted to go. Maybe you can get to 1 or both.

Heimdall

Thanks, progol,

Hopefully the two excursion boats to Delos/Mykonos, Alexander and Naxos Star, will be running again in 2022, but their programs were cancelled for the last two summers due to the pandemic. Apparently there is another excursion boat running from Naxos, but I don’t have any feedback from it. I agree if you can get to Delos it would be a wonderful day trip.

There are also scheduled ferries between Naxos and Mykonos, but they don’t stop at Delos, so you need another boat from Mykonos old harbour to get there and back. Timings of these scheduled ferries could restrict the time you have for Delos. The two excursion boats I mentioned in the above paragraph serve both Naxos and Paros, leaving Naxos first and stopping at Paros, then ending up back at Naxos at the end of a long day. Here is the web page for the trip with timings from Paros:
https://polostoursparos.com/daily-cr...delos-mykonos/

HappyTrvlr

We took a ferry to Santorini to see the views as we approached the island. The Captain announced that everyone getting off in Santorini had to go down below to be ready to disembark quickly. We had no views except the inside of the ferry.

Heimdall

HappyTrvlr, that’s true, but there is no need to rush down to the car deck as soon as you hear the announcement. Santorini is the terminus for that ferry route, so it stays a little longer than other stops. Most mid route ferry stops are only about 15 minutes, so when the captain tells you to go down to the car deck you had better hustle. 😃