A WEEK OF TRAVEL THROUGH THE GREEK ISLANDS: ROUTES AND ADVICE

They are so many and so beautiful that one does not know where to start when drawing a travel itinerary through the Greek islands. Especially when you don't have too much time. And as it seems, more and more people include them in their travel agendas, in fact we have lost count of the emails we received asking about this destination. So here we bring you this article, where we have everything you need to prepare One week trip through the Greek islands (itinerary and tips included).

And if you still had not thought about a trip through this corner of the Mediterranean, what are you waiting for ?! He is a traveling gentleman: to be able to enjoy some of the most beautiful islands in Europe, stroll through villages of white houses and blue roofs, get purple with one of the tastiest gastronomies in the world, contemplate windmills, colorful bougainvillea, incredible sunsets ... Do you need more reasons?

But it’s fine with talks… We’re going to the mess that matters:

First of all you have to be aware of the time you have for your trip to Greece, and understand that you will not be able to see all its islands (probably not even the most famous). So the first thing to do is decide which area to visit. And no, it's not that easy: Greece has thousands of islands! Here we tell you which are the most beautiful Greek islands for us.

The time factor is as important as the distance: It is unthinkable to visit 3 islands that are hundreds of km away from each other in just seven days.

Taking these two considerations: on the one hand visit the most beautiful islands and on the other do it in a week of time, we will propose 3 different itineraries traveling through the Greek islands, each one week's time.

Route 1:Santorini, Paros and Mykonos

Ok, we admit that it is not a choice that shines for its originality, but uh ... Santorini and Mykonos are two of the most famous islands, it will be for something right? And Paros? It is a purely logistic decision, since it is halfway between the two. But do not think it is a filling destination: many who have visited it say that it has been the one they liked most of the three ... the authenticity surprises!

The distribution of days would be as follows: Santorini 3 days, Paros 2 days, Mykonos 2 days.

Tip to save a little money: depending on the price of the transfer you can start the trip in Santorini or Mykonos.

Route 2:Crete and Rhodes

You could very well dedicate a whole week to Crete, but we understand that you want to know more islands, so the Crete and Rhodes tandem seems very good to us.

The distribution of days would be as follows: Crete 5 days, Rhodes 2 days.

Variation: it is not a bad idea to replace Santorini with Rhodes, especially if you really want to meet the “pretty girl” of the Greek islands.

Route 3:Santorini, Naxos and Koufonisia

This route joins the island that is probably the busiest in Greece (Santorini), with a couple of rather unknown islands. Come on, it's a good compromise between posturing and originality.

The distribution of days would be as follows: Santorini 4 days, Naxos 2 days, Koufonisia 1 day.

Here we leave you a map so you can get an idea of ​​the proposed itineraries:

We assume that you will reach the islands from Athens, the capital of the country. You have two options to travel from Athens to the Greek islands:

• Flight: several companies link Athens with the airports of a good handful of Greek islands (Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos ...). Check and compare flight rates from Athens to other airports in Greece on the website of Skyscanner
• Ferry: there are ferries, very frequent in summer, linking the port of Piraeus (Athens) with many islands such as Mykonos (3 hours of time), with Santorini (5 hours approx) and with Crete (6 hours and a half). To see the routes and schedules use the website of Direct Ferries

For us, the ideal would be this:

• Plane or ferry from Athens to Santorini, Mykonos or Crete (depending on the itinerary chosen).
• Ferry for transfers between islands.
• Plane or ferry back to Athens or another European destination (several islands have international airports).

Once on the islands you can move by public transport, although the best is rent a car or motorcycle And go your way. There are usually rental companies in the same ports, or in the urban centers of the most important cities of the islands.

In some islands like Santorini, one of the most typical forms of transport are the donkeys. Please be a tourist responsable and do not ride them: it is super unnecessary and cruel.

Then you are all lucky! You can choose to visit other islands or take advantage of the extra days to get to know the capital of Greece and make some of the best excursions from Athens, such as Meteora or Delphi.

→ Here we leave you everything you can see and do in Athens.
→ And here an article full of tips for traveling to Greece.

Keep in mind that July and August are the busiest months, so if you do not want to share paradise with a few other travelers, the ideal is to travel in another season ... The months we advise you are May or June, and especially September and October, for us, the best time to travel to the Greek islands.

If you travel in autumn or winter (low season) remember that the frequency of ferries is lower, and even some lines directly suspend them. You will not have problems visiting famous islands such as Santorini, Mykonos and / or Crete, but most likely, most hotels, restaurants and shops are closed. The positive side of traveling in winter is that you will have the islands almost for you alone! Also in Greece there is usually good weather throughout the year (yes, go forgetting the dip in the sea).

Yes, with nuances. We did it and liked it much more than expected: we left Venice and in a week we visited Split (Croatia) and the Greek islands of Corfu, Crete, Santorini and Rhodes. The only bad thing is that there is NOT enough time to explore the islands properly, so it is a solution that we recommend only in case you want to see a little of everything (and have a high budget in case you do not catch offers) .

I hope you enjoy an unforgettable trip through the Greek islands and that wonderful country. If you have more questions, contact us: we will love to give you a cable.

* Photocredit main photo: Shutterstock

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