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Even should you’ve by no means laid eyes on it earlier than, you may in all probability simply describe Santorini with precision: everyone knows it for the whitewashed, cliffside homes, caldera resorts with outside plunge swimming pools overlooking the Aegean… and the crowds.
Oh, the crowds.
We can’t deceive you: Greece’s most well-known Cycladic gem is certainly beautiful, however the stage of mass tourism it faces would make you’ve gotten second ideas about coming this yr, set to be the busiest but, particularly if you cannot stand lengthy strains and overpriced companies.
Fortunately, Santorini is not the only Greek island to have all these wonderful options.
A brief 2-3 hour ferry journey away, there are two options yet to be spoiled by the plenty, the place yow will discover dreamy boutique resorts at less expensive charges:
Milos
Lunar-Like Landscapes, Colourful Harbors & The Venus Of Milo
The southwesternmost island within the Cyclades, Milos, is an uncommon horseshoe-shaped island characterised by its lunar-like, village-dotted panorama, pure springs full of gin-colored waters, and full with blue-dome church buildings and archeological zones.
Its primary port city, which is the entry level for vacationers arriving by way of ferry, boasts a excessive focus of eating places the place you may eat affordably for round $15, with Oh Hamos being significantly fashionable for recent Greek salads and pasta and the family-run Lydia for his or her freshly-caught fish.
Different fashionable cities for tourism embrace Plaka, the island’s capital, and a maze of pathways line with blanche homes, Klima, with its harbor-facing homes with brightly-painted doorways, and the fishing village of Pollonia, well-known for its glorious seafood and local-owned taverns.
Wanna be really mind-blown? Be sure that Sarakiniko Seaside is in your to-do checklist: a collective of small, ashen-white coastal cliffs lining the Aegean Sea; it’s the primary purpose why Milos might be known as Greece’s Moon Island.
Should you’re right here primarily for the coastal vibes, Papafragas is to not be missed, both: discovered on the finish of a cavernous passage, this seaside has comfortable, heat golden sands and crystal-clear seas.
Now, if it is the tradition you are most enthusiastic about, the hilltop village of Trypiti must be a high precedence: it options a big archeological zone comprising a partially-preserved Roman theater and the location the place the world-famous Venus of Milo (now exhibited within the Louvre Museum in Paris) was discovered.
Naxos
A Whitewashed Port, Lush Inland Nature & Historical Temples
Some 100 nautical miles northeast of Milos, Naxos is one more hidden gem of the Cyclades island group that Santorini-obsessed vacationers typically bypass––to their very own detriment.
Opposite to Milos, its terrain is rather more fertile, with lush mountains traversing its hinterland, and loads of visitor-friendly hikes resulting in tiny waterfalls that vacant into pure springs (try Routsouna), and among the most breathtaking viewpoints in Greece.
It is also well-known for being the house of the door-like Temple of Apollo, or what’s left of it, in addition to the deserted Hellenic settlement of Yria Naxos, relationship again hundreds of years.
Naxos takes its identify after its capital, alternatively referred to as Chora, an attractive coastal settlement crammed together with your normal successive uphill rows of cube-shaped white homes, interrupted solely briefly by the intrusion of Venetian-style mansions and topped with a Thirteenth-century fortress.
Naxos City is one of the best spot on the island to be primarily based in, not solely as a result of it’s related by bus to different factors of curiosity, just like the sleepy village of Montsouna out east and the unspoiled sandy seashores to the south, however as a result of it provides a wide selection of eating places and lodging.
Shock, resorts listed here are nowhere close to as costly as Santorini, regardless of Naxos being simply as beautiful!
This Polis of Naxos boutique resort, as an example, positioned within the coronary heart of Chora, has in a single day charges from solely $93 an evening early this summer time, and over in Agios Prokopios, one more fashionable space to remain in, Hotel Francesca is charging as little as $41 per night time.
How To Get To Milos And Naxos In 2025
The perfect time to go to Milos and Naxos is from April to mid-October, when temperatures are heat and nice sufficient, reaching their summer time highs in July and August––when connectivity between the islands is at its peak.
In the course of the off and excessive seasons, each Milos and Naxos are well-served by a large number of ferry routes linking them to different Greek islands, Santorini and Mykonos included, and even the mainland.
Getting From Santorini To Milos
The quickest ferry from Santorini to Milos takes 2 hours, whereas the longest completes the scenic crossing in 5 hours, and tickets common $16 to $81, relying on the route you go for and the velocity.
Three of the principle ferry strains working on this route are Seajets, often the quickest, with as much as 7 weekly crossings, Aegean Sea Traces, which carries passengers from everywhere in the Cyclades to the Greek mainland, twice every week, and the slowest of them, Zante Ferry, with 6 weekly visits to Milos.
Alternatively, you may fly on to Milos from Athens with SKY Categorical, with tickets beginning at $54.
Getting From Santorini To Naxos
Going from Santorini to Naxos, ferries can be found each day, with the island serviced by Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Traces and Seajets.
Costs vary from $32 to $106, as seen on Ferryhopper, and the typical crossing time is an appropriate 1h58.
Equally to Milos, Naxos has a small airport internet hosting completely home flights from bigger Greek mainland cities like Athens and Thessaloniki, and from Heraklion, the bustling capital of Crete, Greece’s largest island.
With SKY Categorical, flying from Athens to Naxos will set you again by roughly $47 when booked prematurely.
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Opinions expressed listed here are the creator’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, accredited or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included throughout the submit.