Mykonos and Santorini are horrible

[exer]

Just returned from an island hopping trip around Greece. Started in Santorini and ended in Mykonos. Both are vastly overpriced and overdeveloped islands.

Anyone agree? Other than the view, don’t get what the fuss is about.

Wow really who'd have thought? There is a whole world out there and a bunch of tourists all go to the same places then complain about them but usually repeat the same type of holiday the next year and again

We went to Kos this year. It was lovely, and not overcrowded at all. Thankfully it isn't on a cruise route as far as I know.

Folegandros is a fabulous cyclades island.

Amorgos on my to do list…

I remember landing in Mykonos and thinking I'm in the middle east. It's very very dry and burnt umber is the prevailing colour. The town itself is very pretty and I liked it but that's probably because I went about 7 years ago in Oct just as the season was ending!

We went to Corfu last year to a villa, in June. Corfu Town was hard to park in at night (but I remember my dad complaining about this in the 80s and I don’t think there is any more parking since!), but apart from that it was wonderful. Busy but not crowded. Restaurants were bustling but not heaving. Kassiopi was beautiful. It was so much nicer than I expected but we did loads of research on where NOT to go.

Shush!!!! I never like to tell anyone about how amazing Folegandros is as I want to keep it as beautiful and quiet as it currently is!! 😂

We went to Santorini this summer and loved it. But we stayed on the other side of the island and scheduled our visit to Oia on a day when no cruise ships were in. We watched the sun rise on the local beach instead of chasing sunsets in the crowded places, we relaxed in the local restaurants and bars, we went to the architectural sites and museums and got the bus to visit other locations. And on the other side of the island it's no more expensive than any other tourist destination. When we went to Oia we had brunch in a cafe, not an overpriced restaurant. Santorini wants and needs the tourists who stay there for a week or more, they just don't want the cruise ship visitors and the island hoppers.

It is what you make of it, and you need to do your research.

Surely you knew what to expect when you booked the trip? Both are brilliant stopping off points for the rest of the Cyclades but one night is enough for me before taking a ferry elsewhere.

@Proudbitch 🤣🤣 it’s SO beautiful! X

Agree with this.
It's very noticeable how popular European destinations have gone from "touristy" to just plain "over run" in the last few decades.

There will definitely need to be control measures, which will be no bad thing. Venice has felt like a theme park for many years and Barcelona appears to be going the sane way.

Obviously the cost of living crisis isn't bad enough for people to cut foreign travel from their budget.

We went to Barcelona 20 years ago for DH's birthday (he is an Orwell freak and wanted to see various locations) and even then the Ramblas was very crowded with lots of warnings about pickpockets. But elsewhere the city was great and we loved it.
We aren't in any hurry to go back, though. Other cities in Spain like Seville and Cadiz are more appealing these days (except Cadiz when the cruise liners are in port!)

No no, it’s gross!! 🙃

I was so blown away!! We did a few islands on that trip and I wish I’d just spent most of the time here really… but it’s good to try it out.
and was certainly a good respite after doing 24 hours in Santorini with all the posers!

We went to Barcelona in February and that was a good time to go. Nothing was busy but it was sunny and pleasant. I really liked it but I can imagine it not being nice at all in summer. TBH I don’t really get why people go to Euro cities in the summer, they’re so hot! We went to Florence and Rome in October and it was still bustling and warm but it would have been unbearable 3 months earlier.

I adore the Greek islands and want to visit more of them, Kefalonia is one of my favourite places in the world.

But it is so bad for some people, that they could only dream of being able to afford to be going on holiday!

This has been happening to places that become trendy for a while. You may remember the book/film The Beach...

They are very in with the instagram lovers. We went to Crete this year and people were taking the ferry from Heraklion to Santorini which I found bizarre given that Crete is stunning in its own right! The Peloponnese peninsula and the mainland of Greece are gorgeous and less visited than some of the islands, often overlooked but just as nice and within easy reach of some of the smaller islands

Santorini is a convenient stop for a few days before island hoping to one if the less touristy islands. I loved the Greek Islands we went to a lesser known one at the time but did a few days in santorini first. Good for a day or 2 but definitely not a whole holiday stay type of place it was just too many people

Yep this 🙄

Oh and the Folegandros sunset at the top of the church!!! Magical 😍

You need to travel more!

Rome is cheaper in the summer. The locals go for their beach holidays and the smaller shops are often closed. Great time to visit on a budget if you don't mind (hot) sunbathing in afternoon and getting up early to see the sights.

Santorini is a truly a beautiful place, YABU OP!

there is a big push on the small cyclades by estate agents since this year’s golden visa price increases and a tagline they keep using is ‘Folegandros isn’t yet widely utilised by developers but this will change very soon’ and it makes me want to vomit and throw things.
They won’t be happy until everything is an hypersaturated theme park