Greece - HELP?!

[GreekGoddess90]

Where do I start?

Friends recommended Greece but where do I even start? Crete, Heraklion, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos. My head spins.

Can anyone tell me where to holiday in May/June please?

2 adults.
5* and on the fancier end I.e super clean, jazz music rather than the thumping music you get at some hotels, nice rooms, etc. I think we are looking for the complete zen chill out vibe.
Adults only isn’t necessary but some of the fancier hotels we have looked at are adult only (essentially not bothered either way),
Half board with nice restaurants within walking distance or a really really good AI. Food is probably no.1!
Budget £2k
5 days in May/ June

Out of those I'd recommend Crete or Rhodes. They both have plenty of beaches and sights to see.

Santorini needs to get itself sorted out as there are too many day trippers from cruises and not enough people who stay. Whilst Mykonos is pretty it's very expensive.

Crete seems to be the place I am most drawn to. Any specific hotels or beaches to go to?

I really liked Kos town

Crete is lovely! Have a look around Old Hersonisos. The tavernas there are gorgeous!

Paros is also a lovely small island that has a very upmarket feel to it and lots of lovely restaurants.

Would not recommend Santorini at all!

Heraklion is the capitol of Crete, so not a separate island like your OP might imply! We stayed in Rethymnon. Easy enough local bus to Heraklion to see Knossos and the museum. Rethymnon has a little port with various restaurants, the town is flat and easy to walk around, a castle, a beach and a promenade to walk along to the next village.

I've also heard good reviews about Chania, but never been there, so can't comment. Worth looking into though.

We’re going to the mainland near Olympia in the summer. Looks amazing and less touristy than the islands but so much history. We’re going to the Peloponnese region.

Bellonias Villas - Santorini

Thank you - I’ll write this down! Santorini doesn’t seem as popular as I once thought!

Sorry yes! I’m just reeling off all the places I’ve written down and my brain hurts 😂

Thank you for the recommendations. Another few areas added to my list!

Skiathos town is lovely. You can easily get busses to different beaches and a day trip to Skopelos is easy.

That sounds the dream! We are off to Lake Como in July but Greece just seems so popular and our friends have raved about it so we are going to try somewhere in Greece soon! It really does sound ideal!

Can I suggest just going for a hotel with a great breakfast, the food and restaurants are generally lovely in most areas and you can explore a bit more authentic food.

If you go AI you'll miss that. And you can get nicer wine for less outside the hotel.

This is certainly an option but I’d like to find a hotel that has plenty of restaurants in the area if that’s the case. Everything I look at seems to be at the top of the mountain (beautiful sunsets) but no restaurants!!

I’ve been to Agistri (when it only had one hotel in 1989 age 7), Thassos (lots ofof loud night clubs where we stayed) and kefalonia which was lovely. Some of the islands have become party islands so I’m trying to avoid that. I want nice beaches/snorkelling, architecture and history, good food and drinks.

You’ll find lots of places with a good breakfast near to restaurants. This year we have gone for a cheap AI because I have teens and they need drinks and snacks. But I haven’t spent loads so will eat out most days. Lots of restaurants n walking distance. We’re staying in almyrida Crete. This is the chania end of Crete.

been to the Heraklion end before. Loads to do and some really lovely places. Eloubda and agios nikolas are both lovely. Stalida is where we stayed last time. Quite touristy but loads of choices of places to eat and a nice beach. Well located for visiting places of interest, we booked a load of trips with a local
provider once there.

we actually love the Ionian islands the most though. They’re a little greener and often a little less hot. Corfu old town is beautiful and Kefalonia is so relaxed and laid back. But all of Greece is good. Did Spain for a change last year, but this year weee back to Greece.

Santorini is the most beautiful Greek Island out of 8 or so that I've been to. It is absolutely stunning but I recommend going early in the year before the tourist hordes hit. Early May would be the best chance of good weather with not so many tourists, late May is already completely overcrowded (from what I've read). We went in early April when the weather was cool but it was quiet. There are absolutely beautiful hotels there, make sure you get one facing the crater if you can afford it! Fira is easier if you want to explore the island by bus, otherwise Oia is another beautiful choice. It probably won't be beach weather though at that time. There's nowhere like it in the world IMO and the reason people say it's awful is because they go in high summer when it's completely overrun. You just have to Google images to see how beautiful it is. Consider doing the walk from Fira to Oia, it's probably the most beautiful walk I've ever done.

Mykonos we went in early October, the town is pretty but there were a lot of Americans off cruise ships even then. It was fine but not for us, very expensive and busy compared to laid back Syros where we also went - great cheap food there too compared to all the over touristed islands and very laid back. We got the ferry to Delos to see the ruins there too.

Heraklion in Crete is a nice enough town (although I went many years ago) but not really a holiday destination IMO. Avoid Malia at all costs! Chania seems to be very popular but I haven't been. I didn't love Crete though tbh, it wouldn't be my first choice but might have been the places I went.

I do like Rhodes but it's very popular, Rhodes town just needs a day to see the sites and then get out of there. We went to Lindos and it is rammed in high season but in May/June you might be ok, the view of the acropolis from the beach is so lovely but we tended to go down in the evenings when all the day trippers went home (August). Love St Pauls Bay in the morning. Also went to Symi (beautiful but very rich yachty vibe) and Nisyros which we loved but probably too small for 5 days and requires a ferry.

I haven't actually been but I think you should consider Kefalonia if you want chilled out - it's on my bucket list. A lot of the chilled out Greek islands with great, cheap food don't have an international airport and require you to get a ferry. It's a great way to get around but not worth it if you are only there for 5 days.

A really good AI? What is this?

Add Parga, on the mainland, to your list of places to check out.

Lindos, Rhodes

Palaia Epidavros on the mainland is gorgeous. Lesbos is a lovely island.

May/June is a fairly early time to go - most greeks will consider the sea too cold 😳. So - I’d go further south - and focus on Crete and Rhodos.
In Crete - I’d stay away from Heraklion - too many cheap package tourism. Look at Elounda (nice, beautiful and quieter) or Chania (a bigger town, so a bit busier).
In Rhodos - make sure you are on Lindos side of the island, as the other side can be quite windy. Personally - i dont like Lindos as it’s full of mid-market english tourists and food is average at best - but the old town does have some charm. And maybe it’s less busy before the season kicks off.
Finally - if you want helenic vibe - I’d add Cyprus to the list as it’ll be nice and warm there already…

Please don't go AI in Greece! The food is amazing.

There are some high end hotels on the North East coat of Corfu. I don't go to hotels, but North East Corfu is beautiful and unspoilt. Fabulous restaurants in Agios Stefanos ( NE) and Agni. There are a few boutique hotels in Kassiopi.

You coukd also look at Paxos, again relatively unspoilt and amazing scenery and food.

I also live Crete, but again don't know any hotels apart from a tiny one in stunning Loutro. I don't think that's what you're looking for though, but look it up just in case. Hotel Porto Loutro.

I have stayed at the Amira luxury resort and spa in Crete , half board ,admittedly it was in August. Adults only with swim up room .
Previous year Michelangelo resort and spa, all inclusive , in Kos , infinity pool . Went for a day trip to Bodrum . Both hotels very nice .

We've been to quite a few places in Greece. By far and away the most beautiful place is Kefalonia. We've been going back for years now.

Following although I’m booked for Rhodes in June!