Hi Andrea

It would help if you told us your preferences - do you want a beach holiday, quiet or lively, stay in resort or tour of the island, etc?

I've been to all of those except Mykonos. We prefer a quiet resort, with decent tavernas. We usualy hire a car and tour, spending only part of the time on the beach. There are quieter and livelier resorts on most islands to suit most tastes.

thanks for reply. would like a nice quiet beach type holiday with sufficient bars and restaurants but not overrun with neon lights and drunkenness hence the decision to leave Rhodes,Crete,Corfu out of our list of possible destinations

Hi Andrea

Even those islands have quieter resorts - especialy Crete, which is a huge island. It is easy to avoid the few noisier resorts. Unfortunately the few rowdy resorts can give a totaly undeserved reputation to a whole island.

If you don't like it too busy, I'd avoid July/August unless you're stuck with school holidays. Greece is much more pleasant in June or September - or even May or October.

Kos is one of the busier islands you mentioned. We stayed in Kefalos end of last September. The resort has loads of tavernas and is reasonably lively without being rowdy. The beach is good and there are some even better beaches nearby. There are ruins and mountains to explore, should you hire a car. The downside for us was the night flight and queueing outside the airport to get though security in the early hours.

Santorini has some spectacular views from the pretty towns of Oia and Fira and also ruins to visit. The beaches are black and volcanic, so not to everyones taste, though we enjoyed the island.

Zante has some good beaches, though some of the resorts can be quite lively. It's a few years since we stayed at Alikanas, very quiet when we were there but I believe it has grown a lot since we were there. Someone might be able to help with more recent information.

I'd also recommend Parga on the western mainland or Stoupa on the Pelopnnese. Both resorts with plenty to do and good beaches without being over the top.

hi mariaH

i have been to kos (kardamena) & Zante (laganas) both parts are very lively so i would not recomend you to go there if you would like a quiet holiday, especially zante!!!!!!!!!!!!! have you seen the recent reports? The place has been getting very bad reviews, i loved it when we went but i would not go back now.

kind regards
Mill

Kalymnos is a nice quiet island. The view of the sleepng princess at dusk is quite spectacular. we had a real chill out holiday there.

Dear Andrea_loup,
In order of preference :-

Lesbos : Big Island and lots to see. Very cheap and lovely people. Anaxos or petra would be my choice ( good beaches ). Just a short taxi ride to Molyvos, fantastic views from the taverna's, lots of choice. No lager louts therefore nice and quiet.

Skiathos : The best beaches in Greece, no lager louts, short airport transfers and loads of choice in Skaithos Town for bars and restaurants. The only negative is that you will find it more expensive than any of the other islands you have visited so far. My choice of resort would be Koukounaries in the extreme west of the island.

Samos : Again no lager louts, nice and qiuet but very traditional. Beaches are best in the south of the Island...Pythogorian ( the spelling maybe incorrect ). Again plenty to see, archeaology everywhere.

Kefalonia : Scala would be my choice, very big Island therefore plenty to see. Quiet but again quite expensive compared with Lesbos and Samos.

Hope this gives you some idea

Thanks for all of your replies -they will all be of use to us when we are ready to book - in the next week or so hopefully

I would definitely recommend Kefalonia, the Skala or Aghios Efemia areas are beautiful.

Would recommend Kefalonia or Samos (our favourite).

Probably best to avoid Zante - it has a rather bad reputation now for lager louts!

Pippa

Hi Pippa, with regards Zante, it has only been Laganas that has attracted bad publicity of late. No dis-respect to you but we stayed in Alykanas in May and had a trouble free holiday. We loved the island, the people were most hospitable/friendly, we would not hesitate to recommend to people/return at a future date. There are other resorts on the island which may be to andrea and her gangs taste. It seems though that Santorini is in favor with her people at the moment. If andrea looks on the current discussion,"just booked Santorini", she will find some useful information/links, especially from greeklass.

Agreed Alikanas is a nice resort. We stayed there 3 years ago and had a good holiday - apart from the awful airport which I think mights have improved slightly.

Pippa

By all accounts, part of the new Air Terminal is opening this month for Arrivals. So, hopefully, by the time we decide to go back to Zante(in a couple of years), the whole building may just about be nearing completion !! In Alykanas, we stayed at Grapevines Apartments, it was simply the best for us. It is geared up for couples.

Have sampled many Greek Islands all have there good area's and bad our favourite is Kefalonia, many years ago went to Andros which was lovely, and Syros but there seems a problem getting there now do not seem to be in many brouchures, Lesvos was great but again it was a long time since we were there and the transfer time from the airport was very long stayed in Petra, Alot of people have recommended Stouper but once again it depends on age and what you are looking for, we had a bad holiday in Corfu in 2004 but there are still lovely places there it's just knowing where they are.
pojo

I would recommend Kefalonia, it is my favourite island. Spectacular scenery, loads to see, nice bars/tavernas. We also enjoyed Lesvos, very traditional. Stoupa was my favourite place on the mainland until we went to Parga. Bliss!! Lots to see, scenery/history wise, lovely bars and restaurants, fantastic people.

Am looking at Parga for next year. What's the beaches like there. Is there other areas to visit i.e. other beaches in easy reach ?

Rhombus,

Valtos beach, the other side of the castle from Parga town is a fantastic long sandy beach. Some of the accommodation is on that side of Parga or you can get a water taxi from Parga town for a couple of euros. There are other good beaches and plenty of day trip possibilites from there, we hired a car and went all over the place.

Santorini is an island of extraordinary beauty like nowhere else and is my personal heaven on earth.
Whether you arrive by air or sea you are immediately struck by the volcanic cliffs of red brown rock topped by clusters of gleaming white sugar cube homes and villages - likened to the icing on a cake, or less romantically to teeth! Its volcanic sheer cliffs, which rise sheer straight from the deep blue sea, are layer upon layer of red volcanic rock within which clear strata can be seen.
The island itself was originally circular and was formed into its current crescent shape by an immense volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago. This eruption wiped out the Minoan civilisation in Crete 70 miles to the south leaving the world's biggest caldera and four smaller islands.
The opposing side of the island in contrast gently slopes down to the sea towards Monolithos, Kamari and Perissa to the south , and its black sand beaches, not to everyones taste.
Santorini's beauty owes much to the light - there is little in the way of vegetation except for vines and tomatoes - and the volcanic earth is grey or red, yet the contrasts between the deep blue of the sea , the azure of the sky and the redness of the rocks along with the blue and white cycladic architecture provides a dramatic and fascinating landscape which graces many a photograph.
My own persnal 'best' resort is Perivolos (Perissa) since it is uncommercialised but has enough bars , tavernas and entertainment to suit.
Also because the island is so small it's easy to get around by car / bike / taxi or local bus. (see other threads)

Would certainly agree with Mariah... Parga on the mainland has "all the feel" of an Island and Valtos beach is great There are other beaches to choose from too, all within easyvreach via Water Taxi's or walking this year was my 15th visit over 24 years and I/ we never tire of it. I've introduced many friends to it over the years and all have gone back for more!
Whilst preparing for my first visit in 1982 a friend told me "you may find other places as nice as Parga in Greece, but you will never find anywhere nicer".. this is still true! It remains very Greek and beautiful and being in North West Greece... very green!
I have been to other places in the islands over those 24 years and always revert back to Parga.................but be warned!... it's habit forming!

Hi Kelvin, I agree its habit forming we went in July this year and have booked to go back next July, but this time we have got Epavlis Apartments and last time we were in Yiannis Studios.