I've searched LP, gone cross-eyed trying to fathom ferry timetables and totally confused myself with our planned 12 days from 3 September to do Naxos, (possibly Paros for the day), Amorgos & Santorini. We need to be back in Athens to overnight on 15 September for early morning flight to Rome, and that's why I chose to end in Santorini with the option to fly if weather made ferry delays possible. Am I going about it the wrong way? I do want to see Amorgos this trip but can only find a Naxos-Amorgos ferry arriving at 0:45. How on earth can you arrange accommodation for that arrival time, if you had hoped to negotiate with "the ladies" on arrival? I'm desperate for advice please ... should we start in Santorini, then on to Amorgos, followed by Naxos? And yes, we've delved deeply into the delights of the other islands in the Cyclades in our research, but these are our targets for all sorts of reasons, so I'd really appreciate some help to pull it together.
Your route is actually very easy and you can do it various ways, the vital ferry you seem to be missing is the (in)famous 'Express Skopelitis' this goes from Naxos > Amorgos(Katapola and Egiali) at about 15:00. This runs 6 days a week hi-season and 3 days a week mid/low-season.
I would do it this way: Piraeus/Athens > Santorini > Naxos > Amorgos > Naxos/Paros > Piraeus. Ending on Naxos or Paros gives you a good choice of large ferries going to Piraeus with very little chance of them being affected by bad weather.
Even arriving at 00:45 you can be fairly sure of 'the ladies' turning up to offer you a room.
are you checking both ports in Amorgos? Katapola and Egiali [or Aigiali]?
For example, you can depart with fast ferry to Katapola on 03.09, arriving at 21.00h
Around 06.09 there is a ferry from Aigiali at 07.00 am for Naxos or from Katapola with the fast ferry in the evening arriving 22.30h.
On 07.09 to Katapola from Naxos arriving either in the morning with the fast ferry or in the evening [21.00h] with the Skopelitis.
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<hr>How on earth can you arrange accommodation for that arrival time, if you had hoped to negotiate with "the ladies" on arrival?<hr></blockquote>
0:45 isn't 'late' by island standards in September. Anyway, on Amorgos ... Aegiali by recent personal experience ... the ladies will be there to meet the incoming ferry at any time of day or night.
Other than that, there should be no problem whatsoever to connect Naxos, Santorini, and Amorgos. There are more than enough ferries (including the infamous albeit refitted Skopelitis) to not worry about planning, as long as you are prepared to take a ferry irrespective of time of departure/arrival.
Consult GTP website. Among other things, you will find that if you go to Santorini first, you can get the catamaran #2 mentions from there to Amorgos any day other than tues or wed.
I'd follow the itinerary that #1 suggests in outline. Basically, go to Santorini first. If the catamaran is convenient, go to Amorgos next, and from there to Naxos. Ferries of one sort or another, from Katapola and/or Aegiali are daily. You'll find all the info you need once on Amorgos. Otherwise, go to Naxos from Santorini and 'immediately' to Amorgos, then back to Naxos etc.
You can check 2-3 days in advance what the weather is expected to be like and plan a flight in the unlikely even that weather would cause problems with ferries. I mean 'unlikely' because you'd need a force 9 storm to have the bigger car ferries canceled.
It's the same difference, ex Santorini or not last night [14.09]. If there is a weather ban [9+beaufort] the carriers departing Santorini won't make a stop in Paros or Naxos either [3 routes with large ferries both make stops in Naxos /Paros].
Thanks everyone ... great help as always, and I'm relieved there are more ferries than I was aware of. I might never leave Greece! Oldpro's comment that 0:45 isn't late by island standards encourages this "early to bed, early to rise" antipodean to think there must be something in the water, the olives or the wine! Thanks to all again.
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