Greek islands - More than good beaches\nighlife? | Greece - Lonely Planet Forum

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Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:13:53 +0000

hi all,
we are thinking about traveling to greece in mid may. we are both well experienced backpackers who like to get off the path, and don't mind sweating it if we get rewarded with true encounters with local culture and people.
to the point - the impression i get is that the greek islands (as a whole, although i know it's a rough generalisation) look beautiful, but are heavily commercialized. catering more to the likes of students who want to party on their summer break - nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of ouzo.
i guess if i try to be more specific i would say - we are trying to find an interesting beach town\village\island that has good snorkeling and has just everyday people going on with their lives, so we don't feel like tourism is the center of attention (again, nothing wrong with that, it's just not what we're looking for).

tl;dr - trying to find a non commercialized place to hang out, snorkel, and get a feel of greek culture.

Edited by eshchar

ONLINE

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:36:57 +0000

the impression i get

You have been seriously misinformed. Where are you getting your information? Quite aside from the fact that the commercial side of the tourist industry does not target the student mob (Ios in Cyclades excepted), May is too early for such a group anyway. The season is only starting in May, and the only even approximately 'busy' islands will be the ones very well-known to package/holiday tourism. Mykonos and Santorini, for example. Or the package holiday strips on Kos or Rhodes, or the north coast enclaves of Crete.

Practically anywhere else will suit your interests.

That said, you have to face reality. You are NOT going to find an "interesting beach town\village\island that has good snorkeling and has just everyday people going on with their lives", because everyday life in such an environment means exploiting these things to make a living. Your real choice is between package holiday tourism and independent tourism, NOT tourism or no tourism.

And don't forget: economic hard times in Greece notwithstanding, the local everyday people also enjoy holidays, nightlife included.

Go anywhere that takes some time to get to (island with no airport, destination that requires a 2 hour bus ride to get to) and you are out of the package holiday tourism and into the independent holiday tourism.

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Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:45:07 +0000

sound advice. independent tourism it is.
any speciefic recommendations?

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Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:59:03 +0000

Just to be clear: I understand your concern about places where "tourism is the center of attention". So, where to go? . One advantage with the cycladic island group is that there are a lot of islands to choose from and relatively better inter-connected. So I'll stick with these.

There will be a difference between islands like Mykonos or Santorini on the one hand, and islands like Sifnos, Amorgos or even Naxos on the other. The first two are "famous" and will be in any holiday brochure anywhere. The latter three also have tourism but it is a better integration into local infrastructure and way of life. Outlying villages are more interesting on these islands. I prefer the latter three, esp. Sifnos and Amorgos, because of the hiking possibilities. But if you have the time to poke around, other islands, such as Serifos or Sikinos (again, in Cyclades) might be rewarding. You really can't go wrong if you explore a bit.

I am cautious about discussing snorkeling, because I don't know what your expectations are. Anywhere with an exposed rocky coast (i.e., not sandy beaches) can be 'interesting' by cycladic standards, but could be a disappointment if you are anticipating a coral reef spectacle.

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Wed, 22 Mar 2017 01:01:59 +0000

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