6 independent reviews for Self guided hiking vacation in Santorini and Naxos, Greece
Reviews for Self guided hiking vacation in Santorini and Naxos, Greece
Robert Williams review 18 May 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Visiting the ancient site of Akrotiri and the archaeological museum of Thera.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for some very rough (underfoot) walking.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not overtly.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Santorini excellent 2 nights. Naxos - not too well supported as a single walker.Read the operator's response here:
Dear Robert, thank you for taking the time to explain to us in more detail how we could have offered you better support as a single walker. We understand that you were not happy with the support over the phone your received in Naxos and you wanted someone to meet you and answer your questions in person. We will take this into account of course and make sure our future guests get face to face support when they need it. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the support you received and your walks in Santorini and hope you have good memories of Naxos as well. Thank you for your feedback.
Eileen Mouradian review 22 Oct 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The hike from Fira to Oia is very nice. It's a well used path, so no directions are necessary. It follows the ocean and is beautiful. We even made some new friends along the way. We met lots of nice people on this trip. Some were tourists and others were from Greece. The food was very good too. The Anixis hotel on Naxos was very nice. They have a great breakfast and wonderful ocean views. We could even hear the ocean. Even though we originally signed up for the independent walking tour, we were able to join an existing guided tour for several days of hiking on Naxos. This turned out to be very convenient since the island is so slow in October. Plus, Annie, our guide was great and the the other four travelers were nice to spend time with while hiking. On the Santorini Pyrgos trail, we needed the app in order to follow the trail. We were nervous about the trails in Naxos after that. So, joining the group was very helpful. The timing just turned out great. I think that some printed handouts of just the trail directions in a format easy to carry around while hiking would be very useful. The phone gps apps use a lot of power and that made us nervous.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
There are still a lot of tourists on Santorini in the middle of October. While this has it's downside, it also means that there are lots of buses traveling the island. So, getting around on your own is very easy. Naxos, however, is very quite in October. There are very few buses this time of year. This makes traveling the island for hiking more difficult. Taxis transfers may be necessary for hiking the island.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The people in Greece seem to need the tourist dollar a lot, so I hope our presence helped them. We met several collage educated people working in hotels and restaurants because there aren't enough jobs available.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We had a very nice time. This was our first time using Responsible Travel. We now have another company to use for trips in the future.Brenda Varnam review 1 Oct 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I enjoyed exploring the island on ancient trails that have been used for centuries by local people but have never been written down on a paper map until this century.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Tell Niko what you hope to do and he will listen to your preferences and guide you to options to choose from. He was very receptive to developing an itinerary that was flexible and adaptable to my time and adventure preferences.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I very much enjoyed the balance between independent travel and supported travel that this trip gave me. I am a solo traveler and Nikos built a trip for me ... he adapted his regular itinerary for group and gave me suggestions, hotel support and guide books as well as phone and email support while I was there. I was able to explore trails and places by myself that I would her never found alone and on my own ... but I was able to explore them alone and on my own (which I enjoy... solo time is healthy and important for me) with the confidence of a guide in my pocket. This was fantastic for my needs and travel style! Thank you Nikos!Trevor Rowlatt review 23 May 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The culture and people of Naxos2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Meet the local people on the walks they are very friendly and happy to help.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes stayed in local hotels and walked through the villages. Eating a small family ran cafe.e4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent vacation highly recommended.Joy Cornforth review 23 Sep 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We much preferred Naxos to Santorini much more relaxed. Best walks were Mount Zas and Caldera rim walk from Fira to Oia, both fabulous views.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Spend more time in Naxos and less time in Santorini. If only using public transport be prepared for restricted bus operating times on Naxos/ Santorini and very crowded buses. Some of the walks we were unable to do due to lack of public transport on the return journey. Some bus journey's are split having to change buses half way which does not tell you on the bus timetable. The bus station on Santorini is very chaotic. We found the Islands are quite expensive for everything. The port in Santorini is also very busy and chaotic with little to no guidance. The ferries were late on every transfer by 45 minutes. The luggage storage below deck on the ferry is swamped with everybody's belongings make sure your luggage is easy identified as you do not get very long to find it prior to departing the ferry. Santorini airport is very small and very overcrowded. It struggles to cope with every aspect.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes as we ate a local family tarvernas and used public transport everywhere.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The vacation company were absolutely super. Good communication prior to vacation, everything was booked perfectly and went without a hitch. Lots of texts from vacation reps confirming their availability for help and questions.Neena Kumar review 6 Nov 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The personal challenge of completing the hikes myself, the isolated walks in a rugged yet serene environment, arriving at key sites all tired, hot and sweaty whilst other tourists were in pristine condition (must be those air conditioned vehicles), the locals friendliness and hospitality, the local cuisine (the wines are must-have) and of course picturesque Santorini itself with its churches and caldera. Ooops, I just couldn't choose one!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
A few things to consider: 1. As well as the weather, do check the tides/swell of the sea especially when planning the 'Caldera to Akrotiri and Vlychada trail'. There are two parts on this trail which are on the rocky beach (the beach is narrow) and if the tide is in then your path is blocked. 2. Expect many of the remote churches to be closed...it's just how it is! 3. The app provided by nofootprint was great but make sure you keep a battery charger with you in case your mobile decides to give up. To use the app you need to have your location enabled and in my case this used up my phone battery quite quickly.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely. Walking through local towns/villages was great as you get to meet the locals and eat/drink in local establishments thus contributing to the local economy. The trails were a mix of well-trodden paths and 'figure-it-out yourself' paths but no flora was damaged in the process. The bus system on the island is excellent, frequent and cheap...really good local infrastructure.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Ah just amazing and the perfect trip...a different way to see such a beautiful island and all it has to offer! Loved it!Holiday Reviews
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