Re: Are you a Greek Island connosseur?
Post 2
Here's my suggestion too - more on the side of avoiding the crowds and too much moving, since you'll have a baby with you, even though you should be prepared for some crowds (but not total peak season yet). Therefore I wouldn't recommend Rhodes, Halkidiki on a weekend and the "party" islands:
Milos: 4-8 hour boat from Pireas, amazing geological formations and beaches, kind of cheap, quiet and romantic. Rent a car and discover the out of the way beaches, but be aware of narrow and sometimes dangerous to drive streets.
Crete: is pretty large and thus a place you could spend weeks. Chania is the most beautiful city/town in many people's (and my) opinion, but I suspect the most expensive too (no idea about out of the way villages, but there must be quite a few). The 19km national park canyon is supposed to be fascinating, and other sights include a natural palm tree forest at the eastern tip of the island, the ruins of the Minoan palaces and the archeological museum of Iraklio. Food is awesome too!
Mitilini (or Lesvos) - My all time favorite I always recommend. Quiet, cheap, cute, with friendly locals and if you're a seafood person, you can stuff yourself with the best of it without spending much! The only problem is that the sea is very cold, but again I took my first vacation there when I was 4 years old and survived it...
Samothraki, Thassos: more off-beat islands of the north Aegean. Samothraki also has nice mountains/forests, if you're into hiking and such.
Skiathos, Skopelos: near the coast (1-2 hour boat I think), nice beaches, can get crowded in the weekends and when there are sailing competitions - check the dates! The further island of this complex (Sporades), Alonisos, is probably a safer bet, but I've never been there... I think it has a protected area with cute sea creatures too!
I second tax_exile's recommendation for Fourni and Ikaria as the ultimate relaxing and lost in the wilderness experience and very interesting locals. Life has a rythem of its own there, and don't expect anything to be done on time or efficiently, otherwise you miss the point. But I've heard that beaches are great, and you can safely hitchhike anywhere in the island!
Also Simi is great for small and quiet, but I'd be suspicious of any island of the Cyclades complex, especially on the weekends. They are very beautiful though, don't get me wrong!
That said, the most stunning island in terms of scenery, in my opinion, is Santorini in the Cyclades complex, which is what remains of a volcano that collapsed into a caldera after a massive eruption in ancient times. However, it can get really, really crowded. Maybe late June it would be bearable, though, dunno...
Finally, I'd also recommend spending a few days in Athens for the mandatory ancient sights thing. If you decide to skip the mid/south of Greece instead, Thessaloniki in the north has some archeological stuff you might want to check out too.
As for accomodation, for the period you're going, I wouldn't even bother booking anything (but don't quote me on this!). Just arrive there and crowds of room renters will welcome you in the docks with their deals, or you might have to take a little stroll around the village and ask around a bit to find something. Alternative accomodation is routinely available in any of those places, so you shouldn't have to even consider a hotel on a non-peak day.
Have fun!
