Greek islands for students

Mykonos

Mykonos is mostly known for it's mythical parties and it's mascot, the pelican called Petros. It is the island of the winds, and, obviously, one of the most popular student destinations in Greece. It is located in the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean sea, and it is super expensive in the high season, boasting thousands of tourists in its party kingdom. Its five windmills are the one of the most famous greek sceneries that travel around the world in card postals, and the people you will find here are mostly students or rich bussiness people.

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Four days are enough if you want to see the basic beaches and experience the most famous party spots on the island.

The top must-see spots on Mykonos island are:

• Beaches: Paradise, Elia, Psarrou, Platis Gialos, Kalo Livadi
• Bars and clubs: Cavo Paradiso, Tropicana, Scorpios, Super Paradise, Scandinavian, and definitely Caprice
• Sights: Little Venice, the Windmills, Ano Mera, the streets of Hora.

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You can reach Mykonos from the Pireus Port which is close to Athens, or by flight from the El. Venizelos airport. The journey takes almost 5 hours by boat (there is also a quick ferry, but it is much more expensive), or 1 hour by plane. Make sure that you book your accommodation well in advance because the prices in the summer are reaching extraordinary hights, and try the local cuisine in Ano Mera and not in the town of Mykonos, or at cute little tavernas located on the beaches, by choosing traditional and non-tourististic places if you want to have good quality food in reasonable prices. Don't worry if the weather is windy....it's almost always like that, the wind is the main attraction in Mykonos, and if it ruins your day on the beach, you can always wisely choose a beach on the other side of the island, where the sea won't be wavy.

Source-Paradise Club

Skiathos

Skiathos is located in the Sporades Islands, and it is packed with students all summer long. Seriously, seeing an older person on the island is extremely rare. The prices on the island are reasonable in comparison with the more touristic ones, so the students and especially the Greek ones prefer it for short-term holidays full of morning spant sunbathing and nights partying.

Source-Skiathos town

I would suggest dedicating four days on this island too, not because it is too big, but because you need a long time to get here and as it has so many beaches you can visit, that even if you spend many days, again they won't be enough. So you can actually choose the basic ones in order to enjoy your time and spend the rest of it exploring the traditional town and port of the island.

The top must-see spots on Skiathos island are:

• Beaches: Lalaria, Banana, Koukounaries, Vromolimnos, Aselinos
• Bars and clubs: Bananistas, Rock n' Roll, Kahlua (and in general all the clubs in the new port)
• Sights: Papadiamantis street, the house of Papadiamantis, the old port, Bourtzi

Source-Playa Lalaria - característica de la ciudad

The best option if you want to make the most out of the island, is to take a one-day boat trip around the island. There are many of them, you just need to go to the old port and ask the boat owners who will be literally eager to convince you to book their boat. Just play hard and go from one to the other asking about the trip and the price, and you will eventually see that they are lowering the price as a competition among them in order for you to choose them. And be careful! You need to be informed of the weather forecast beforehand, as if the trip takes place on a windy day, you won't be able to enjoy it so much. There are also boat trips to nearby islands, if you are interested to see more in one try.

Source Rock n Roll bar- voted as one of the best coctail spots in Europe

If you want to eat, you can try the local cuisine, again avoiding the touristic traps with the extravagant costs. There are many great crepe and waffle places all along the Papadiamanti Street, and delicious souvlaki spots. The bus service on the island is really often but extremely crowded at the same time, so for many people it is more beneficial and comfortable to rent a car, although in my opinion it is not necessary.

You can reach Skiathos from Volos Port or from Athens, you can take the bus to Ag. Konstantinos and then take the ferry to Skiathos Port (five to six hours in total). The island also has an airport, so you can reach it by plane in less than one hour from Athens.

Crete

Well, there are never enough words or images to describe this incredible island. Combining tradition, religion, good food, pristine beaches, great views with any kind of entertainment, Crete never leaves anyone dissapointed after a short or a long visit. And, talking from a private perspective, as many times as you visit it, you will never run out of new options or places to see, nor will you feel full of the island.

Do you wanna see more photos and details about Crete? Check out the part 2 of the Most Famous Student Party Islands!

I will give you more information about the magestic island of Crete in my following post, not only in order to maintain some suspence in the air, but also to let you know about the rest of the party islands of Greece! To be continued...!