Go to: Naxos, Greece

Instead of: Santorini, Greece

Everyone talks about Santorini as THE place to visit in Greece. But our favorite budget-friendly vacation alternative is one of this country’s best-kept secrets. The largest of the Cycladic islands, it sits in the Aegean Sea, roughly halfway between Santorini and Mykonos.

This is the perfect place to experience authentic Greek village life, and accommodations start at a mere $25 per night. In contrast, you won’t find anything on Santorini for under 100 bucks. And most rooms go for much higher, some at well over $1,000 a night.

Naxos, though, offers a different experience, where you can still see a donkey descending a cobbled street road, along with adorable white-washed homes, dense mountains, scenic vineyards, olive groves, and gorgeous beaches.

There are also many restaurants in this budget-friendly vacation alternative serving up farm-to-table pleasures and fascinating historic sites like the collection of kouros statues that date back to the 8th century BC.