Greece

Official Language: Greek Currency: Euro

Athens Corfu Ios Paros Santorini

Situated in the south east of Europe, sandwiched between 3 different seas - the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Aegean, you will find the mainland and 1400+ islands that make up Greece. The archipelago and mainland both offer an incredible coastline, with everything from sand to pebble beaches in a wide range of colours, bays, coves, coastal caves, mountains, and a plethora of reasons to visit.

Not only is Greece rich in coastline and beautiful nature, but it is also rich in some incredible history. I’d be here all day writing about all of the history of Greece, and probably get half of the facts wrong, so I’ll spare you the details, but a tour around Greece, and Athens in particular, highlights the importance that Greece’s history has had on the entire world.

Tourism is Greece’s largest industry, with shipping coming in second. A financial crisis in the late 2000’s hit Greece hard, and fearing defaults on debt payments, other EU countries have provided aid packages totalling billions of Euros to help its economy and get it back on its feet. It has resulted in tax increases, large cuts in public spending, and fears of instability and unrest within the country. Of all of the ‘touristy’ places to go in Europe, Greece is certainly deserving of your time and money. I promise the food, the people, the archeological sites & history, the beaches, and the impressive sunsets are more than worth the $$ spent here, and they are especially appreciative of it.

Athens

The capital and largest city of Greece, Athens, is a must see if you’re into history. Even if you aren’t, the monuments here have a power and energy to them that can’t be described, but rather felt. The city is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world, with history dating back over 3,400 years. The very first modern day Olympics was hosted here in 1896, and was ‘brought home’ more recently in 2004.

Many ancient monuments and artwork call Athens home; the Acropolis, a UNESCO world heritage site is one of the most well known, for obvious reasons. The Acropolis is an ancient citadel situated on a hilly outcrop above the city. Most notably, it is home to the Parthenon, Old Temple of Athena, Temple of Athena Nike, and just down the hill, two theatres including the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. Significant damage was done to the monuments in 1687 during the Morean war, when gunpowder stored in the Parthenon was struck by a cannonball and subsequently blew up. Restoration of some of these monuments has taken place, and as it seems with all restoration projects, is constantly ongoing.

When visiting the Acropolis hill and its historical monuments, there is always the option of taking a guided tour, or alternatively doing a self guided tour. The best time of day to head up is arguably first thing in the morning when the gates open - not only will you avoid crowds (as much as you can anyway), but you will also avoid the heat of the day, especially if travelling in high season in the summer when temperatures in Greece can be scorching hot. You can also pre-purchase tickets online beforehand to save yourself time waiting in lines. Another tip for entering the monument if you aren’t doing a guided tour is to use the ‘secondary’ entrance if you will. Most people don’t even know that this entrance exists, and will guarantee you seeing the two theatres that many don’t ever venture towards. This entrance has GPS coordinates of 37°58’10.9”N 23°43’45.1”E if you put them into Google, and you will save yourself a ton of time and hassle with not having to battle the crowds or tour groups at this side. The walk up to the Parthenon is relatively easy, though I would suggest wearing running shoes as opposed to flip flops as the rocks can be quite slippery if wet!

Grab your ticket and marvel at the history that lies at your feet and within the towering pillars above you. The power in the columns is unforgettable and something truly unique. To finish off your day, grab a drink at one of the neighbouring restaurants with a rooftop in the area and admire the view of the Acropolis by night. The Parthenon lights up like a Christmas tree and is an amazing site to see.

Corfu

The ‘Grand Lady’, aka Corfu, is an island located off of the north west coast of mainland Greece, within the Ionian Sea and part of the Ionian island group. The islands is known for is lush vegetation, mountainous regions, and impeccable beaches.

Corfu was an easy decision for us, as it was a quick and easy 30 minute ferry ride over from Saranda, Albania where we had spent the night before. The centre of Corfu island is classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, and on the eastern side of the city, the rocky shore capped with 2 low peaks give the island its name, Koryfo (Corfu, meaning peak).

We spent the couple of the days that we had on the Island in a community called Agios Gordios. Nestled in a bay on the west side, we spent our time with some incredible beaches, soaking in the fresh air, salty seas, and beaming sunshine. One of the best ways to get around the Greek islands in my opinion is by quad (or a 4x4 if you rather). I grew up on an acreage for much of my teenage years, and quadding is second nature to me so this was a great way to check out the island in a quick and fun way. We rode south from the town to a different beach for a while, before heading to a viewpoint that overlooked the island and Corfu town, as well as the Albanian coast where we had just come from. If you only have one day on the island, I would highly recommend ripping around on a quad to check it all out. Find a quaint beach, a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the island, or watch a beautiful sunset with drink or greek snacks in hand, from one of the many amazing spots that you will find. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ios

Ios is an island located in the Cyclades group on the East side of the Greek mainland. The Island has a reputation for being a ‘party’ island based on its crazy nightlife, but Ios is so much more than that. The narrow streets, whitewashed houses and buildings, stunning beaches, and picturesque cliffside villages all contribute to the vibrance and atmosphere of the island.

During the day, escape the heat by heading to one of the many beaches where you can swim in the stunning water of the Aegean Sea - Mylopotas beach is probably the most popular, though by no means the only option and Far Out Beach Club is a renowned spot for a beach party during the summer months.

In the late afternoon/evening, the beach clubs, restaurants, and bars all come alive. Its easy to get sucked in to the party scene here, so be prepared to hang out on the beaches all day to recover from the night before as most clubs don’t open until the wee hours of the night (or morning I should say), so going to bed early is easier said than done.

To get here, we caught a ferry from Athens to Ios, which ended up being much longer than expected. A planned 6 hour ferry turned into closer to 8 hours due to rough seas and a changed route in lieu of, but we eventually made it to the island (though not without a little girl puking all over my backpack from sea sickness first). Be prepared for whatever may come your way, and I promise you that Ios will be an incredible stop along your island hopping journey.

Paros

A lesser known island in the Cyclades, though no less beautiful, is Paros. It too sits in the heart of the Aegean Sea, to the East of Athens. Paros is a well rounded island, with something for everyone here - beautiful beaches, incredibly fresh greek food, historical sites, nightlife, and many local villages to check out.

From Paros where the ferry will drop you off, its easy to take a day trip either via bus or quad, to Naoussa, a ‘quaint’ fishing village on the North shores of the island. I say quaint because it can certainly be this way - at certain times of the year. I was very fortunate to be there in shoulder season, so it was significantly quieter than going during the high season in July & August. We could easily wander around the town centre or the harbour, passing very few other tourists on our way. The male con along the port is packed full of fishing boats and different restaurants and cafes situated right near the water — the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat or a happy hour drink and enjoy the beautiful views - night or day! I highly recommend going for a stroll through the cute picturesque greek streets, surrounded by white washed buildings and colourful bougainvilleas around every corner.

Santorini

Probably the most well known and visited island in the Cyclades is Santorini (or Thera in Greek). Santorini embodies what I had envisioned Greece to look like - whitewashed buildings, beautiful beaches, and stunning sunsets. Santorini is actually a (currently) dormant volcano, with the sea filled volcanic caldera as a focal point for the towns on the surrounding cliffs. One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years was in ~1620 BC on this island. It was this eruption that created the islands and caldera that we now know as present day Santorini. The most recent eruption, though not as significant, was in 1950.

Santorini has something for everyone, and you can easily spend a week here without seeing or doing it all (provided you have deep enough pockets to stay that long). There are many places to stay on the island depending on what you want to see and do, and how much you want to spend. The easiest way to get around the island is to either rent a car or a quad to have the freedom to go where you want, when you want, though, there are buses or tours that transport people to and from some of the hot spots if that is more of your travel style.

Fira is a town located relatively central, on the West side of the island, overlooking the caldera. This is where I stayed, though there are TONS of other options depending on your budget. Fira itself is quintessential Santorini, though taking a trip up to Oia on the North west side of the island, is where you’ll see the classic ‘postcard’ shots of Santorini that we’ve all come to love. Here is where you’ll find the blue domes, the ‘classic’ sunset of the island, and some incredible views of the distant cities over the caldera below. This is also where you will undoubtedly find a million tourists. If you do plan on watching the sunset here, make sure to get to the windmills early. People start to hangout here anywhere from an hour before sunset to get the perfect spot to watch. Sitting at a restaurant or cafe near by may work, though be warned that if theres a pathway next to you, you will likely have tourists get right in the way. A significant portion of the tourists on the island every day are from cruise ships, which typically arrive early in the morning and leave just after the sun sets, so if you’re looking for some quiet time, your piece of quiet time will be quite short lived in the main tourist areas.

Some typical things to do in Santorini for the day includes checking out many of the small towns and villages scattered around the island, wine tasting, beach combing on one of the many volcanic beaches, taking a trip to the volcano on the other side of the caldera, warming up in the hot springs, eating some amazing greek food, and of course, watching the sun set. Though Santorini is known for its incredible sunsets, the sunrise here is just as impressive. Anyone who knows me knows that i’m not a morning person, but I had to make an exception here. I rolled out my yogo yoga mat that I travel with on a beach on the East side of the island, and did a vinyasa practice with the beach all to myself, while watching the fishermen heading out in their boats, and the equally incredible sunrise.

If you’re a scuba diver like I am, this is also something that may be worthwhile for you to try here. As you can imagine, the marine life here may not be the highlight of a dive by any means, but if you’re into geology and rocks as I am, diving here may be right up your alley. With that said, the marine life here was surprisingly still impressive. No, it’s not your typical bright reef fish and coral you may see in the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef, but instead we got to see a massive school of barracuda, huge grouper, many octopus and squid, and sea slugs. There are many different shipwrecks, and since this is a volcanic island, many rock walls and trenches to swim through. Its incredible to see the caldera not only from the cliffs surrounding, but what lies below is just as impressive. You can dive along an igneous rock wall with massive boulders everywhere you look, trenches left as remnants of previous eruptions, and some sheer cliff drop-offs of 200-300 m that can feel very disorienting when you’re staring out into the abyss.

Ultimately, whatever you’re into, Santorini will have it. Regardless if you’re a backpacker, couple or honeymooner, Santorini is a must see when you’re in Greece. Find ways to get out of the hustle and bustle of the tourist traps, and find some hidden gems of your own to make your time on the island truly yours.