Greece

Greece & the Greek Isles

October 2022

Quick summary: Athens, Santorini, Mykonos via flight out of Chicago. Credit cards taken almost everywhere but we recommend having Euros on hand as well. All three locations are very touristy so English is commonly used and most Greeks offer you advice, guidance and assistance, especially if you look lost. Pickpocketing can be common, so be on guard and watchful if you are offered assistance. Taxis can also scam so only get in a taxi where you see a meter. If you can, ask hotel staff how much it should cost to give you an idea to make sure you’re not scammed at drop off. These are the only downsides we heard about and thankfully never experienced.

For our honeymoon, we choose Greece! We wanted to spend a few days in Athens so we could see the city and of course, the Parthenon. We also wanted to experience a couple of the islands, knowing they all have their unique feel. We were not disappointed! The Greek people are incredibly welcoming and take such pride in their culture. They are helpful and want you to enjoy their country, food, and culture. One surprise was Greek wine. You just don’t see much of it around Milwaukee and it was some of the best red wine I’d tasted with no headaches or hangovers! We highly recommend you put Greece on your bucket list if it’s not already.

Athens

Where we stayed

We stayed in two different hotels when we were in Athens. The first was our favorite as it felt more in the middle of everything. Very easy walking distance to some of the biggest sights. Hotel Amalia was nice, clean and the staff was welcoming and friendly. We had breakfast included and it had a huge variety. They also have a rooftop deck and this is where we glimpsed our first view of the Parthenon! On the backend of the trip, we stayed at Airotel Stratos Vassilikos Hotel. There was nothing wrong with this hotel. It was nice and in nice area. However, we needed to take the metro to get over to the acropolis area. The metro was easy to use and cheap. We did get some help from a couple of students as we were looking at the metro map. We used Megaro Moussikis station to get over to Acropoli station, putting us right in the heart of the Plaka neighborhood.

What we ate

Souvlaki, tzatziki, pita, feta, hummus. Repeat. We could not get enough of the amazing Greek food. We pretty much ate this for every meal. If you want a rooftop view of the Parthenon while you eat, we highly recommend MS Roof Garden in the heart of the Monastiraki neighborhood. Since we are early birds and couldn’t wait to eat as late as the Greeks do (like 9pm), we had the place to ourselves. And our view was incredible. We could not get over it.

When we came back to Athens on the last night of our trip, we ate at Athina Bistrot, located in the Plaka neighborhood. We were seated at the base of the acropolis and had a front row seat to watching it light up as dusk transitioned to dark. It was one of the favorite nights of our trip. Try Ouzo! This is a Greek liqueur and fair warning, it is anise based. If you don’t like black licorice, you’re not going to like it. Sean didn’t care for it at all. I liked it but holy smokes, it’s strong! Greeks traditionally add water and an ice cube, watering it down a bit. I say try it – you only live once!

What we did

Athens is a very walkable city so that’s what we did in the 2 short days we had. We walked through the Plaka and Monastiraki neighborhoods mostly. There are loads of shops and tavernas around the acropolis and we never tire of wandering through the tiny streets and side alleys. As we left Hotel Amalia, we headed down the street and soon ran into Hadrian’s Arch. We crossed the street so we could get into the archaeological site behind it, Temple of Olympian Zeus. It’s about $6-$7 per ticket and you can walk around the grounds using the map they provide.

The main attraction is of course the Acropolis and the Parthenon. We paid the entrance cost of about $13 per ticket and started the hike to the top. Be warned it can be very crowded and it can be a steep/slippery walk to the top. We went in near the end of the day and there were still loads of people. Aside from the few people taking 40 pictures to get that perfect Instagram shot, it wasn’t awful having to share with so many people. The views of Athens from atop the acropolis are also stunning. It was a sunny day so we could see the Aegean Sea shining in the distance.

If you geek out over the Acropolis and Parthenon, head over to the Acropolis Museum. They have even more artifacts, statues and artwork that has been preserved. It was a Greek mythology and history enthusiast’s dream. So much to see that it was a bit overwhelming. We thought it was worth the entrance fee of $10-$13 (Euros). And of course, I hit up the gift shop. I had to have something with Athena on it. All of it is for her, after all.

We didn’t get a chance to see everything in two days. We did walk by the Ancient Agora but didn’t get to check it out. I’ve added to my list for when we go back. It looks like $5-10 Euros to get in and would be worth it! We also walked by the Roman Agora or Roman Forum of Athens and didn’t have time to go in. It’s also reasonable to check out at $4-8 Euros for a ticket.

Santorini

Where we stayed

We stayed on the beach side of Santorini in Kamari. We liked Kamari – very pretty beach walk, black sand/rock beach and loads of tavernas. We stayed at the Hotel Rosebay, right off the beach walk and beach. It was a very nice boutique hotel – as they all are on Santorini. The pool was lovely and the room was nice. The staff were very welcoming and accommodating, allowing us to leave our luggage and change while they were preparing our room. Our only complaint was the bed in our room was a double and not very comfortable. If you want to be on the beach, stay in Kamari. If you prefer overlooking the caldera, stay on the cliff side in Thira or Oia. If we had it to do over again, we’d want to stay on caldera side. It would be busier and more congested, but the views would make it worth it!

What we ate

Kamari: The first thing we did when we arrived was to grab a drink while we waited for our room to be ready. The board walk or beach walk takes you through a gauntlet of tavernas. We stopped at Mango Santorini for a beer. We sat beachside so we could look out at the sea. It was a great place to relax and have a drink. Our favorite dinner was probably not what you’d expect. We picked up a pizza, greek salad and margarita salad from Il Forno in Kamari. Walking distance to our hotel and holy smokes – it was so good. After a long day of hiking and drinking at the winery, we took it back to our room, watched a movie and relaxed. We highly recommend if you’re looking for a chill meal. They do have some outdoor seating as well.

As for places on the beach along the boardwalk – pick one! There are so many and they will all insist you come in. I’m not exaggerating when I called it a gauntlet. We chose Taverna Perigiali and it was just ok. They forgot an appetizer we ordered and it seemed they were more worried about getting more people in than the customers they did have. That said, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the tavernas on the board walk.

Thira: Thira. Thera. Fira. You’ll see it called all three names! There are so many amazing looking places in Thira so choosing was difficult. The views in Thira can’t be beat, except for maybe in Oia, but we’ll get to that next. We had lunch at Mama Thira’s, which overlooks the caldera. We sat on the rooftop, sharing a few small appetizers, likely hummus, tzatziki, and fava dip. All served with the best, house-made pita. There are so many tavernas to choose from. We wanted one slightly away from the hustle and bustle of Thira. This fit the bill perfectly. And it’s the cutest little place to boot. We also had coffees at Aroma Cafe at the bottom of the cable car ride. Cute little place to relax and have a coffee. The water is the clearest, blue water and it was awesome to see it up close!

Oia: After our 10k hike from Thira to Oia, we were parched and starving! We found Lotza and lucked out with a table overlooking the caldera. Wow. We had Greek Beer Mythos – our personal favorite, pita, tzatziki and spicy feta. I’m sure you’re seeing a pattern – we eat a version of this almost every meal! For dinner, we didn’t want to be in a super crowded place that had direct view of the sunset. We’d been warned about this. We found a perfect spot that was toward the edge of the city and not packed full of people. Petrosia is a lovely Greek restaurant overlooking the caldera, sunset slightly out of view. However, the food is amazing. We’d recommend you eat dinner before the sunset, then find your way to a spot to watch the grand finale. This is what we did.

What we did & how to get around the island

The first thing we did was ask about transportation at the hotel. They recommended the bus. The schedule had frequent stops to and from Thira and Kamari. We rarely waited more than a few minutes to catch the bus to the other side of the island. It was also very cheap, only costing 2-3 Euros per trip.

Thira: In Thira there is a lot you can do outside of shopping and eating or drinking. We took the Santorini Cable Car to the bottom to see the port. We sat at a coffee shop and read our books, watching the cruise ships bringing boatloads of passengers to the docks. If you wish to brave the Karavolades Stairs, you can. They are pretty intense so we recommend you be in good physical health. They do have donkeys that will take you up the stairs, but that felt a bit like animal cruelty to us. To each their own!

Oia: You can also take the steps of Oia down to Ammoudi Bay. Again, we recommend you be in good physical health because they are no joke! We made it half way and I changed my mind! Ammoudi Bay did look lovely from above and we were told there were some amazing seafood restaurants down below. However, we’ll likely never know – so do share if you brave the stairs! Again, there are donkeys and ride one up just isn’t something we wanted to do.

Winery Tasting & Tour

We had a few different wineries on our list to visit and we’re so happy we chose Artemis Karamolegos Winery. I’d say it’s about half way between Thira and Kamari. We actually just walked back from the winery when we were finished and it was a beautiful 25-30 minute walk. The winery is popular, so keep that mind. We walked in with no reservation and got lucky. They get a lot of tours from the cruise ships that come into Thira. The wine was amazing! We love the whites, rose, and reds – maybe the volcanic soil made them so good?! Either way, the wine and service was amazing. Georges was our server and his passion and knowledge for wine was probably the most impressive of any winery visit we’ve had. We spent hours in the beautiful garden like space, chatting about metal bands with Georges. He even called his mom so she could give me her tzatziki recipe. We didn’t want to leave!

Hike from Thira to Oia

A few friends had recommended we hike from Thira to Oia. We’re so happy for this recommendation. I will say it was probably one of the more challenging hikes we’ve done with big hills up and down as well as lava rock pebbles, making it feel a little treacherous in places. However, don’t let that stop you. It’s completely worth it. The views are breathtaking and walking into Oia is 100 times more rewarding having earned it the view coming down into the city. Oia is famous for the sunsets and we definitely understood why! The walk took us 2+ hours. It is not well marked as you’re leaving Thira. Just follow the streets and walkways along the caldera until you head out of town. Once out of town, there are some signs pointing you towards Oia, marking distance as well. We did not hike back from Oia to Thira. We took the bus from Oia back to Kamari. If you stay until after sunset, the buses will be very full and you will likely wait in line. They do come frequently so you won’t wait long. They do pack the buses very full!

Mykonos

Mykonos has an entirely different feel than Santorini. We’re told it’s the party island but we didn’t see much of that since season was essentially over. Mykonos is known for the beautiful beaches, nightlife and the wind. Yes. The wind is a bit crazy, thus the famous windmills. Finding a beach on the south side is key to avoiding a bit of the windy days.

Where we stayed

The hotel in Mykonos was my favorite of our whole trip. Dorion Hotel is a beautiful boutique hotel that overlooks Ornos Bay and Beach. It was clearly newer or freshly renovated. There were many pools and office/breakfast room was beautifully decorated. Breakfast was also wonderful! The staff were welcoming and helpful – also very kind when we discovered we were to be stranded another night – more to come on that!

What we ate and drank

Ornos Beach:  Apaggio sits right on the water and if you sit outside, you get a lovely view of the sun setting behind the ridge. We did the usual – Greek wine, Mythos beer, hummus, tzatziki and pita. We also tried some of their pasta. The food was so delicious and the view was even better. At dusk they have tiny, string type lights that float down from the roof and sway in the breeze. It was probably the most magical meal we had. So magical we had two dinners here. If you need some essentials or water and snacks for your room, check out Ornos Market. We stopped in twice for a few essentials while we were there. During our lazy beach day, we had lunch at Aperanto Galazio right on Ornos Beach. If you rent a beach chair, you can eat right there and not move all day. We also ate on the deck the next day. It’s a nice, traditional Greek taverna that does feel a little more upscale. We liked it.

Mykonos Town: We had some time to kill before dinner one day so we stopped for drinks at Scarpa. Scarpa is in Little Venice and sits right on the water. Drinks are VERY expensive! Probably paying for the view. Either way, we enjoyed it. For dinner, we went to Kastro’s Restaurant, located on the water, slightly north of Scarpa. It was only a few minute walk. The taverna was lovely and if you lucked out, you could sit at a table right over the water. We sat right next to a door, overlooking the water and the sunset. The food was amazing. We of course tried the usual dips but this time Sean ordered salmon and I ordered pasta. It was another of our favorite meals. On our way out of town, we stopped for ice cream in Little Venice! Snow Pure Ice Cream was a perfect treat as we headed back towards the windmills to watch the last remnants of sunset.

What we did

We prefer to hike or walk around the islands so we walked from Ornos Beach to Mykonos Town to see one of the most famous sites, the Windmills of Mykonos. There isn’t loads to do in Mykonos Town. There is a museum and you can wander the streets, sit in the tavernas and take in the view of the Aegean Sea. And of course at Ornos Beach, you find a chair and relax on the beach. We didn’t wander outside of Ornos Beach or Mykonos Town. We were told to head for beaches on the south side of the island. There are party beaches and family beaches on the south side of the island. And those are most likely to be out of the crazy winds of Mykonos. We recommend heading that way for a beach day. We were there at the end of the season and those beaches were pretty much closed down. That’s why we decided to stay close to “home” at Ornos Beach.

Delos: We were shamefully unaware that Delos existed. A couple we met on the trip mentioned it and after we tired of wandering streets in Mykonos Town, we wandered down to the port to see about ferry tickets to Delos. Delos Tours have tickets at $22 (Euros) round trip and they leave/return from Delos a few times throughout the day. Delos was considered the birthplace of Greek God Apollo. Apollo was God of the Sun so you’ll see a picture of sculptures of lions that still remain, watching the horizon for the arrival of Apollo each morning. The island flourished around 2000-1500 BC and it’s said that Apollo didn’t want anyone to be born or to die on his island. We were not prepared for the quality and condition of the ruins. We were in complete awe of it, truly. Some of the mosaic floors were still in pristine condition. You can also hike to the highest point to see Mykonos, the whole island of Delos and surrounding islands. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of sheep cared for by a small population that lives on the island. We left the island truly speechless that day. One note: if you have any fear of boats or water, go on a day the Aegean is really calm. The boat ride back to Mykonos felt particularly rough, but I’m not a fan of big waves on big water.