This was our second trip to Greece. Santorini and Athens were both repeat visits, which tells you something right there. See our postings for November 2013 for our original visit.
Santorini
- It's beauty is so mesmerizing; it's history is mind boggling (Akrotiri stands out. Visit the site and the museum in Fira.); vineyards cover the countryside with numerous opportunities to taste fine wines; then there is the shopping (especially fun in Oia) and the many fine restaurants.
- Despite all that you may just want to lounge on your patio or in your hottub gazing at the sunset or just down over the blue and white houses, the lacy church towers, the boats, the sparkling water...
- Bottom Line: It requires a minimum of 3 days but a week is better.
Athens
- Everyone knows they need to spend a day or two here just to visit the Acropolis, the Agora and maybe a museum or two.
- But it is a big city with real city character. We advise branching out and exploring the neighborhoods.
- If you want to squeeze in an island experience, visit Hydra as an overnight or just a one day trip from Athens. Hydra features: shops, restaurants, hiking, swimming, all within walking distance or water taxi of the ferry, no motorized vehicles allowed.
- Bottom Line: If all you want to see is the renowned highlights, allow one to two days to see the biggies and to get a tiny taste of Athens. 3 days allows a better sampling. And a week is great if you can spare the time.
Delphi & Meteora
- Each of these can be done as a daytrip but each deserves at least an overnight. There are numerous options for arranging these short trips.
- Bottom Line: Combine these with an overnight in Delphi and one or two overnights in Meteora. If you only have two days to spare, target Meteora. Its geography and history are so unique...although it is a long drive from Athens.
Vikos Gorge / Epirus Territory
- This is an overlooked gem because it is a long way from Athens and has been difficult to access. Newly built highways have improved the access so it will likely become less overlooked. Also it is basically an outdoors place and the greenest (rainiest) area of Greece...so it may not be for everyone.
- An idea for including it on a trip from Athens is to drive up through Delphi and Meteora and from Vikos go on to Corfu (island to the west, access by ferry) or to Thessaloniki (city on the Agean Sea). Both have airports for your return trip. We haven't been to either, but would like to visit each of them.
Nafplio
- Nafplio offers 3 local fortresses (we recommend taking photos of Bourtzi and visiting Palamidi), easy access to impressive ancient sites (Epidaurus, Mycenae), fun shopping and excellent wine & food options. You might want to arrange a wine tour of the Nemea region. We took the lazy approach and went to wine bars.
- This is another easy trip from Athens. And enroute it is worth a stop to see the Corinth Canal.
More of the Peloponnese
If you like less touristy places, checkout more of the Peloponnese, but keep in mind that this is better for an extended stay with a car.
- Pylos - beauty, food, Fortresses, Palace of Nestor, Messene. Stay for 3 days minimum.
- Mani - peace & quiet, stone villages, scenery. Stay in Kardamyli, Aeropoli or Gythio.
- Monemvasia - fun stop for 2 nights.
- There is an Airport in Kalamata (with service to various European airports but NOT from Athens). Shuttle service can be arranged from Athens.
OTHER ISLANDS
Paros
- Paros is a small and less known version of Santorini. With easy daytrip ferry access to Mykonos, Naxos and AntiParos.
- Offers beaches (many shallow and better for wading but swimmable further offshore), nice restaurants and shops, even a local winery with pretty fine wines.
- Consider a beach day on Antiparos
- Stay in Naoussa (our top choice) or Paros Town.
Crete
- Crete is a large island. We prefer visiting Heraklion (mid island) briefly (to see the ruins of Knossos) and staying for several days in Chania.
- Crete has good ferry service from Heraklion to Santorini making the two islands a good combo to visit.
Rhodes
- We only had a day here due to travel difficulties. But that day was amazing! Staying 3-4 days would allow ample time to explore the island.
- Rhodes combines well with visiting Turkey.
- Rhodes is covered in our October 2013 posting.
WHEN TO GO
As for timing, we are strong believers in Off Season Travel...and especially so for Greece. The heat and crowds hit in July & August. We saw the pickup in both in late June. On the other end, tourist services cut back by mid October and are seriously reduced by the end of October. As for the beginning of the season, May is good. Not sure about April.
NOTES FOR DRIVERS
- For drivers over 70, you may have difficulty renting a car. We used Avance Rental Car (they seem to allow drivers up to age 75) and Avis (which doesn't list an upper limit!)
- The Peloponnese and Vikos Gorge areas feature narrow roads with lots of elevation (ie lots of twists and turns, along with the likelihood of finding yourself, as a passenger, looking down a steep drop-off. Not recommended for the faint hearted,
RECOMMENDED TRAVEL SERVICE
Alternative Athens was an incredible resource. See: https://www.alternativeathens.com/
They have expertise on the mainland and many of the islands. We relied on them for all the details of our mainland trip. Our trip was thoroughly documented for us in their Trip Plans app. The App has a google map for the full trip, and day by day details including what we booked, what we might also want to book, things that are a MUST along the way, other interesting stops, and restaurant recommendations.
They also offer great guided tours in Athens. We discovered their service through Rick Steves recommendation for a culinary tour.
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