It’s fair to say Greece ticks a lot of boxes as an exotic travel destination. Fascinating ancient monuments. Big tick. Hiking trails galore. Tick. Traditional hilltop towns and charming fishing villages. Tick and tick. And then there are the stunning beaches, buzzing cities, and amazing national cuisine to consider. In reality, you could spend months exploring everything on offer
Greece has been on my bucket list for quite a while, and as fate would have it, I stumbled upon a TravelZoo deal for a week in Athens and Santorini that included flights and accommodation, and I was immediately sold.
I pitched the travel package to my travel crew, they all signed up, since this was something we had already discussed and were making travel plans.
Day 1: We landed in Athens on a Monday morning, which happened to be Easter Monday. The Greeks follow the Orthodox Jewish calendar so most places were closed for business. That made for an easy ride from the airport to our hotel. The lively cab driver doubled up as our tour guide, pointing out all the major landmarks along the way.
We stayed at the Athens Tiare Hotel, situated in the very heart of the commercial and business district of Athens, at Omonia square near the parliament building and a beautiful fountain. The location was excellent, close to a subway station and even better, a walking distance to the city. After checking in, we freshened up, went for breakfast, then went to explore the neighborhood on foot.
Later that evening, we scheduled a walking food tour. This turned out to be an amazing excursion as we sampled different authentic Greek dishes with a knowledgeable guide.
A sample tour would go something like this … Begin your day with breakfast in a charming little dairy shop in Omonia square. From tasting the famously delicious Greek yoghurt served with honey and nuts and Greece’s ancestor of the doughnut “loukoumades”, to strolling the famous ”Varvakios” food market, a vibrant, popular place with the locals, where you can buy a wide range of traditional Mediterranean fresh goods such as meat, fish, cheese and all kinds of vegetables and fruit.
From there, you can experience a colorful pallet of original Greek produce, like the world-renowned Cretan cheese, cured meats, olives and traditional Greek rusks in a series of quaint Greek delis. You can then complete the tour in the typical Greek way, getting to experience the beloved Greek ‘mezze’ with the alcohol that packs a punch, tsipouro!
Overall, you can be rest assured, food tasting tours of Athens will please anyone who dwells on traditional cuisine, or simply loves good food!
Day 2: We went on an all day cruise to 3 different islands ( Agistri, Moni and Aegina). The mild weather was perfect for a day at sea.
Agistri is a beautiful island and home to a 200 year old Church of Virgin Mary, located in Metochi village, on top of a hill offering a breathtaking view to the sea and the surrounding mountains.
Moni islet – located south-west side of Aegina – has some small beaches suitable for swimming, especially in the north coast. These beaches are surrounded by nice pine forests. If you are fond of climbing or hiking, you can cross the slopes of a steep mountain on the northern side of the islet. The path leading to the top has a German lookout post, which stands there since the Second World War when the Germans used the islet to defend the port of Piraeus from the Alleys.
Aegina is known internationally for its pistachios, or fistikia, which are considered to be of the highest quality in the world. The pistachio tree, which is native to Iran, was first brought to the island, and the Greek mainland in 1860, and the trees flourished in the Mediterranean climate and unique terrain of Aegina.
We had, what I can only describe as the world’s best pistachio ice cream, and also sampled other condiments including pistachio butter and liqueur and actual pistachio nuts!
This excursion was definitely worthwhile and a great way to spend a day from Athens. That same night we checked out one of the rooftop bars that has a view to the acropolis and we were not disappointed as it was beautiful from up there.
Day 3: We dedicated this day for Athens sightseeing; including visiting The Acropolis, the ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop, The Observatory, and Socrates’ prison. We had a rickshaw guided tour from our local guide to Plaka, a village-style shopping district with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes and local ceramics. They also have sidewalk cafes and family-run taverns that stay open until late, and Cine Paris shows classic movies al fresco.
The highlight of the day however was a dinner at Dinner in the Sky Athens. This amazing suspended restaurant sits 22 guests along with chefs who prepare five course menus, offering a once in a life time experience 120 feet up in the sky! I’ve got to admit, that was the highlight of my time in Athens.
Day 4: Santorini, one of the most popular holiday destinations worldwide and the most visited of all the Greek islands was our next stop; we had scheduled a flying-dress photo shoot in the morning. We met the photographer at the designated place and proceeded to have a four hour photo shoot.
I highly recommend you come fit, energized and hydrated because there’s a lot of flights of stairs to go up and down to get the best shots, and it gets hot, really hot, depending on the time of the year so being prepared is key!
With picturesque towns of cubic white-washed homes and blue-domed churches, Santoríni is especially famous for the towns of Firá and Oía, whose white and pastel-colored homes and churches – seemingly stacked on top of each other – are perched on the cliffs of the caldera. It really is as beautiful as you see in the instagram pictures..!
After the photo shoot, the next stop in our itinerary was a luxury Catamaran sunset cruise with cocktails and full BBQ meal. The descent from the hills to the docks was quite adventurous.
Cut to the cruise, there we were, all relaxed with drinks in our hands, enjoying the iconic Santorini sunset from a privileged point of view, literally overwhelmed with spectacular colors and nature’s bliss.
Day 5: Started out with a classic breakfast at the Med Spa Hotel, situated in the peaceful village of Kamari. We later caught a ferry from Santorini to the Island of Mykonos, an island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea, popularly known for its summer party atmosphere, we definitely had to check it out!
Once we got there, we checked into our Airbnb, freshened up, had dinner at a recommended local restaurant and then went out to sample the nightlife which did not disappoint! We were only here for one night which was a shame. We will definitely be coming back some day!
Day 6: Traveled back by ferry to Santorini and upon arrival, had to get Covid tested as a requirement for returning back to the US. We then proceeded to enjoy the spa amenities at the hotel – the sauna and steam room – while we waited to catch our evening flight back to Athens.
Once we got back to Athens, we just had enough time to catch forty winks before catching our flight back to the US.
I highly recommend a trip to Greece. It’s one of those destinations that you cannot just visit once, there is so much to do. With over 2,000 islands, you can go as many times as possible and have different experiences each and every time. I definitely plan on going back … I feel like I needed more time to do more and see more!!!
