Most of us have spoken of Greece only when it comes to short listing honeymoon locations. Who does not like the idea of spending beautiful evenings in a luxurious villa by the sea watching the vibrant sunrise or dreamy sunset with their other half? Or escaping to the beautiful crystal clear beaches? Or dining with a view of white and blue combination marvel and clicking too many pictures with some amazing backgrounds?
The oh-so-romantic locales of Santorini and the majestically historic Athens or the get away to the very beautiful Crete or the relaxing day out at Meteora, Greece has always been termed as the exotic Honeymoon location by most of us, but its about time we talk about how Greece is a great choice for all of us. Solo travellers, friend groups and/or people traveling with their dogs. Well, Yeah.
Getting There : Its hard to find a direct flight from the major cities of India, and thus would take about 15 plus hours to get to Athens. I highly recommend taking a flight where you reach Athens by afternoon, so you can nap out the travel stress and later take a stroll around the graffiti painted streets of the city. Oh, they have graffiti on the metro too, if the graffiti walls werent the only cool factor. A round ticket costs about 37k approximately if booked well in advance.
Best time to visit Greece is onset of Summer or Winter, because its gets extremely hot during Summers and cold during winters. Wouldn't really recommend anytime between November to March, since a lot of locations go on a hiatus. The summer temperature can go as high as to 40 degrees and you dont want to move around with a headache now, do you?
Greek is the local language here, but most people in major cities do speak English, however not so fluently, but good enough for basic conversations. Also, people are really hospitable and do help out with basic locations and routes in case you need help. The metro is well connected to all locations and a one way ticket costs about 2.60€.
WHERE TO STAY : Athenstyle. You can stay anywhere around Monastiraki or Syntagma, which is the hub area.
Athens is the capital of Greece and has a lot of historic attractions to offer, one of them being the world famous Acropolis. The ticket to Acropolis is 20€ and takes about an hour or two for a whole detailed visit. You can also visit the Acropolis Museum and the Herod Atticus Odean for a play in the evening. One of the chic places of Athens is Plaka(best time to visit : evening), which is walking distance from Monastiraki for some Greek wine and food. My top favourite dishes while in Athens were Souvlaiki, Greek salad, Moussaka and fresh fish. Greece is also famous for its pita bread and olives. You can surely pick a bottle of olive oil as a collectible. If you are into alcohol, do give ouzo and raki a shot. Greece also has a wonderful variety of sweets, the most famous being the baklava and its easily available in every supermarket. Take a stroll around the extremely famous flea market at Monastiraki for some quick shopping and souvenir collection, like the "evil eye" or your name in Greek or perhaps the dream catcher!
When in Greece, hit the beach! Greece is known for its exotic beaches! The Glyfada suburb is home to all the best beaches around Athens. You can take the tram line for the beach. One of the surprising things about this tram line is that every stop is a beach. Yep, almost 39 beach stops. My top suggestions are : Batis (sandy),Porto Rafti (pebbles). Glyfada is also famous for its exclusive beach clubs and I would surely suggest an evening with some nice Greek music at Balux Cafe! However, you can also go to Gazi in Athens, which is a great club area. A lot of clubs are located here and can be a great choice too! Another of great hangouts in the area is Thissio, where the local market is spread in the evening where you can buy some local handicrafts. Thissio is also famous for its pretty Greek cafe and live music and there are a lot of rooftops restaurants with the Acropolis view. You can also go a little hiking to the mount Lycabettus for a great view of Athens. There is even a small elevator to go up and a ticket to and fro costs 7€
One of the less famous places in Athens is Vouliagmeni lake! A famous hot springs and mineral bath lake, this place should be a must visit on your trip. Best thing about this little lake squeezed between small hills is its a natural fish spa! The lake is home to little black spa fishes that are often used in fish therapy spa's. Its the last stop on the tram and can take about an hour to reach! The entry cost is 13€ and you can easily spend a great amount of time. Also, do try the cocktails there. You can head towards The Temple of Poseidon from there, is an hour's journey. If you are a group, I would suggest you to take a cab, because the bus consistency is low. A prominent historic memorial, the place is known for its gorgeous view and ofcourse for its historic importance! Do catch the scenic sunset there.
GETTING THERE : The cheapest way to Delphi from Monastiraki is bus, which costs about 20€ and the quickest way is hiring a taxi. The main bus station is located at the Syntagma Square.
WHERE TO STAY : Hostel Meteora, but you can surely look up for other places in Kalambaka. I would suggest carrying limited luggage since the accommodation is at Meteora and not Delphi.
One of central Greece's popular attractions is Delphi, a UNSECO world heritage site. Delphi has a lot of mythological importance related to the Greek god Zeus. I would recommend getting a guide if you are interested in knowing about the exact details about the origin of this place. It takes about 3 hours max to see Delphi as a whole. You can later stop by the Krikello village in the beautiful region of Evrytania for lunch! Evrytania does the right justice to beauty for the eye tag. Its often referred to as the Switzerland of Greece for its mountainous regions and emerald colour rivers flowing through them. Evrytania has a lot of small hamlets to explore, and I would leave that on you to pin down.
Meteora is a travellers delight. The oddly shaped tall rock columns with monasteries on them are surely a delight. The monasteries can be reached by steps and its a steep walk up there, but the view is definitely worth it. The Great Meteoran Monastery is splendid. Women travellers need to wear a wraparound skirts to visit the church and certain sections here, so keep a skirt handy. One os the spectacular views is the wine cellar in the monastery. Do not give this place a miss. Take a bus back from Meteora to Syntagma.
Getting There : A lot of ferries go to and fro from Santorini port to Piraeus. A return ticket costs 75€ on Blue Star and it takes around 5 hours to get there. The earliest ferry starts at 7 am in the morning.
Where To Stay : Fira Backpackers Place. A lot of buses go to and fro from the port to the town areas. A lot of people might try selling high priced private bus or cab tickets, but there is a local bus which costs way lesser than them, so beware.
I wouldn't be wrong if we have already started thinking and talking about Santorini the minute we booked tour tickets to Athens. Santorini is breathtaking beautiful. The white washed walls with blue domes is heaven. You can get a yearful of display pictures at this location. The three major locations at Santorini are Oia, Fira and Perissa.
Buses are the only public transport available here and have limited access at night, however you can rent quad bikes which cost about 30€ per day and are available outside most major hotels/hostels and restaurants.
Unfold your afternoon by visiting the famous pebbled black beach, Perissa. Known for its black stones and big waves, its a fun outing to start your island life. You can rent a sun bed for about 10€ or get it free if you are ordering something from the cafes along the beach.
Retire for the day at Dorian's pub for some great food and wine. Santorini has a lot of sea food to offer, the most famous being fish and octopus varieties. Santorini is also famous for its wines and if you have some time in hand do visit a winery. The winery locations are so beautiful that they are often used to conduct weddings. You can even try Metaxa, another local alcohol there.
The large caldera caused by the volcanic eruptions gave rise to a lot of secret beaches in Santorini and my one such find was the red and white beach. While a lot of buses do go towards the base of red beach, I decided to hike there and its about a good 30 minutes walk. Once at the base, you climb up a small hill and what follows is a spectacular view of the red beach. Its a small beach hidden behind a medium sized hill ad can be a great getaway from the usual busy flocked beaches. A ferry goes up and down to the white and black beach for 5€ for a return ride and its totally worth it because what unfolds next is a great sea adventure. The ferry ride to white beach is around 10 minutes and its truly scenic in its way. clear blue sea water and small limestone hills around, it makes for an exotic view . The white beach is a mere small island and can hardly accommodate about 100 people at a time. Also, the water current being really low by the beach, the ferry stops a good 50ft away from the base, technically making you jump into the water with your luggage, leaving you to swim/walk up to the base. This called for a surprise sea adventure and was great fun. There are a lot of small rocks around the island where you can swim to for some nice views.
You can visit the ruins at Akrotri, however this is totally optional.
This place is right out of a fairytale. The breathtaking view of the white and blue island in its full glory and the sun setting down is everything you have imagined. The best time to visit the place is afternoon, so you can catch a glimpse of sunset as well get some great pictures with exclusive Santorini backgrounds. The location is well known to have some rooftop restaurants as well as hotels. You can even check in to a luxurious villa for some Greek grandeur.
Getting There : Take a ferry from Santorini port.
Where to Stay : Paraga Beach Hostel. Highly recommend staying here. This hostel is located right on the famous Paradise beach. They offer a variety of accommodations from cabins, to dorms, to getting your own tents. Most of the famous locations are located very near to the hostel.
Mykonos was my favourite location in Greece. Known as the party capital, this place doesn't disappoint at all, when it comes to parties. Its often referred to as the Ibiza of Greece. There is not much of sight seeing in Mykonos, since its more of a party cum beach place, however "The Little Venice" is a small area located in the town with the famous windmills and beautiful cafes that form a great venue for lunch/dinner.
Most of the cafes located on the major beaches, hold beach parties at night and some of my favourites included the beach parties on Paradise Be
The three most beautiful beaches in Mykonos are Paradise, Super Paradise and Kalo Livadi. The water here is so crystal clear that you can almost see the sand beneath. While Paradise and Super Paradise are located very near to the hostel, Livadi is a little far off, but you can take the bus for it. Head to Scandinavian Bar or Cavo Paradise to experience the much talked about party life of Mykonos.
This covers most of the Greek locations in its glory. The marvellous Greece happens to offer everything from old age ruins to mythology to the newly laid modern European culture with a pinch of Greek history. From having some of the best party locations to a much laid back relaxed place in the hills. To the tourists who love exploring local cuisines to the tourists who love exploring ancient civilization. With beautiful landscapes and exotic beaches, Greece makes up for a great holiday destination. What ya waiting for?
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