All the things you need to know about traveling to Greece!

Any trip to Greece must start off in Athens. Athens is a great walkable city with many rooftop bars with views of the Acropolis. The main attraction in Athens is the Acropolis. The Acropolis sits on a hill in the center of the city, so you can’t miss it. The Acropolis ruins are just breathtaking, especially when you consider the ruins are over 2,460 years old. Besides the Acropolis, you must visit Mount Lycabettus. Mount Lycabettus is the highest point in the city so you can see the entire city from here, and the sunsets from here are beautiful. Three days in Athens is enough because you can’t go to Greece and not visit the Greek islands. Greece is a country where you can visit multiple times since there are so many islands to explore. On this expedition, three islands were explored.

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Milos

The first island on this expedition was the sleepy island of Milos. Milos is an island not as popular as Santorini and Mykonos. Tourists visit the island, but it doesn’t have the same traffic as the more popular islands. You will not find bars and nightclubs on Milos. But the island still has much to offer. One of the main attractions on the island is Sarakiniko Beach. Sarakiniko Beach is spectacular because of the white volcanic rock that shapes the beach. This beach is a pure Instagram goal. The white rocks and water and surrounding mountains make Sarakiniko Beach, a place like no other. Besides Sarakiniko Beach there are more traditional beaches, Fyriplaka and Paliochori. And the hard-to-reach beach of Tsigrado.

There are also archaeological sites on the island. You can visit the Catacombs which were a burial site within a cave. Close to the Catacombs is an Ancient Theater. Also, you can visit Plaka, which is a town that sits on top of a cliff, but you can’t enter by car because the streets are too narrow. There are great restaurants on the island. Some of the best restaurants can be found in Pollonia. Milos is cheaper than the more popular islands. And I highly recommend renting a boathouse or an apartment on Airbnb. In addition, renting a car is a must-have if you want to get around the island with ease. And you can’t leave Milos without visiting the colorful fishing village of Klima.

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Santorini

Santorini is a very popular Greek island and for good reason. The island offers you picture-perfect architecture along the caldera, magnificent sunsets, and black sand beaches.  On arrival to the island, you will be amazed at the blue and white architecture along the caldera.  The architecture along the caldera is the selling point of the island. It is so popular that in every picture you see of the island are the spectacular views of the buildings along the caldera and the Aegean Sea.

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Sunsets from the caldera depending on where you are on the island are just breathtaking. The best place to view sunsets on the island is in Oia. Oia is along the caldera so the height and unobstructed views of the sun setting over the water are amazing. Also, make sure you book a sunset cruise which will give you another view of the sunset from a boat. And the sunset cruises are fun, the cruise offers you the opportunity to see the island from the sea and meet people.

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Besides the sunsets and the caldera, there are black sand beaches in Santorini. The black sand beaches are picture-perfect. I guess you get the point, I use pciture-perfect a lot because the island is just so beautiful. The black sand is from the ancient volcanic eruption that created the caldera.

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There are many great restaurants on the island. One of my favorites on the island is the restaurant, Thalami, in Oia. The restaurant has great food with large portions and great views from the caldera. If you can’t get a reservation don’t worry, you can always wait in line for a table. For accommodations in Santorini, I recommend staying in Oia, which can be expensive, or Fira because both locations offer you an array of restaurants and places to hang out at night.

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Mykonos

The last island on my Greek exploration was the party island of Mykonos.  The island is known for hosting world-class DJs.  And Mykonos Town has many bars and nightclubs and an area called Little Venice.  In addition to the party atmosphere, the island has an array of great beaches and restaurants.  My favorite beach is the Super Paradise Beach club. The beach is fun with a DJ playing music in the background with waiters serving drinks and food as you lounge on beach chairs under umbrellas.

You will find many great restaurants in Mykonos Town.  My two favorite restaurants are Kastro’s and Caesar’s.  The restaurant Kastro’s has great views of Little Venice and great drinks.  And Caesar’s has the best Greek Baked Feta Cheese in Honey, it is so delicious. Also, Caesar’s has good Greek hamburgers. 

The best way to get around Mykonos is by motorbike or all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Uber isn’t available on the island and there is a small number of taxis.  Do not rent a car! Parking is difficult on the island, and you must pay to park.  To rent a motorbike or ATV, and if you happen to have a United States driver’s license you will need an international driver’s license.  Don’t worry you can get an international driver’s license online at www.idltrip.com for $25, it is good for one year, and you will receive the license in less than three hours in a PDF format. If you aren’t comfortable riding a motorbike or ATV, there are buses and taxis service, but taxis are limited.

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For accommodations in Mykonos, I recommend staying within walking distance of Mykonos Town. Mykonos Town is where all the action is on the island at night. Staying close to Mykonos Town will offer you the opportunity to stay out late without the hassle of trying to catch a taxi to get back to your accommodations. 

My last tidbit is if you are traveling to Greece and visiting islands in the Cyclades, take a ferry. Do not fly between the islands. Flying is too expensive and time-consuming. For example, you can travel by ferry, SeaJets which is a high-speed boat, think of it as an airplane on the water. I traveled from Milos to Santorini by SeaJets in two hours. But I made the mistake of flying to Mykonos from Santorini which was a total travel time of more than four hours. The reason it took so long, you have to fly back to Athens and change airlines to fly to Mykonos. I could have taken SeaJets and arrived in Mykonos in two hours at a fraction of the cost of flying.

I am 100% sure you will love Greece and will want to visit again and again! I know I did and will!