From Santorini to the Peloponnese - Isabel's photos and trip report

You have wonderful pictures. Can't wait to read the trip report!

isabel, your pictures are stunning. I only wish I could take decent photographs! Thank you so much for sharing, and I look forward to reading your trip report.

Tracy

Gorgeous photos! You're a pro, and I'm also looking forward to your trip report because I'm planning a trip in mid September to Greece.

Oh, beautiful. I've only looked at the mainland so far; looking forward to the islands. And looking forward to the trip report.

Isabel, once again...awesome!

I'm beginning my research on Greece and your pictures are getting me so excited! I'm really looking forward to the trip report too.

Bookmarking. Thank you, Isabel. It looks as if many of these gorgeous pics are taken early in the morning with no crowds.

I knew you would go crazy in Oia and surely you did. Have you ever seen a more photographic place? This was up to your high standards--grazie !

Glad you are enjoying the photos. Everything was so beautiful it was easy to get good shots. Several times my husband remarked that it was like "shooting fish in a barrel" - would have been hard to take a bad photo.

In researching the trip I most definitely benefited from the collective wisdom of this forum's resident Greek experts - so thank you very much, I think you know who you are. But I also got lots of useful info from people who had just gone to Greece once and written trip reports. So hopefully my experiences will be of help to others.

Although the main “focus” of this trip was to be Greece, when searching for airfares last winter I came across a really good one on AirBerlin.com. From the US they only fly out of JFK, LAX, Miami and Ft Meyers (I hear there are a lot of Germans in Florida) but we can get to JFK and since this fare, about 550€ each round trip, was so much better than the approximately $1300 we were finding on other airlines we decided to do it, even though it meant flying into Dusseldorf. We could also fly from Dusseldorf straight to Santorini and found an Aegean flight from Athens back to Dusseldorf so it looked like a pretty good plan (and overall cheaper than any other option). And it was. AirBerlin was no better or worse than any other airline in terms of customer service, food, seats, etc. To have a “safe” cushion of time we planned on a couple of days in Dusseldorf at each end but when I started researching what you could do in that area I was so taken with the Rhine/Mosel valleys that we ended up “stealing” a few days from Greece and adding a few extra days and had almost a week at the end of the trip there.

So we flew to Dusseldorf and spent two days visiting Aachen, Koln and Dusseldorf. There were some redeeming characteristics but overall it was pretty disappointing - and hot and sticky but mostly cloudy. So we land in Santorini and – OH MY GOD – it was just so incredibly beautiful: hot and bright and blue and white. Here’s part of the email I sent home that first day there. The subject line was just: Santorini - OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG – “We made it to Santorini. This place is amazing. It is soooooo gorgeous. The colors of the sky and the water are unbelievable. You could make me go to Dusseldorf and Koln for a week (but please don't) and then give me one day here and it would make up for it.”

We stayed at San Georgio Villas [www.sangiorgiovilla.gr/ E-mail: info@sangiorgiovilla.gr] 50€ night/ double. Wonderful place to stay in Fira. Clean, nice size rooms with AC, fridge, TV, free wi-fi, hairdryer. George arranges pick up and drop off from airport or ferry port (extremely useful since finding it for the first time would be challenging). It’s on the other side of the main road from the caldera and the labyrinth shopping streets but still only a five-ten minute walk to the caldera, the bus station, etc. George is extremely helpful and gives loads of accurate info on where to go and what to do. There is no caldera view obviously, but there are plenty of places to view the caldera for free. We had a tiny balcony where we had our Greek yogurt and fresh fruit breakfast each morning. There were plenty of places within five minutes walk to buy groceries like this for breakfast and snacks.

We had just over two days –arrived at noon on July 1 and our ferry left at 16:00 July 3. The first day we explored Fira, then took the bus to Oia then back to Fira for dinner and sunset. The next day we visited Pyrgos and also walked along the caldera as far as Firostefani and Imerovigli from the Fira end and Finikia from the Oia end. From Fira to Imerovigli is about 30 – 45 min (depends of if you are going up or down hill, and how many times you stop to gaze at the view). We were going to do the whole hike but figured the middle section with no towns wouldn’t be as interesting, the view is the same, and we did have limited time. Plus we had just hiked all over Pyrgos. We were in Oia for sunset and dinner. The last day we just wandered around Fira, I did some shopping (tons of jewelry shopping in Santorini) and my husband went to the archaeology museum before we had to leave to catch our ferry.

Your pictures are so beautiful! And I'm enjoying your trip report, too, and looking forward to more!

Wonderful photos, Isabel! Beautiful shots! Even though it's clearly very photogenic, you do have a good eye for framing the picture.

Are you Isabel or Ann? Just curious.

Paule

I just took a look at the photos from the islands. I absolutely love these pictures. Some mighty fine fish in that barrel.

Isabel - more absolutely gorgeous photos from you. I'm totally jealous. Can I steal some and claim them for my own - LOL!

Please give us your tips. Do you wander endlessly just to find the exact spot to take photos?

Absolutely gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing.

Oh my, those are beautiful photos! I've been to many of the places you have and they brought back some great memories.
Really, these photos are very, very nice. Thanks for sharing.

I'm so glad you all like the photos. And to answer adrienne's question, yes I do pretty much "wander endlessly" to take photos. But it's not just for the purpose of getting a picture, I find I enjoy wandering around when I travel. Interesting that on trips I often walk upwards of ten miles a day, but at home I get bored and tired after a mile. But in Europe - be it city or small village, I just love to walk up and down every alley and side street and discover squares, fountains, buildings, views, etc. I especially like to do this early in the morning and during siesta times when things are less crowded. And to get the best shots you do need to go back to places when the light is different so I often go back to places I've already been. I certainly do the major "sites" but probably spend comparatively less time than some people do. But at least in the Greek islands, just being there is the major "site".

Overall thoughts about Santorini – It has one of the most striking landscapes I’ve ever seen. The architecture combined with the cliff side and the caldera with the volcano out in the middle. Just awesome. The town of Fira is pretty much 100% tourist though: all shops, restaurants and hotels and tourist services. Didn’t really see any areas that would be where regular people lived. But with such an awesome view it actually does make sense that it should be shared with the masses. If there are any private homes they would be so expensive only the uber-rich could afford them anyway. Other than people living in their own hotels it seems most of the people who work there live in one of the inland towns and commute. The town was pretty much crawling with cruise ship passengers, with a good sprinkling of young backpackers (most of whom stay in the youth hostels in Fira or at the beach). Plenty of choice in food prices from incredibly cheap (but pretty good slouvaki, spanakopita) to expensive restaurants with caldera view. The majority of the shops seem to be jewelry, though there are plenty of places selling clothing (mostly white) and souvenir crap. Some art, ceramics, etc.

Oia – this was the absolute best, prettier than Fira (which is saying something) and less crowded. The views here are indescribable. Hotels may be more, but food and other things were in the same price range as Fira. In mid afternoon the place was almost deserted and even in the evening the crowds were no where near as bad as I’d heard. It was a nice lively, party type atmosphere with everyone waiting for the magnificent sunset (which it turns out is actually better in Fira). But no “elbowing” for position. We got into conversations with several other people and it was a lot of fun. A couple got engaged and everyone congratulated them. I am sooooo glad we went for sunset (we also went earlier in the day the day before, it was nice to experience it both ways). Dinner in Greece is late – after sunset, so there were plenty of places to choose from before sunset. Since my main goal was to photograph the sunset, we decided to grab a quick bite around 6:30-7 and found a place right on the caldera with great view and had spanakopita, Greek salad, beer and ice tea and it was only €14 for two. The bus from Fira to Oia is 20 min, they run every 20 min, cost is 1.4€, They are larger “coach” size buses, and have AC. Buy the tickets ON the bus.

We wanted to see an “inland” town and we choose Pyrgos, a village about 20 min from Fira. Same bus deal except they are only about one per hour so takes a little coordination to get the timing right. There are a few cafes and souvenir shops at square where the bus stop is, but otherwise the town is tourist free, and was essentially deserted. One or two hotels with restaurants up on the hill. Nice hill town to wander around. Not as good as most Italian hill towns though. But we were glad we saw it. All of Santorini must have once been a “real” place, before the tourist crunch took over, but now there is a drastic difference between Fira/Oia and the inland villages. From Pyrgos you can see the sea on both sides of the island.

Isabel, your photos are wonderful!

How did you feel about Paros and Naxos? I am planning a trip that includes Paros and Santorini, and am wondering if it is worth adding a day for Naxos.

JoyceL - We really liked both Paros and Naxos. There are somewhat similar, especially when compared to Santorini but I'm still glad we did both. We had debated 3 days each in Santorini and either Naxos or Paros but decided on 2 days each in all three and I'm glad we did. As you'll see from my report, there were some different things about each of them.

As sad as it was to leave Santorini we were excited to experience our next island, Naxos.

From Santorini to Naxos we took Blue Star Frerries “Paros” from 16:00-18:10, ~15€ each for deck class. As Santorini is the first stop there was no problem getting any seats we wanted on deck – tables and chairs under the awning, chairs either under shade or out in the sun. Nice modern boat.

My favorite part of the whole trip was the ferry boats trips. Sailing the Aegean, even in a huge ferry is sooooo cool. The color of the water, the breeze, the intense sun, just everything.

For all the ferries (we also ferried from Naxos to Paros and Paros to Piraeus) – they were right on time. When you get to the dock there are plenty of people to ask which gate or “stall” you want. In Santorini the “stall” was an air-conditioned building, in Naxos and Paros they were just shaded waiting areas. Naxos had about 3, Paros had about 6 “stalls”. When your boat comes in they open the gate and everyone jams into the line to have the tickets taken. There are areas just inside the car entrance (passenger entrance is right beside the car entrance and passengers can enter either one) to leave large bags but most people with 24 inch or less take them with them (no security or anything). All the ferries have several lounges (non-smoking) with “airplane” type seats, which are numbered and for which you can buy a ticket, but there were free seats on all the boats we took. (If you don’t buy a ticket you can still sit in any unoccupied seat, but if someone with a ticket for that seat were to come along you’d have to move.) There are at least two outside decks with tables and chairs, and then all along both sides of the boats are plenty of places with sun or shade and white plastic chairs that people move around to be wherever they want. Inside are also several places to buy snacks and fast food. Prices a little higher than on the islands but not outrageous. Bathrooms clean and modern, like in most restaurants. In early July none of the boats were even close to full. We got our tickets a day in advance but you could certainly have gotten them the day of travel if you had wanted to. There are ticket agents in Fira and Naxos town and Parika, all are clearly marked, take credit cards, very easy to do.

First impression of Naxos was great – such a pretty harbor, all those boats, the old town rising up in front of you. Although not as awesome as Santorini, it was nice to have the water right there (as opposed to down at the bottom of the cliff) and there was definitely a less touristy feel to it. We headed into the old town to find our hotel and immediately got incredibly lost. And even though we travel light, we still had a day pack and an 18” suitcase each. Up and down all those steps and really not a clue as to where we were going as we didn’t see any of the signs the hotel had said were there. Eventually someone told us to follow the signs for the Hotel Panorama and the Anixis is one street further. Here’s the review I wrote for trip advisor:

Naxos – Anixis Hotel, www.hotel-anixis.gr info@hotel-anixis.gr 45€ (breakfast available for 5€ per person). Very nice hotel in a great location ONCE YOU FIND IT. Which is incredibly difficult to do. It is deep in the labyrinth of stepped tiny arcaded corridors that are called “streets” in Naxos. Delightful to wander around, but not with your bags (and we only had one 18 inch each) looking for a hotel. They need to either give guests good directions or mark it better. Once there, the rooms are spotless, spacious and have TV, AC, Fridge, and your own terrace. The rooftop terrace (where breakfast is served) is available all day and has great views of the cathedral and whole town including the portara. They do have free wi-fi too but the signal strength was usually so low that it didn’t work. Here’s how to find the Anixis – from the promenade along the harbor enter the old town where it says “old market” and then look for signs for Hotel Panorama which is very well marked. Just keep following those signs till you are in front of the Hotel Panorama, then look past it one street to see the sign for the Anixis. Alternately take the road (car road, tiny sidewalk) from in front of the ferry dock a couple of blocks till you see the grocery store/fruit market, and bear right which brings you to the cathedral in another half block. From in front of the cathedral enter the old town, go up the steps to the next tiny square where you have to turn right or left – turn right, immediately left, next left, next right and it’s just ahead. Each of these turns is about a half minute walk.

I'm enjoying your report very much, thank you for posting!

Thank you for the detailed information.

Do you think 1.5 days is enough for Santorini? I am thinking of visiting Naxos as a daytrip (from Paros), and giving an extra day to Santorini instead of spending it in Naxos.

JoyceL - I think 1.5 days in Santorini is better than none, but we had one full day and two half days and that was what I would consider a minimum. I think three days would be best. We didn't have time to take a boat out to the volcano, or to visit the beaches. Those weren't priorities for us but it might have been nice to do. I guess if you didn't care about visiting an inland village then in 1.5 days you could wander around both Fira and Oia a couple of times each.

Here's more of my report - about Naxos and Paros.

Naxos is very different from Santorini. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, shops – but even the main town right on the harbor doesn’t feel totally touristy. The approach is very pretty – a nice harbor with lots of sailboats and fishing boats, the old town rising up a hill right off the water, up to the kastro, and the 2500 year old portara/doorway to Temple to Apollo on a islet off the harbor. While Santorini was all about the view, here you are right on the water and there’s more of an “island” feel to it. Most of the tourists are families, there are no cruise ships. The old town is a labyrinth of little “streets” – not even really alley-ways, they are about 8 feet wide, many with steps, some arcaded. Really easy to get lost. Lots of atmosphere. Good deal of shopping choices.

The majority of the restaurants are on the promenade along the harbor. The road there is closed to traffic in the evening and people – locals and tourists – are out and about for the evening pre and post dinner stroll. Very easy to find a decent meal for 20€ for two including beer or wine. One night we had fresh fish, the other a mixed grill of lamb, pork and sausage. Sunsets through the portara are everything they are advertised to be. So are sunsets through all the sail boat masts.

Besides just wandering the “streets” we did the Venetian Castle museum (5€) which was fairly interesting, the views out the windows even better. We also hiked up to a tiny monastery (Agios Hryssostomos) about a 45 min hike out of town. You can see it from the harbor. It’s a long hot hike with no shade but it’s worth it for the views and to see the cute little chapel – not even as big as a room, no chairs, just icons/painting, and lit candles (so someone goes up there every day). There was a tiny bit of shade in front of it at the time we were there and there was a cool breeze – which was a good thing cause we were pretty sweaty.

One day we took a bus to Apirathos, the hilltop town in the center of the island. The bus is not air-conditioned so it was kinda hot, and the ride takes an hour. But the town is cute, there are three or four cafes to have lunch in, two little craft shops, guys with donkeys in the streets and old guys with worry beads. We had Greek salad, Nescafe frappe and Mythos beer. This was our standard lunch. Wandering the back streets we met a couple from Philadelphia and turns out they used to work at our local university (Umass Amherst).

From Naxos to Paros we took the GA Ferries “Rodanthi”, (15:10-16:10. 6.50€ each for deck class). This was the most interesting ferry boat of all that we took, apparently used to be a cruise ship cause there was a pool (closed) on deck, and deck tables with tropical grass roofed shade. Also, as the distance between the islands is short you see land the whole way. The deck was the prettiest.

Arriving in Paros it was not as immediately charming as Naxos or striking as Santorini, but we ended up liking Paros just as much as the other two. The water front is mostly flat, and boats are off to either side so the waterfront is just a promenade full of eateries. The windmill at the ferry dock is a nice touch. But one block inland the old town is probably the most charming of them all. The streets are filled with bougenvalia and trumpet vine and archways. The “streets” are a little wider (think two donkeys wide) than Naxos and lots of them are shop free. Not that there’s any lack of tourist shopping or eating. There’s a small beach just at the south end of the restaurant promenade, probably not the best beach on the island, but close, and the warm, clear water of the Aegean is the same.

We stayed at Hotel Dina –reservation@hoteldina.com www.hoteldina.com 50€. AC, TV, fridge, hairdryer. Our favorite place of the three we stayed in the Greek Islands, and we actually loved all three. In the old town on the “busy” market street (mostly tourist shops) but it’s still very quiet especially if you close the doors and put on the AC. In the morning with the door open listening to the birds chirping it’s heaven. There is a tiny chapel so close you can almost touch it. Our room is the one with the balcony overlooking the chapel. The whole place is spotless, probably the cleanest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Nice little touches like little lanterns lit at night in the common areas. There’s a large common terrace with chairs if you don’t get the room with the balcony. Dina is wonderful and makes you feel very much a welcomed guest. The hotel is well signposted and marked on several maps so easy to find. Just walk south from the ferry along the waterfront past all the tavernas till you get to a little square and can see “Nick’s Hamburgers”. Turn in there and then turn left and follow that “street” for about a block till the orcher/yellow colored building in front of you, turn right and it’s another half block. These directions were given to me by fodorite ihopp and they were spot on (so thank you so much!). But Dina’s was way easier to find than the Anixis in Naxos anyway.

One day we took a bus to Naoussa (20 minutes, 2/hr, 1.4€, air conditioned). Now that’s “charming”. It has been described as very touristy but I didn’t think so at all. Sure there were a good number of restaurants and shops, but the majority of the boats in the incredibly picturesque harbor are working fishing boats. The harbor is just gorgeous with a ruin of an old Venetian castle and a little white chapel to compliment the fishing boats. As I ran around taking photo after photo my husband said “it’s like shooting fish in a barrel” and he’s right, you couldn’t take a bad shot. Just aim and shoot, everything was picturesque.

Thoughts on the islands in general. We had two nights in each island and that was really just about right. A third day and we would have done some kind of excursion but we saw the main towns, and at least one other town on each island, and had some leisurely meals, and either did a hike or went swimming. And of course lots of photography and some shopping. I am so glad we didn’t skip one island in favor of more time on the others. Of course you can never get enough, but it was a nice balance. Also, I briefly considered skipping things that I had read/been told were extremely touristy – like Oia on Santorini and Naoussa in Paros – and they turned out to be my favorite places. I love to get off the beaten track when I travel, but some places are touristy for a reason.

Thoughts on traveling in early July – it was hot and sunny. But you could usually get a breeze, and in the shade it wasn’t bad. The Greek Islands are so much about the contrasts of the blue sky and water and the white buildings and the colorful flowers – I can’t really imagine it when it’s cloudy and cool so I’m glad we went in the summer when we were assured of sunny weather. Crowds were healthy – not horrible by any means. Several hotel/shop keepers did say mid July through August is noticeably worse (in terms of crowds) than when we were there (first week in July). Restaurants were maybe two/thirds full at peak times, same with the ferries.

Next - we do Athens.

Hi, I remember answering some of your planning questions Anne/Isabel -- and you did good. Sounds as if you got exactly what you were after ... and your EXCELLENT report will help others do the same. So important to tell people your reactions to the ferries and to your accommodations.

PLUS, your report describes a kind of on-the-go GReece visit that a lot of us thrive on ... active but not frantic. Some on these forums seem always to say, sit on your balcony, pour a glass of wine, and spend a day just relaxing. Not everyone's metabolism runs that way. Me, I like to strike a balance -- half a day for ruins, half a day for the beach!

I look forward to your clear-eyed view of Athens!

I enjoyed your pictures very much having been to many of the same places. You have a picture (number 389) entitled "Vas Sofias Ave" in Athens. I took the same picture and I don't know what building or sculpture it is. Is "Vas Sofias Ave" the name of the street or the building? Do you know? Just wondering.

Isabel,
I really enjoyed the details on your trip reports. We wil be in Athens for a few days before our cruise and would like to take a day trip to Aegina. Do you thing it's worth and also how did you get to Perdika from Aegina Town. Would really appreciate your report on that. Thank you.

Hi Jan - I'm glad you like my report. And thank you very much for your input. I referred to your various postings here at Fodors many times while planning the trip and I do think I got the trip I was looking for. I like the balance of what we did and time in each place.

Kristinelaine - "Vas Sofias Ave" is the name of the street. It runs away from Syntagma square, up towards the Benaki museum and the funicular up to Lycabettus Hill. I have no idea what that particular building/sculpture is. I just thought it interesting and wanted to show that there are some nice modern buildings in Athens.

jpantina - I did enjoy Aegina but don't think it was as wonderful as the other islands we did. Where are you going on your cruise? And how many days do you have in Athens itself? Those factors would help me decide if I think it was "worth" it. We took a local bus to both the temple and to Perdika. Each bus only took less than half an hour each way and was relatively easy to do. I would say the temple was a highlight of the island, much more so than Perdika which was ok but Aegina town itself was more interesting. I'm almost up to that part of the trip report - will post it later today if I get time.

Thank you for the feedback. We are going to Mykonos,Kusadasi, Patmos,Santorini, Crete and Rhodes. Except for Rhodes where we will spend 11 hours -the stops on the other islands are just for a few hours - it is one of the most popular itinerary but it is one that we originally had in mind when we booked a 7 day cruise where the ship would arrive around noon and stay until 4am or so giving ample time to see the islands. However, that itinerary was changed/cancelled by the cruise company to 4 nights cruise with three nights in Athens. We will however be in Athens for 5 nights(as we had pre-booked two nights before things changed) and five full days not counting the day of departure. We have one day allocated to Argolis and think that it be nice to explore an authentic island at our own pace - hence Aegina???. Your help and advise is appreciated.

Thank you for the feedback. We are going to Mykonos,Kusadasi, Patmos,Santorini, Crete and Rhodes. Except for Rhodes where we will spend 11 hours -the stops on the other islands are just for a few hours - it is one of the most popular itinerary but it is one that we originally had in mind when we booked a 7 day cruise where the ship would arrive around noon and stay until 4am or so giving ample time to see the islands. However, that itinerary was changed/cancelled by the cruise company to 4 nights cruise with three nights in Athens. We will however be in Athens for 5 nights(as we had pre-booked two nights before things changed) and five full days not counting the day of departure. We have one day allocated to Argolis and think that it be nice to explore an authentic island at our own pace - hence Aegina???. Your help and advise is appreciated.

jpantina - In that case I would do Aegina. As you'll see from the Athens part of my report that I'm posting now, you can indeed see the highlights of Athens in 2- 2-3 days and it's just not a relaxing city to just hang out in. If it turns out you have even another free day I'd do Hydra. That was our plan but we didn't get ferry tickets ahead of time and wanted to go on a weekend in July and the "good" times were sold out. Here's the Athens part of the report. I'll do the Aegina part tonight or tomorrow.


From Paros to Piraeus we took the Hellenic Seaways ferry “Nissos Mykinos”, 13:40-18:00, 31€ each for deck class. This was the largest ferry we took, lots of inside cabins and numerous lounges of different classes. Even had Wi-fi hot spot but never had more than one bar and couldn’t connect. Our only ferry problem of the whole trip (and it was pretty minor) was coming into Piraeus, it docked way over by “dry-docks” and you had to take a bus to the main area where the pedestrian walkway was. Very confusing, no signs. But it was pretty clear we were quite a ways from the main ferry docking area. We eventually got on a bus that took us to the main ferry area. Once there you cross the pedestrian walkway, the metro is in a large yellow building, and it’s above ground. We were afraid it was a local train and not the metro but eventually we found someone who spoke English and told us it was the right place.

In Athens we stayed at the Hotel Metropolis, www.hotelmetropolis.gr info@hotelmetropolis.gr 46 Mitropoleos St. 75€ (breakfast available for 5€ per person extra, not worth it). Best thing about this hotel is it’s location, halfway between Syntagma and Monastiraki Squares, about 5 min walk to either, and 5 min to the main Plaka shopping street. Easy to find and to access from either metro station or the airport bus stop. Right across the street from the Mitropoli (cathedral). The second best thing about this hotel is the view – of the acropolis (and the dome of the Mitropoli). I think only the first two rooms on each floor (there are five floors) have the view, and probably only the top two or three floors, but there is a roof top terrace anyone can use with the view. The hotel did have free wi-fi (which unlike several hotels that had free wi-fi, this hotel’s worked), AC, lift. But it was definitely a tad run down. Not so much dirty as it’s seen better days. The floor tiles were cracked, bedspread dingy, etc. But the room was actually a very good size, plenty of space for our stuff, and we had a small balcony. If nice furniture is important to you forget it. But for the price, and given the location, view and wi-fi, we were content.

Athens – It lived both up and down to its reputation. We came out of the Monastiraki metro station and the first thing you see is the acropolis, glowing in the late afternoon sun and wow, wow, wow! It’s one of those things that no matter how many photos of it you’ve seen, you just can’t describe what it’s like till you see it for yourself. But other than the ancient sites, Athens really is a pretty dirty, noisy, chaotic and visually uninteresting city. As everyone says, not a place to linger. We did have four full days (five nights) there which is longer than most people, though one whole day we left for a day trip to Aegina. We had planned another to Hydra but the timing didn’t work out so we had three full days in Athens. I would say two and a half would have been perfect. But people who try to see "it" in one day must not get any sense of the city at all.

You can do the major sites (all included on the one ticket for 12€, good for four days) in one day. The people who say get to the acropolis when it opens are right. We overslept and it was 9:15 when we got there (opens at 8) and it was already very, very hot and very crowded with tour groups. Of course, we picked the hottest day of our whole two weeks to do it (37C/98F). The sun up there is brutal. The crowds are a pain in the ass. But it’s the Acropolis and it was still worth it. Leaving the acropolis we turned left down the hill to the Theatre of Dionysos. You actually get the best view of it from up on the acropolis itself, and there’s not much else in this area, but it’s on the way and included in the ticket so we walked around a bit. Directly across the street is the new Acropolis Museum, 1€ (till end of 2009), very well air conditioned, and would be worthwhile anyway. Another block or two further on is Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. We almost didn’t bother as you can also see these from up on the acropolis, but they are much more impressive up close. There isn’t a lot in this site, but it’s worth it to walk around the giant columns. Heading straight up the street directly in front of Hadrian’s Arch brings you into the Plaka, to the Monument of Lysicrates (and just before it, the Byzantine Church of Agia Ekaterini, set back from the street in a nice tiny park). At this point you need either lunch in the Plaka or to go back to the hotel to cool down (which is what we did, after getting some fruit and spanikopida for lunch). In the afternoon we did the Roman Agora, Hadrian Library (which you can actually see perfectly well from outside the gate) and then the Ancient Agora. The Ancient Agora took the most time as there’s quite a bit to see and it’s very pleasant to just wander around it. There are some good restaurant options on the street just past the entrance (opposite direction from Hadrian’s Library). These three sites (all included in the ticket) are very close to each other. A full day, but those are the highlights.

On our second full day we re-did the Ancient Agora as I wanted to shoot it in the morning light and my husband really liked walking around it. The ticket is good for four days and includes the cemetery which we didn’t bother with so we had an extra ticket and used it to redo the Agora. The ticket includes one entrance to the Acropolis and then 6 more tickets that can be used at any of the other six sites – so you can do them all once, or you could do one of them six times, etc.

Then we explored the Plaka and Anafiotika, the tiny section way up under the Acropolis Greek Flag that looks like Cycladic island architecture. It really does. Took a while to find it and it’s not very large but was worth it. Then we walked through the National Gardens (pleasant enough but not on a par with major parks in other cities) to Syntagma square for the changing of the guard (no big deal but the timing was right, occurs on the hour). More interesting was the metro station, one of the nicest I’ve seen. We went down into it just to look around as I’d heard it was very nice. In the afternoon we did the Archaeology Museum. Walked up Athinas street which is really a dump, past the Central Market (also much less interesting than other cities such as Barcelona or Budapest, etc – just a big meat market with some lamb’s heads lying about). The museum was cool, and on the way back we walked down Elef. Venizelou ave. to check out the three neoclassical buildings: the Library, Cultural Center and Academy. Now they were impressive. I can’t understand why they don’t get more publicity, most guidebooks barely mention them. But they give you a real sense of what the ancient classical buildings would have looked like in their prime. And they are only about 5 minutes from Syntagma Square. And the street is much nicer than Athinas.

Out third full day we started by taking the funicular up Lycabettus Hill. You really can see all of Athens, but you are so high up the view really isn’t that great (everything, even the acropolis, is too tiny to make much out). That afternoon we climbed Filopappou Hill/ Ariopagus – two separate but adjacent hills with stunning views of the acropolis in the late day light. During the middle of the day I did too much shopping in the Plaka. If your timing gets you to Athens by mid day, you could relatively easily do all we did in two and a half days.

breathtaking pictures!

i can't wait for our trip next May to Santorini and Naxos - thanks for the photos - terrific.

I'm loving your report and photos, as I'm leaving for Greece in a few weeks.

Your photos are wonderful! As another photo-taker, I wondered where you were standing when you took the photo of the Acropolis, number 136. It is a very unusual view.

Was it hard to find Anafiotika? I think I have it mapped out pretty well and am determined to find it.

Where did you eat in Delphi?

Do you have any restaurant recommendations for Nafplio? I also want to try the Antica Gelateria there.

Which had the best views, the Acronafplia or the Palamidi? I don't know if I will have time to visit both.

Thanks

Hi. That photo of the acropolis, number 136 was taken from one of the two hills just to the east of it (Filopappou Hill/ Ariopagus). It was taken from the smaller of those two hills, the one closest to the Agora. Numbers 132-135 were taken from the higher hill. They are basically adjacent to each other and offer great views in the late afternoon. They are both right near the entrance to the acropolis itself and are easy to find.

Anafiotika wasn't so much hard to find as it was smaller than I had expected. It's near the end of the acropolis with the flag.

I'm working on the last part of my report - Delphi and Nafplio and will post it soon. I don't remember the name of the restaurant we ate at in Delphi, it was on the main street and had a view over the valley. The food was unremarkable but the view was wonderful.

In Nafplio the Palamídhi has the best views but obviously takes the longest, being 999+ steps and all. The Acronafplia had pretty nice views too though and there's an elevator up to that one (which is much lower to begin with). If I have time I'll try to finish the report tonight, otherwise early next week (am going away for the next four days).

We had booked five nights in Athens with the intention of going to Aegina one day and probably Hydra another. We made the mistake of booking with the first ticket agent we found in Piraeus (in what I thought was the main ticket building near “Gate 8”). He said there were only flying dolphins (fast small hydrofoils) and that it was best to book return tickets at the same time. We found out once we got there that there were many large/slow ferries. The flying dolphin was like being on a bus, no fun at all. I loved the ferries between Santorini/Naxos/Paros/Piraeus but this was boring. But it was pretty quick.

Aegina is a nice enough little island. If we hadn’t just been to the others it might have been more impressive but compared to the others it was a little “shabby”. Not quite as interesting visually. We took the bus to the Temple of Aphina (half hour, ~3€). Very impressive temple on lovely site with view of the sea in several directions. There’s not anything else around it (small café) though so we took the return bus back (which only gave us about 20 minutes there, but the next bus after that would have meant close to two hours).

So when we got back to the bus station in Aegina town we took another bus to Perika, the small fishing town at the other end of the island (also half hour, ~3€). It was a cute tiny fishing village/beach town. We passed several small beaches on the way there. It was interesting to see the landscape of the island (lots of pistachio trees) even though it wasn’t terribly pretty or dramatic.

The town of Aegina itself is like a poor man’s Naxos or Paros. Not really run down, just a lot smaller and less interesting and definitely visually less appealing. I am glad we saw the temple but if I had it to do over I might have added a day to one of the other islands instead.

Driving in Greece - After our five days in Athens we rented a car. I usually use AutoEurope but Kemwell had a better deal so we went with them. Took the airport bus to the airport, got the car –everything as we had pre arranged. Drove to Delphi. Driving in Greece is fine. Kind of scary the way they use the double line in the middle of the road as a passing lane. And there sure are a lot of those little memorials that mark where there have been accidents. But whatever. But overall the roads were well marked with both Greek and English (Greek) names and in fine condition. We got stuck in a 45 minute traffic jam going through a tool booth just north of Athens but figured it must have been some kind of Sunday morning beach traffic cause we never had traffic like that the rest of the trip. The only advice I would give people re driving in Greece is to be alert that when you see a sign for your exit be prepared to take it immediately. They don’t give you much warning.

Delphi – The best thing about Delphi is the setting. Very dramatic, way up in the mountains. There’s a view of the Bay of Itea (off the Gulf of Corinth) from the town but not from the site itself (apparently this was deliberate, so that the site couldn’t be seen from the water). The next best thing is the story – the oracle, the center of the universe, Apollo’s major site, etc. It’s also easier than some of the ancient sites to imagine what it was like in its glory days (the plaques on site, and the info in the major guidebooks describe things quite well but getting one of the “then and now” books (available in town and in Athens) with overlays of how the various buildings originally looked helps). The site is extensive and hiking all the way to the top of the main site (above the theatre, where the stadium is) and down to the tholos is quite a workout. The museum is small but nice. We spent a total of about four hours there between the site and the museum. It was blessedly un-crowded which added to the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a big part of seeing this site. We were there on a Sunday afternoon in July and the site and the town of Delphi were almost empty.

The town of Delphi is small, one main street that makes a hairpin turn at the end thus being more like two main streets. Numerous hotels and restaurants and all almost spookily empty. We had dinner at one overlooking the gorgeous view of the Bay of Ikea and the mountains and were entertained by a herd of goats down the hillside below. There’s not much else to do in the town and I can’t imagine why you’d need more than one night – either before or after visiting the ancient site. The site is a pleasant five minute walk from the town.

Delphi - Hotel Sibylla , www.sibylla-hotel.gr 9, Pavlou&Friderikis str. info@sibylla-hotel.gr 36€ This hotel was a great value. It’s right on the main street of the village of Delphi, 10 minute walk to the archaeological site and the view out our window (we were on the back side) was lovely – mountains and the Bay of Itea. Room was very good size and clean, tiny balcony. This was our only hotel in Greece without AC and that worried me, but turns out it wasn’t needed at all. I guess it cools off at night up there in the mountains cause it fine.

Isabel- your report is extraordinary. would you be able to actually copy the whole thing in its entirety onto one document so i can print out the whole thing from start to finish.

I'm very excited to borrow from your experience and plan a summer 2010 vacation for my family.

Hi babsNYC - I'm so glad my report is helpful to you. I was in NYC for the last four days for a mini holiday, that's why I didn't respond sooner. Anyway, you can copy and paste it into a word document that you save on your computer. I do that all the time with trip reports. Then I go through and delete the replies if they aren't relevant to the basic info. When you do that, don't copy the title - just start where the actual text starts or else it will copy funny and you'll get annoying boxes. Also at the end, stop where the text stops, don't go all the way to the bottom of the page.

Well here's the last few days of trip:

Nafplio – Definitely charming. A pretty, attractively run down old town with architecture that is more Italian looking than Greek – kind of reminiscent of the back streets of Venice without the canals. Worn elegance. Nice waterfront promenade with cute little Venetian castle in the harbor and a mixture of small fishing boats and sailboats (some with four or five masts). And above town two impressive fortifications, one a famous “999” steps up. We climbed it, it’s actually 1084 steps all the way to the top but the entrance booth is somewhere in the vicinity of 999 steps. Great views of course, and lots of ramparts to explore. Apparently you can drive up but my husband shamed me into climbing up it with him (made some remark about my being a sissy who would rather shop for jewelry – so I climbed up it and then shopped for jewelry when I came down). The lower fort is accessible by an elevator through the cliff wall. Part of a hotel. If you follow the waterfront walkway around the tip of the promontory there’s an archway you can walk through, cross the street, then take the steps up to a parking lot and you’ll see the obvious entrance to the elevator. Views from up there aren’t quite as stunning but they are nice, and walking down the other side (toward the main fort – Palamídhi,) are nice views of the little beach area behind the town.

Plenty of restaurants in the main square (Syntagma) and the streets around it, decent amount of “tourist” shopping (which in Greece means jewelry mostly, plus some shops with museum repros of statues and vases), worry beads and the usual tacky tourist stuff).

And Napflio is of course a great location to base yourself to see any of the major ancient sites in the area – Mycanae, Epadarus, etc. We choose Epadarus because the history of it was more interesting and because the theater is so visually impressive. Mycanae is more well known but apparently also more crowded with tour groups, plus its major finds were all the gold, etc and that is now in the National Museum in Athens. There were a few tour buses at Epadarus but nothing a site like that couldn’t easily handle, it did not feel at all crowded.

Pension Isabo Plapouta 2 & (corner of Terzaki) Cell +30697-9003192 Phone/ Fax+3027520-25252
www.greek-pensions.com/EN/index.htmlinfo@greek-pensions.com 55€. A nice little place ONCE YOU FIND IT. Don’t know what it is with some Greek hotels but when you email them for directions they refer you to the really crappy map on their website. It’s only a five minute walk from the port (where you park) but if you don’t know which street to take it can be hard to fine. From about the middle of the long narrow port parking lot, look for Sofrani street leading into the old town, it changes it’s name to Terzaki after a few blocks but just keep walking on that street and you’ll see the Pension Isabo signs on the corner. The room was fine, a little run down but quite clean, AC, TV. There’s a little kitchenette with juice, bottled water, makings for coffee, tea, frappe as well as bread and jam, etc. And you can store stuff in the fridge. All this is available all day, not just at breakfast time. They have wi-fi but signal strength was so low we could never connect.


We also visited Ancient Corinth (on our way back to Athens from Napflio) and that was actually one of my favorite sites. It has 7 columns of the major temple still standing plus enormous amounts of other “rubble” but some of it is pretty interesting. And above the ancient site is Acrocorinth – the hilltop fortification. With a car it’s an easy ten minute drive (and then a ten minute hike) and worth it. I sure as hell wouldn’t walk all the way up there.

Temple of Poseidon/Cape Sounio – I knew I wanted to see this site, and to see it at sunset. What a way to end a wonderful trip to Greece. That had to be one of the most spectacular sunsets on earth. The setting with the sea on three sides, islands in the foreground, mountains in the distance and a 2500 year old temple. Even several tour buses full of people didn’t detract from the experience. With a car and a hotel only 10 minutes away it was easy, but there is a bus stop for public buses from Athens. The only place in the vicinity to get food is a very overpriced restaurant attached to a gift shop that sold the same items as are available in the Plaka at four times the price.

Saron Hotel Lavrio-Sounio Rd. Sounion 85€ www.saronhotel.comsaron@hol.gr About a half hour from the airport so a decent option if you have an early flight and don’t want to drop hundreds more for the airport Sofitel which was the only other airport area hotel I could find. They have parking, a pool, room is clean and spacious, small balcony, AC, TV. It’s a modern “motel” like place. But there’s even a view of the sea. We choose it so we could see the sunset from the Temple of Poseidon on our last night in Greece and get to the airport at 7:00 and it was perfect for that.

Well that's it. After Greece we had six days in the Rhine Valley and I'll post that as a separate trip report since I doubt too many people combine Greece and Germany on one trip like we did.

Wonderful trip report, thanks for posting.

Isabel, thanks for the report. Aside from skipping Aegina and adding that day to one of the other islands, is there something you would change if you were redoing the trip?

Great pictures and wonderful trip report!!!

Thank you. I'm planning a trip next September and this is really helpful.

Isabel, It was great to come across a trip report by someone with an eye, the energy and passion for capturing great travel photos. My wife and I will be going to the Greek Isles and perhaps the Pelopennese Peninsula as well in fall or spring, which leads me to a question. I am finding my photo system heavy and bulky to carry around and I may want to replace it before that trip. What do you take with you? Thanks, Robert