Greek Islands trip summary, fall 2008
Nov 7th, 2008, 03:38 PM
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Greek Islands trip summary, fall 2008
Well, I see it is the season for trip reports. It's raining here, so we're reliving our great trip in Sept/Oct to Athens, Naxos, Santorini, Crete, Corfu; with some mainland in between.
We had armed ourselves with the advice from the Fodor forum experts: thank you Heimdall, Travelerjan, GeoffHamer, Stanbr and others. And I hope that the contents will be useful to somebody's future trip plans.
I had also consulted tourist forum sites in English, German, French, Italian; it is quite interesting to compare the expectations of the various geographic and societal groups: the French evaluation of Greek wines, the older folks looking for peace and comfort, the rich and honeymooners wanting a poolside room with caldera view in Santorini, while the younger generation parties all night and sleeps on ferry benches.
I should mention the angle from which we approached this trip, lest we be misunderstood by readers with other objectives. I am an old timer globetrotter, took my college graduate son on a 3-week island-hopping tour, showing him how it used to be done in younger days; the main attractions being nature, food, culture and photography, with the archeological riches an icing on the cake. We also invested into reading up on history and language (enough to read the signs and make myself understood). We stayed away from big cities, from tourist crowds and guides, experiencing the Greek lifestyle in the country.
Unlike other more literate Fodorites wrapping their story into a cool narrative, I'll rattle off a few random impressions:
- flight arrangements from the US to Athens: considering airport transfer and the 7-10 hr jetlag, I'd pick an overnight flight eastward with mid-day arrival, then beating the jet lag by walking around til evening; for return west I recommend a mid-day departure with same evening arrival in the US
- we skimped on fancy hotel accommodations, in the post-season made several on-site bookings, even slept on overnight ferry decks; but we splurged on good food, and on car rentals when our feet gave out.
- we traveled mostly by ferry between islands; booked everything as needed the day before, no problem with seat availability; but, as mentioned on the forum, too much smoking nearby was a nuisance (for a non-smoker)
- it helped not to be "harpooned" by the local hotel agents upon ferry arrival; we usually pre-booked for just one day, then extended if we liked the place; small car rental was 30-35 Euro per day, which gave us the freedom to look around
- in Naxos we stayed away from the high density tourist beaches, stayed at Dina's Studios, a very friendly small resort in Agios Prokopios, with the host going out of her way to make us feel comfortable; the fancy new construction on the hillside interspersed with old animal farms; hiking up the nearest hillside, we got a gorgeous view of Naxos harbor and surroundings; our long walks from Naxos to Agia Anna kept running into the same friendly tourists we had met on the ferry; the best deal on the island: a hippy on Plaka beach sleeping in a self-made straw shack (no extra charge for the mosquitoes)
- after a delicious dinner at To Kastro, with terrace seating in full view of the setting sun, we attended a great concert of traditional Greek music, just a few minutes walk to the castle
- after a day of heavy walking we broke down and rented a car to tour the back country; a chance discovery was the Temple of Demeter; out in the fields, away from the city, the goddess of grain allegedly celebrating a bountiful harvest
- for an experience different from Naxos town, we went to the twisted alleys of Apiranthos (up in the mountains) and Appolonas (fishing village at the far north end); both looked almost empty after the tourist season (except for a later evening church gathering)
Next installment coming up.
We had armed ourselves with the advice from the Fodor forum experts: thank you Heimdall, Travelerjan, GeoffHamer, Stanbr and others. And I hope that the contents will be useful to somebody's future trip plans.
I had also consulted tourist forum sites in English, German, French, Italian; it is quite interesting to compare the expectations of the various geographic and societal groups: the French evaluation of Greek wines, the older folks looking for peace and comfort, the rich and honeymooners wanting a poolside room with caldera view in Santorini, while the younger generation parties all night and sleeps on ferry benches.
I should mention the angle from which we approached this trip, lest we be misunderstood by readers with other objectives. I am an old timer globetrotter, took my college graduate son on a 3-week island-hopping tour, showing him how it used to be done in younger days; the main attractions being nature, food, culture and photography, with the archeological riches an icing on the cake. We also invested into reading up on history and language (enough to read the signs and make myself understood). We stayed away from big cities, from tourist crowds and guides, experiencing the Greek lifestyle in the country.
Unlike other more literate Fodorites wrapping their story into a cool narrative, I'll rattle off a few random impressions:
- flight arrangements from the US to Athens: considering airport transfer and the 7-10 hr jetlag, I'd pick an overnight flight eastward with mid-day arrival, then beating the jet lag by walking around til evening; for return west I recommend a mid-day departure with same evening arrival in the US
- we skimped on fancy hotel accommodations, in the post-season made several on-site bookings, even slept on overnight ferry decks; but we splurged on good food, and on car rentals when our feet gave out.
- we traveled mostly by ferry between islands; booked everything as needed the day before, no problem with seat availability; but, as mentioned on the forum, too much smoking nearby was a nuisance (for a non-smoker)
- it helped not to be "harpooned" by the local hotel agents upon ferry arrival; we usually pre-booked for just one day, then extended if we liked the place; small car rental was 30-35 Euro per day, which gave us the freedom to look around
- in Naxos we stayed away from the high density tourist beaches, stayed at Dina's Studios, a very friendly small resort in Agios Prokopios, with the host going out of her way to make us feel comfortable; the fancy new construction on the hillside interspersed with old animal farms; hiking up the nearest hillside, we got a gorgeous view of Naxos harbor and surroundings; our long walks from Naxos to Agia Anna kept running into the same friendly tourists we had met on the ferry; the best deal on the island: a hippy on Plaka beach sleeping in a self-made straw shack (no extra charge for the mosquitoes)
- after a delicious dinner at To Kastro, with terrace seating in full view of the setting sun, we attended a great concert of traditional Greek music, just a few minutes walk to the castle
- after a day of heavy walking we broke down and rented a car to tour the back country; a chance discovery was the Temple of Demeter; out in the fields, away from the city, the goddess of grain allegedly celebrating a bountiful harvest
- for an experience different from Naxos town, we went to the twisted alleys of Apiranthos (up in the mountains) and Appolonas (fishing village at the far north end); both looked almost empty after the tourist season (except for a later evening church gathering)
Next installment coming up.
Nov 8th, 2008, 03:14 AM
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Thanks for posting. I agree that it's not necessary to have blow by blow narratives to give people lots of good information. Could give a few specifics though - like how many days at each location, etc. I'm planning a trip to many of the same locations next summer so this is very helpful. Thanks.
Nov 8th, 2008, 07:18 PM
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Hi folks, thanks for the encouragement to proceed.
FYI, our plan was a 2 week visit of the island world; not to cram in all the 3 star attractions, rather to collect experiences in each category. I like gypsy style tours: no constraint of pre-booking, moving on when I feel like it, with alternate route and activity plans in case of weather change. So we ended up spending 4 days on Naxos in late September.
Before I proceed, let me advize you of Wlzmatilda's parallel thread on the Greek Islands experiences at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35166201 . In answer to Travelerjan's experienced prodding, let me add a few extra dimensions to our enjoyment of Naxos:
- our hostess Dina was kind enough to sit down with us in front of a map, and to give us an insider's view on things to see
- yes, she mentioned a number of antique relics and Byzantine churches; but we took an especial liking to the tiny little chapels strewn around the island in unexpected places: in many small and large harbors for the sailor's and fisherman's consolation, on a mountain pass for the weary traveler, in the fields for the shepherd and farmer
- Dina, being born and raised on Naxos, was proud of the island's famously pure white marble, which was being quarried, partially sculpted, and exported around the world; we got to hug and photograph the Kouros, a few ancient pieces left behind after breaking in the process; one side product of the geology: the beaches on the northwest coast are full of multi-colored shiny marble pebbles; great raw material for an artist
- there was a complaint on the parallel Fodor thread about no vegetarian food selections; well, although we also went for fish, octopus, lamb, and goat, still one of the delicious specialties to enjoy were eggplant, tomato and zucchini dishes, cheeses and yoghurt; one of our trip highlights was to visit the farmers' markets in Athens and Crete
- I'll have to convince our son to also ad his impressions; his biggest problems: that instead of his girlfriend being along, he had to put up with dad's snoring
-)
FYI, our plan was a 2 week visit of the island world; not to cram in all the 3 star attractions, rather to collect experiences in each category. I like gypsy style tours: no constraint of pre-booking, moving on when I feel like it, with alternate route and activity plans in case of weather change. So we ended up spending 4 days on Naxos in late September.
Before I proceed, let me advize you of Wlzmatilda's parallel thread on the Greek Islands experiences at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35166201 . In answer to Travelerjan's experienced prodding, let me add a few extra dimensions to our enjoyment of Naxos:
- our hostess Dina was kind enough to sit down with us in front of a map, and to give us an insider's view on things to see
- yes, she mentioned a number of antique relics and Byzantine churches; but we took an especial liking to the tiny little chapels strewn around the island in unexpected places: in many small and large harbors for the sailor's and fisherman's consolation, on a mountain pass for the weary traveler, in the fields for the shepherd and farmer
- Dina, being born and raised on Naxos, was proud of the island's famously pure white marble, which was being quarried, partially sculpted, and exported around the world; we got to hug and photograph the Kouros, a few ancient pieces left behind after breaking in the process; one side product of the geology: the beaches on the northwest coast are full of multi-colored shiny marble pebbles; great raw material for an artist
- there was a complaint on the parallel Fodor thread about no vegetarian food selections; well, although we also went for fish, octopus, lamb, and goat, still one of the delicious specialties to enjoy were eggplant, tomato and zucchini dishes, cheeses and yoghurt; one of our trip highlights was to visit the farmers' markets in Athens and Crete
- I'll have to convince our son to also ad his impressions; his biggest problems: that instead of his girlfriend being along, he had to put up with dad's snoring
-)
Nov 8th, 2008, 08:21 PM
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Correction, the link to Wlzmatilda's Greek Islands report is
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35165060
continuing at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35165121
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35165060
continuing at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35165121
Nov 12th, 2008, 11:40 AM
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Before posting my next installment, I thought I'd check for other members posting similar reports, and how a new traveler finds information in the archives. Given deficiencies in the search engine, and the lack of good FAQs http://www.fodors.com/forums/faqs.cfm#Q24 :
- let me add the keyword "Greece" to this thread, since "greek" or "Greek" are not considered synonymous; looks like it's a string search.
- I notice some members post their report stages under separate titles, without interlinking (as I've done in my previous post); one way to find them is to click on the poster's name
- the keyword search gives different answers depending on which Forum page it is invoked
- let me add the keyword "Greece" to this thread, since "greek" or "Greek" are not considered synonymous; looks like it's a string search.
- I notice some members post their report stages under separate titles, without interlinking (as I've done in my previous post); one way to find them is to click on the poster's name
- the keyword search gives different answers depending on which Forum page it is invoked
Nov 12th, 2008, 01:05 PM
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Santorini was next. What can I say beyond other ahs and ohs already posted?
- upon advice from previous travelers, we choose a ferry to enter the caldera in the late afternoon, just in time for that famous sunset from Oia; those hundreds of tourists on the rim looked like worshipers of a supernatural event
- we got up early for sunrise photography, when the light softens the saturated blues and reds; the next day was hazy, not quite as interesting as Tuscany or the Provence; our departure was by cloudy weather, so I conclude that Santorini needs a clear sunny day for best impression; must be a letdown for those cruise passengers to arrive on a rainy day; paraphrasing brotherleelove2004 it would be like spending a fortune to travel to the Matterhorn, Alaska's Denali, or a Norwegian fjord and getting to see only the base
- early morning walk on those pretty twisted alleys: the ladies cleaning up the garbage and dog poop were speaking Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, not Greek
- funny to watch the shops prepare for next day's invasion of luxury cruiser crowds; bejeweled ladies riding up the steep slopes on donkey trains; a Greek restaurant waiter, apparently a returnred emigrant, was calling out to them in heavy Australian accent to "come park your Ferrari in my yard"; the pace of island life goes up and down with the number of cruisers anchored;
- I understand that Santorini has scarce resources, must import its food and water; the islands of Greece were our first encounter with toilet systems for minimal waste treatment in the absence of septic tanks or of a central sewer system; and insufficient water for flushing; no public toilets; but I've seen other parts of the world providing even less
- we were going to use just buses or hike the caldera rim between Fira and Oia; when we found out how much hassle it would be to get back to the ferry landing with all our luggage, we decided on a car rental; this also allowed us to tour the island
- Ammoudi Bay below Oia was a good swim; the towns away from the caldera were disappointing (Kamari, Perissa); the red/black sand beach nothing special; the Profitias Ilias hilltop (highest point on the island) offered a superb view, somewhat spoiled by the military barracks & radar towers.
- in retrospect Santorini was a must-see unique experience, an icing on the cake for a Greek vacation: the shapes, lights, colors, contrasts; but it is in part tourist created, like Venice, Disneyland, Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle; after two days there I consider a real Greek island like Naxos to have more dimensions to enjoy: beaches, agriculture, farm animals
On to Crete next, with a caveat. The ferry connections in the post-season were so uncertain to destinations other than back to Athens -- like to the Peloponnese in the wake of the Myrtidiotissa running aground in June -- that we almost decided to skip it.
- upon advice from previous travelers, we choose a ferry to enter the caldera in the late afternoon, just in time for that famous sunset from Oia; those hundreds of tourists on the rim looked like worshipers of a supernatural event
- we got up early for sunrise photography, when the light softens the saturated blues and reds; the next day was hazy, not quite as interesting as Tuscany or the Provence; our departure was by cloudy weather, so I conclude that Santorini needs a clear sunny day for best impression; must be a letdown for those cruise passengers to arrive on a rainy day; paraphrasing brotherleelove2004 it would be like spending a fortune to travel to the Matterhorn, Alaska's Denali, or a Norwegian fjord and getting to see only the base
- early morning walk on those pretty twisted alleys: the ladies cleaning up the garbage and dog poop were speaking Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, not Greek
- funny to watch the shops prepare for next day's invasion of luxury cruiser crowds; bejeweled ladies riding up the steep slopes on donkey trains; a Greek restaurant waiter, apparently a returnred emigrant, was calling out to them in heavy Australian accent to "come park your Ferrari in my yard"; the pace of island life goes up and down with the number of cruisers anchored;
- I understand that Santorini has scarce resources, must import its food and water; the islands of Greece were our first encounter with toilet systems for minimal waste treatment in the absence of septic tanks or of a central sewer system; and insufficient water for flushing; no public toilets; but I've seen other parts of the world providing even less
- we were going to use just buses or hike the caldera rim between Fira and Oia; when we found out how much hassle it would be to get back to the ferry landing with all our luggage, we decided on a car rental; this also allowed us to tour the island
- Ammoudi Bay below Oia was a good swim; the towns away from the caldera were disappointing (Kamari, Perissa); the red/black sand beach nothing special; the Profitias Ilias hilltop (highest point on the island) offered a superb view, somewhat spoiled by the military barracks & radar towers.
- in retrospect Santorini was a must-see unique experience, an icing on the cake for a Greek vacation: the shapes, lights, colors, contrasts; but it is in part tourist created, like Venice, Disneyland, Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle; after two days there I consider a real Greek island like Naxos to have more dimensions to enjoy: beaches, agriculture, farm animals
On to Crete next, with a caveat. The ferry connections in the post-season were so uncertain to destinations other than back to Athens -- like to the Peloponnese in the wake of the Myrtidiotissa running aground in June -- that we almost decided to skip it.
Nov 14th, 2008, 11:03 AM
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In good Greek fashion, by now we were loosing our count of time, and didn't want to hear about problems in the rest of the world.
Except for another take in the news on the above Ferrari joke. Qn: what is the difference between a pidgeon and a stockbroker? Answ: A pidgeon can still make a deposit on a Ferrari.
Before I post the next installment, I am concerned that my thread has no tag, and that the Fodor's forum search + indexing engine is broken; wondering if anybody is reading my contribution.
Except for another take in the news on the above Ferrari joke. Qn: what is the difference between a pidgeon and a stockbroker? Answ: A pidgeon can still make a deposit on a Ferrari.
Before I post the next installment, I am concerned that my thread has no tag, and that the Fodor's forum search + indexing engine is broken; wondering if anybody is reading my contribution.
Nov 14th, 2008, 04:21 PM
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tableronde, I'm wondering why you found the towns away from the caldera (Kamari, Perissa) disappointing. I was planning on exploring some of those towns so I'd like to know if it might not be worthwhile. What were you expecting and why did you find them disappointing? Thanks
Nov 14th, 2008, 08:20 PM
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Hi Isabel,
I chose that opinion carefully, since all is relative to personal interests, to what other experience one has already had; and I understand there are seasonal variations.
Actually we had a few positive tips: better hotel deals, still within bus distance of the caldera, beaches, Ancient Thira nearby. While staying at Oia, another tourist mentioned the red and black sand beaches on the West coast.
What we found in early October looked rather run down, as if they forgot to clean up after the season. The beaches were gray gravel, not the volcanic sand we had seen in Hawaii or the French Caribbean.
I see posts from people whose first Greek hotel was in these towns, and they liked it. But having been now on Naxos and Cretan beaches on the same trip, I would go to Santorini for Oia, Fira, and the caldera view at sunset.
Then again, I don't know how much choice one gets during peak season.
I chose that opinion carefully, since all is relative to personal interests, to what other experience one has already had; and I understand there are seasonal variations.
Actually we had a few positive tips: better hotel deals, still within bus distance of the caldera, beaches, Ancient Thira nearby. While staying at Oia, another tourist mentioned the red and black sand beaches on the West coast.
What we found in early October looked rather run down, as if they forgot to clean up after the season. The beaches were gray gravel, not the volcanic sand we had seen in Hawaii or the French Caribbean.
I see posts from people whose first Greek hotel was in these towns, and they liked it. But having been now on Naxos and Cretan beaches on the same trip, I would go to Santorini for Oia, Fira, and the caldera view at sunset.
Then again, I don't know how much choice one gets during peak season.
Nov 14th, 2008, 11:57 PM
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Congrats Tablerone, great report. Sounds like you had a lovely relaxed trip, just like Greece should be experienced. We are spending a week in Naxos next June, staying at Athina Studios, Plaka. Do you have any recommendations for eating in that area, also was there any live Greek music or dancing anywhere? To Kastro sounds like the place to go, would I have to make a reservation for four people? A couple of years ago we went to Paros, which had a good relaxed vibe with nice beaches and took a day's sailing trip, do you know of any similar outing from Naxos? I like your travel style (I still have the young adventurous backpacker from the 70's alive and well under the aging surface), sleeping on the deck of a ferry sure brings back memories. Oopah!
Nov 15th, 2008, 09:15 AM
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Our son (more on impressions of the younger generation later) had turned into a gastronomy connoisseur and chef lately; one way to impress the girls at home. So, he was keen to try out the Greek cooking specialties beyond the gyros and moussaka at home: mezes (special appetizers), kalamaki (charcoal-grilled lamb), melitzana (egg plant). One interesting discovery was zucchini (kolokhitaki) fries; the calamari was much more tender than the khtapodi (octopus). And within a week of returning home he invited his friends for Greek meal and slide show.
My answer to your questions must be prefaced as being based on partial and quick immersion into local life. I hope somebody else has additional information.
Restaurants: regretfully, after To Kastro the other places we tried in Naxos town labyrinth and in Agios Prokopios were a step down. But if you're willing to drive the twisted mountain roads all the way to the port of Apollonas at the northern tip, then there is fresh seafood on the menu (when in season): you eat it right next to the octopus drying on the line.
We loved the swimming, and would have liked to try out the sailing rentals (Germans bring their equipment in for the season), but had no time: he admired the windsurfers and kitesurfers whizzing by.
Beyond one evening of wine drinking to Greek folk music we didn't party; he was tired enough after driving and walking the beaches. But we saw plenty of tavernas in Agios Giorgios and Agia Anna set up for nightlife.
Our Plaka visit was just a quick drive through, created more questions than answers. Along the long flat coastline south of Agia Anna, the pavement soon turned into dirt roads through 10 ft high marsh grass. Which I assume floods after the rain. Given those beautiful resort pictures on the web, with poolside manicured lawns, I'd want to know what's just beyond sight; the buildings were hidden from the road, some distance from the beach (storm protection). Made me wonder about incoming / outgoing services (water, electricity, sewage treatment). Maybe another forum participant knows about the water temps and wetland mosquitoes in June; and what you can find within walking (vs driving) distance.
Next time I'd like to come back in late spring, when allegedly the green fields and flowers provide a gorgeous impression.
My answer to your questions must be prefaced as being based on partial and quick immersion into local life. I hope somebody else has additional information.
Restaurants: regretfully, after To Kastro the other places we tried in Naxos town labyrinth and in Agios Prokopios were a step down. But if you're willing to drive the twisted mountain roads all the way to the port of Apollonas at the northern tip, then there is fresh seafood on the menu (when in season): you eat it right next to the octopus drying on the line.
We loved the swimming, and would have liked to try out the sailing rentals (Germans bring their equipment in for the season), but had no time: he admired the windsurfers and kitesurfers whizzing by.
Beyond one evening of wine drinking to Greek folk music we didn't party; he was tired enough after driving and walking the beaches. But we saw plenty of tavernas in Agios Giorgios and Agia Anna set up for nightlife.
Our Plaka visit was just a quick drive through, created more questions than answers. Along the long flat coastline south of Agia Anna, the pavement soon turned into dirt roads through 10 ft high marsh grass. Which I assume floods after the rain. Given those beautiful resort pictures on the web, with poolside manicured lawns, I'd want to know what's just beyond sight; the buildings were hidden from the road, some distance from the beach (storm protection). Made me wonder about incoming / outgoing services (water, electricity, sewage treatment). Maybe another forum participant knows about the water temps and wetland mosquitoes in June; and what you can find within walking (vs driving) distance.
Next time I'd like to come back in late spring, when allegedly the green fields and flowers provide a gorgeous impression.
