Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini - The Non-Honeymooner Trip Report
Jun 30th, 2011, 06:57 AM
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Day 7 (Sunday) – Naxos
Sunday dawns bright and beautiful (I’m still astonished at the great weather we had for this trip), and we decide to rent a car for the next couple of days so we can explore the island. Nothing could be easier. We ask the front desk about renting a car, and within 5 minutes they have arranged for the Europe Car representative to come to the hotel, do all the paperwork in the lobby, and deliver the car to the front door. She tells us that when we are ready to return it, just park it in the lot next to the hotel and drop the keys at the desk. Cool!
Based on reviews from this board (and every single guidebook that manages to give Naxos more than a mention), we know that we want to head inland to explore the valley area and all of the beautiful little villages that we’ve heard so much about. Our downfall, I think, was trying to do too much in one day, as we ended up doing the entire circle from Naxos town toward Chalki and Apeiranthos, up to Apollon, and back down the northwest coast. We got a lovely overview of the island topography, but it made for a long hot day. Looking back, the highlight of the day was the first stop – Chalki, the original capital. By the time we got there (after a leisurely drive, with a few missed turns and aborted attempts to explore interesting roads that turned into cow paths, as well as three different encounters with the Sunday morning chicken vendor truck), it is late Sunday morning – maybe about 11 or so, and the shops are starting to open up. It is a lovely town with lots of flowers, a very pretty main square, a couple of dueling linen shops (with dueling owners each eager to show you their loom and their wares), a really stunning pottery gallery (the Fish & Olive, I believe), and the famous Citron factory. Unfortunately, while the Citron factory “showroom” is open, it doesn’t look like they are doing tours yet (or at least there is no one around to ask – maybe they are on a tour?).
Farther down the road we explore Apeiranthos, the town in the middle of the island paved in marble. I would love to hear from other visitors about what they think of this town. Please make me love this place. Maybe I built it up too much in my mind, but when every guidebook calls this “arguably the most attractive village on Naxos” I might be forgiven for setting a high bar. We tried to like it, walking up and down every backstreet we could find (maybe that was the problem, as the backstreets aren’t that great). It is pretty, though, as long as you stay on the main streets. I agree that the square and the main promenade area near the entrance to town is quite lovely (where the restaurant strip is), and the trees are beautiful, and there are a couple of really stunning hidden squares that almost appear to be carved into the cliff. Okay, maybe I like it in retrospect more than I did when I was there.
Later we head north toward Apollon, continuing to explore the beautiful hills and valleys of central Naxos (thank goodness there are several pull-off areas for pictures!). A long drive north, past a series of very pretty mountain villages and some very cool high tech windmills, and we ended up at Apollon in time for a late lunch on the water (is 2:30 late or on time in Greece?). Then on down the northwest shoreline, past castle ruins and bee farms (very cool!), with occasional glimpses of the marble mines in the distance (blinding white pillars and cliffs). Finally back to the hotel by late afternoon, tired and hot and in need of a dip in the pool.
After the pool and a short siesta, we decided to walk up to the Portera to catch sunset. It was a picture perfect sunset (and the obligatory pictures were taken!), and a terrific way to start the evening. A stroll back through town leads to shopping in some of the back alleys, then eventually leads once again to the Citron Bar for a classic citron cocktail. Later we walk/climb up the hill/steps/mountain to the Kastro for dinner at Taverna Kastro (recommended on this board – thanks everyone!). We got there about 10 PM (early for us), and it was a good thing we did, because there was still a good crowd there at the time, but the place was almost deserted by the time we finished dinner at 11 or so. Definitely more of a tourist crowd than I thought there would be (but hey, we’re tourists!). Still, good food and a clear starry night make for an excellent evening.
A stroll back along the waterfront promenade, which is still very active with diners, strollers, and kids playing (isn’t this a school night?). We stop in a gelato shop for some fabulous homemade gelato from a lovely girl, who told us she was confused about how enthusiastic Americans are about gelato. She insisted that gelato and ice cream is the same thing – that “gelato” is just Italian for “ice cream.” We tried to explain the difference to her (milk versus heavy cream, etc.), but I think it got lost in translation. No matter, it tastes fabulous, and at about a third of the price of the equally delightful gelato we had in Mykonos. We wander on down the promenade and then take a walk along the beach at St. George (great star watching tonight!), before finally heading for bed.
Sunday dawns bright and beautiful (I’m still astonished at the great weather we had for this trip), and we decide to rent a car for the next couple of days so we can explore the island. Nothing could be easier. We ask the front desk about renting a car, and within 5 minutes they have arranged for the Europe Car representative to come to the hotel, do all the paperwork in the lobby, and deliver the car to the front door. She tells us that when we are ready to return it, just park it in the lot next to the hotel and drop the keys at the desk. Cool!
Based on reviews from this board (and every single guidebook that manages to give Naxos more than a mention), we know that we want to head inland to explore the valley area and all of the beautiful little villages that we’ve heard so much about. Our downfall, I think, was trying to do too much in one day, as we ended up doing the entire circle from Naxos town toward Chalki and Apeiranthos, up to Apollon, and back down the northwest coast. We got a lovely overview of the island topography, but it made for a long hot day. Looking back, the highlight of the day was the first stop – Chalki, the original capital. By the time we got there (after a leisurely drive, with a few missed turns and aborted attempts to explore interesting roads that turned into cow paths, as well as three different encounters with the Sunday morning chicken vendor truck), it is late Sunday morning – maybe about 11 or so, and the shops are starting to open up. It is a lovely town with lots of flowers, a very pretty main square, a couple of dueling linen shops (with dueling owners each eager to show you their loom and their wares), a really stunning pottery gallery (the Fish & Olive, I believe), and the famous Citron factory. Unfortunately, while the Citron factory “showroom” is open, it doesn’t look like they are doing tours yet (or at least there is no one around to ask – maybe they are on a tour?).
Farther down the road we explore Apeiranthos, the town in the middle of the island paved in marble. I would love to hear from other visitors about what they think of this town. Please make me love this place. Maybe I built it up too much in my mind, but when every guidebook calls this “arguably the most attractive village on Naxos” I might be forgiven for setting a high bar. We tried to like it, walking up and down every backstreet we could find (maybe that was the problem, as the backstreets aren’t that great). It is pretty, though, as long as you stay on the main streets. I agree that the square and the main promenade area near the entrance to town is quite lovely (where the restaurant strip is), and the trees are beautiful, and there are a couple of really stunning hidden squares that almost appear to be carved into the cliff. Okay, maybe I like it in retrospect more than I did when I was there.
Later we head north toward Apollon, continuing to explore the beautiful hills and valleys of central Naxos (thank goodness there are several pull-off areas for pictures!). A long drive north, past a series of very pretty mountain villages and some very cool high tech windmills, and we ended up at Apollon in time for a late lunch on the water (is 2:30 late or on time in Greece?). Then on down the northwest shoreline, past castle ruins and bee farms (very cool!), with occasional glimpses of the marble mines in the distance (blinding white pillars and cliffs). Finally back to the hotel by late afternoon, tired and hot and in need of a dip in the pool.
After the pool and a short siesta, we decided to walk up to the Portera to catch sunset. It was a picture perfect sunset (and the obligatory pictures were taken!), and a terrific way to start the evening. A stroll back through town leads to shopping in some of the back alleys, then eventually leads once again to the Citron Bar for a classic citron cocktail. Later we walk/climb up the hill/steps/mountain to the Kastro for dinner at Taverna Kastro (recommended on this board – thanks everyone!). We got there about 10 PM (early for us), and it was a good thing we did, because there was still a good crowd there at the time, but the place was almost deserted by the time we finished dinner at 11 or so. Definitely more of a tourist crowd than I thought there would be (but hey, we’re tourists!). Still, good food and a clear starry night make for an excellent evening.
A stroll back along the waterfront promenade, which is still very active with diners, strollers, and kids playing (isn’t this a school night?). We stop in a gelato shop for some fabulous homemade gelato from a lovely girl, who told us she was confused about how enthusiastic Americans are about gelato. She insisted that gelato and ice cream is the same thing – that “gelato” is just Italian for “ice cream.” We tried to explain the difference to her (milk versus heavy cream, etc.), but I think it got lost in translation. No matter, it tastes fabulous, and at about a third of the price of the equally delightful gelato we had in Mykonos. We wander on down the promenade and then take a walk along the beach at St. George (great star watching tonight!), before finally heading for bed.
Jun 30th, 2011, 07:50 AM
#42
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ok i have to ask... what is the difference between ice cream and gelato? In Greece there is only pagoto, which means ice cream... in Italy there is only gelato.. am i wrong?
Since as i see Americans are enthusiastic about ice cream, next time you order ice try parfait chocolate or parfait vanilla, a sort of ice cream i have never seen in other european countries....
Since as i see Americans are enthusiastic about ice cream, next time you order ice try parfait chocolate or parfait vanilla, a sort of ice cream i have never seen in other european countries....
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:28 AM
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Help me out here, frozen dessert experts. Classic American ice cream uses a heavy cream base, so it has a much higher butterfat content than gelato, which usually uses milk. Plus, gelato is much denser and sweeter than ice cream, so the flavor is more intense (and a little goes a long way). American ice cream is more about a really creamy texture, and tends to have more air and ice crystals in it (which I suppose justifies the bigger scoops!). There are a few places in the States where you can find someone making halfway decent gelato, but it usually involves travelling to an old Italian neighborhood in New York, Boston or Philly.
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:44 AM
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I am really enjoying this trip report -- I did almost exactly this same trip, same islands in the same order, a couple of years ago.
"I would love to hear from other visitors about what they think of this town. Please make me love this place."
Hah. I can't make you love Apeiranthos. But when we did the same day trip on Naxos (rent a car and drive around the island), our goal was to see the STREETS OF MARBLE that the guidebooks talk about. So when we were there, we just repeated the phrase over and over: LOOK AT THE STREETS OF MARBLE. Which are pretty cool.
I thought the main square of the village itself is pretty, as you did, but we didn't think there was much more to see either. But the STREETS OF MARBLE are pretty. We spent a pleasant couple of hours there in a cafe and that was it. The best part was how quiet and uncrowded it was, we barely saw any other tourists there.
"I would love to hear from other visitors about what they think of this town. Please make me love this place."
Hah. I can't make you love Apeiranthos. But when we did the same day trip on Naxos (rent a car and drive around the island), our goal was to see the STREETS OF MARBLE that the guidebooks talk about. So when we were there, we just repeated the phrase over and over: LOOK AT THE STREETS OF MARBLE. Which are pretty cool.
I thought the main square of the village itself is pretty, as you did, but we didn't think there was much more to see either. But the STREETS OF MARBLE are pretty. We spent a pleasant couple of hours there in a cafe and that was it. The best part was how quiet and uncrowded it was, we barely saw any other tourists there.
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:52 AM
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PS -- since you mentioned the Portara, here is a link to my photo of the Portara that won me a copy of a Fodors guidebook:
www.fodors.com/contest/greece
www.fodors.com/contest/greece
Jun 30th, 2011, 11:55 AM
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"LOOK AT THE STREETS OF MARBLE" does sound like a pretty good mantra. Actually, I was just as impressed by all of the other uses of marble on the island (kinda like you get impressed by everyone using mahogany on an island in the Caribbean). The rough-finish bright white marble used throughout the pool area at the hotel was fascinating -- what a beautiful way to keep you from slipping!
Jun 30th, 2011, 01:14 PM
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Tejana, Nissaki is about as "swanky" as Naxos gets (which tells us something about Naxos), but I also love it that even the smallest pension seems to have marble stairs, and bathrooms, and in a little taverna, you visit the restroom and it's marble, and you stop by a market, and the outdoor part where they display the veggies has a marble paving. My explanation for this is "Marble is the plywood of Greece", or at least "marble is the plywood of Naxos."
Jun 30th, 2011, 02:01 PM
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It's hardly surprising that local building materials are used on the islands, and marble is as local as you can get on Naxos and Paros. In earlier times, islanders often used for construction materials obtained by demolishing temples and other ancient structures. A good example of this is the Venetian castle in Parikia. 
Jun 30th, 2011, 03:21 PM
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I completely agree about using the local building materials, so it wasn't that I was really surprised, just momentarily taken aback by the beauty of every patio, path and stairway. Like I said, it reminded me of being in the more forested islands in the Caribbean and having everything from roofs to decking to shutters built out of insanely beautiful mahogany. It is the plywood of those islands, as marble is the plywood of Naxos.
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:51 PM
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Day 8 (Monday) – Naxos Beach Day!
When we explore a new place (particularly an island), we tend to go a little crazy with the driving. It happened yesterday, when we found ourselves tired out from driving the entire north end of the island, rather than just picking a section and really exploring it. Did we learn our lesson for today? Not exactly. There’s always that fear that if you stop at the first great place you see, you might miss something even greater on down the road. Here we go…
Today is our Naxos beach day. We have the car, and have heard so many wonderful things about the beaches here. So we ask the front desk what beaches they would recommend. The very sweet girl at the front desk parroted what we had heard before about the beaches on the south end, plus the beaches on the southwest side. What beaches would you recommend (on the map, please!)? She said she likes Golden Beach, and has heard that Alyko beach (at the south end of the major road, looking at the map) – is good, but she had not been there. It turns out she has been on island (from Athens) for exactly one month.
Are you getting a bad feeling about this yet? (Those of you from Naxos, or very familiar with Naxos, may start laughing whenever you feel like it. I completely understand.)
So off we go. We tried to stop at the Temple of Dyonysis on the way, but it is closed on Monday. We head from there toward the coast at Agios Anna, then turned north and followed the road to Agios Prokopis. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, at last a truly beautiful beach! But if this is so lovely, surely the ones farther south – the ones that were mentioned by the front desk - must be awesome! We decided to continue exploring, driving along the beach road south (back past Anna) toward Plaka (we worried for a few seconds when the road turned from pavement to caliche to sand, but it was nice and dry and the car handled it like a champ), past beautiful sand dunes and pine trees that reminded me of sections of Fire Island, NY. But, even though the beaches all look beautiful, the villages leave a little to be desired, and it is clear (so far) that the best beach life for anyone interested in cafes and beach chairs is at Anna or Prokopis. When the beach road finally ends (at Plaka, I think) we turn inland to the main road and head farther south, determined to explore all the way down to Alyko and maybe even Pyrgaki. Pretty soon we see signs (real highway signs, mind you, on real official posts, with real official mile markers) that say Alyko and Pyrgaki ahead. We are definitely going in the right direction. Eventually we see a sign that points to the left (down a wide dirt road that is under construction) as the turn for Pyrgaki, and a second sign that says Alyko - .5 KM straight ahead. So we go straight. And in exactly a half kilometer the beautiful, wide, smooth, well-maintained pavement ends. And spills into a busted-up, potholed, eroding, grassed-over, windswept, abandoned… Parking lot. A parking lot on a cliff on the edge of the ocean surrounded by a very creepy-looking cluster of half-built, abandoned, rusted-out buildings that are fairly reminiscent of a wild west ghost town. My mind is quickly processing every ax-murderer movie I can think of. It is bright sunlight, in the middle of the day, and I’m imagining headlines about stupid tourists that went exploring one day in a rental car and were never seen again. We decide to get out of there as fast as we can.
For anyone who plans to explore beaches while on vacation in Naxos… do NOT follow the signs to Alyko.
So, the great adventure over, we quickly agree that our best plan to salvage the day is to return to Anna and Prokopis. We take the main road back to Anna (more or less, as the road we really want is apparently closed for construction and we have to take a pretty massive detour, but that’s another story), and decide to spend the afternoon at Agios Prokopis. There is a nice little pizza place across from the beach that has the same name as the logo on the beach umbrellas shading the beach chairs that we have our eyes on. After a great lunch, we ask our waiter how much they are renting the chairs and umbrellas for. Turns out that the boss isn’t going to start charging until next week, so today they are free!
So now the real beach day can finally begin. A nice crowd of people, comfy beach chairs, shade, and a truly amazing, golden sand beach. I know the water is still cold, but I’m going in. Not as cold as Mykonos! After a couple of hours we head back to the hotel (the short way, across the peninsula and on the road hugging the bay), happily drop off the car keys at the front desk, and tell them about our adventures. And ask them to please not direct unsuspecting tourists to Alyko. Ever. When we told her how much we enjoyed Agios Prokopios, we were told that it is considered the prettiest beach on the island, and was voted one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Greece. Uh… why didn’t you just tell us that in the first place???????
After we get cleaned up, it’s time to wander out for our last night in Naxos. Some last minute shopping, and then back to Citron Bar for one last round of pre-dinner citron cocktails and people watching. I’m gonna miss this bar!!!!!
What to do for dinner? Since everyone seems to recommend Meze Meze to us every time we turn around (even the waiter at Citron Bar), we decide to try it for dinner. It is pretty full, with several tables that are clearly locals, and it looks like fun. The fresh calamari at lunch the first day was excellent, so I decide to try the stuffed grilled calamari. It was good, but I think I like “unstuffed” better. The stuffed eggplant appetizer was quite good, though, as was the greek salad (which we almost always order to split, and never seem to finish). DH isn’t sure what he wants, but he’s thinking something “fishy,” and the owner recommends a fish salad. It was good, but not quite what he was expecting. But it was a LOT of food, and neither one of us finish our plates. When the owner came by the check to see how DH liked the fish, he made the mistake of saying it was “good” (or maybe “fine,” I can’t remember). Horrified that DH had not completely loved his suggestion, the owner insisted on sending out something else. We tried to refuse, explaining that we had already eaten too much and were full, but to no avail. Out comes a round of ouzo, followed in a few minutes by a heaping plate of lightly fried shrimp and my favorite baby squidlets. It was so beautiful, and we really were too full to do more than nibble. We must have stayed another 20 minutes, sipping and nibbling, before finally insisting on the bill. All in all it was probably enough food and wine for two days. Can I have the rest of those squidlets now, please?
At about midnight or so we wander back down along the promenade, looking at the still-lively waterfront, and I’m struck by how really charming this place is. I think this lovely promenade is my favorite thing about Naxos. The waterfront is so inviting, and it is obviously the heart of the town, and perhaps the heart of the island. At 10 or 11 (or later) every evening you can see little kids (with or without parents) playing all up and down the waterfront, and a good 75% of the people that you see out for dinner or having drinks on the main strip seem to be local. Groups of twenty-somethings sharing a beer or a pizza or a carafe of wine while checking their cellphones and gossiping could be equally at home anywhere in the world, but they are so lucky to have the glitz-free, casual cool of the promenade as their home turf.
Time for bed. Santorini tomorrow!
When we explore a new place (particularly an island), we tend to go a little crazy with the driving. It happened yesterday, when we found ourselves tired out from driving the entire north end of the island, rather than just picking a section and really exploring it. Did we learn our lesson for today? Not exactly. There’s always that fear that if you stop at the first great place you see, you might miss something even greater on down the road. Here we go…
Today is our Naxos beach day. We have the car, and have heard so many wonderful things about the beaches here. So we ask the front desk what beaches they would recommend. The very sweet girl at the front desk parroted what we had heard before about the beaches on the south end, plus the beaches on the southwest side. What beaches would you recommend (on the map, please!)? She said she likes Golden Beach, and has heard that Alyko beach (at the south end of the major road, looking at the map) – is good, but she had not been there. It turns out she has been on island (from Athens) for exactly one month.
Are you getting a bad feeling about this yet? (Those of you from Naxos, or very familiar with Naxos, may start laughing whenever you feel like it. I completely understand.)
So off we go. We tried to stop at the Temple of Dyonysis on the way, but it is closed on Monday. We head from there toward the coast at Agios Anna, then turned north and followed the road to Agios Prokopis. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, at last a truly beautiful beach! But if this is so lovely, surely the ones farther south – the ones that were mentioned by the front desk - must be awesome! We decided to continue exploring, driving along the beach road south (back past Anna) toward Plaka (we worried for a few seconds when the road turned from pavement to caliche to sand, but it was nice and dry and the car handled it like a champ), past beautiful sand dunes and pine trees that reminded me of sections of Fire Island, NY. But, even though the beaches all look beautiful, the villages leave a little to be desired, and it is clear (so far) that the best beach life for anyone interested in cafes and beach chairs is at Anna or Prokopis. When the beach road finally ends (at Plaka, I think) we turn inland to the main road and head farther south, determined to explore all the way down to Alyko and maybe even Pyrgaki. Pretty soon we see signs (real highway signs, mind you, on real official posts, with real official mile markers) that say Alyko and Pyrgaki ahead. We are definitely going in the right direction. Eventually we see a sign that points to the left (down a wide dirt road that is under construction) as the turn for Pyrgaki, and a second sign that says Alyko - .5 KM straight ahead. So we go straight. And in exactly a half kilometer the beautiful, wide, smooth, well-maintained pavement ends. And spills into a busted-up, potholed, eroding, grassed-over, windswept, abandoned… Parking lot. A parking lot on a cliff on the edge of the ocean surrounded by a very creepy-looking cluster of half-built, abandoned, rusted-out buildings that are fairly reminiscent of a wild west ghost town. My mind is quickly processing every ax-murderer movie I can think of. It is bright sunlight, in the middle of the day, and I’m imagining headlines about stupid tourists that went exploring one day in a rental car and were never seen again. We decide to get out of there as fast as we can.
For anyone who plans to explore beaches while on vacation in Naxos… do NOT follow the signs to Alyko.
So, the great adventure over, we quickly agree that our best plan to salvage the day is to return to Anna and Prokopis. We take the main road back to Anna (more or less, as the road we really want is apparently closed for construction and we have to take a pretty massive detour, but that’s another story), and decide to spend the afternoon at Agios Prokopis. There is a nice little pizza place across from the beach that has the same name as the logo on the beach umbrellas shading the beach chairs that we have our eyes on. After a great lunch, we ask our waiter how much they are renting the chairs and umbrellas for. Turns out that the boss isn’t going to start charging until next week, so today they are free!
So now the real beach day can finally begin. A nice crowd of people, comfy beach chairs, shade, and a truly amazing, golden sand beach. I know the water is still cold, but I’m going in. Not as cold as Mykonos! After a couple of hours we head back to the hotel (the short way, across the peninsula and on the road hugging the bay), happily drop off the car keys at the front desk, and tell them about our adventures. And ask them to please not direct unsuspecting tourists to Alyko. Ever. When we told her how much we enjoyed Agios Prokopios, we were told that it is considered the prettiest beach on the island, and was voted one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Greece. Uh… why didn’t you just tell us that in the first place???????
After we get cleaned up, it’s time to wander out for our last night in Naxos. Some last minute shopping, and then back to Citron Bar for one last round of pre-dinner citron cocktails and people watching. I’m gonna miss this bar!!!!!
What to do for dinner? Since everyone seems to recommend Meze Meze to us every time we turn around (even the waiter at Citron Bar), we decide to try it for dinner. It is pretty full, with several tables that are clearly locals, and it looks like fun. The fresh calamari at lunch the first day was excellent, so I decide to try the stuffed grilled calamari. It was good, but I think I like “unstuffed” better. The stuffed eggplant appetizer was quite good, though, as was the greek salad (which we almost always order to split, and never seem to finish). DH isn’t sure what he wants, but he’s thinking something “fishy,” and the owner recommends a fish salad. It was good, but not quite what he was expecting. But it was a LOT of food, and neither one of us finish our plates. When the owner came by the check to see how DH liked the fish, he made the mistake of saying it was “good” (or maybe “fine,” I can’t remember). Horrified that DH had not completely loved his suggestion, the owner insisted on sending out something else. We tried to refuse, explaining that we had already eaten too much and were full, but to no avail. Out comes a round of ouzo, followed in a few minutes by a heaping plate of lightly fried shrimp and my favorite baby squidlets. It was so beautiful, and we really were too full to do more than nibble. We must have stayed another 20 minutes, sipping and nibbling, before finally insisting on the bill. All in all it was probably enough food and wine for two days. Can I have the rest of those squidlets now, please?
At about midnight or so we wander back down along the promenade, looking at the still-lively waterfront, and I’m struck by how really charming this place is. I think this lovely promenade is my favorite thing about Naxos. The waterfront is so inviting, and it is obviously the heart of the town, and perhaps the heart of the island. At 10 or 11 (or later) every evening you can see little kids (with or without parents) playing all up and down the waterfront, and a good 75% of the people that you see out for dinner or having drinks on the main strip seem to be local. Groups of twenty-somethings sharing a beer or a pizza or a carafe of wine while checking their cellphones and gossiping could be equally at home anywhere in the world, but they are so lucky to have the glitz-free, casual cool of the promenade as their home turf.
Time for bed. Santorini tomorrow!
Jul 1st, 2011, 08:47 AM
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That last paragraph captures so well one of the things we Naxophiles love so well .. and so delightful to stroll back by the water, almost all the way to St. George beach. When there's a full moon, it's perfect.
Jul 2nd, 2011, 08:41 PM
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I stumbled upon your trip report today and so glad I did. Your personal account has been so helpful planning my honeymoon.
Your experience of Mykonos totally changed my perception of the island. I had been worried that it would be too much of a heavy party scene with loud party-goers everywhere. Glad to see the other dimension.
I can't wait to get the next installment on Santorini. I'm taking notes and taking them with me in September!
Your experience of Mykonos totally changed my perception of the island. I had been worried that it would be too much of a heavy party scene with loud party-goers everywhere. Glad to see the other dimension.
I can't wait to get the next installment on Santorini. I'm taking notes and taking them with me in September!
Jul 5th, 2011, 11:23 AM
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Day 9 (Tuesday) – On to Santorini!
The ferry from Naxos to Santorini is scheduled for 12:55 (although we saw one sign in town that said the ferry is at 12:45, so we are a little confused and decide to err on the side of caution). We check out at noon, wave goodbye to the lovely Hotel Nissaki, and roll our bags alongthe waterfront promenade – stopping to pick up a gyro for the road (I’ve determined that the pork ones are my favorite, btw) – and then on to the ferry dock. Where we wait. And wait. The weather is beautiful, the seas are calm, but the ferry is an hour late. Once we finally get on board, I was so happy that I listened to the Fodors posters and purchased business lounge tickets. The difference between the chaos of the crowded ferry and the serenity of the business lounge is night and day, and makes for a restful couple of hours as we make our way toward Santorini.
Sailing into Santorini, the view from the water is as magical as everyone said it would be. The caldera feels like a giant crater lake, surrounded by huge dark brown cliffs that are occasionally topped with tiny white villages. Surprisingly, I don’t see any cruise ships in the harbor at Fira (I guess they all leave early on Tuesday). Docking at the new port, we eventually find our transfer guy that had been sent from Mystique (who assured us that the fact that the ferry was an hour late was most unusual). Soon we are off, driving north through vineyards, the crazy streets of Fira, along the coast road and eventually to the outskirts of Oia and the lovely hotel Mystique.
I had a lot of trouble deciding which hotel to stay at in Santorini, but we knew three things: we wanted to stay in Oia instead of Fira, we wanted a caldera view, and we weren’t going to think too hard about the budget. We probably aren’t going to make it back here, so “memorable experience” outweighed “this is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a hotel room” in the vacation planning process. We finally decided on Mystique – mainly because I found what looked like a good deal on their website last fall (also, the fact that it is a Starwood property - a “known” factor in a sea of unknowns - didn’t hurt, and their rate included transfers to/from the port or the airport). Knowing what I know now, it might not be my first choice if I had it to do over again, but it was still very nice. My overall impression of Mystique is that a large percentage of their clientele is American, and probably many of them are there because they can do so with Starwood points, or because Starwood has a great program for a mix-and-match package of their Greek hotels that gives a good average rate for a vacation in Greece (another reason why a good percentage of this crowd probably stay at the Grande Bretagne in Athens). After the more international clientele of the other hotels we stayed at (including the GB, btw), this feels a little “too” American. But the rooms are beautiful and the service is flawless (as evidenced by their handling of a little hiccup before we even got there - more on that later), and we happily check in, accept a glass of champagne, unpack, and get ready to explore Oia. During the check in process the office staff asks how long we have been married – something I’ve never been asked before by a hotel, but something that is probably quite common in Santorini, given the number of honeymooners on island.
The view of the caldera from the hotel is lovely, and, because of Mystique’s location low on the cliff and in a little crevasse, the view is of almost nothing BUT the caldera. At first I was a little disappointed at the lack of the classic view of Oia spilling down the cliff side, but then I came to appreciate the “isolated” view. If you didn’t know better, looking out to the water you would swear you were the only hotel there. But the hotel is low on the cliff, so that means about 50 steps up from the room to the office, and another 48 very uneven cobblestone steps (a street, really, as there are separate residences along the path) up to the main road. Very uneven steps. Very, very, uneven steps. Once up to the street level, it is about a two to three minute walk down the road before you reach the beginning of the marble paths that mark Oia proper. And once you set foot on the marble, the magic begins. What a stunningly beautiful town! And our first vision in this beautiful village is a scene of a bride in her wedding gown, taking very “bridal” pictures with a caldera view from the square, before being helped onto an elaborately-decorated donkey for a ride to the church. Everyone in the area (including us) falls in behind her to give her a little parade through town.
It is now about 7:30 PM, and we stroll along the main street, taking it in, trying to decide where to go to see the famous Oia sunset while at the same time peering down every little turn on the caldera side and marveling at the picture-book views of the caldera with Fira in the distance.
As far as sunset goes, we don’t have high hopes. It has been a little overcast all day today; no chance of rain, but just hazy to the point that you know that it isn’t a day for a great sunset. Still, we found a lovely restaurant/bar on the sunset side, and have a light dinner and a delicious glass of Santorini wine while watching the sun fall into the clouds that serve as today’s barrier to the sea. Definitely some beautiful backlight, though! After dark we continue wandering the lanes of Oia, and eventually make our way back to the entrance to town, where we find the storefront that is selling sailing tours of the caldera. It is the only thing that I have on my “must do” list for Santorini, and they luckily have two spots open for tomorrow morning’s sail (and the weather report calls for a perfect day to be on the water -hot and calm). They will pick us up at the hotel at 10 AM to get us down to Ammoudi. Now that we have a plan for tomorrow, we head down the road (the little flashlight that I packed is at last proving helpful), down the uneven cobblestone steps, and off to bed.
The ferry from Naxos to Santorini is scheduled for 12:55 (although we saw one sign in town that said the ferry is at 12:45, so we are a little confused and decide to err on the side of caution). We check out at noon, wave goodbye to the lovely Hotel Nissaki, and roll our bags alongthe waterfront promenade – stopping to pick up a gyro for the road (I’ve determined that the pork ones are my favorite, btw) – and then on to the ferry dock. Where we wait. And wait. The weather is beautiful, the seas are calm, but the ferry is an hour late. Once we finally get on board, I was so happy that I listened to the Fodors posters and purchased business lounge tickets. The difference between the chaos of the crowded ferry and the serenity of the business lounge is night and day, and makes for a restful couple of hours as we make our way toward Santorini.
Sailing into Santorini, the view from the water is as magical as everyone said it would be. The caldera feels like a giant crater lake, surrounded by huge dark brown cliffs that are occasionally topped with tiny white villages. Surprisingly, I don’t see any cruise ships in the harbor at Fira (I guess they all leave early on Tuesday). Docking at the new port, we eventually find our transfer guy that had been sent from Mystique (who assured us that the fact that the ferry was an hour late was most unusual). Soon we are off, driving north through vineyards, the crazy streets of Fira, along the coast road and eventually to the outskirts of Oia and the lovely hotel Mystique.
I had a lot of trouble deciding which hotel to stay at in Santorini, but we knew three things: we wanted to stay in Oia instead of Fira, we wanted a caldera view, and we weren’t going to think too hard about the budget. We probably aren’t going to make it back here, so “memorable experience” outweighed “this is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a hotel room” in the vacation planning process. We finally decided on Mystique – mainly because I found what looked like a good deal on their website last fall (also, the fact that it is a Starwood property - a “known” factor in a sea of unknowns - didn’t hurt, and their rate included transfers to/from the port or the airport). Knowing what I know now, it might not be my first choice if I had it to do over again, but it was still very nice. My overall impression of Mystique is that a large percentage of their clientele is American, and probably many of them are there because they can do so with Starwood points, or because Starwood has a great program for a mix-and-match package of their Greek hotels that gives a good average rate for a vacation in Greece (another reason why a good percentage of this crowd probably stay at the Grande Bretagne in Athens). After the more international clientele of the other hotels we stayed at (including the GB, btw), this feels a little “too” American. But the rooms are beautiful and the service is flawless (as evidenced by their handling of a little hiccup before we even got there - more on that later), and we happily check in, accept a glass of champagne, unpack, and get ready to explore Oia. During the check in process the office staff asks how long we have been married – something I’ve never been asked before by a hotel, but something that is probably quite common in Santorini, given the number of honeymooners on island.
The view of the caldera from the hotel is lovely, and, because of Mystique’s location low on the cliff and in a little crevasse, the view is of almost nothing BUT the caldera. At first I was a little disappointed at the lack of the classic view of Oia spilling down the cliff side, but then I came to appreciate the “isolated” view. If you didn’t know better, looking out to the water you would swear you were the only hotel there. But the hotel is low on the cliff, so that means about 50 steps up from the room to the office, and another 48 very uneven cobblestone steps (a street, really, as there are separate residences along the path) up to the main road. Very uneven steps. Very, very, uneven steps. Once up to the street level, it is about a two to three minute walk down the road before you reach the beginning of the marble paths that mark Oia proper. And once you set foot on the marble, the magic begins. What a stunningly beautiful town! And our first vision in this beautiful village is a scene of a bride in her wedding gown, taking very “bridal” pictures with a caldera view from the square, before being helped onto an elaborately-decorated donkey for a ride to the church. Everyone in the area (including us) falls in behind her to give her a little parade through town.
It is now about 7:30 PM, and we stroll along the main street, taking it in, trying to decide where to go to see the famous Oia sunset while at the same time peering down every little turn on the caldera side and marveling at the picture-book views of the caldera with Fira in the distance.
As far as sunset goes, we don’t have high hopes. It has been a little overcast all day today; no chance of rain, but just hazy to the point that you know that it isn’t a day for a great sunset. Still, we found a lovely restaurant/bar on the sunset side, and have a light dinner and a delicious glass of Santorini wine while watching the sun fall into the clouds that serve as today’s barrier to the sea. Definitely some beautiful backlight, though! After dark we continue wandering the lanes of Oia, and eventually make our way back to the entrance to town, where we find the storefront that is selling sailing tours of the caldera. It is the only thing that I have on my “must do” list for Santorini, and they luckily have two spots open for tomorrow morning’s sail (and the weather report calls for a perfect day to be on the water -hot and calm). They will pick us up at the hotel at 10 AM to get us down to Ammoudi. Now that we have a plan for tomorrow, we head down the road (the little flashlight that I packed is at last proving helpful), down the uneven cobblestone steps, and off to bed.
Jul 5th, 2011, 01:39 PM
#58
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Day 10 (Wednesday) – Oia
Let me just say right now that today is the best day of the entire trip.
Up fairly early, a beautiful breakfast while looking out over the caldera, and we see the cruise ships arriving in Fira – it looks like a trail of ants heading slowly toward a picnic. The weather report is for a hot, sunny, clear day. A perfect day to be on the water instead of on the island!
I am almost embarrassed to admit that by the time we reached Santorini, we were far enough into vacation mode that we did very close to nothing for the 4 days we were there. But the one thing that I had penciled in for the Santorini leg of the trip was to make sure we did a day sail around the caldera on a catamaran. We love sailing, and the 5 hour day sail on a 50-ft catamaran (about 14 people onboard, I believe) is a perfect itinerary, with three different swim stops (the warm sulfur springs of the volcano, White Beach, and Red Beach) and a sail through the caldera and around the point to the south side. The swim in the sulfur springs is terrific (the water at the spring is actually bordering on warm, or at least tepid), and the sea is as smooth as glass as we sail between the lava shields, stop for a dip at White Beach, and eventually around the point (under a very other-worldly looking peak) toward the south side and Red Beach, where we stop for a final swim and a barbecue lunch on board. Either the water is warming up, or I’m getting used to it, because it has greatly improved since the chill-fest a week ago in Mykonos. Still “refreshing,” but now mostly without the quotation marks! It is a convivial group on board – mostly couples, including two couples that live a block away from each other in the same town but don’t know each other, and two couples on their honeymoon (of course!). The entire boat gets into the celebratory spirit, toasting the newlyweds and reminiscing about weddings and discussing wedding-day disasters. One of the newlyweds is a singer from Rio de Janeiro, and – after several hours of encouragement and several glasses of wine – entertains us with the Portuguese version of Girl from Ipanema. A perfect day. The boat drops us off on the south side of the island (and picks up another group of passengers to do the reverse itinerary, which ends at sunset at Ammoudi), and a shuttle drives us back to Oia. By 4:30 we are back at the hotel and decide to spend the next couple of hours in the pool, relaxing and enjoying the unbelievable view. The sun the bright, the air is warm, and eventually the pool becomes filled with… honeymooners. Seriously. There are 10 people in the small pool, and 6 of them are on their honeymoon, while two more are celebrating an anniversary and renewing their vows. We are the only “just because” people there. It makes for easy conversation though!
Eventually we get cleaned up and wander into Oia to try for another sunset. Nothing. Despite the beautiful clear day, tonight’s horizon is even more hazy than last night, but the crowds are nice (and we see another wedding procession). After the anticlimactic sunset, we wander through the darkening streets and decide to try the Red Bicycle for dinner (recommended by a couple of people at the pool today), mainly because Skala is closed for a private party (probably another wedding!). The food at Bicycle was good, and the view of the caldera – sparkling with the lights from Fira and the other villages – is beautiful, but the service was terrible and on the whole it seemed a bit overpriced for what it was. We much preferred dinner at Ochre last night (lovely grilled veggies and fresh made pasta, with a view to Ios to the north). Hopefully we will make it to Skala tomorrow night.
Back to the hotel, and time to relax on the veranda and do a little stargazing before heading off to bed.
Let me just say right now that today is the best day of the entire trip.
Up fairly early, a beautiful breakfast while looking out over the caldera, and we see the cruise ships arriving in Fira – it looks like a trail of ants heading slowly toward a picnic. The weather report is for a hot, sunny, clear day. A perfect day to be on the water instead of on the island!
I am almost embarrassed to admit that by the time we reached Santorini, we were far enough into vacation mode that we did very close to nothing for the 4 days we were there. But the one thing that I had penciled in for the Santorini leg of the trip was to make sure we did a day sail around the caldera on a catamaran. We love sailing, and the 5 hour day sail on a 50-ft catamaran (about 14 people onboard, I believe) is a perfect itinerary, with three different swim stops (the warm sulfur springs of the volcano, White Beach, and Red Beach) and a sail through the caldera and around the point to the south side. The swim in the sulfur springs is terrific (the water at the spring is actually bordering on warm, or at least tepid), and the sea is as smooth as glass as we sail between the lava shields, stop for a dip at White Beach, and eventually around the point (under a very other-worldly looking peak) toward the south side and Red Beach, where we stop for a final swim and a barbecue lunch on board. Either the water is warming up, or I’m getting used to it, because it has greatly improved since the chill-fest a week ago in Mykonos. Still “refreshing,” but now mostly without the quotation marks! It is a convivial group on board – mostly couples, including two couples that live a block away from each other in the same town but don’t know each other, and two couples on their honeymoon (of course!). The entire boat gets into the celebratory spirit, toasting the newlyweds and reminiscing about weddings and discussing wedding-day disasters. One of the newlyweds is a singer from Rio de Janeiro, and – after several hours of encouragement and several glasses of wine – entertains us with the Portuguese version of Girl from Ipanema. A perfect day. The boat drops us off on the south side of the island (and picks up another group of passengers to do the reverse itinerary, which ends at sunset at Ammoudi), and a shuttle drives us back to Oia. By 4:30 we are back at the hotel and decide to spend the next couple of hours in the pool, relaxing and enjoying the unbelievable view. The sun the bright, the air is warm, and eventually the pool becomes filled with… honeymooners. Seriously. There are 10 people in the small pool, and 6 of them are on their honeymoon, while two more are celebrating an anniversary and renewing their vows. We are the only “just because” people there. It makes for easy conversation though!
Eventually we get cleaned up and wander into Oia to try for another sunset. Nothing. Despite the beautiful clear day, tonight’s horizon is even more hazy than last night, but the crowds are nice (and we see another wedding procession). After the anticlimactic sunset, we wander through the darkening streets and decide to try the Red Bicycle for dinner (recommended by a couple of people at the pool today), mainly because Skala is closed for a private party (probably another wedding!). The food at Bicycle was good, and the view of the caldera – sparkling with the lights from Fira and the other villages – is beautiful, but the service was terrible and on the whole it seemed a bit overpriced for what it was. We much preferred dinner at Ochre last night (lovely grilled veggies and fresh made pasta, with a view to Ios to the north). Hopefully we will make it to Skala tomorrow night.
Back to the hotel, and time to relax on the veranda and do a little stargazing before heading off to bed.
Jul 5th, 2011, 06:39 PM
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Jo - there are at least two companies that do the 5-hour catamaran day sails. The company we used was NOT the "Captain Ted" tour that you see advertised alot - although I'm sure that one is wonderful,too. I think ours was from Pelican travel, but I could be wrong. When you are at the beginning of Oia (the marble square where it dead ends into the road), the agent office is right there, selling several different day trips as well as scooter rentals. They do a 5 hour catamaran day sail from 10:30 to 3:30, with a max of 14 people on a 50 foot cat, for 130 euro (I think it is 150 if you book through your hotel - extra commission I guess!). They also offer the 5 hour sail in reverse for the same rate - boarding the boat at the south end at 3:30 and finishing up in Oia at sunset at 8:30, but I don't think I would like that one (you've been swimming all day and you have to get back to your hotel to clean up before going back out to dinner). Lunch on board is terrific (grilled pork chops and gigantic shrimp), and the water, wine, beer and soft drinks flow pretty freely all day. The thing I really liked about this boat was that they managed to get to the sulfur spring before the larger day boats from Fira made it there (the ones with the cruise ship people), so the spring was not crowded at all for our visit (we were leaving as they were starting their swim). I'm sure Ted's is great, too, but these guys were convenient and it was karma that they happened to have a slot available.
