helissatina

We're looking forward to our long awaited trip to Greece. We have tentatively planned:
Crete~ 4 days
Santorini~ 3 days
Naxos/Paros~3 days
Athens~ 3 days

Our main interests are culinary (markets, chefs, cooking lessons, restaurants), artists & craftsmen, historical sights, relaxation. We welcome comments and suggestions and look forward to hearing from anyone who's been there recently for hotel and restaurant suggestions!

kja

You might check my trip report, which includes information on the hotels and restaurants I patronized. It's long, but it is searchable.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-greece.cfm

neckervd

If you want to see the real gems of Crete, 4 days isn't enough by far.
If you plan to stay at Iraklio only (or in one of the nearby tourist ghettos) and do just some day trips around (Knossos, Malia, Paistos, Agios Nikolaos/Elounda), it may work.

crazyh

Crete is a wonderful island and deserves days if not weeks to fully appreciate. You could spend your entire holiday there and not see it all.

Santorini is probably Greece's #1 destination . . . that may be good or bad depending on how much over-the-tourism you like.

Naxos and Paros are two of Greece's nicest islands but I would recommend spending your time on just one of them and getting know the island. If it was me I would go to Naxos (which we have). It's one of Greece's nicest island with a wonderful combination of Old & New World Greece. Paros is a good option but with just 3 days to split between Naxos/Paros I would spend the 3 days on 1 island.

Three days in Athens is good . . . it will give you an opportunity to see what most tourists go to Athens for and maybe time for the Central Markets, Anafiotika and some of the less touristy and non-touristy areas.

Trying to do to much in the time you have will water down your experience. Quality is more than quantity.

Don't forget every time you move from one destination to another eats up time . . . and time is valuable on holiday with the amount of time you want to spend.

helissatina

Thanks all for your input. We're leaving in 2 weeks and would be thankful for any restaurants, markets, artist studios, music, etc. suggestions on Crete, Santorini, Naxos or in Athens. I've got many, but trust this forum to always come up with things I may have missed! Thanks again to all of you!!!

kja

If you have any questions about the places I visited in Crete, Santorini, Naxos, or Athens -- covered in my trip report (linked above) and in reviews on TA under the screen name KJA3 -- please feel free to ask, here or on the thread with my trip report. I'm sure you understand that I visited too many places to review them all again on this thread....

lanejohann

We were in greece in July
Stayed at aThens gate in plaka area and later at plaka hotel
Both have good access to plaka with its shopping and eateries and historic sites
I liked plaka hotel better cos of location but aThens gate had good views from the room and a better breakfast with views of Acropolis
Lots of nice restaurants in plaka..we didn't have a bad meal
Got sick of Greek food after two weeks though

Santorini is gorgeous and I recommend the four hr walk from Fira to oia
At least I hope it's Fira and not thira...one is the island ..one is the capital lol
Great restaurants in oia ...nice shopping but overpriced
Naxos has good shopping ...nice bits and pieces

kja

LOL -- I ate very well throughout my month in Greece, and within a few weeks of returning home, was ready to dine at my favorite local Greek restaurant.

crazyh

lanejohann:
Sorry you got "sick of Greece"! That's too bad. Greece is a lovely country with unlimited options for things to do, see, explore and experience.

It would take years to fully see what Greece is all about.

Obviously people have many reasons for traveling . . . some want excitement, crowds, partying, shopping and a more tourist-oriented holiday while others want tradition, peace, out-of-the-way villages, real Greek food, dealing with locals rather than tourists, etc.

Take a deep breath and see what made you "sick" of Greece and maybe look at Greece as one of the most inexpensive and Old World countries in Europe, but still vibrant, full of life, history and wonderful people, not to mention some of the best food in the world!

travelerjan

Crazyh, do careful reading: that person only said he was sick of greek FOOD. And that may not even mean that he/she doesn't dislike greek food, but that he/she has a hankering for other favorite foods not as available in Greece. I am the first one to admit that after 3-4 weeks in Greece, as soon as I get home I am likely to devour huge amounts of LETTUCE salad (often not on greek menus), and lots of soft scrambled eggs and poached or softboiled eggs on toast for breakfast -- the greek approach to eggs seems to be (1) fried (2) rubbery omelets (3) hardboiled.

So don't jump to conclusion that he/she is fed up with Greek culture. Re-read.

kja

Interesting -- I had a salad with some kind of lettuce almost every night of my month in Greece and had some truly delicious omelets along the way. It must really depend on where, exactly, one goes!

gabrieltraian

South part of Crete...
As Greek as you can get, with few tourists and yummy, delicious, gorgeous food.
Locals treating you like family, remembering you when you come again, giving you a bigger portion next time around and happily sharing their raki with you, even in the shops after you bought something from them.

In ten days we hardly covered about 100km either side of our village.
We didn't even want to go farther away, it was beautiful and gorgeous wherever we decided to go.

Another thing, the distances are misleading in Crete, as the roads are winding, the speed is low...

This means you should be there to enjoy the place, let it sink in, let a bit of Greece sink in.

The yoghurt and the olive oil there are like nowhere in any supermarket ever, no matter how "Greek" it says on the label.

crazyh

Sorry, my mistake. I do to much speed reading and sometimes "read" into something that was meant differently.

Still . . . I love Greek Food. Growing up in a Greek-American household we always looked forward to Sundays when it was "Greek Day"

One of the best things of travel to other countries is the food . . . and Greece offers some of the best food and at prices that are very reasonable.

I could live endlessly on the Mediterranean Diet (Greek or other countries) and never get tired of it.

However, I understand not everyone has the same opinion as me . . . still how can you not love Greek Food . . . and lots of it!?

travelerjan

I think the person's reaction was misread or perhaps not expressed exactly ... actually you should not take it that he/she does not love Greek food... just that he/she was ready for some more familiar menu items.