Greece: Athens + Islands

I just returned home to Murcia (Spain) after an amazing trip to Greece with two fantastic women: Amy and Lucia. We were also joined by Annie. Coming off of time with ladies who support one another and enjoy each day fiercely, I’m feeling quite lucky. I’ve made a new commitment to center future travel more around who I’m with than where I’m going. I believe this will lend more community to my life. I feel deeply that it is the interaction we have with others, the love we share, which fulfills. Here is some information about our time in Athens, Mykonos, Delos and Santorini. I hope it will inspire other groups of friends to take a journey with their people and I hope these beautiful destinations will be enjoyed as much by all of you readers as they were by me.

Traveling with my girls Amy (center) and Lucia makes me happy!

First stop: Athens.

I recommend taking an Uber from the Athens airport into the city center. We found many great Airbnbs available. Avoid staying in the Omonia neighborhood. I’ve heard mixed things about safety in Athens. We were cautious but felt safe during the day in the tourist center. We headed home before midnight (when the train shuts down).

I got a lot of AMAZING info from my friend Brittany who’s lived in Athens. Thanks girl!

We had one full day in Athens and one half day. We started day one with a free walking tour: https://www.athensfreewalkingtour.com/en/ which we really enjoyed!! Our tour guide was knowledgable and made the history of the city come to life. Then we walked through the romantic Plaka neighborhood en route to the side entrance (shorter line) of the Acropolis. After an unforgettable morning, we headed for afternoon cocktails at A for Athens – a fantastic rooftop bar with an incredible view of the Acropolis and ruins below! The rest of the evening included greek salad, tzatziki, muscat and the most delicious baklava. Greek food is so good!!!

Getting to see the Acropolis in real life is overwhelming. SO MUCH HISTORY HERE!!!

Day two focused on the National Archeological Museum (free for students!). My history books came to life in this place. I recommend a full day with a break for greek coffees and spanakopita in their garden cafe halfway. This, for me, was a must in Athens (like the Acropolis).

We took a very nice high-speed Hellenic Seaways ferry to Mykonos and happened to come across Sakis Gyros upon arrival. This place became a (cheap!) staple- we enjoyed one vegetarian pita per day (or try the chicken souvlaki pita if you’re not veg) on the rooftop patio of our Airbnb. We had a lot of rooftop meals because food is pricey in the touristy Mykonos town and our view was incredible. Try to find the AB grocery store (it’s next to bus station and doesn’t appear to be on Google Maps) for decent (but still price inflated) grocery items.

For (stupidly expensive!!!) cocktails, two recommendations: Passo Doble for the good drinks (I loved the passionfruit mojito) and Bar 180° for an unbeatable sunset view (order the “porn star”)- it’s well worth the uphill trek (don’t wear heels).

The view from Bar 180

For a little touristy excursion, take a day trip to Delos. The ferry costs 20 euros round trip. Head down around 9am and you’ll be back around 2/2:30. Pack a picnic! You can hike to the highest point of the island for a phenomenal view (and a momentary escape from other tourists if you’re fast)!

Next up, Santorini

In Santorini  we stayed in Finikia in a very cool cave house (pictured below and again, an affordable Airbnb) which is walking distance from Oía (pronounced ía).

We loved the food and house white at Lefkes & visited a nearby winery Domaine Sigalas – walk in, try the vinosanto.

If you’re in Oía please go for dinner at Fino. Fantastic. This is where we celebrated my birthday. Marykei bar is the only bar in Oía but it’s lovable. They serve ice cream during the day and cocktails at night. Smart. A few other good places to eat in Oía: Kyprida, Melitini and Sunset Cafe (we tried the first and were told the last two were good though we opted to cook at home a bit to save money)

A highlight of our experience was the scenic Oía-Thira 10k hike. We took our time, stopping for a picnic halfway. In Fira (Thira) we were able to grab groceries at the supermarket then we took a bus back to Finikia.

We loved visiting the town of Pyrgos for a day! It was orthodox Easter Eve and the city streets and rooftops are lined with candles- truly a sight to remember.

Other things to do on the island of Santorini: Many people enjoy renting four wheelers to get around but the bus is also cheap & easy (this was our option). We visited the black sand beach briefly. There’s also a red (rust) colored beach and white (beige)- many colors due to volcanoes!

We loved traveling in the off-season/shoulder-season (late March/early April) because prices and crowds were LOT lower. Still, I’ll note that this trip was quite a bit more expensive than I’d imagined- we all double our daily budget. FYI.

Bon voyage!

Running a blog takes a lot of time, money and effort. Become a Grace in the World patron by buying me a coffee or sponsoring a post! Click this link to donate to my travel fund. Your support is highly appreciated.