Places We Visited in Greece

Greece is a land of ancient history, culture, and places to see. When we were thinking of going to Greece, it did not make sense to visit a place for a day. We wanted to spend a considerable amount of time exploring and learning about each place. Hence, instead of hopping in and out of many places, we picked a few and tried to get the most out of each location.

Athens

We picked Athens as our first destination because of the convenience it offered travel wise. We stayed at a hotel in the city centre and after resting for a day, we decided to walk around to explore the place. We walked along the tiny cobbled streets in Plaka which were lined with restaurants and shops on either side.

In the week we were at Athens, we walked to the parliament to see the change of guards, explored the temples and the Agora, admired the old Greek Orthodox churches and experienced Greek food.

Athens will be the place to shop if you need anything before you travel to the nearby islands. I explored a few stores (much to the dismay of my husband) and bought a few skincare items made from olive oil, a decision I don’t regret.

There are many one day tours that you can book from Athens. We visited Sunion and Delphi via one of those tours. You will be able to get all the information you want about the tours from your hotel reception.

A view of the Acropolis from the ancient Agora

Corinth

We booked a yellow cab from Athens for a relaxed one day visit to Corinth. Our first stop was the Corinth canal. The view from the top shows the steep and narrow cut of the canal. There is a tiny pedestrian bridge with railings on each side where people tie ribbons or tiny plastic strips for good luck. The view of the canal from the bridge was breathtaking. It made us admire the skills people had to plan and make the canal.

Our next stop was the ancient town of Corinth. From there, we went to have our lunch at Marinos which was my favourite. I can’t emphasise enough about the amazing food we had there. I have spoken more about it in my previous post titled Best Restaurants in Greece

From there we went to the Epidaurus Theatre which boasts of excellent acoustics. It was built sometime towards the end of 4th century BC. We wanted to check the acoustics. Since I was not keeping well that day, my husband decided to climb to the back row. It made me the performer and my husband, the spectator. I told my husband to close his eyes and then I dropped a coin on the floor. I checked if my husband could hear it and surprisingly enough, he was able to hear it.

Mykonos

We caught an early morning ferry from Athens to this party island. The beauty of this tiny island left me spellbound. It was as if I disembarked into a painting. The houses were painted white with different coloured windows and doors. The paved streets with white lines added to the surreal beauty.

Super paradise is the beach you want to visit if you want to party. There are buses going to and from the town to the beach every 15 minutes. We slipped into our swimsuits, ordered some wine and sat under an umbrella enjoying the view for a while before we went for a dip in the water.

Going for a stroll in the town is a must if you ever visit Mykonos. We walked along the streets just looking at the houses. We spent some time admiring the ancient wind mills on a hill overlooking the sea. They closely resemble old Dutch windmills.

Santorini

Our next destination was the one I was looking forward to the most. I had heard about it, read about it and seen it in movies. I couldn’t wait to get to Santorini to explore the gorgeous island. That was the reason we decided to spend close to a week there.

Make sure to book your ferry tickets the day you arrive instead of later or if you can, book it online. The seats tend to fill up soon during the peak season and you may be forced to choose an alternative expensive mode of transport.

We stayed at Fira and travelled to different parts of the island by bus. The island in and of itself was breathtaking. We could see different shades of blue in the water. At one point, there was a cruise ship docked in the water which made it look like a postcard.

We decided to go beach hopping on a yacht. It was an amazing experience. The yacht stopped at different locations allowing everyone to enjoy a swim. I do not know how to swim but at the time, I was determined. I wore a life jacket and jumped into the water. The captain was hesitant to let me swim at first but then relented to my husband’s persuasive charm.

If you want to see a beautiful sunset in Santorini, Oia is the place to be. It is a small town located in the Northwestern tip of Santorini. This picturesque town has beautiful churches and buildings. We spent a whole afternoon exploring and enjoying this town.

The food in Santorini is exceptional. There are many taverns and shacks that serve amazing food. Our favourite was Volcano Blue in Fira.

Crete

We went to Crete from Santorini. It is the largest Greek island with beautiful old buildings and beaches. Crete is famous for Cretan salad which is the best I’ve had so far. My husband wanted to visit Crete because Elafonisi, another amazing beach, was in Crete.

We arrived at Heraklion and took a cab to Chania where we spent the night. It would have been convenient if we would have caught an earlier ferry. That way, we could have saved some money and reached Chania by bus. Chania is a colourful coastal town with cute narrow streets. This town is pretty no matter which nook or corner you are at. We walked around the tiny narrow streets enjoying the shops and peeking into a few as we went by.

The Venetian harbour is the main attraction in Chania. The harbour is quiet and has the clearest and the most clean water I have seen.

We took a bus to Elafonisi from Chania. The beach with its light pink sand, crystal clear waters, and the lagoon was a sight to behold. I hit euphoria when my foot touched the water for the first time. This was one place I did not want to leave. The water within the lagoon was warm and shallow which meant I did not have to worry about not knowing how to swim. I spent hours leaning how to float and playing in the water.

Herakloin is the capital of Crete. It is famous for the ruins of Knossos which was thought to be the oldest city in Europe. The Minoan Palace of Knossos was built around 2000 BC. Though much of it was destroyed, we were still able to see structures used as rooms and storage, artefacts, and the giant courtyard. This palace would have been the equivalent of the Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace.

We were also lucky to chance upon peacocks at the ruins which called for a selfie.

Another restaurant that became our favourite, Murmura, is famous for its seafood and is in Heraklion. Greece is a destination where you can kick back and relax with good food and calming drinks.

We had an amazing time in Greece and wish to go back some day. Each place we visited is unique in its own way which makes it hard to pick the most favourite sight or experience. If you plan on visiting Greece, I would recommend adding Crete to your list of places to visit.