Greece and the Greek Island. There are so many choices. In total, there are more than 6,000 island in Greece. 227 of these are inhabited. In the Cyclades, the grouping of islands southeast of Athens, there are 200 islands. This is where some of the most famous reside including Santorini, Mykonos, Koufonisia, Delos, Naxos. All of the islands have their own personalities and depending upon what you’re looking for in your next vacation, the ones you choose can vary.
Ferries
Getting around is easy. There are ferry services that book for multiple lines and you can book ahead of time but for all of them, you’ll need to pick up your tickets at the port office. Some of the boats are concerned to be express or faster and then there are others that take more time. You will be assigned a seat for all of these and can upgrade if you like. Depending upon the boat, you may or may not be able to sit outside and be prepared to leave your luggage in the hull of the boat. Take your valuables with you and if you feel concerned, use a travel lock. There are two main companies to choose from.
- ferries.gr (This is the one I used.)
- Ferries in Greece
Cyclades Islands
Santorini
Santorini is the island that you see in all the photos with the white washed buildings on the side of the hill and the blue domes. It a picturesque island and the main town in Oia. The town is beautiful with quaint little alleyways that will lead you to your hotel along with shops and restaurants. Tourist gather on the west side of the island for sunset. Santorini is endanger of becoming over run with tourist. I’d recommend you visit it in the off season.
Mykonos
Mykonos is known for its clubs, music and dancing and party all night. The town doesn’t get busy until midmorning and most of the beaches offer bars, restaurants and paid umbrella service. During the evening, people come out to enjoy the cooler weather and to have fun. This is the island where the money goes. You’ll see huge yachts in the harbor.
Delos
Delos is the mythological birthplace of Apollo. Around 800 B.C., the town was a central trading area with people from all over the world congregating here. For this reason, it was a city of culture, religious tolerance, art and architecture, engineering and banking. Today, there are ruins all around this small island. I would suggest paying for a tour guide. The entry fee ranges from 6 to 12€. You can book a tour ahead of time but we just paid one of the guides 10€ plus when we got there. She was very knowledgeable. This might not be possible during high season. You can spend 2 to 4 hours here depending upon how much walking and time in the museum you want to spend. I would suggest taking a lunch with you as there are not restaurants available along with sunscreen and a hat.
Koufonisia
Koufonisia was my favorite island. It’s less busy than Mykonos or Santorini and a lot more relaxing. The water is the color you see in the movies, that beautiful, clear aqua marine along with deep blues. The town is very small. You can walk through it in 30 minutes and you can walk to many beaches or take the ferry to Kato Koufonisia and spend time on its beaches.
Naxos
Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades islands and we used it as a way-point to change ferries. It is most famously known for its large portal, locally called the Portára. It’s all that was completed of the Temple of Delian Apollo.
Tips for Greece
- Take or buy a hat. Cute ones (manly ones) are easily found.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Many of the streets are made of cobble stones and you’ll do a lot of walking. This is the same all over Greece.
- In Greece, the restaurants won’t bring you your check until you ask.
- Lastly, if you are tipping in a restaurant, it’s better to tip in cash because some managers will not pass it on to the employee.
- Many of the Greek people we meet were the extremely friendly. They are gracious, willing to go out of their way to help, and love to talk about everything and anything so immerse yourself in the culture and have fun!