Greece
Situated in the far south of the Balkan peninsula, Greece combines the towering mountains of the mainland with over 1,400 islands, the largest of which is Crete. Post-World War II Greece saw rapid economic and social change, with tourism and shipping becoming major contributors to the economy. The global financial crisis of the late 2000s had a devastating effect on Greece, as the legacy of high public spending and widespread tax evasion combined with the credit crunch and the resulting recession to leave the country with a crippling debt burden. The current population of Greece is 11,149,197 Language spoken is Greek.
Flag of Greece
We divided our 16 days in Greece across, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, we just love Greece it was everything we expected and more, each place was so unique.
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Creek islands it is the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It has an easy-going atmosphere, with a mixture of locals and tourists all mingling together seamlessly. We stayed in the town of Rethymno, it was very pleasant, and our accommodation was very nice, it was in the Grand Leoniki Residence I definitely recommend this place.
We did two great hikes in Greece, Mount Ida the highest mountain in Crete we drove to Mygero Refuge. The road was good, with only some small rocks fallen on the road after Livadia. We left the car in the free parking at Mygero Refuge and started climbing it is not a bad hike but the last part of the hike was very windy and cold so if you decided to do this hike bring some warm clothes. The peak has a stone church ( the church of the holy cross) and a large cross, it has beautiful views to both coasts. Mount Ida is 2,456 m, it is the highest mountain on Crete it was about a 5-hour round trip. It is sacred to the Greek Titaness Rhea, and on its slopes lies one of the caves, Idaion Andron, in which, according to legend, Zeus was born.
The second hike was in a very beautiful gorge called Samaria, Samaria Gorge is one of the longest gorges in Europe. The Gorge provides stunning views, the core of the national park covers an area of 4,850 ha, the entrance is at Xyloskalo (1230m above sea level) on Omalos Plateau and runs down through a well-preserved trail 16 km long to the sea village of Agia Rourneli on the southern coast of Crete at the Libyan Sea. You will also pass St. Nicolas’s Chapel. Both hikes are very different and very enjoyable.
We spent one day visiting the old town of Chania the Venetian Harbour, the old port, the narrow shopping streets and waterfront restaurants the archaeologist site and Fortezza Castle which had great view over the city and ocean. Really nice town. Another evening we visited the Knossos Palace, it is worth a visit, but it is hard to tell which are the original ruins verses restoration. We will remember Crete for its great hikes.
Fortezza Castle
Town of Chania
Mykonos was our next stop. Mykonos is one of the Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 square kilometre, there are 10,134 inhabitants.
Much of the island is dotted with tiny churches the oldest in Mykonos town, while here you can visit the Kato Mills the windmills of Mykonos and walk along the streets of little Venice for an afternoon glass of wine or cocktail. It is easy to get lost in its myriad of winding alleyways and streets, or to go around in circles, but it is hard not to get spellbound by all the white washed houses with colourful painted doors and windows. It boasts 22 beaches, and we visited a number of them, in particular Paradise and Super Paradise. I will remember Mykonos for its great beaches (it is definitely a party island in the summer months).
Little Venice
Our accommodation
Churches and Windmills of Mykonos
The next stop was the most beautiful of all the islands and that was Santorini.
Santorini is the largest island of a small circular archipelago. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km² and a population of about 14,000.
The main island of Thira will take your breath away. The Sky and Sea here are a vibrant blue which makes the houses and hotels seem whiter than white. The views across the ocean is magnificent. When the sun sets, the reflection on the buildings and the glow of the orange and red in the cliffs can be truly spectacular.
We did a lovely walk to the gorgeous traditional hilltop village of Oia, truly beautiful. We had the best cocktails ever in a cocktail bar called Molecular Mixology (thanks for the travel Tip Adam) definitely worth a visit.
Santorini glides into the future with accomplished artists, excellent wineries, a unique microbrewery and some of the Cyclades’ finest accommodation and dining experiences. The multi-coloured beaches are simply the icing on the cake. I can understand why Santorini has many visitors. I will remember Santorini for its beauty and great Cocktails.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, it is also one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC. In 2016, Athens has an estimated population of over 665,000 in the city proper, or 3.75 million in the metropolitan area.
It is well-known from the mythology that Athens was named after the Goddess of Wisdom. Athens is a mixture of history and edginess. It is interesting to see Cultural and social life playing out amid, around and in ancient landmarks. The magnificent Acropolis is visible from almost every part of the city, it was amazing to walk through the Acropolis and to see the Parthenon.
We loved Greece and will be back again I am sure, the food was great in all areas we visited. The Greek people are accommodating, pleasant and friendly. We were unsure about visiting in October but it was perfect, not too hot and not too many tourists, fantastic.
