Our Summer of Greek Island hopping

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We’ve always wanted to experience island hopping in Greece. With gorgeous turquoise water, idyllic islands, and ancient historic sights, we knew it was going to be a blast. And we were absolutely right! It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken so far. We would highly recommend it to an adventure-loving couple like us.



If you’re thinking of going on an island-hopping adventure in Greece, we’ll let you in on our itinerary and share some of our experiences as well so you will know what to expect on this amazing adventure.

Naxos

Naxos was our first destination. It’s the largest of all the Cycladic Islands and filled with stunning natural beauty. We’ve also come across some impressive monuments during our exploration of the island.



Naxos is massive, so there are plenty of things to discover around here. We had a great time at the beach. The waters are calm and not too crowded, so we were able to relax well. Naxos is also famous for its cuisines. We stuffed ourselves with those Naxian potatoes that are truly divine!

Santorini

Of course, we had to visit Santorini, which is perhaps the most popular of all Greek islands. Although it seems pretty touristy and crowded especially, when several cruise ships arrived at the same time, as we got there however, Santorini is still worth visiting.



We spent our time wandering around the charming villages in the island. Our favorite is Oia, which also happens to be the most popular. Here, we sampled a lot of local cuisines, sipped delicious wine while waiting for the sunset. The sunset views are absolutely incredible in this part of the world!

Corfu

From the Cyclades, we head on to discover the Ionian Islands. Our favorite is Corfu. There is plenty to love about this beautiful island and we had a great time exploring the charming streets of the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its cobblestone streets are dotted with Venetian style buildings, an indication of this Island’s rich history. Here we really treated ourselves to an amazing villa called the Saints, which looked out over the sea. This was a highlight particularly for Claire who is a bit of a pool addict.



We then set off on a hiking adventure on the Corfu Trail. It’s a 137-mile hiking trail that opens to the gorgeous landscape views of the island. As foodies, we always make sure to discover the cuisines of the new places we’re visiting. So, during our stay in Corfu, we sampled a lot of traditional Ionian cuisines, none better than pastrokio, we shall be making that one at home.

Athens

We decided to spend our last night in Athens, although we feel like we should have stayed a little bit longer. Greece’s capital city boasts thousands of years of history so there are plenty of historical sites and landmarks to visit. We visited the most popular ones, such as the Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, and a couple of museums. It’s a real mishmash, some of the city is really stunning and is geared up for the tourists, whereas some of the city is still clearly suffering from there recession and is rough around the edges. I have to say this only added to the character for us.



We had a great time wandering around the local markets hunting for interesting souvenirs to take home. In the Central Market of Athens, we came across a small taverna selling the most delicious souvlaki that costs only 2 Euros! We found out that the place has been operating for more than 65 years and is a favorite with the locals, which explains the huge crowd.



Greece is definitely a great destination for island hopping. You’ll come across a lot of interesting sights not to mention gorgeous landscapes and delicious food. Just plan your trip well and we can guarantee that you’ll have a great time.

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