Travel Through My Eyes

Greece

Greece is one of the few places I’ve had the chance to visit twice. My first trip was part of a Mediterranean cruise with my sister, with Athens as our only stop. Years later, I returned on another cruise with my mom, sister, and our family friend, this time visiting Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. The second trip gave me the chance to revisit Athens and finally see a little more of the islands.

Why I Love Greece

Ancient History, Easy Island Days

Greece appealed to the nerd in me long before I ever visited. I actually enjoyed learning about Greek mythology and ancient civilizations in school, so standing on the Acropolis beside the Parthenon and looking out over Athens was pretty surreal. The pace shifted once we reached the islands. Instead of the party atmosphere I was expecting, I found Mykonos peaceful and charming. In Santorini, we escaped the cruise crowds with a private tour around the island. Beyond the ruins and postcard views, we tried to carve out little moments of our own and find ways to explore beyond whatever was waiting right outside the port.

Mykonos by ATV

In Mykonos, we rented ATVs and set out to explore the island on our own. The ride took us through quieter stretches of countryside, past goats and toward Fokos Beach, a secluded cove I had read about beforehand. With only a handful of other people there, we stopped for a quick swim before getting back on the road. Next, we grabbed a snack at Koutsothanasis Bakery and picked up a few pastries and cookies for later.

Lunch with a View

For lunch on our day in Mykonos, we headed to a seafood restaurant recommended by the host at the ATV shop. We had to wait a bit for them to open, but the setting alone made it worth it: tucked into the hills overlooking the bright blue Aegean, with stone walls and a rustic woven canopy. The meal had the warmth of a Greek yiayia’s cooking with the kind of quality you’d expect from a Michelin-rated restaurant, with shrimp nearly the size of lobster and a spread of delicious local salads and sides. We lingered over lunch as long as we could, not quite ready to leave, until the reality of having a cruise ship to catch finally pulled us away.

Santorini

The first stop on our Santorini tour took us to the top of Red Beach, a rocky cove framed by rust-red cliffs and bright blue water. We scrambled down to the shore and back up along a rough, narrow cliffside path that felt more like bouldering in spots. While exploring Oia and taking in its iconic whitewashed buildings, we stopped at Pitogyros for literally the best gyro I’ve ever tasted and tried a traditional Greek sour cherry soda. As the day wound down, we caught a gorgeous sunset before heading back toward the port. The line down from Fira was insanely long, but while we waited, we took turns doing a little souvenir shopping and watched the parade of off-duty donkeys make their way home.