I didn’t really fully understand the significance of this cruise until we got to the embarkation port and saw the fanfare and felt the excitement as our cruise was THE FIRST CRUISE TO SAIL SINCE 2019 – PRE-COVID. WOW-let that sink in! A Greek TV station even interviewed us because it was a national event there. The crew and staff were smiling ear to ear and so grateful to be back to work. Every island we visited, they greeted us with warm smiles and the locals were beyond friendly and our tour guides hadn’t led a tour since 2019, either. We were treated like celebrities.

ATHENS...

We spent the first 2 days in Athens and packed in as much as we could, starting with a walking food tour on the afternoon that we arrived. It was great – our tour guide Voolah, brought us through the streets of Athens to visit the central markets (fresh, Meat and vegetable markets) and then on to a local authentic Greek restaurant where we got to sample some of the most traditional Greek dishes and Greek wine. See photos below. The following day, we took a Greek Myths and mythology walking tour with Costas who was so knowledgeable and told us many stories from Greek mythology that I had forgotten but had learned as a child. Athens is an amazing city. There’s a mixture of old and new around every corner. During city construction hundreds of original Greek sites have been uncovered and of course, they are historically protected and so you can see them everywhere. I will definitely go back to Athens as we barely scratched the surface.

Grilled Octopus

Fish Market

REAL Gyro & Beer

ALL THE FOOD…...

Greece is best known for its Olive Oil, Olives, Feta Cheese, they also grow delicious tomatoes and Fava beans. The Greek wine is delicious and differs from region to region. We ate EVERYTHING and one of our faves was the grilled octopus dish on fava bean puree and caramelized onions. We had the freshest of seafood every day – the lamb dishes we Aahhhhmazing and you haven’t had the best gyro until you have had one in Greece !! (along with their delicious Mythos beer) We ate pita, Greek olive bread and other varieties of bread and never once felt bloated – everything is pretty much farm to table and organic and Yummy!! In Athens, we also tried Koulouri which is like a sesame coated pretzel.

THE ISLANDS…..

Once we left Athens on the first day, we visited a new island every day thereafter. The original itinerary for this cruise includes a stop in Kusadashi Turkey, but because of Covid regulations, we could not do that so we visited a different Island instead – Patmos. This island is usually featured on one of their 4 day itineraries and we were delighted to see it as it was really beautiful.

From Patmos, our itinerary went as follows:

Rhodes
Santorini
Lavrion
Mykonos
Milos
Crete

Each island is different and has its own specialties – the topography is different in each one and as we know, Greece is a volcanic land so the beaches are very different to our golden sands – more volcanic and rocky – one thing however that was the same in all the islands was the crystal clear water !!! Beautiful.

Mykonos Windmills

Megalochori Santorini

Athens excavation

I will definitely go back to Greece in the future and this time, I will pick a few islands and stay for a few days on each to explore at my leisure. The Greek Island cruise is a great way to get a “taste” of each island and give you a great idea of the differences. No matter which part of Greece we were in, the hospitality was 100% – If you want to come with us in May 2022 to get your own “taste” of this beautiful country and Islands, we’d love to have you with us. Here’s more in depth information on Rhodes and Santorini.

RHODES

RHODES:

This was one of our favorite islands for history. We did the Acropolis of Lindos excursion and were blown away by the history of this place and the views were spectacular too.

There are islands in the Mediterranean with captivating history, fantastic beaches and beautiful scenery, and then there is an island like Rhodes that quite literally has it all. Long before the days of the Roman Empire, many a maritime trail led to Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, named for the native pink hibiscus flowers. Unlike some popular Greek islands like Mykonos and Santorini, Rhodes is lush and green, a veritable garden in the eastern Aegean. And with an area of 541 square miles (1,400 square kilometers), it’s large too. Rhodes is also home to some of the most spectacular medieval fortifications anywhere, built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John in the 14th century. The virtually intact Palace of the Grand Master in the town of Rhodes is a Gothic jewel right out of a fairytale; this, combined with the Street of the Knights and some 200 winding lanes, creates a dazzling, living tapestry.

The island of Rhodes is in many ways a microcosm of Greece. The Old Town of Rhodes, at the northernmost point of the island, is probably the best-preserved medieval city in all of Europe. Midway down the eastern side, Lindos (some 55 km south of Rhodes town) blends archaeological intrigue with a panoramic town that is more reminiscent of a Cycladic island like Mykonos. The western side, meanwhile, has many orchards and vineyards as well as impressive ancient ruins at sites like Kameiros. The island’s interior is a place of verdant forests, hills and oases of calm like Seven Springs and the Valley of the Butterflies nature park, bringing to mind the countryside of northern Greece, while the beaches you’ll find in Rhodes are among the widest and best in Greece and indeed the Mediterranean.

MEDIEVAL TOUR – ACROPOLIS OF LINDOS AND THE CITADEL OF THE KNIGHTS

Looming high above the modern capital of Rhodes is the magnificent ancient Acropolis of Lindos and the Temple of Athena. The walled fortress is a historical podium with a prime vantage point atop a steep cliff, offering up spectacular panoramic views of the stunning coastline.

The beautifully preserved Acropolis of Lindos is equally awe-inspiring and undoubtedly one of the most impressive archaeological sites thanks to its stunning natural landscape. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Knights of St John, and the Ottomans have all had a hand in the rich history of the citadel.

Our specialist guide will reveal all as you wander around the 20-columned Hellenistic stoa, a timeless haven that instantly transports you to the era of an extraordinary civilization.

Temple ruins dating back to the 4th-century BC, the four-portico building, the Bogbopion, where sacrifices took place, and the Byzantine chapel of Saint John encircle the iconic monument.

SANTORINI

You see photos of Santorini and it’s so distinguishable with the blues and whites of the buildings, architecture etc. No photo or video can do it justice – it was just as beautiful as you can imagine. We started the day with a planned 1/2 day excursion to visit the famous towns of Oia, Fira, and we also visited a little village of Megalochori which is close to Fira.

Oia (pronounced (eee yah) is known for it’s beauty and also for sunsets.

Fira – is te capital of Santorini and is known for nightlife complete with the cable car down to the old port)

Megalochori: known for its wine has 5 wineries close by and was so quaint and I would definitely like to stay there in the future.

SANTORINI IS SIMPLY SPECTACULAR

Few islands have the power to captivate the way Santorini does. Gorgeous and cosmopolitan, it’s famous for that classic Greek island look with white painted houses clustered along narrow winding lanes, perched atop reddish-black volcanic cliffs that tumble down more than a thousand feet to the wide caldera. It’s easy to see how this island, the pearl of the Cycladic archipelago, can lay claim to being the source of the legend of Atlantis, either. Santorini, or “Thera” in Greek, is most celebrated for the dramatic views of its volcanic caldera, formed during a massive eruption around 1646 B.C. That eruption shook up the island—making its center actually collapse—but also created some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

Fabulous Fira

The best way to arrive in Santorini is by sea, and from the ship, as the caldera comes into view framed by towering cliffs you’ll see why. From the old port, you can make your way to the iconic, bustling main town of Fira, either on foot or by cable car. In Fira, more than 1,100 feet above the sea, you can stroll the whitewashed lanes and savor the views out over the caldera: Odds are you won’t be alone, but part of the magic of Santorini is the energy of people who are there, just like you, to marvel at this geographical wonder. So slow down, relax, have a coffee and maybe do a little island shopping—it’s some of the best in the Aegean. Fira is also the island’s capital and center of nightlife.

Magical Oia

The clifftop village of Oia, on the northern tip of Santorini, is famous for its glorious sunset views high over the caldera and nearby Therasia island. In this quintessential Cycladic island village, blue-domed churches and white-painted houses perched on the cliff—many of them actually dug into the volcanic rock—compete for your attention. There are myriad enchanting restaurants and boutiques—be sure to pop into the justly famous Atlantis Books and browse to your heart’s content—mixed in with the flowing whitewashed houses and blue-domed churches. If you prefer outdoor activities, you can also descend around 200 very scenic steps to have a look around the idyllic little port of Ammoudi. If you’re feeling somewhat bewitched by it all, or that you could stay a month, don’t worry: That’s just Santorini working its timeless magic.

Volcanic close-up

While it’s amazing to admire the shimmering blue sea surface of the flooded caldera from the cliff tops, a boat excursion will bring the Santorini’s volcanic remnants into sharper focus. This is the best way to see the black lava islets of Palea and Nea Kameni (Greek for “old and new burnt islands”) You can take a dip in the hot springs on Palea Kameni and inspect the edge of Santorini’s still active volcanic crater on Nea Kameni. Santorini is a glamorous destination by any measure, but these geological dramas are reminders that nature is what put the island on the map—