Island Hopping Archives - LucyLou Travels

Naxos, Greece

The Ancient Splendor of Naxos

The next stop on our Greece trip was to the beautiful island of Naxos, which is the largest and greenest of the Cycladic Island Group. Naxos has a lot of charm within it’s ancient alleyways, natural wonders and local delicacies. Since our stay in Naxos was fairly short, we focused ourselves in the capital of Chora, also known as Naxos City. We explored the ancient castle and old alleyways on foot and wandered around tasting food at different cafes. I hope to one day return to Naxos to explore the other parts of the island.

Last June we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our third stop in Greece to the island of Naxos. My first post in the series was about our stop in Santorini, followed by my second post about Milos. Follow up posts will outline our stops in Athens and the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Trip Planning: Before

As I mentioned in my Santorini and Milos blog posts, I did a lot of research before visiting Greece. My main focus was to build a good itinerary that didn’t feel too rushed. Specific to Naxos, I made sure I had our transportation booked ahead of time, as well as our lodging. Since we would be in Naxos for only two nights, I did not book us a rental car for our time there. In hindsight, I wish I had booked a car for at least one day to explore the island.

For lodging, I looked at places on Airbnb and booking.com that were located in Naxos City. My main goal was to find something close to the beach and within walking distance to the ferry port. I also booked our ferries ahead of time, both coming from Milos and then leaving for Athens.

Getting to Naxos

As mentioned in my Milos post, we took a very rough ferry ride from Milos to Naxos. Thankfully that was a one time event and our other ferry rides were uneventful and smooth. The majority of visitors appear to arrive to Naxos via ferry, but there is an airport that you can access as well. Upon arriving at the ferry port, it was a short walk to where we were staying. Since we didn’t rent a car, we walked or ran to get around the island.

Naxos Basics

Naxos is the largest of the Cycladic Islands at 165 square kilometers. The island is known for its lush valleys, beautiful beaches and ancient villages. The climate of Naxos brings mild winters and hot summers. The island is considered to be more fertile due to a stable water supply, which allows it to support a bustling agricultural sector. In total, the population of Naxos is around 19,000, with a large portion concentrated in the capital.

Upon entering the main port, you will see the Portara, which is the doorway to the ancient Temple of Apollo. Beyond this magical site, the city expands up the hillside. It is a bustling city filled with hotels, restaurants and shopping. There are plenty of ATMs and it is easily navigated on foot.

Shopping — Checking out the shops in the Naxos alleyways.

Where to Stay

We stayed at a cute little family run hotel that I found through Airbnb. It was a clean room with a balcony, a refrigerator, AC and breakfast was included.

Our Airbnb was in a good walkable location to downtown Naxos, where we spent a lot of time. We could also venture out to the Agios Georgios Beach directly from our hotel. We enjoyed having a balcony and being so close to the beach.

Since we didn’t have a rental car, we were limited to staying near the ferry port in Naxos. There are many other options in other parts of the island that might feel more private. For our needs this place was great, but review what you need and let that guide where you choose to stay.

What to Eat

While we were pretty low key with our meals, we did have one amazing dinner while we were in Naxos. We ate at Doukato Naxos, which sits in a small courtyard in the middle of old town. We found the food to be spectacular, the service amazing and we were overall very impressed. I definitely recommend it if you are in Naxos. We also ate a lot of ice cream while we were there, to beat the heat of course!

What to Do

There are many notable things to see around the island, including some beautiful beaches, ancient villages, as well as Zas Mountain. Since we were located only in Naxos City, we didn’t get to explore much of what the island has to offer. I will outline what we did get to do below.

Explore Naxos Old Town

We spent most of our time walking around Naxos, especially the old town area where the castle is located. The maze-like alleyways are filled with impressive architecture, tourist shops and small cafes. This was a fun place to wander around in to experience some of the city’s charm. There are also some really delicious restaurants located in this area.

Go to the Beach

We lucked out that the Agios Georgios Beach was right below our Airbnb. We spent our second day laying out on the beach and relaxing under the sun. This beach is nothing spectacular, but has a nice array of chairs and umbrellas for rent and little restaurants that you can order from while on the beach. If you have a car, I recommend you check out some of the more picturesque beaches on the island.

Visit the Temple of Apollo

Apollo temple — Temple of Apollo with Naxos City in the distance.

The Temple of Apollo at the entrance to Naxos is remarkable. It sits on a strip of land jutting out from the capital near the ferry port. The temple is the only remaining piece of an unfinished temple created in 530BC. There are four remaining parts of the temple, each weighing about 20 tons. It is an easy walk from downtown and worth a visit.

Views looking back at the city from the Temple of Apollo.

Naxos Running

Naxos has more options for running in comparison to some of the other islands. This is mainly because there are a number of empty rural roads that you can safely run on. The first run that we took was along some rural roads near our Airbnb that lead out of town. From this vantage point, we got to see another side of Naxos by running through the farmlands outside the capital.

On my second run in Naxos, I headed to check out the Temple of Apollo on a route near the water. Since I went early, I was rewarded by having the beautiful ruins mostly to myself.

Strava run — Strava Temple of Apollo run.

Reading on Naxos

We stopped by an adorable used book store called Papyrus Jewellery and Used Books to stock up on some reading material while we were in Naxos. The bookstore has a large selection of used books at good prices to re-up your book supply while you are in town.

Getting Away: Next Stop Athens

Ferry to Athens — Boarding the very large ferry to Athens.

With a decent amount of apprehension we took our last ferry ride to Athens on Seajets. It was a huge boat, as you can see from the photo. Thankfully we had smooth sailing on calm seas into the Piraeus Ferry Port in Athens. The ferry port is about 14km south of the city center, so you will have to take the subway or a taxi to your final destination in the city.

Milos, Greece

Milos: My Favorite Greek Island (so far)

The island of Milos is spectacular. It feels like a hidden gem, though it is starting to get more recognition recently. In fact, it wasn’t even on my radar when I first started planning our trip to Greece. After reading about it on a few travel blogs, I decided to add it to our itinerary. I am so grateful that I did. If you are visiting the Cycladic Island Group, or Greece in general, I strongly urge you to add Milos to your trip. It was by far my favorite island in the Cyclades and it is one of the most enthralling and relaxed places I have ever visited.

Last June we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our second stop in Greece to the island of Milos. My first post in the series was about our stop in Santorini. Follow up posts will outline our other stops on the trip. This includes the Cycladic Islands (Santorini, Milos and Naxos), Athens, and the Ionian Island of Corfu.

Trip Planning: Before

As I mentioned in my Santorini blog post, I did a lot of research and planning before visiting Greece. My main focus was on building a good itinerary that didn’t feel too rushed. Specific to Milos, I made sure I had our transportation and lodging booked ahead of time. I researched anything related to Milos that could help me understand the island better. A few articles that helped me are here, here and here.

For transportation, I booked our ferry and rental car beforehand. Most of the islands in the area are not too far apart, so ferry hopping is easy to do. For lodging, I looked at a lot of hotels and Airbnbs, but ended up picking an Airbnb that was affordable and in a great location. I generally leave the day to day activity planning until once I have arrived.

Getting There & Around

We took a short two hour ferry from Santorini to Milos. I booked my tickets by looking at schedules on this site and then booking directly with Seajets. On the ferry you have assigned seats and you can purchase food on board. There is also an airport on Milos with direct connections to Athens.

Once we arrived at the Adámantas port, we were able to take a short walk to the car rental agency. We used our car to get everywhere and we were grateful to have it. If you’re not planning on renting, many hotels and Airbnbs offer to pick you up from the ferry port or airport. It’s important to note that there are limited public transportation options on the island. Due to how spread out everything is, I’d suggest you rent a car for at least part of your visit to experience the picturesque villages and unique beaches.

Milos Basics

Pollonia Milos — Catching the sunset in Pollonia, Milos.

Milos is the fifth largest Cycladic island, at a size of roughly 58 square miles. The population is just under 5,000 people. The main language spoken on Milos is Greek, with many people also speaking English. Most of the menus at restaurants are in both Greek and English. ATMs are widely available and many places take credit card.

Milos can feel like you are on another planet with it’s otherworldly landscapes and geological formations. It was created from a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which explains the lunar looking surfaces and dramatic coastlines. There are large swaths of the western part of the island that are inaccessible to tourists, with rugged terrain in some areas that should be avoided in a rental car.

The weather in Milos is hot and sunny in the summer. It was hot during our visit, so we spent most of our time at the beach to avoid the heat. We were grateful to have AC at our lodging in the evenings. Due to the location of the island, it can get quite windy at times. This is something to consider when traveling by sea.

The picturesque Zoodokos Pighi church on Milos.

Where to Stay

Milos Airbnb — View from our Airbnb balcony.

There are a lot of options for lodging on Milos, with most of it located on the northern part of the island. The main lodging areas are the port of Adámantas, the main town of Plaka, and the smaller villages of Klima and Pollonia. Where you choose to stay depends a lot on where you want to be on the island. Some like to be closer to the port or in town, but we opted to be in a more tranquil village setting in close proximity to the beaches.

We stayed at a basic, but cute little Airbnb in Pollonia, which is a charming fishing village on the northeast part of the island. The village has an intimate collection of houses and fishing boats mixed in with tourist lodging and seaside restaurants. Our Airbnb had AC, a small refrigerator and a balcony looking out onto the water. Our host was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice for food, beaches and what to do with our time. We couldn’t have asked for more during our stay.

The Food

We had some amazing food on Milos. We lucked out that our Airbnb host gave us a great list of places to eat at and all of her recommendations were spot on. Even better, so many were within walking distance from where we were staying.

On our first night, we visited the Armenaki Restaurant in Pollonia, which had some really yummy selections. The restaurant has outdoor seating along the beach and a staff with a sweet personal touch. Armenaki also has an extensive cellar collection of wines from all over Greece.

On our second day there, we ate at a hidden gem called Ergína’s Restaurant. It is located on a hilly perch in Trypiti with great views out to the sea. The food at Ergina’s was amazing and the salads were some of the best we had during our entire trip. I highly recommend making a stop there for lunch or dinner.

Greek salad — Delicious salad at Ergína’s in Trypiti.

We stopped by the Kivotos ton Gefseon bakery and restaurant repeatedly for their delicious bakery and breakfast items. The restaurant sits at the entrance to Pollonia and it is an easy stop on your way out of town. It has delicious and well priced food and baked goods with an adorable back courtyard. This place is well worth a visit for a meal or some baked goods.

Milos bakery — *In the courtyard of the Kivotos ton Gefseon bakery.*

What To Do

Milos is relatively spread out and there are many things to do with your time. You won’t regret taking a drive around the island and visiting some of the smaller villages, churches and restaurants. Aside from the beaches, there are some cool points of history to check out. One of the most popular are the Milos Catacombs. We tried to make a visit there, but it was unfortunately closed when we went. There is also a mining museum and an archaeological museum if you are up for that type of activity.

Go To The Beaches

Papafraga Beach & Caves

The Papafraga beach and caves are more of a geographical wonder to gawk at than they are a beach to swim in. The rock and cave formations are very unique and worth checking out, even if briefly. You can hike down the craggy rocks to the water to see the underside of the cave area. Many people do go swimming, but we opted to take some pics from above and move on to the next spot.

Algomandra Beach

The Algomandra Beach is very beautiful cove-like setting with a small beach and crystal clear turquoise water. We were able to lay out on a small area of the beach and take a dip in the cool and refreshing water.

Sarakiniko Beach

The Sarakiniko Beach feels like you are on the moon. The lightly hued rock formations are in stark contrast to the emerald blue water and sky. There is an inlet of water that enters the rocks where most people fan out to swim or lay out. This area doesn’t seem so much like a beach, but more like a rocky swimming hole. I recommend making a stop here to check out the fascinating rock formations and taking a quick swim.

Paliochori Beach

The Paliochori Beach was the largest, most typical feeling beach that we visited while on Milos. It has some really cool colors due to the geothermal rock formations. The water is a beautiful dark turquoise that nicely contrasts with the orange red hue of the sand and rocks. There are chairs and umbrellas for rent all along the beach that offer protection from the sun. The water was chilly, but it helped beat the heat. We enjoyed our time here and I would recommend making a visit.

RUNNING ON MILOS

We took all of our runs in Milos on the roads around Pollonia and directly outside of town. Since Milos is not super crowded like Santorini, we felt safe enough running on the main roads. We were vigilant about cars and ran opposite traffic. Due to the heat, we took our runs in the evening, which was a lot cooler. The sunset views on our runs were absolutely incredible.

Getting Away: Scary Ferry to Naxos

We took a ferry to get to our next stop of Naxos. The morning we were due to head out, our Airbnb host warned us that the wind was bad and that the sea would be rough. We proceeded as planned to our ferry. During the 4-5 hour ride, we were tossed around as if we were in a washing machine. It was an extremely unpleasant experience, but I learned a lot from it. Mainly that you should always pay attention to local advice. If it is very windy out and the sea is rough, change your plans accordingly. Thankfully, our next ferry ride to Athens was extremely smooth sailing.

Visit Milos

In short, we loved the chill atmosphere, stunning beaches and scrumptious food of Milos. I hope to return again some day and I recommend that you add it to your next trip, too.

Santorini, Greece

Last June we took our first trip to Greece and we loved it. This post will detail our first stop in Greece to the island of Santorini. Follow up posts will outline our other stops on the trip. This includes the Cycladic Islands (Santorini, Milos and Naxos), Athens, and the Ionian Island of Corfu.

These posts are by no means meant to be a comprehensive guide to Greece. There are tons of ways to take a trip here and many towns, islands and places to visit. I was a bit overwhelmed in my planning to choose the *best* route. However, there is no real *best* route. How you visit Greece should be what works best for you. Our trip just barely scratched the surface of what you can see and do. Take this as one example of a trip and feel free to use it to build your *best* trip there in the future.

Island Basics

Santorini, or Thíra as it is known, is in the Cycladic Island group. In fact, it is actually a group of islands, which include Thíra, Thirassiá, Asproníssi, Palea and Nea Kaméni. Santorini is a rather small island at just about 76 square kilometers or roughly the size of Manhattan. The crescent shaped island is 16km in length and 1km to 5km in width. It is located in the Aegean Sea, about 200km southeast of Athens. The island is considered to be an active volcano, but is not currently at risk of erupting.

Santorini has a population of about 15,000 people, but it swells with visitors during the summer months. Peak travel time is June through September and you can expect crowded hot spots and traffic filled island roads. You can avoid most of that by visiting in shoulder season from October to November or March to May.

Is Santorini Worth the Crowds?

I am somewhat conflicted when it comes to Santorini and how I would recommend it (or not). On one hand it is super touristy. Like tacky touristy in the overwhelming nature of the crowds, souvenirs and selfie sticks. We visited the island in June, which is high tourist season. After our trip, I would recommend you avoid Santorini during that time. Not only is it hot in June, but there are tons of people and getting around can be challenging.

However, it is also a very majestic island that is worth a visit. The cascading cliffs and the coastline views from the caldera side of the island are stunning. If you visit in shoulder season, you will likely have lighter crowds and cooler temperatures. When you do go, marvel at the beauty of the gleaming blue sea. Puzzle at the layout of white stucco houses down the cliffside, one built into the next. Take in the red sand of the volcanic Red Beach. Explore the alleyways filled with shops and restaurants and bakeries. And stand in awe of the glowing orange sunsets from a perch in Oia.

Santorini sunsets — Checking out that famed Oia sunset.

Trip Planning: Before

I did a lot of research before visiting Greece. The hardest part was narrowing down where to go and what to do for our two week itinerary. It can be overwhelming to narrow down all of the information since there are so many good options. Even after a trip there under my wings, I still haven’t seen the tip of it. I hope to return to Greece someday to grasp more of the beauty and magic of the country.

It is advisable to travel to Greece, and Santorini, with a plan. Santorini is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Europe, so knowing where you will stay ahead of time will save you a lot of stress. Since the island is small, there are limited lodging options. If you are looking to stay in hot ticket places with views of the caldera, book ahead. Also, if you plan to rent a car, you might want to do that beforehand as well.

I got a ton of help planning my itinerary from various travel blogs. Santorini Dave has all types of lists and maps of the island. You can also check out Lonely Planet, Hand Luggage Only and Nomadic Matt for some trip guidance.

Getting There

There are no direct flights to Santorini from the US, Canada or Australia. Most often you will have to fly through Europe to get there. We took a flight from Amsterdam to Santorini on the budget airline Transavia. Our flight only took 3 hours and it was an easy experience. Do some quick searching on places like Kayak to find an affordable flight that fits your needs.

You can also get to Santorini via ferry from many of the nearby islands or from Athens. We took a ferry when we left for our next stop of Milos and the journey wasn’t too bad.

Santorini: Things to know

The first thing you will notice about Santorini in summer is the heat. We had read the weather reports, but did not expect the heat to hit us as hard as it did. It cools down a bit in the evenings and mornings, but once the sun comes out in full force, the heat can be intense. I suggest looking for a place with an AC and avoiding walking around mid-day.

Also, we rented a car to get around the island. I would recommend you figure out what types of activities you plan to do to factor in if you need to rent. For example, on our first day we walked down to Amoudi Bay and barely drove and the second day we did a boat tour so we didn’t need a car. Ultimately, we may not have needed a car for our four day visit.

Food options and restaurants are aplenty on Santorini. We asked our Airbnb host for advice, which is a good place to start for recommendations. Many of the cliffside restaurants, especially those with views of the sunset, can be expensive. We skipped those places and chose family style and casual spots off the main strip in Oia. We returned to Pitogyros many times for the yummy and low cost gyros. Many of the travel blogs have extensive lists of restaurant recommendations.

Where to Stay

We stayed at a beautiful Airbnb located in Oia with a great cliffside view of the sea. The place was a typical cave house, like many that dot the cliffs of Santorini. Due to the material and structure of these cave houses, they are able to retain heat in winter and cooler temperatures during summer months. This lodging was our big splurge of the trip, but we loved staying here for all the amenities it had to offer, including the unbeatable views.

We had a kitchen for making a few basic meals, a patio and an AC in our bedroom. Like many places on the island, there were a lot of steps to get there, but it was very manageable.

If you plan to visit Santorini during summer months, I would recommend staying in one of the less touristy towns. While I enjoyed Oia, I felt that it was overwhelming because of all of the tourists who flocked there.

If you can, it is worth it to splurge on a place on the caldera side. This is more affordable in shoulder season. If you are looking for a lower budget option, there are many nice places inland, as well as on the other side of the island near the beaches.

What to Do

Amoudi Bay

After arriving from the airport, we set down our things and headed to Amoudi Bay. It is a short, but steep hike from Oia, with a total of 300 steps down from the trailhead. As you hike down, you will likely be walking alongside donkeys, who are used to carry people and supplies to and from the bay. We opted to walk down, which was hot and sweaty, but not bad.

Upon reaching the bay, you will see that it is surrounded by deep red cliffs, contrasted by the glistening dark turquoise water and white buildings. There is a small slab of concrete and rock that you can jump off to take a swim. We did that immediately. Aside from that, the bay is fairly small. It is dotted with a few lodging options and a series of similarly overpriced seafood restaurants. We ate at one called Sunset Amoudi and it was quite good. Mainly, we enjoyed relaxing in the breeze amid all the beauty of the bay.

Santorini Boat Tours

We did a sailing trip with Sunset Oia Santorini Sailing our first full day there. They offer a range of sailing trips that visit the famed coves, beaches and nearby islands. We did a half day Santorini Gems tour, which was on a catamaran with a small group size. It allowed us to visit places we wouldn’t have been able to reach in our car.

We got picked up in the late morning and bused to the Amoudi Bay port. The tour visited a few different spots on the island, including the hot springs, White Beach and Red Beach. After arriving at each location, we were allowed to get out and swim. Around noon, the guides made us a delicious lunch. Overall it was a fun experience. While we didn’t get to walk on the beaches, we saw a bunch of nice spots from the water. I would recommend taking a boat trip as a great way to see another side of the island.

Santorini boat tours — Boat tours are very common on Santorini.

Perissa Beach

We spent our next full day at Perissa Beach on the other side of the island from Oia. This beach was easy to get to and parking wasn’t too bad. On the beach, there were tons of restaurants that offered umbrellas and beach chairs for a daily fee. Some were free if you ordered a certain amount of food or drinks at the restaurant. I definitely enjoyed staying out of the sun and relaxing under an umbrella.

Perissa beach, along with it’s neighbor Perivolos, are peaceful black sand beaches with lots of food and drink options. The beach felt less crowded than other parts of the island, which was very welcomed. You can learn more here about other Santorini beaches. I will add though, that in comparison to the beaches we found on Milos and Corfu, Santorini beaches don’t even compare. In short, don’t come to Santorini for the beaches!

The Running Scene

Santorini can be a bit challenging when it comes to getting runs in. The benefit was that there was a fairly accessible local trail that started near our Airbnb. Outside of that, the small island roads and the traffic make going on runs and staying safe somewhat difficult.

For this reason, I stuck to the nearby Fira-Oia trail. This is a 10.5km point to point hiking trail between the two towns. The trail is a bit technical and has a good amount of elevation gain. On the upside, it is safely away from cars and held amazing coastal views. I saw a bunch of hikers on my runs and I was excited to see a few fellow trail runners. Since it gets really hot in summer, I recommend you get your run in early and bring water with you.

If you are staying on other parts of the island, you might be able to get a good run in along the beach or on a more remote road. Since we were based in Oia, it felt safest to stick to the trails.

Reading on Santorini

If you are into books and small bookstores, I highly recommend visiting Atlantis Books while you are in Santorini. It is located right on the main pedestrian path in Oia and easy to find. They offer a wide range of books in different languages. There are books literally stacked up to the ceilings inside the bookstore. For me, this was like a dream!

Getting Away: Next Stop Milos

From Santorini we took a ferry to the island of Milos. I looked up the ferry schedules ahead of time using the Greek Ferries website. I then booked directly with SeaJets. If you pre-ordered your tickets, you can pay a small fee to print out your tickets at the ferry terminal. You can also wing it and book when you arrive. If you rent a car, you will have to return your rental at the airport and then take a taxi to the ferry port.