Blue Greece

We start the engines, early in the morning, after breakfast. At every step we encounter mythology, we make leaps in time, from the Titans to the gods of Olympus, reaching some of the most famous monuments in Athens. Accompanied by the local guide we will visit the Acropolis site, where we will discover the Parthenon, the Theater of Dionysus, the Temple of Nike, the Temple of Erechtheion and the Sanctuary of Asclepius.

We will explore the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaestus and the ancient Keramikos cemetery. We will learn the myths of the Greeks about their gods and heroes and the truths behind them, while enjoying wonderful views.

We continue our visit to Athens with a panoramic city tour: the Palace of Parliament, Syntagma Square, the Academy, the University, Omonia Square, the Olympic Stadium.

A recent campaign promoting the capital of Greece sounds like this: # Speak Athenian! Be Athenian! A simple urge we can’t resist. And the best way to learn the language of the Athenians is by repeating Greek specialties, reading the menu at a tavern in the Plaka neighborhood.

Relax moment:

A dinner in a tavern in the Plaka district of Athens must be enjoyed like an avalanche of sensations. And the culinary experience is like a journey through all of Greece – with islands, seas, mountains and green gardens, fruitful. Enjoy every sip of traditional souvlaki, tzatziki, or dolmadakia (the Greek version of sarmales), but also fresh fish and seafood. Sprinkle them thoroughly with a glass of local wine, ouzo or tsipouro. And the dessert of rich yogurt, crispy biscuits, almonds and walnuts over which a few drops of amber honey are poured will make you speak Greek.

After the historical tour, we have a free program in Athens or, optionally, those who feel they want to discover Greece, its picturesque places, and its great Gods, are invited to visit Cap Sounion, located in the south of the Attica Peninsula, famous for its sanctuary from the seashore, as well as from the ruins of the Temples of Athens and Poseidon. If you want to watch a Greek sunset over the sea, accompanied by the God of Water, then go on a trip to Cap Sounion and you will not regret it. We return to the capital of Greece and stay at the same hotel.

Breakfast. The next day gives us even more time to explore the Capital in case we want to look for souvenirs or visit the Benaki museum complex, with an impressive collection of objects and artifacts from the Christian-Byzantine, Islamic, but also porcelain or antique toys. Those passionate about the sport could make a short detour to the stadium of the most beloved football team in Greece, FC Panathinaicos, surrounded by large parks.

For those who want to discover other beautiful places of ancient Greece, we propose the optional trip to the Peloponnese rightly considered the #heart of Greece, the place where Hercules defeated the lion of Nemea, and where Paris of Troy fled with the beautiful Helen. According to legend, the Peloponnese is where the Argonauts set out in search of the golden wool. Our first stop will be at the Corinth Canal, an artificial canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea to the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. The canal was built between 1881 and 1893 and has a length of 6.3 km.

Moment of respite:

Take your camera and your heart in your teeth and walk on the footbridge that connects Mainland Greece to the Peloponnese Peninsula, located about 100 m above sea level. From here you can include the two seas: Ionica and Egee.

We continue our trip through the Peloponnese with a stop at Mycenae, where we discover the Tomb of Agamemnon but also the ruins of the former fortress, surrounded by “Cyclops walls”, built according to legend by mythological beings. The archeological site here has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 1999 and in the Museum of Archeology you will discover an impressive collection of objects and artifacts attesting to the traditions and history of Mycenaean civilization, the most famous exhibit being the golden mask of King Agamemnon. Next is Nafplio, where our eyes are stolen by the fortifications of Palamidi Castle, strategically built on a high and rocky cliff to deal with the attacks that once threatened the Peloponnese. Our trip ends with Epidaurus, the birthplace of Asclepius, the god of medicine. The Ancient Theater here is considered to have the best acoustics in the world.

Return to Athens to board the ferry to the island of Crete. Night on board in 4-seater cabins.

Arrival in the morning in Heraklion, the capital of the island. We head to a tavern in the port where we can have breakfast.

Relax moment:

Try the pastries with confidence and be sure to enjoy a Caffé Frappé, a cold drink made from instant coffee. Originally from Greece, Frappe became popular after World War II, when the idea of ​​going out for a coffee began to take shape. The coffee is mixed with sugar and is shaken with a shaker or a manual mixer. The process takes one minute, the contents are then poured into a glass over which ice, cold water and milk are added.

We set off and slowly enter the atmosphere of the largest island in the Mediterranean, and our first stop will be – Knossos Palace, where we will learn more about the Minoan civilization.

Knossos is the largest archeological site in Crete, with ruins dating back to the Bronze Age. It was the political and religious center of Minoan culture. The palace was rebuilt with original excavated materials, with frescoes and columns from the time of King Minos. To be admired in the palace are the Throne Room, with the griffin guards, and the Queen’s Room, with its own bathroom, with a terracotta bath and what is said to be the first toilet with water supply. We headed to our hotel in the Hersonissos area for hotel accommodation.

Experience: traditional rhythm and tastes

We end this first evening in Crete with a traditional Cretan dinner (optional). Dressed in folk costume, the locals will greet us with Zorba rhythms danced on wine glasses, lyre songs and aromas of honey, olive oil and Cretan herbs. We will taste raki and goat cheeses, we will dance until dawn, and we will share stories with the Cretans.

Breakfast. Free program. If we are in Crete, we must see the 2 Venetian cities of the island – Rethymno and Chania (Optional trip). Entering Rethymno, we take a leap in time, during the period when Venetian merchants had the inspired idea to build a port that would serve the rich fleet of the Venetian Republic in their transit to Asia Minor. From the Venetians, the city received a spectacular legacy. In Palia Poli, the old town, we walk on the narrow streets flanked by brightly colored houses, glued together. Rethymno is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the fact that it is the best preserved medieval city in Greece. Accommodation at the same hotel in Hersonissos.

Breakfast. Transfer to the port to board the ferry to Santorini with its multicolored rocks that seem to be suspended above the sea. The volcanic island hides homes in its caves, and its beaches are spectacular, black in color. Like a gentle snow, the typical white houses furrow the coast, and the sun’s rays give a paradisiacal glow to the whole landscape. The buildings on the island are built on porous volcanic rock, this being an advantage for the thermal insulation of homes, but especially for the cellars of local wineries. We go to the hotel, eager to discover some of the most beautiful places of the island preferred by thousands of tourists who stop here every year. Hotel accommodation in Santorini.

Breakfast. Free program or optional excursion – Santorini Island Tour.

Our journey begins with a visit to the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah, built on the highest point of the mountain of the same name at an altitude of 565 m above sea level. Its construction was completed in 1712 and is one of the oldest monastic buildings on the island. In the first 2 centuries since its founding, the monastery has played an important role in the economic and cultural life of the island. Built in the style of a fortress, the monastery owned in the eighteenth century a merchant ship that had profitable business relations with localities in the Mediterranean and Aegean, bringing prosperity to the community. In the first half of the 19th century, a school of Greek language and literature operated here. The monastery began to decline after 1860 and suffered major damage following the earthquake that shook the island of Santorini in 1956. Today the monastery houses a small collection of ethnographic materials and ancient icons. From the monastery courtyard the view over the sea leaves you breathless … leave the camera at hand … you don’t want to miss such a landscape.

Our road continues to the village of Pyrgos, located on a fabulous place on top of a hill and displays incredible panoramic views of the island. At the bottom are some beautiful taverns and regular tourist shops. Pyrgos was the capital of the island until the early 1800s. It consists of traditional houses built around the Venetian castle and small streets, which follow the natural course of the surrounding landscape. Venetian Castle is one of five on the island of Santorini and dates back to the 13th century. The fortified settlement in the shape of an amphitheater built on a hill offers superb views on both sides of the island. The village has several churches: Theotokaki church with its beautiful frescoes and ancient icons, Agia Triada, Agia Teodosia church, Archangel Michael and many more. Our next stop on our tour of the island is the capital, Fira. The city is located in a volcanic wall, on a 260 m high cliff. The white houses, with rounded roofs, are separated by narrow and winding streets, which lead to the shops and taverns of the city. Here is the Thira Prehistoric Museum, which contains most of the artifacts recovered from the site of the ancient Minoan city of Akrotiri. As in Pompeii, here everything has been preserved and preserved in volcanic ash: streets, buildings, steps. Also in Fira there is a Museum of Archeology that contains more recent artifacts from the Roman and Classical periods, objects of current use or various other elements recovered from the ancient city of Thera. The last visit and the most awaited one we will make in Oia, where we have free time to walk on the winding streets but also to catch the most beautiful sunset in the Mediterranean Sea, an experience you should not miss! So prepare your cameras and enjoy the spectacular panorama offered by nature. During the evening we return to our hotel.

Breakfast. Today we have free time for the beach and relaxation. Accommodation at the same hotel.

We leave the dreamy blue of Santorini and head to the island of fun, Mykonos, where we are greeted by hills dotted with windmills and a beautiful bay that welcomes us with open arms. It is one of the most famous cosmopolitan islands in Greece, and legend has it that it was built from the petrified bodies of the giants killed by Hercules. The name Mykonos was given to him after his nephew Apollo, the God of Sun. We offer you, optionally, a half-day tour of the island. We stop in the largest city on the island, called Chora, where we visit the Maritime Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the most famous church here, Panagia Paraportiani, and admire the white houses with parallel stairs and multicolored doors, but also the windmills that ” I guard the port from on high. The mills in Mykonos have a cylindrical shape and are painted white, with a wooden roof.

In the past they were used in agriculture, but now they are no longer operational, and some of them have been renovated and turned into museums. On the winding streets of the city it is not excluded to meet Petros the Pelican… the island’s mascot. It is worth mentioning that, although Mykonos has gained the reputation of the entertainment capital in recent years, the area is also known for the no less than 400 churches built here.

We continue our journey and stop in Ano Mera, the most populated village on the island. Here is one of the most impressive monasteries in the Cyclades – Panagia Tourliani, built in the sixteenth century by two monks. It is said that the iconostasis, the pulpit, and the icons were painted in Florence.

Moment of respire:

In the square in the center of Ano Mera village there are several restaurants and cafes where you can eat traditional dishes. Try galaktompoureko, Greek semolina pie and delicious chocolate.

We continue our foray into Mykonos and head northwest where there is a place of romance hard to match. With an octagonal shape as if carved in milk-white stone and 19 meters high, the Armenistis Lighthouse was built in 1891. Prepare your cameras to capture photos as if detached from postcards. From here you will see the ships coming and going from Mykonos, and the sunset over the azure sea is unmissable at least once in your life! In the evening we return to the hotel for accommodation.

We leave the island of Mykonos behind and return to Athens, where we can enjoy a Greek wine under a starry sky, in an open-air cinema, or we can walk through the traditional souvenir fairs. And if we keep talking about them, we will have enough time to get lost among the shelves with figurines with cats, Spartan heroes, seashells or starfish or homemade soaps, which could be an ideal souvenir. Accommodation in Athens.

Breakfast. Antio, ta leme sindoma! …! (Goodbye, see you soon …!) We leave behind the beautiful places we visited and head to the airport in Athens for the flight home.