Greek Odyssey - Pt 2, Cyclades Islands
- Faisal
- Apr 9, 2022
- 33 min read
Updated: Apr 16, 2022
Cyclades Island Tour
Mykonos
Naxos
Santorini (Thira)
Milos
Highlights
Mykonos Old Town
Paraga Beach
Naxos Villages
Temple of Apollo
Fira to Oia Hike (Santorini)
Akrotiri Village
Kamari Beach
Venetian Castle (Milos)
Sarakiniko Beach (Milos)
Mykonos - Day 1
I had an early start for my ferry to Mykonos island which was the first port of call (if you excuse the pun). I checked out of my hotel in Athens around 6am and got a taxi to Piraeus port which is south west of Athens. When I arrived at the port, I had not really appreciated the scale of the operation here. It's an old port but you can see why it is still one of the largest ports in all of Europe. Its history is tied up with Greece’s maritime tradition (the Greeks have always been explorers and merchants) and the port was also an important part of the defence against invaders, most notably the Persians. The complexity of the operations (coupled with the laissez faire attitude of the Greeks) meant that I almost got on the wrong ferry - there were two ferries chartered by the same company, from the same port, leaving 5 minutes apart, but going in completely different directions! Yep…fun times. So the taxi driver had to do a U-turn and I eventually arrived at the right Ferry which was very impressive - 3 levels and plenty of space. I needn't have worried though, the ferries rarely leave on time. The check-in process was fairly straightforward and the Greek port authorities seemed more interested in my covid vaccination status than my identity, it took a few goes to scan my COVID pass but they were not interested in checking my actual passport. I had arrived early as requested, and I am the sort of traveller that doesn’t like waiting around, so I was pleased it went smoothly, but then there was another three quarters of an hour before it would leave the port. I had purchased economy tickets so I went to the desk to find out where I was seated. I was in for a surprise when I got there though. The ticket I purchased meant I didn’t have a reserved seat. I was instructed to find seating in the lobby areas near the restaurant and adjacent to the main seating area, where there were small blue chairs dotted about. The alternative was to go up on the deck and be exposed to the elements (a last resort). I suppose getting here early was a blessing in disguise, I nabbed a table with four blue chairs and settled my luggage here (I realised later I could have stowed it in the “Garage” but no one explained this when I boarded). Looking at the positives, I was near both the restaurant and the toilets, I could also set up my tablet and portable keyboard to begin writing my first blog post for my Athens stay - which is exactly what I did for most of the 5 hour journey. An amusing aspect of this seating arrangement was that I was not able to properly see the safety briefing or the videos explaining the safety procedures. If we became shipwrecked, the economy passengers were doomed!
I went out to the deck a couple of times, just to get a view of the sea and other islands on the way, but it was quite choppy so I came back. The time really flew - later on this trip I found out the original journey in 70s was closer to 8 hours so I was grateful, even if the ferry did not quite run to schedule. The ferries nowadays takes you to the New Port which is on the other side of the island in the main town (Chora) - I hadn't quite worked out how to get from the new port to the old port and town so rather than lookup bus timetables or the water taxi, I went for simplicity and jumped into a regular taxi - the journey was less than 10 mins. The place I'm staying in Mykonos is a guest house and it is about as basic as it gets, but perfectly serviceable. It's shoulder season and I'm paying €30 a night, so I really can’t complain.
After unpacking I had thought about going to the beach but decided against it and got settled in. I thought it would be good to do a quick exploration of the local vicinity, and I must say the old town is a labyrinth! Everywhere you look there are narrow cobbled stone paths which lead you around the white stonewashed houses, shops and dead ends! Everyone uses the same blue and white colour palette. Sometimes you see the odd splash of green or red paint on some banisters or a door but its mainly the Greek colours everywhere. The labyrinth-esque streets were apparently built this way to confuse raiders, but now it just serves to bamboozle tourists. I had to loop back on myself a few times and I saw others doing the same :). It was interesting to be in Mykonos at this time of the year as it seems like everyone had taken the opportunity to either re-paint their house or begin some major renovation works. This is because the summer season is on its way and the residents and businesses are preparing for the tourism trade, I had heard they whitewash the buildings every year just before Easter. Even the guest house I am staying in was being repainted when I arrived. I picked up a few essentials and then had a late lunch/early dinner at a trendy lunch cafe. Once finished I went to a spot I had discovered when wandering earlier near the famous windmills to watch the sunset over Delos island, it was a bit cool and windy by now but nothing can dampen my enthusiasm for watching the sun go down! After sunset I went back to my room to put the finishing touches on the Athens blog - it was great to revisit all those memories from earlier in the week by organising my photos for the blog. It's only been 5 days, but honestly feels like I've been in Greece forever!
Mykonos Day 2
Today was beach day. I wanted to relax after all the travelling and sightseeing in Athens. My plan was to make my way to Paradise Beach and stay there until the evening as the weather was quite pleasant, around 18-19 degrees. There were no buses or water taxis running yet, so my only option was to go to the Taxi stand and get a taxi to the other side of the island. However when I got in the taxi, the driver straight away asked why I wanted to go there. Well, it was obvious to me - Paradise is one of the most famous beaches on the island. He told me that nothing was open there yet, as the season was still too early for the clubs and restaurants to start business. It was far better to go to the nearby beach called Paraga he claimed. Well, I wasn’t looking to party, I just wanted somewhere to relax and maybe get a bite to eat later so I went along with the recommendation. He did offer to stop at Paradise beach on the way so I could get a picture if I wanted and so we did this. He was right, the outer area of the beach was a construction site as they had only just started to build the temporary structures for the summer, I am assuming for the super clubs.
After this brief stop, he took the road to the west and after a few minutes we arrived at Paraga Beach. My first impressions was that this was the real paradise. It was an extremely pleasant beach, clean, sandy, nice views and perfect for lounging. I could also see how it would ideal water sports, in fact when I found my spot on the beach, I was right next to a paddle boarder. I was amazed how quiet the beach was when I arrived, ok it was still morning but only just. The weather was so nice and the beach pleasant, that if this was in the UK there would not be a square inch free with everyone flocking to the beaches, but it seems Mykonians don't get out of bed unless it is 30 degrees. The positive is that it was really quiet so I could go and dip my feet in the water, watch the waves or read a book and just generally relax undisturbed. The water was not quite warm enough to swim in although some people were, I’ve swam in similar temperatures when I was in Cornwall last year but decided against it this time.
The only challenge I am finding with Mykonos is the undeniable fact that getting around is difficult, I heard vehicles are not allowed but roads are still busy. Taxis can be expensive but at this time of the season you have little choice. Also don’t get me started on the lack of footpaths! I’ve been to India and I can tell you it is worse here for pedestrians!
Those points aside, there was still quite a nice vibe on the island even in the off-season, this was demonstrated when I went out for dinner in the old town. All along the promenade near the old port, there are restaurants and bars, it is the go-to place for off-season, and today there was a vibrant atmosphere. Loud music blaring and lots of people, out on the terraces enjoying themselves - I was surprised for a sunday!
I walked past one restaurant / bar / club which had a DJ playing later. Still feeling a bit under the weather I gave this a miss! I might check out a different restaurant tomorrow. The plan is to see if I can get myself onto a boat going to Delos tomorrow, it's not clear where the tours are running yet but I am just going to turn up and see.
Mykonos - Day 3
I got up early to go to the Delos tours ticket office to see if I could get on a boat to the island. Delos is very close to Mykonos (about a 20 minute boat ride), it is home to many sites closely linked with Ancient Greek history. For instance, I know from my tour of Acropolis in Athens, that Delos was used as the seat of power for the ancient greeks and after unification of all states in around 400 B.C, it became the base for planning a defence against the invading Persian army, suffice to say, there is a lot of interesting history on that island. Unfortunately for me, I was told that the site is currently closed and tours will not start until next month, which is a shame. Normally they would start the boats from March but this year it seems to have been delayed - potentially due to COVID-19 issues.
On to Plan B. I hadn’t properly explored the Mykonos Old Town yet, so I decided to start from the guest house and try to walk through every cobbled street, whilst also visiting any shops there were open, whether boutique, artisan or souvenir-laden - my plan was essentially to fully immerse myself in the town and get lost in the process!
It was quite enjoyable and when I stopped for a break, I decided to try a traditional greek coffee. Nothing particularly remarkable about it other than it being served in a Havoli. It looks and tastes like a double espresso - very strong and taken without milk or sugar.
The cafe I was at was on the promenade near the old port area and I was fortunate to spot, from a seated position, the famous Mykonos pelican. Well this was an opportunity that could not be missed, so I went to take a closer look. It was very pink and striking even from a distance on this overcast day. It was also not looking up, more focused on preening itself, I did manage to get a quick picture whilst it briefly looked up and then I saw other tourists started congregating in the area.
I was surprised how large the bird was and how docile it was to strangers, even allowing the locals to pet it. Its pinkness actually reminded me of the Fairytale Cafe in Athens. After a whole day of getting lost and found, and getting lost again, I thought now would be the perfect time to put my navigational skills the test. The phone was put away and I challenged myself to find my own way to the guest house. It turns out that getting deliberately lost actually helps. I successfully navigated my way home with the use of satellites. In fact, I managed to work my way around with such relative ease that I was bold enough to help some American tourists find the nearest Pharmacy :)
As this was a now a “chilled” day, I thought I would go relax in a cafe, but which cafe to go to?
Well, it was a a frozen yoghurt place called Trio Bambini Gelato and Yogurt cafe. I walked past this place the past couple of days as it is relatively close to my accomodation, so I thought why not give it a go. I tried the frozen yoghurt with strawberry topping. It was really nice, probably the healthiest dessert I’ve had in Greece so far. It is natural yoghurt with no flavouring and only 2% fat as well (apparently).
The evening was upon me before I knew it, so for dinner I went to a restaurant on the promenade which specialises in seafood, all the fish on the menu are locally sourced from around Mykonos or nearby islands. I’ve been moving towards a vegetarian diet for the last few years, initially becoming “flexitarian” and reducing meat consumption but over the last 2 years to make it simpler I went full veggie. My reasons for this were mainly environmental but I was also keen to explore the health benefits of a more varied diet (putting aside the challenge of getting more protein). So when I was planning this trip I thought about what I wanted to do and decided that I would go back to being a little more flexible but sticking mainly to vegetarian food. I didn’t want to miss out on trying some of the more interesting dishes and cuisines when I was doing this once in a lifetime trip!
So here we are, one week into my Europe tour and finally I decided to try a non-vegetarian dish. The verdict?
It was good, felt a bit weird eating meat again but it was a really pleasant meal and the service was good. It was nice to get the meat eating of the way, so now I can focus on the rest of the trip. For more info about the restaurant and meal check out my separate food blog post here.
One of the interesting events from the evening meal was meeting another fellow solo traveller who was a month in to his travels. He was from Australia originally but had grown up in Asia and lived in London and Hong Kong, as he described it he was an internationalist. This was backed by his unusual accent. We exchanged tips on Mykonos, other Greek islands, Europe, and other countries we were both visiting. He also gave me some new ideas for stuff to do when I am in Melbourne in Australia. It was nice to chat to someone over dinner and it made me feel a bit more reassured to be here because so far I had only come across people here on vacations with friends or family.
I hope in a months’ time I will be as relaxed as him. All of this chatting away had made me lose track of time and forget that I had a family call later, so I needed to get the bill and leave. This was the final surprise of the evening - this place was definitely pricey! The catch of the day was probably more than I had spent on food, drink and desserts so far in Mykonos combined. No wonder the waiter was coy with the menu (although I did later notice that they hand write the prices so no doubt they change these all the time depending how well business is going.
Mykonos - Day 4
It's my last day in Mykonos and I decided to use it for shopping. I had not bought any souvenirs yet and I wanted to explore some of the more interesting little shops here now I know my way around. The weather was also a little average, cloudy and overcast.
I have to say it was a real shame that not all the shops are open, I spotted an eco-friendly clothes store, selling only garments which were 100% organic cotton, but alas it was closed.
There is still a lot of work going on in the old town to prepare for the tourist boom in the next few weeks, you can smell the wet paint as you walk the cobble streets. All the works are happening now in a rush because it is not permitted to paint the buildings after Easter and we are only 3 weeks away from the Greek orthodox easter.
I ended up picking up some gifts for my family, purchased my obligatory fridge magnet (I went for one with a windmill AND a Pelican). I also bought a shirt from a boutique store. I wasn’t planning to but there was a sale on as last season's clothes needed to be shifted. I bought a red and navy chequered shirt, it was a designer brand - price tag said 89 Euros, but this was last season so I got it for 20 Euros which is quite a bargain by any measure. I just need to work out how I pack all this stuff tonight as I don’t have that much space in my backpack.
After the shopping excursion I went on for a walk through the old port and sat down on the beachfront nearby. Apart from the odd gust of wind it was quite pleasant. I also noticed that quite a few new tourists are arriving today as I could see them making their way into the old town (Hora). I suspect it is going to get busier as I leave, which is no bad thing. Off to Naxos island tomorrow!
Naxos - Day 5
It was a relatively early start today as I had to get a ferry from Mykonos New Port to Naxos Island. I decided to get there early so this time I could get some pictures of the port as I was rushed off when I first arrived. There were a couple of other early birds there, but other travellers arrived over the next 30-40 mins.
I was scheduled to go on the fast ferry to Serifos and it was still not docked in port 10 mins before departure (I was warned about the Greek ferries not running to time). It was amusing watching how tense everyone else was, worried that they may have got the wrong port or gate - had the ferry gone already?
I’ve been there so could sympathise with the lack of information being a little unnerving. I stayed calm about the whole thing, going to the edge of the port so I could watch the crashing waves. The way I see it, we are all in the same boat (quite literally) so there is no point in worrying yourself silly about when or if it will arrive.
The ferry did eventually arrived, it was the quicker type (Seajets) and a lot smaller than the Mykonos one (Blue Star Ferries) and it did seem quite speedy docking in.
The next stage of chaos was boarding and this was even worse than at Piraeus port with just one poor official checking tickets both paper and electronic - this time they did not bother with the vaccine passport. I’m pretty sure I could have snuck through with the lack of barriers or order to the boarding process…
The ferry journey was definitely less smooth due to the speed but as it was a short journey (1 hour) I was in Naxos before I knew it.
As you approach Naxos port, the first thing which is immediately visible is the Temple of Apollo, it looms large over Naxos Town.
It is referred to as the ‘Temple’ but really it looks more like the opening gateway with a lot of missing elements! I later discovered that it is yet another example of ambitious ancient greek architectural plans never realised, nonetheless it looks impressive and is a very striking landmark which of course is also deeply connected with the ancient greek history and legend of this island. It is believed that Greek god Zeus was born on this island and there are many archeological and historical curiosities to explore, not least Mount Zas (Zeus) which I hope to do at some point on my visit. As I only have 3 nights on this island, I was keen to get going this afternoon with some exploration. I proceeded straight to my accommodation, it was much better than I had expected, in fact the first surprise was the free pick-up that was offered by the host from the port. My lodgings had a rustic yet luxurious feel, the apartment was spacious and comfortable too (I know rustic and luxury may sound like a contradiction but it’s the best way of describing it). I say lodging because it feels more like an Airbnb, you are given access to a whole apartment already equipped with many utilities and services. The most useful feature (for me at least) is the balcony which offers extra space and more importantly a clothes line for washing! This will definitely come in handy. All residents have access to the rooftop garden which is nice, you can see the temple of Apollo in the distance, but as the weather is still a little cool and it can get windy on this island so was not a popular hangout space.
Once I had unpacked I made my way straight to the Temple of Apollo, it is relatively short climb up and the steps are well maintained. Access to the ancient ruins are restricted so you can only get to within say 40 or 50 metres, but it is very impressive to look at. As you walk around the temple you can see Naxos town through the opening. It also offers a good vantage point to see this side of the island and the Aegean sea.
After visiting the temple I walked into the old town to visit the castle ruins which is east of the port. The museums and gift shops were not open so I could only wander around and it was a bit steeper than I was expecting and very easy to get lost when you are going up and down the narrow lanes with limited visibility. There is not much left of the castle, but it was interesting to see the church which was part of the overall complex, it also served as a palace at some point in its history and parts of structure do convey that view but in its current state you can only call it a ruin. After getting lost a couple of times and deciding there was not much more to be explored here I decided to walk back to the port and see which restaurants were open, it's easy to see that it is the quieter season as the local businesses are even more laidback than usual. Perhaps they are less interested in the type of people who travel off-season because we don't spend as much - who knows…The island is very different to Mykonos, for one thing it is definitely more green, it is significantly larger (in fact the largest of the cyclades islands) and there is more by way of villages and history. I am really liking the feel, but I still need to get used to the slower pace of life.
In the evening I found a restaurant near the port that served authentic Greek food and enjoyed a very fulfilling dinner - for more details read my read my food blog post.
Naxos - Day 6
It is my first full day in Naxos and I have made a plan to visit the village of Chalki/Halki. After the difficulty in getting around in Mykonos during the winter season, I thought it was prudent to check with the host the situation with regards to the public transport. She was very helpful, using the map to show me which villages were connected via the Naxos Buses which are running a slim, but workable timetable until next month. When I was researching Naxos I was keen to explore the rural areas, incorporating some hiking or at very least walking trails. The main attraction here for avid hikers is Mount Zas (Zeus), which is the highest point in the cyclades, providing excellent 360 degree panoramic views of Naxos and nearby islands. In addition there are some historical points of interest on the route such as the Zeus Cave, birthplace of the Greek god Zeus.
I found out that the buses do go there (or at least close enough to pick up the trail) but when I checked the timetables the earliest bus was 11am with a 13:45 and 16:15 return. This could be problematic, it would almost certainly take 2-3 hours to hike to the summit as it is around 1000 metres in altitude. I decided to delay this problem for another day and just get an 11am bus to one of the villages - Chalki. This was the former capital of the island and looked like a good place for some moderate hiking, there are other attractions in town but I found them closed such as Vallindras Distillery (where they distil Kitron, a locally produced citrus flavoured liquor). The bus journey itself was quite comfortable and hassle-free. It took around 30 minutes and the cost for a 2-way ticket was 4.60 euros which is a very affordable way to get around. The bus ride offers great views of the Naxian landscape and as soon as you are out of the Chora (town), on the way immerse yourself in the green and yellow flashes of the rural landscape - the yellow flowers are called Euphorbia characias (or Mediterranean spurge). The ruralness of this island was exactly the reason I chose to come to Naxos; it provides a sharp contrast from Mykonos and the islands I am yet to visit.
As soon as I embarked, I immediately started a walking trail which I found signposted. It is a 6km circular route (sort of) around the nearby villages climbing up I’m guessing around 150-200 metres, towards Monitsia/Moni and from here you have an excellent vantage point to look back at Chalki. I decided to only spend 2-3 hours here so I can get the penultimate bus back to the town - I didn’t fancy getting the last bus at 16:30 in case it didn’t turn up. It was a pretty brisk walk, but I was not rushing and I had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and get pictures. For more details of this hike, refer to my Walks & Hikes blog post.
The return journey was straightforward, with the bus turning up only 10 minutes late and I was back in Naxos town by about 4pm. I had planned to go to the Temple of Apollo for the sunset but as it was now fully overcast I knew this would not be worthwhile. The weather is expected to be better tomorrow so it will be my last chance.
Naxos - Day 7
It is my last day in Naxos. The plan for today is to go to Mount Zas, using the same public bus service as yesterday. It was sunny, but unfortunately there were very strong winds on the island, with gusts up to 40-45 miles per hour. I could really feel it when making my way to the bus station. Whilst waiting for the bus I got talking to a fellow tourist (dutch lady) and found out that she had planned to go to Mount Zas too but now thought it was too windy to do the hike. I was a bit concerned but I thought I would go to Agia Marina which is the stop closest to the trail leading up the mountain and see what the conditions were like there. If it was not feasible then I could always find a walking trail back to Filoti which is only one stop away - it could not be more than 2-3 miles.
It was quite a winding and slow bus journey, especially from Filoti village and I could see from the trees outside that the wind was still blowing very strong. I got off, thanked the driver and started the climb up the hill towards Agia Marina church where the trail starts, however it was not long up the winding mountain road that I realised that the winds were too strong, I am not a large individual and I felt I was being blown about already. I decided it was too dangerous to attempt the hike, especially as I have never climbed this mountain before. So it was on to Plan B, which was the rural trail down to Filoti village which I could see in the distance. All things considered, it was a pleasant walk, a bit steep in places and not the best maintained path, but a very enjoyable trail that takes you right in the centre of the village - for more details read my Walks & Hikes blog.
Once I arrived in Filoti I went for a bit of an exploration, unfortunately not much is open at this time of the year so it was a case of finding a good spot to have lunch. I decided to find somewhere with a good view of Mount Zas - one day I will return and conquer this mountain!
I got back to Naxos town in time for sunset and went straight up to the Temple of Apollo, thankfully it was not that busy so I could enjoy this last sunset in Naxos.
Next stop - Santorini!
Santorini - Day 8
On to Santorini, island 3 of my tour of the Cyclades. I packed up in the morning and had the large breakfast at Zio cafe again, before checking out and thanking Maria for her incredible hospitality during my stay on Naxos.
My ferry was not due until 13:00 at the port but I decided to walk in that direction and then stop off at Cafe where I had visibility of the boats. I was back with Blue Star Ferries who provide the large ferry service but also back to my economy-level comfort (which ironically I find more spacious as I usually have a lot more space to spread out in the lobby areas).
I used this as an opportunity to continue to work on different blog posts and start planning my activities for Santorini - I had marked out quite a lot on the map but I wasn’t sure about travel on the island. As it turns out KTEL runs the bus service here too, so it will be similar to Naxos - cheap, accessible but probably infrequent and maybe a little more busy. It looks like there is a main bus port from which you can get to different parts of the island, it seems pretty close to the hotel I am staying in Karterados.
I got a pick up from the Ferry port to the hotel, and the journey I noticed how amazing it is that they have built a road network here. As you look at the window all you can see is the volcanic calderas, layered within the cliffs and the car just keeps on up the windy road, climbing higher and higher until we were able to get a straight road to Kasterodos. Up to this point I had not appreciated the unique history of the Island. It was many centuries ago that a volcano erupted in the centre of the island which resulted in the different coloured layered calderas across the island. The strange shape of the island is also a result of the volcano, it is like a croissant shape with a few smaller satellite islands, including one in the centre which is the volcano. Before the volcano, historians believe the island was round and much larger. The accomodation I am staying in has a touch of luxury even though it was relatively cheap:
Once I checked in, I decided to head into Thira/Fira which is the main town. It took me a bit of time to get used to the dizzying heights, as I walked from one end of the Fira to another - there is not much protection but on the other hand the views are second to none. I was also impressed with how far you could walk from one side to another, into the next town and beyond without having to resort to road walking.. I visited the 3 bells church and then went to the other side to visit the first cathedral of Santorini, dedicated to John the Baptist. There were some breathtaking views of the landscape on the way, rugged earth contrasted against the pristine whitewashed building precariously perched along the cliff edges. As this was my first evening here and I had 3 more days, I decided to stop the walk once I found the trail from Fira to Oia (I could possibly attempt this tomorrow).
I had to sort out dinner, and I really had not done the research so decided to try out a curiosity - a vegan restaurant offering plant-based Mediterranean food. As it turns out, it was not as good as I was expecting, the food was ok but overpriced. As it was Saturday night I wasn't keen to call it a night just yet so had a quick walk around the Fira Theotokopoulos (main square) to see if there were any interesting bars I could check out. The first place I went to was very lively but too packed and not really my scene, not least as there was a lot of smoking and even shisha going on. That is something I have not gotten used to - everybody smokes here, like all the time. I’ve not seen a single person vaping. Worse still, this seems to be allowed indoors. I carried on my search, walking straight past the Irish pub and finding a cosy jazz bar. It was quite busy and unfortunately smoky (more on that later). However I did like the vibe,the decor was funky and the interesting twist about this jazz bar is that the DJ was probably an octagenerian. I arrived at 11pm so it was probably the right time as the atmosphere was just picking up. It was amusing to see how people squeezed in when there did not seem much space, and the smoking got worse. At one point I saw the bar lady, her assistant and the DJ also nonchalantly smoking away. It felt like I was the only person not smoking!
At least the staff seem to enjoy themselves,dancing occasionally. The bar lady was often fixing her hair and eyeing up the younger men, flirting with them for tips (she appeared to be drinking too). Good for her I suppose, but the whole thing was quite a bizarre experience really. I stuck around for about an hour and then decided to head back so I could get some rest for the big day tomorrow.
Santorini - Day 9
After doing a bit of research the night before, I decided to give the Fira to Oia hike a try. It was about 10km in distance with climbs of around 200-350m, but rather than one steep climb, this was spread over the trail route as you rise and fall frequently due to calderas. I found it quite enjoyable, if challenging at times - read my Walks and Hikes blog post for a detailed guide. The views along the way are simply stunning, particularly the coastal trail path. When I reached Oia I got visited some of the shops before making a plan to visit each of the main attractions in a logical order. There are 3 things you must see here; the famous blue domed church, the 17th century ruins of the Byzantine castle (Castle of Oia), and Ammoudi Bay which is formed of the distinctive red-blood volcanic rocks from eruption nearly 4000 years ago. I visited the churches first and unfortunately the paint jobs were not completed yet this season, so they looked a paler shade of blue, but the views were still great.
The Byzantine castle is well worth a visit as it is very close by and the views are incredible, most of the castle was destroyed in the 1956 earthquake so it doesn’t really look like one from a distance, but is relatively accessible if a little exposed - just don’t look down.
Finally I went to Ammoudi Bay and this was a 200+ step descent down from the castle all the way to the bay. The views of the red caldera were very impressive but when you get to the bottom there is not a lot to do. I took a break and watched the crashing waves for a bit and then summoned up the courage to go back up. If you are not feeling up to it, there is a donkey (vendor?) person close to the bottom and I’ve seen people going up and down on the donkeys (there is something about Santorini and donkeys which I need to research).
After this I was pretty tired (especially after the hike) so I decided to get the bus back to Fira. I had considered staying for the sunset as I had heard this was quite impressive, but it was looking very cloudy and my experience told me this would not be a good sunset.
Santorini - Day 10
I have 2 days left in Santorini, and at least 2 things I must do before I leave. As the weather was looking average today (and by that I mean 19 degree but, cloudy), I visited the ancient village of Akrotiri which is in the south-west part of the island and with the remains encapsulated within a large archaeological site and complex. I found out when I was walking around that they are still doing live excavation and analysis work on the ancient ruins.
In addition to the ancient city there is also the Red Beach and venetian castle which resides in the modern Akrotiri village.
To get to Akrotiri, I took the bus from Fira into the village and it only took 20-25 minutes and cost 1.60 euros which is not bad value. I got off at the first stop - they refer to this as the “excavation centre” but in reality the complex is part-museum and part-display (for the ruins).
I was actually really impressed with what they have done. A lot of thought had clearly gone into building the infrastructure, which allows visitors to walk around the site to view the ruins and relics, whilst also allowing the archaeologist and historians access to continue their research and work.
I was amazed to see that the most of the settlement had been preserved in almost original state, frozen in time from when volcano erupted. The settlement was thought to have lived in by the the ancient Akrotiri residents (Minoans), who were forced to flee the island when the earthquake happened, which was then followed by the largest volcanic eruption known in history. The volcano has buried this village under thick volcanic ash and mud and incredibly a lot of it was still intact. As you walk through the site, you are given a glimpse into how the Minoans would have lived back in ancient Greece - 17th century B.C. There were no human remains or gold found which suggests that the ancient minoans were forewarned about the impending disaster, the theory being that frequent earthquakes meant this civilisation were aware of the potential for catastrophe. They don’t call this the Pompeii of Greece for no reason. I spent a good hour and a half wandering around, it was fascinating, although there could have been more signs with the history. The video at the end was quite informative though,as it showed the 3D illustrations of how some of the buildings would have looked, including renderings for the interiors.
After the tour I decided to walk to the nearby Red Beach to see the distinctive red cliffs, rockface and bay. There was a similarity with Ammoudi Bay in Oia, however rather than steps it was a slightly tricky trail to navigate. Mercifully it is quite short. Again it's not something you need to spend too much time on and it's certainly not the best beach to relax on either. There is a section where you can see small red rocks sliding down a chute onto the beach, and of course many warnings about rocks falling on the way which clearly everyone ignores.
After the beach trip I decided to head to the modern Akrotiri village and visit the Venetian castle. It was about 50-100 metres in height I would guess, so did not take long to climb. The castle was built in the 17th century and offers some really good views of Santorini. I was able to make out Oia, Improveglia, Fira from this vantage point - all places I passed yesterday on the trail.
Santorini - Day 11
Today was the best weather of the trip so far,24° celsius, clear sky and very light winds. So I made my way to Kamari beach on the east of the island. It is also my last day in Santorini and it would be good to get some beach time. It also marks two weeks not since I started my journey and of course 2 weeks in Greece.
I used the local bus service again, it's about 25 minutes and a very short walk to the beach. Kamari is the biggest beach on the island, it stretches on for miles. However, it's most distinguishing characteristic, is the black pebbles and grey-black sand. This is very unique for a beach, however this does also mean that the sand under your feet gets extremely hot!
The other interesting feature is that Kamari beach and village is in close proximity to Ancient Thera and Mesa Vouna - this is one the attractions I have not been able to do visit in Santorini but I was at least able to see the mountain and a bit of Ancient Thera.
I'm not one for beaches normally but I thought it would be good to even out the tan now that I had been here for a while. It was very quiet, only picking up later. Most of the tourists started arriving after 12, so I got a couple hours of sunbathing in before a late lunch. I did a quick walk over to the other end of the beach to see what was going on but nothing was open, so I went back to the bus stop.
For dinner, I went to a restaurant in the main square (Pelican Kipos) which is popular for traditional santorini dishes and also wines from the vineyards in the Santorini - they have their own cellar where they store nearly 600 wines!
If you want the full lowdown, read my Food blog, but suffice to say it was a good meal to cap off my tour off my Santorini trip. After dinner I went to a Scottish bar (The Highlander) to watch live football - Liverpool were playing their first leg in the Champions League knockout stages and Man City were also playing tonight at 10pm. It was pretty decent as they managed to show both games - however as soon as the games were over the DJ signalled to kill the TVs. No post match interviews for me then!
Milos - Day 12
Day 12 already and it was time to travel to the last cyclades island I am visiting whilst in Greece - Milos. I boarded the fast ferry and it took a couple of hours to go from Santorini to Milos. Once I arrived, I checked into the apartment and then started exploring Adamantas/Adamas (new port) which is where I am staying.
It was very quiet, this island reminds me of Naxos, its green and the seas are deep blue . It is quite a contrast to where I’ve come from (Santorini) which seemed to be getting busier by the day with tourists. I spent the rest of the day/evening in a cafe writing my blog and making plans for tomorrow as I only have a couple of full days here so will need to choose my activities wisely. I hope to visit the main town (Plaka), Ancient Catacombs and Theatre and possibly do a bit of hiking too. This all depends if I have time, because once again I am at the mercy of local buses. It is recommended to rent a car, scooter or quad bike to get around so you can see a lot more, but I don’t mind using the buses and I don't expect to cram in too much. I will give the bus a go tomorrow and see how it is.
Milos - Day 13
I got up early to catch the 08:30 bus into Plaka (the capital), as I wanted to spend the morning exploring the the Plaka town, Venetian castle and then go on to Tripiti to see the Ancient Catacombs and Theatre before catching the 13:50 bus back to Adamantas.
So a busy morning!
The reason for this hectic schedule was due to the limited bus service during the winter. There seems to be maybe 2 or 3 buses going to a few locations with the last bus back before 2pm, so an early start is better.
I got off at the Plaka bus stop which is at the bottom of the hill, the town itself is situated in one of the higher parts of the island with the venetian castle a further climb. It was really quiet so I was able to wander around the streets and take pictures at my leisure, the downside to all this of course is that nothing seems to be open!
My observations of Plaka is that it’s a very traditional town with all the hallmarks of the other Cycladic islands I’ve visited. There are cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings, prominent churches and the blue and white colour palette that features everywhere. It did not take me long to walk through, I found that the town also had the same labyrinth qualities of the old town in Mykonos - you often have to check whether you should go up, down or left and then by the time you work this out you are completely lost. Apparently the reason for this design is similar to Mykonos, to confuse raiders and pirates. I’m not convinced by the logic for Plaka though as it is much smaller.
After touring Plaka, I went back to where I started and followed the sign leading to the Kastro (castle). The Venetians built this castle when they conquered the Byzantines (latter day Romans) in 13th century AD. It seems to have been a popular project for the ruling empire to commission the work to build a castle on a Cyclades island - I’ve seen a couple already. The hike up to the top of the castle is quite pleasant and relatively short. From the top you are treated to some really good views of the whole island of Milos, the Aegean Sea and also the nearby island of Kimolos.
Once I had taken a few pictures I descended the hill and made my way to the next stop, Tripiti. There is a straight path to this nearby village which takes about 7 minutes, from here you can visit a couple of the other attractions in Milos - the Ancient Catacombs and Ancient Theatre (Roman open air amphitheatre). The walk to the Catacombs is only about 10 minutes or so and a further 5-7 minutes down to the Ancient Theatre.
When I arrived at the entrance of the Catacombs I found out (to my disappointment) it was closed due to illness of the “guard of antiquity”. No matter, this did at least give me more time for the other activities, so I went straight on to the theatre which is roughly 200 metres away.
It is a gradual descent towards the amphitheatre and on the way there are actually some pretty amazing views of the rural landscape. I found it interesting that this theatre was only discovered in the 18th century and proper excavation only began in the 19th century. It is a classical roman amphitheatre (similar to the Theatre of Dionysus in the Acropolis) and it's impossible to fully appreciate the size and scale of it until you are right at the bottom of the hill (Klima beach). The only elements you can see are the lower portions, the stage, the backstage and some of the ruins which remain. It's definitely worth a visit to have a walk around and also take in the views of the surrounding areas.
The final (bonus) activity was to try the short hike down to Klima beach which was recommended by my host - he said the views were amazing so as I still had time I thought it was worth a visit. The path down is a quiet road and not too difficult to walk down, I completed the careful descent all the way down to the bay and fishing village. The views are worth the hike (especially the return journey uphill). I am here in spring and it is very green with many of the flowers now in full bloom. The sights and smells reminded me of the English countryside - it was so quiet and peaceful . At the bottom you can see the fishermen’s houses, they each have painted their doors and balconies with bright pastel colours in order to distinguish one from another, although I think nowadays these houses are rental homes.
Once I had taken in the views from the bay, I climbed back up the hill back to Plaka to get lunch at a very lively cafe called Fatses before getting the bus back into Adamas.
In the evening, I went to a restaurant near the port. I had already had quite a big lunch earlier, I opted for a salad - I tried the Milos salad which is similar to a greek salad, except it includes capers, Kramito (local herb from island) and locally sourced cream cheese and goat's milk. It was an interesting flavour, but I think I prefer the Greek salad.
Day 13 complete!
Milos - Day 14
Last full day in Milos. I was aware that this island has the more beaches than any other in the Cyclades, so it would make sense to spend my last day visiting one or two if I could. I started with Sarakiniko Beach which is one of the most unique beaches on the island - the beach and the caves have been carved out of volcanic rock, with the white rock formations contrasting starkly with the beautiful blue waters.
I took the bus to Triovasalos, which in hindsight was probably unnecessary, as the walk was still quite long from there. After about 40 or minutes of walking, I was on the downhill slope to the beach. This path takes you past the distinctive rock formations, strange landscapes and also the caves which are across the whole beach. The blanche, dusty surface reminded me of the moon, strangely. It was certainly otherworldly. In terms of a beach, there is a small sandy cove that was not too busy so I was able to set up there. I also found a small cave nearby which was useful for shade and changing. In terms of the waters, they were incredibly clean and clear. Initially I just went to dip my feet in the water, but as it was getting warmer (at least 22 degrees) I thought by noon the water would be warm enough for a dip. That was certainly the case - it was very refreshing and cool. I swam for about 15 minutes or so, doing short lengths between the rocky bays. It is a bit shallow; so you do need to push out a bit further to avoid kicking your feet into the seabed.
After spending 2-3 hours relaxing here, I moved on to the next beach on the way to Plaka called Mandrika.
It was a tough walk with temperatures very high, however the views of the beach were really impressive. After this long walk, I was a bit disappointed to find nothing open so I could not get lunch, pretty exhausted at this point I thought it was best to call a taxi (first time in Milos) to take me to Tripiti where I knew there was at least one restaurant open.
My last activity for the day was to walk to Plaka and go back to the Venetian Castle to watch my last sunset in the Cyclades islands. It was definitely worth the hike and I was fortunate that today was a very clear day so perfect for those warm, golden sunsets.
It’s been an excellent few days here and I’m looking forward to going back to Athens tomorrow and continuing my European tour.
Conclusions
I really enjoyed the Cyclades islands and I wish I had more time to do more activities, however 3-4 days is probably enough for each island. It was a shame about Delos and maybe next time I would also visit Andros and Paros to turn this into a 3 week tour. In summary, it was a great trip and highly recommended!
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