Hi All,
Sorry for the delayed Greece post but I’ve been busy sorting through the mountains of stunning pictures (2,000+) that I was lucky enough to be able to take.
First off , I don’t think I would be able to do our Greece trip justice if I was to do one full blog post so I will be breaking them down into 3 separate posts
1. Athens& Mykonos
2. IOS
3. Santorini
Greece Overview & Getting Around
In terms of an overview on trip and how we got around we flew with Emirates directly into Athens and then flew directly onto Santorini later that evening with Olympic airlines.
When we were leaving Santorini we just got the ferry to IOS which is only about 35/40 minute journey and then the following day we caught another ferry to Mykonos which is a 3 hour journey.
Greece is well renowned for its Island hopping ability and through the different ferry companies you can very easily do this. There is a number of ferries that do the Santorini – Mykonos route with drop offs and pickups at different islands so have a look at the link below and that will give you an idea of ferry companies and what islands that stop at in case you want to add a few more islands on to your trip.
From Mykonos we flew back to Athens which is the fastest option but there is also a ferry option if you have the time.
Ferry Link www.GTP.gr
So I am going to work backwards with my reviews and start with Mykonos and Athens.
Athens
Athens is completely different to the other Greek islands and locals will say that the islands themselves are like their own little micro economies outside of Greece. One thing to bear in mind is that the airport is a good 50 mins (with no traffic) outside of Athens – just something to consider if you are going to get a taxi.
The first thing that struck me about Athens (other than the heat – it was 41 degrees the day we landed – which we were told is very unusual) is the amount of graffiti there is everywhere. As you start to get closer to the centre you start to see all the historical buildings which are completely incredible especially when you think of just when they were built (5th Century BC). We picked our hotel the Royal Olympic Athens (http://www.royalolympic.com/)based on proximity to the Acropolis which in turn meant it had the most incredible view of the Acropolis particularly at night from their roof terrace.
Click here for Video
Olympic Hotel Morning View Video
We were also lucky that we had the services of a local @JKTRAINER to show us around for the night so he brought us to one of his favourite restaurants, Bar 360 (http://www.three-sixty.gr/), which you sit directly facing the Acropolis which is incredible.
The next day we got a flavor for a local sports bar courtesy of the first Lions Test Match and my sports fanatic husband! We then spent time doing the Acropolis museum and stopping for a gorgeous Greek lunch in Yard All Day Restaurant which I would highly recommend for an authentic Greek meal and lovely surroundings.
Mykonos
If truth be known we really didn’t know very much about Mykonos except that its renowned for being one of the party islands which I suppose is all we really needed to know when picking a holiday destination.
In terms of party islands Mykonos is very different to IOS. Mykonos, to me, has more of a Marbella vibe to it with its “super clubs” & day clubs whereas IOS has a slightly more backpacker feel to it with more party bars and is definitely the least expensive out of the 2 islands.
Click below for Video
We stayed in the Myconian Kyma hotel (http://www.myconiankyma.gr/) which is one of 3 Myconian hotels in a cluster at the top of the hill approx. 15/20 mins walk (depending on how fast you walk) outside of Mykonos town. The hotel itself (and the other hotels in the cluster) are stunning with really incredible décor.
The service – Which you will figure out is a recurring theme throughout my blog posts – was incredible! Anywhere that greets us with a glass of champagne on arrival as part of our check in process is a winner in my eyes.
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The check-in process was amazing, you sip on champagne looking out over coastal Mykonos town whilst our receptionist talked us through all there was to know about Mykonos, the best places to eat, drink and party. Everything about the check in was so chilled, you get a true feeling of being on holidays and on more than one occasion when we asked the staff was it ‘okay’ to do something we were greeted with “you are on your holidays its completely ok”. What more could you ask for? 🙂
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Breakfast on both mornings was my kind of breakfast – A Champagne Breakfast – need I say anymore!! The breakfast choices were of such a high standard, they served everything from home-made pastries & granolas to smoked salmon Bellini to a full Irish breakfast!
Mykonos Restaurants – My Pick’s
We arrived to Mykonos late in the evening so by the time we unpacked and got ready to head out we had decided that we would try the steak house restaurant at the hotel. I couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough. We were greeted with a complimentary cocktail, the waiter was incredibly knowledgeable about the food and the wine without being pushy in any way and the food and the service was up there with one of our best meals on the holiday.
On the second night we went for dinner straight from Super Paradise Club to the old town. We had been recommended to go to Scarpa – Little Venice but when we got there the waiter we spoke to said they didn’t do food (I don’t know if there was a breakdown in communication there) but instead were famous for their incredible cocktails so I was told.
We had also been recommended Katerinas – Little Venice (http://katerinaslittlevenicemykonos.com/en/)which I’m really glad we didn’t miss. The food was great, typical Greek food, and the manager was on the floor to ensure that everything was running smoothly. He also joined in with our after dinner shots, what a dedication to service! J They have a really good cocktail bar upstairs (where barmen do even more shots with you on the house!) My tip for Katerina’s would be to book early and to get a table on the balcony as it can literally only fit 8 people maximum. 8pm is the perfect time to book as you will get to view the amazing Greek sunset.
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Scorpios – This was also recommended to us but it is a little way out of Mykonos so just bear that in mind. It’s supposed to be a really gorgeous upmarket restaurant with great views. (https://www.scorpiosmykonos.com/)
Kastros – This was another recommendation at the end of Little Venice and is one popular place, in particular with all the Instagrammers, so much so that you may have already seen the picture before being used for #mykonoslife on Instagram. (http://www.kastrosmykonos.com/)
Nammos – This is another place that had been recommended to us before our trip but when you talk to locals and read some of the TripAdvisor reviews it was clear that there was very mixed reviews about the place! Perhaps it had been popular years ago but deteriorated in recent years due to service and high prices? (https://www.nammos.gr/)
Mykonos Bars – My Picks (as hard as that is!)
Myconian Korali
I would totally recommend the bar in the Myconian Korali either for pre-dinner drinks or drinks on the way home even if it is just to gaze at the pool below. (http://www.myconiankorali.gr/)
Click link below for video
Super Paradise Club
This is a beach nightclub based on Super beach. We had a great day here and it felt like it had a “Vegas style” to the day club despite the fact that is was located on the beach as opposed to a pool. It had a really cool party vibe and the DJ was incredible. Tip – To save on taxi fare they run buses in and out and back to Mykonos Town. (http://superparadise.com.gr/club/)
Click link below for video’s
Jackie O’s
This was recommended to us and has a gorgeous view of the bay and a pool. On the day we were there the vibe was more 70/80’s style music so we only stayed for a couple of drinks and a spot of people watching and then we headed to Super Pardise Club which is just a short walk down the beach. (http://jackieomykonos.com/)
Click below for Video
Skandinavian Bar – Located right in the middle of Mykonos Town and was a really good party bar. (http://www.skandinavianbar.com/)
Cavo Paradiso – To my knowledge this is the only nightclub that you have to pay into (which was 20 euros each) and unfortunately was a big letdown for us. However I believe that if you go at end of July through to August – when they get the big name DJ’s – it’s the only place to be seen. Regrettably for us we were too early for the headliners and left disappointed. Tip – it is a good bit out of Mykonos town so definitely check to see if they run buses out and back as there aren’t many taxi’s available. (https://cavoparadiso.gr/)
Paradise Club – Day/Nightclub – Another of the big well renowned clubs and recommended to us by a number of people. (http://www.paradiseclubmykonos.com/)
Mykonos General Tips
Spend 3-4 days – Personally, I would love to go back to Mykonos and spend a few more days there as I really feel that there are so many different parts of Mykonos to explore. Whether it’s roaming the old town and its warren of winding streets or partying at the bars in the old town moving on to the beach clubs the next day. Not to mention the fact that you’ll want to relax and unwind in your gorgeous hotel so I would recommend a minimum of 3-4 days.
Rent a Quad – Definitely rent a quad bike on the islands. There are literally about 20 taxis for the whole island so these quads will help you get from the hotel to Mykonos town and around. I don’t think I would advise taking them to some of the clubs as the roads are in really bad shape. A courtesy bus is the best way to reach the clubs.
Big DJ – Check there is a big DJ playing in Cavo Paradiso before going and don’t go before 1am.
Little Venice – Get to Little Venice to experience sunset there.
As always any questions or advice don’t hesitate to get in contact, I will be posting my IOS & Santorini blogs very soon so stay tuned!
S x
Ps Fun Fact Mykonos airport has a resident Cat!! I will leave you with that!!!
Great post so informative. Thank you so much. Heading to santorini in September via Athens so very useful tips. Cant wait to read your post on santorini.
Hi Mary, Thank you so much for you gorgeous post, Santorini blog is coming this week so stay tuned. Thanks again for your support xxx