Greece

During the summer of 2021 I traveled to Greece for the first time. The trip was initially set for 2020 as a high school graduation gift from my uncle Mike, but because of Covid we rescheduled for the following summer. It had been my dream to explore Greece for many years and I couldn’t be more excited for such an exciting adventure.

Day 1 - Athens

The first leg of my trip took me from San Francisco to JFK. After a quick layover I flew to Athens, arriving mid morning.

After meeting my relatives at the airport we headed to the airbnb, which had an incredible view of the acropolis — we were literally just across the street! You can check out the airbnb here.

That summer Athens and other areas of Greece were experiencing widespread wildfires which made the entire city feel like a sauna. I was determined to explore the city despite the heat so we headed out to find some lunch.

One of my favorite meals on this trip was the greek salad — the combination of feta cheese with olives and olive oil was divine. After lunch we headed back towards the Acropolis and explored the Acropolis Museum, which was a nice air conditioned option to escape the heat. I recommend buying tickets in advance, although the line was not too long when we were there. Tickets are affordable and definitely worth it to get a look at the sculptures and archeological sites!

In the evening we went to dinner at Dionysus Zonar’s, a beautiful restaurant with a stunning view of the Acropolis. It was amazing to see the landmark lit up against the night sky.

Day 2 - Crete

I woke up extra early the next morning to climb the Acropolis in the shade of the morning. I knew once the sun rose it would be miserably hot out, so I made sure to get to the ticketing gates before they opened at 8 am. The opening hours depend on the season, check out the times here.

One thing I loved about Athens and Greece in general was seeing all of the stray cats wandering around the city.

The first major structure you pass while climbing up Acropolis Hill is the Odeon of Herodes Atticues, an ancient performance arena. Performances, operas and concerts are still held here!

The view and structures around the Acropolis were stunning — I especially loved the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The combination of wild fires and bright sun made the top of the hill incredibly hot and I didn’t remain there for more than maybe 30 minutes. It was lucky I got up as early as I did because the personnel had to close the monument around 10 am due to extreme temperatures and multiple people fainting.

Afterwards, we headed back to the airbnb and packed up our luggage before heading to the airport. From there, we took a jet to Crete, one of the nearby islands.

Our airbnb in Crete was absolutely beautiful. Located in the small seaside town of Hersonissos, it was a perfect spot to relax. The views from the rooftop were gorgeous and we spend all afternoon enjoying the rooftop pool and the cooler weather.

For dinner we wandered down the water to Med Cafe and Restaurant, a beautiful dining spot literally right on the water. The food was immaculate and the view couldn’t be beat.

Day 3 - Milatos and Sissi

The next morning we all got up and headed towards Paralia Milatou, also called Milatos beach. This was a pretty rocky beach, so I recommend bringing chairs. There were some smaller restaurants and bars nearby as well.

After spending a while at the beach we headed towards the town of Sisi where we walked around exploring and had lunch at Kyma.

After a late lunch we headed back to the airbnb, stopping for some gelato on the way and then relaxing by the pool some more. It was a beautiful day and we had champagne, tanned and read under the sun.

The sunsets here were unreal, full of bright oranges and reds. It was such a gorgeous spot, I never wanted to leave.

Day 4 - Kalamaki

We set off on a mini road trip the next day to the southern side of the island, to Kalamaki beach. This was a beautiful area with crystal blue warm waters and sunny shores.

For dinner we headed back to the Med restaurant, we loved it so much the first time we couldn’t help but return! It was another perfect evening with a pink sunset, warm air and delicious food.

Day 5 - Hersonissos

I had a late start the next morning and enjoyed some coffee on the balcony, watching the ocean. For lunch we wandered towards the Port of Hersonissos and stopped at a small cafe along the water.

For the rest of the afternoon we relaxed at the pool, played some games on the rooftop and enjoyed the sun. It was our last day in Crete and the gorgeous sunset was the perfect cap to this relaxing stop.

Day 6 - Santorini

This was the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most. I had dreamed of visiting Santorini for so long and I couldn’t wait to arrive. We boarded a ship from Crete to Santorini and arrived at the port of the island mid morning, taking a van up the winding roads to the northern tip of the island, called Oia.

After dropping off our luggage we enjoyed some light lunch at a cafe with the most spectacular view. Santorini didn’t feel like a real place. The height above the cliffs speckled with beautiful white buildings and blue domes and the stretching curve of the horizon was unlike anywhere I had ever been.

Once our airbnb was ready we stowed our luggage and enjoyed the infinity pool and the incredible views.

In the evening we enjoyed an amazing dinner at Roka in the center of the cliff-side town. The food was incredible and I loved the ambience.

Day 6 - Oia

The next day was very relaxed — we filled our time with shopping, exploring the town and enjoying the views that appeared like a postcard around every corner. There were a couple tiny stray kittens who would come visit us on our balcony. We enjoyed some dinner and dessert in the evening and walked to a lookout spot to watch the magnificent sunset.

Day 7 - At Sea

I was super excited for the next day because we were all going out on a catamaran to enjoy the afternoon on the water! We took a car down the mountain to Ammoudi Bay to board the boat, named the Carpe Diem.

After we got out on the water we docked and had an amazing lunch. One of my favorite Greek foods, dolmades, were included.

The water was incredible here, some of the clearest and prettiest blues I have ever seen. We snorkeled, sunbathed and marveled at the gorgeous coastline and ships.

This was such an amazing experience — being out on the cool water, meeting new friends and soaking up the sun was the quintessential Greek sailing adventure I had wanted.

After relaxing for a bit at the airbnb we walked down the winding path to Ammoudi bay. One way to get down the path was to ride a donkey!

We had a delicious dinner of seafood, wine and dessert at Sunset Ammoudi. Reservations in advance are needed to dine here so make sure to reserve a spot ahead of time for the great view! The sunset was unbeatable and we saluted to the last night of the trip.

Day 8 - Heading home

On the final day we wandered around Oia for a while, doing some shopping and stopping for some treats, like this delicious iced coffee. The views from the top of the island point were incredible, I couldn’t get over how blue everything was. The white buildings and blooming, bright pink flowers contrasted so beautifully with the ocean.

This trip was so special for me. I had been waiting for it for years and it was everything I dreamed and more. It was also incredibly fun to spend it with relatives and explore such amazing places together. I can’t wait for when I return to Greece, it holds a very special place in my heart now!