My Big Fat Greek Vacation
The beaches! The sunsets! The white-washed everything!
Greece is one of those magical places that makes you want to buy a kaftan, wear laurel headbands and start putting tapenades in adorable little pottery bowls. I MEAN, the gorgeous people, the sumptuous food, the over-the-top beach clubs?! Yah-mas! <— “Cheers” to beautiful Greece!
Most people will start their adventure in Athens.
We stayed at the King George hotel and the location was amazing. Did we nosh on chocolate croissants while enjoying views of the Parthenon? YESSSSSSS. What a dreamy way to wake up in Athens.
We dropped our bags at the hotel then tried to see as much as humanly possible before having a heat stroke. Fun fact: if you buy a ticket at one ruin, there’s a good chance you can use the same ticket to get into other sites. We went to the Temple of Zeus and the Parthenon. The museum at the foot of the Acropolis looked gorgeous and is filled with a/c, but we opted for lunch and some vino at Thespis in Plaka.
Obsessed this with shaded li’l lunch oasis
The Plaka area is a little touristy, but it’s a fun place to grab lunch and duck in and out of shops. The food at Thespis was fresh and delicious and it was the best Greek salad we had on our entire trip. (Did we order one every single day we were in Greece? Sure did.)
The cafes of Anafiotika
Then wander around Anafiotika. The bougainvillea and cafés are adorable. Pop into al Hammam for a head & foot massage (those international flights pack a punch). Then stroll the quaint streets, stopping in cute stores and gelato shops.
After freshening up at the hotel, hit the rooftop bar at The Grand Bretagne Hotel. It’s the perfect spot for a pre-dinner cocktail. The question remains: how many aperol spritzes can one gal drink on a trip to Greece? THE NUMBER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU. We chose poorly when it came to restaurants, but Cookoovaya looks incredible. It also would have been fun to see a different part of the city, but we were catatonic after the 10-hour sojourn across the pond.
Ummm, who’s ready for MYKONOS! We took the quick flight (35 minutes!) to this party island and snagged a shuttle organized through our hotel: Myconian Ambassador Relais and Chateaux Hotel. We LOVED the pool and the morning breakfast was over-the-top amazing. It’s also a short walk to Platys Gialos Beach. The thing to think about when booking your stay is where/what you want to do in Mykonos (since getting around the island is a little tricky).
We could actually walk along the beach (about 15/20 minutes) to some of the best beach clubs in the area: Scorpios, Nammos, Kalua. It all depends on what vibe you’re going for. Be sure to wear comfy shoes and something you don’t mind sporting all day. Can you also get massages right on the beach? Yep. Love it here.
One of my fave things in Mykonos was visiting Little Venice in the old city. Get dropped off at the windmills (so pretty) and grab a drink along the water.
We had dinner at Kastro’s AND our best meal in Greece! The owner looks like a Greek Santa Claus and the food and environment are magical.
The next day we rented an ATV-ish dune buggy to pop into different hot spots. I DEEPLY regret not going to Kiki’s Tavern for lunch. They don’t take reservations aaaaand it’s a little out of the way, but it’s near a nude beach (okay—that would be a great vacation story) and then you can toss on your clothes and queue up for lunch around 11:30/12.
Instead we opted for lunch at Spilia Seaside Restaurant. Did we drink aperol spritzes while watching people getting shuttled to their yacht? CONFIRMED. This place is a stunner.
Next stop? SANTORINI! We took a ferry ride from Mykonos and got car service through the hotel. We stayed at Katikies Garden in Fira. It was luxurious and great (in an old converted monastery) but I wiiiiiiish we would have stayed right in Oia. With all the travel, we really only had a full day on the island, and you need at least two or three days to truly enjoy this magical place.
We took a boat ride our first day with Caldera Yachting and had the best time. They do day trips or sunset cruises (which would have also been incredible). You’re able to snorkel in all the different bays, see the red and white sand beaches, do some cliff jumping at Agios Nikolaos Rock and they make you a delicious lunch right on the boat!
After our boat ride, we showered up and headed into Oia. It’s so so sooooo stunning—every turn is a postcard. We popped into all the little shops, picking up trinkets and souvenirs, then bought a couple cold Mythos beers to cheers along the little “donkey path” leading to Ammoudi Bay.
There are people EVERYWHEEEEERE trying to see this epic Oia sunset, so definitely make a reservation is you’re staying in town. We snapped some pics by Sunsets restaurant, and the spot looked downright dreamy.
The old path leads down to the sea and Ammoudi Bay. There are loads of cute restaurants right along the water. We dined on fresh fish at a place called Ammoudi Tavern.
Other things I would have LURV’d to do (if we had more time): taking a Giorgaros Fishing Tour, catching some red snapper and cooking it right on the boat AND a cooking class + dinner…this experience looks oh-so-wonderful: Petra Kouzina. Whatever you do, order that extra aperol spritz and say “yah-soo” (hello!) to one truly remarkable place.
Bye, Greece! Stay adorable.
