Helen Iatrou, who considers herself a full-blooded Greek islander shares some concepts for planning an island-hopping journey.
Query: I’m planning a trip to the Greek islands this summer time however don’t know the place to start out. Which islands ought to I go to, and what number of can I match right into a week-long journey?
Helen Iatrou: Crusing is my nice ardour, which makes the islands my literal playground. I favor to take my time to get to know one island at a time, normally over one week. You’d be shocked how a lot there may be to see, even on the tiniest specks.
With dozens of islands in Greece to select from, it’s a tricky resolution – belief me, I do know. Yearly I wrack my mind and spend hours researching my subsequent island journey. I’ve misplaced depend of the variety of occasions my husband has requested, “Why did you ebook that island?!” However each single time we return, we at all times take pleasure in that glow of getting explored someplace new and intriguing.
Learn how to journey across the Greek islands
Whereas ferries are nonetheless the primary mode of transport between the islands, lately it’s a lot faster and simpler to achieve them by way of air. Whereas not all of them have airports, you possibly can normally fly into one of many bigger islands with home carriers akin to Aegean Airways (test their helpful low-fare calendar), Olympic Air, or Sky Categorical and take a brief ferry to smaller isles close by. In case you do journey by way of ferry from port hubs Piraeus or Rafina, select the quick ferry choices, which price just a little extra however get you there sooner. Ferryhopper is without doubt one of the greatest reserving platforms, as you possibly can map out your full inter-island journey.
My favourite mode of journey is (you guessed it) by sailboat. In case you constitution a yacht with a skipper, you possibly can hop between islands at your tempo – until you or your companions possess a skipper’s license and have ample expertise to captain your craft yourselves.
Planning your island-hopping getaway
Might to October is prime time for the Greek islands, significantly if you wish to absorb all of the sunshine and swim within the superb Aegean. Needless to say June by August will be hectic, significantly on the preferred islands, and flights and lodging are at their costliest, too. And who needs to attend hours for that restaurant desk?
Begin by fascinated with what pursuits you and what you’re in search of. Seashores with all of the facilities or hidden rocky coves? Excessive-end eating places or toes-in-the-sand tavernas? Historic websites or late-night bars? Do you wish to chill on one or two islands and see as a lot of them as you possibly can? Or would you favor to see a number of islands?
I counsel taming your ambitions, and specializing in one island group, visiting not more than two to a few islands in whole. In case you’re crusing, you possibly can actually drop anchor at a unique island every day.
Take your decide of Greek island jewels
Most first-timers select the Cyclades, homing in on Santorini for its cliffs dripping with whitewashed cubic buildings, and Mykonos for its charismatic enchantment. When you’ve had your fill of Mykonos, take the ferry to close by Tinos. This low-key island has quietly earned itself a repute for distinctive farm-to-fork fare, mountain climbing trails and boutique wineries.
In case you’ve obtained youngsters in tow, you may favor to fly or ferry your strategy to Naxos, the place youngsters can safely swim in shallow waters amid golden sands or be taught to windsurf. From there, {couples} desperately looking for serenity and umbrella-free seashores can board the hardy Categorical Skopelitis for the Small Cyclades isles of Schinoussa, Donousa, Iraklia or Koufonisia.
If verdant hillsides, turquoise seas and stark white pebble seashores sound dreamy, the Ionian Islands beckon. Fly into Corfu, the place you possibly can cool off at sandy seashores and stroll the emerald isle’s romantic, cobblestoned capital. From there, take a hydrofoil to the dual isles of Paxi (or Paxos), whose unpruned olive timber ship delicately flavored olive oil. From Paxos, rent a motorboat and scoot over to Antipaxos to dive into translucent aquamarine waters.
Down south within the Dodecanese, fewer vacationers enterprise past Rhodes and its medieval outdated city, the place you possibly can envision knights thundering down flagstoned alleyways and wander by the seaside village of Lindos. But a brief flight away is distant Karpathos. In hillside Olympos, girls nonetheless don lavish conventional costumes for particular events and rejoice with all-night panegyria (feast days).
Mapping out a Greek-island getaway might sound daunting, poor vacationers – however relaxation assured that whichever locations you determine on, you’re assured to return residence with reminiscences that can stay in your thoughts for years to return.
