Greece

When is The Best Time of The Year To Visit Greece?

From a mainland full of history to 6000 Marvelous Islands with their own unique charm...

Greece

When is The Best Time of The Year To Visit Greece?

From a mainland full of history to 6000 Marvelous Islands with their own unique charm...

Explore Greece

Greece is one of my favourite countries in the world, I just love it, since our first trip to Greece in 2010, I visited this country eleven times, you have so much choice and a completely different scenery in every place you go. It is a country known for its history, amazing people, sun, sea, so many islands with fantastic beaches, tasty and quality food products. The landscapes are fantastic, there are breath-taking sunsets (especially in Santorini), ancient monuments and immaculate coastlines, it is no surprise that Greece is a top destination of everyone’s travel list.
As a Mediterranean country Greece is known for its warm weather for most of the year. July and August are the most crowed months of the year and are extremely hot especially in Athens. Winter is not so cold and Spring is also a very good period for traveling, and if you love autumn in Greece you can have unforgettable moments.
Greece is the country of islands! You can find many islands with different traditions and history, you could visit the country every year and go every time in a different island. You can choose based on your taste, whether you like beaches or mountains, winter or summer, relaxing or partying, travel to Greece will be a great destination, if you are alone, a couple or a family. Most of the Greek islands have an easy connection from Athens by ferry and also between the islands (most of the time travel by ferry is way cheaper than by plane in Greece), this can give you the possibility to explore and discover more than one islands at the time. Go and check out my destinations here, have fun!

Crete

Located in the southern side of the Aegean Sea, Crete is the biggest of all Greek islands, it’s really huge, over 300 km from east to west. The mythical Crete island is one of the most popular Greek destinations, thanks to its fantastic beaches, its amazing historical sites, such as Knossos Palace and Spinalonga site and its natural landscapes. Crete beaches are out of this world, Balos beach (one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life), Elafonisi beach, and Falassarna beach are the best beaches in the island.
We visited Crete for ten days in the beginning of September 2016, landed in Chania airport with a direct flight from London. The best option is to hire a car directly at the airport, going around the island without a car is impossible. We were based in a small town called Kissamos in the north-west side of the island, around 40 min driving from Chania, we booked via Airbnb an amazing flat literally on the water, like 2 meter by the sea and was really cheap, 40euro per night for all the flat. Our decision to stay on that side of the island was because most of the best beaches are in this area, Balos beach was just 30 minutes driving. When you visit Balos beach, I highly suggest to stop for dinner in Gramboussa Restaurant, fantastic place with delicious food and views.
Crete has a rich history and culture, you’ll have the first taste of its historical past just by wandering in Chania town. Walking around, you’ll come across mansions, Venetian fortresses, museums, fountains and churches.

Santorini

Santorini is absolutely beautiful! Probably one of the most famous Greek islands, this trip in 2010 (a while ago!) was our second trip abroad, and we were staying in Kamari town, in a nice little hotel called Enjoy Villas in front of the sea. There is much to see in Santorini, especially if you are looking for some romance and a bit of nightlife, then this island is perfect for you.
Whether you explore by scooter, by car, or by boat (we choose a very yellow 50cc scooter), there are some beautiful and unique beaches and dramatic scenery with stunning coastal drive that connect picturesque coastal towns. The best beaches in Santorini are, the Red Beach (one of the most scenic and interesting beaches on the island), White Beach (in the village of Akrotiri, on the south west coast of Santorini), Kamari beach and Perissa beach. Another very cool activity do to in the island, is an excursion to the volcano. The island of Nea Kameni is where you’ll find the most active volcano of Santorini. The crater is 130 meters up and takes about 20 minutes to walk to. The only way to get there is with a guided tour or a boat.
If you like to walk, I highly suggest to hike from Fira to Oia, this is one of the best things to do in Santorini and it’s free! The views are incredible. The hike takes around 2 hours depending on your speed and how many pictures you will take along the way. The walk starts in Fira and moves north through Firostefani, Imerovigli for then finishing in Oia, where the best sunset can be enjoyed.

Thessaloniki & Halkidiki

The second largest city in Greece, it is a modern metropolis with a long history and rich culture. Thessaloniki is a very interesting place to visit, either as a holiday destination or as a part of a road trip combined with the Halkidiki peninsula. The most popular spot in the city is the Beach Promenade where tourists and locals enjoy long walks with a sea view, and it’s a perfect place where you can watch the sunset. The Byzantine Churches, the White Tower, the Arch of Galerius, and the Ottoman Mosques are only some of the main attraction of the city. In August 2013, with few of my basketball friends (one of them was from Thessaloniki), we arranged an amazing two weeks trip in the Halkidiki peninsula also spending few days in the city of Thessaloniki. The peninsula is located just 1.5 hour driving from the city, the region of Halkidiki offers everything you could want from a Greek holiday. One important note, for transportation on the peninsula – you will need a car! There is no way you can go around without it, public transportation are not existing in this area.
We spent our first week in the first “leg” of the peninsula named Kassandra, is the ideal place for nightlife. There are not many tourists in this area, you will find more locals or students coming from Thessaloniki. The second week was more sun and relax, and Sithonia, the second leg of the peninsula is the perfect place for nature lovers, the beaches are wonderful. The most popular beaches are Kavourotripes beach and Kalamitsi Beach.
The third leg is Athos, the world’s only monastic state, home to twenty monasteries and approximately 2,000 monks. It can only be visited by men and you will need a special visa to enter the area, the best way to get close to it is by ferry.

Athens

Located in the centre of the country, Athens is the capital of Greece and also a transportation hub for many Greek islands and the top mainland Greek destinations. Most of the Greek ferries leave from the ports of Athens. I have been in Athens few times, for leisure and work, and every time I go, I always discover something new of the city. Thanks to its long history and rich culture, sightseeing is one of the best things to do in Athens. The Acropolis is one of the world’s most breathtaking ancient ruins, and it’s one of the main reasons that attract so many tourist in this city.
The best way to explore Athens is by foot and metro, in two days you will be able to discover the main attractions of the city, wandering around the hidden streets will be an experience and you will visit the main points of the city, Syntagma Square, Ermou Street, the National Garden, Plaka neighborhood, Thissio, Lykavittos hill, Monastiraki square, and the Panathenaic Stadium.
One of my favourite things to do in the city is getting lost in the Plaka district, especially in Mnisikleous street where many locals enjoy drinks and dinner in an amazing atmosphere sitting on the stairs of the street.
The panoramic views of the city from the Acropolis, or from Lycabettos and Philoppapos Hill, are stunning on a bright day, and simply incredible at sunset.

Cyprus

Just south of Turkey, and in the far eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, the island of Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean.
The top reasons for visiting this beautiful island are it’s incredible weather, it’s history and the food. The summer months are warm and dry like all European countries, even in the winter months you’ll find warm weather, thanks to its position very close to the Middle East; this makes Cyprus the ideal holiday destination all year round.
We visited this island for 4 days in October 2019 in our way to Israel, we wanted to explore the best beaches of the island, and Ayia Napa is the place to go. We were based just 10 mins walking distance from Ayia Napa town, in a nice hotel on top of a hill with a magnificent sea view. The best Taverna Restaurant in Ayia Napa in my opinion is En Yevo Tavernaki (the Greek Meze is fantastic).
Nissi Beach is the most popular beach in the Ayia Napa area and probably the most well known on the island, Konnos Beach, Protaras Beach (Fig Tree Bay) and Cape Greco are also the best beaches to visit in the area.

Corfù

With clean water all over the island, with lots of mountains (over 200km of coastline), lots of sunshine and beautiful beaches, Corfu is known as one of the greenest islands in Greece and attracts many visitors every summer. We visited this island for 3 days on our way back home after our trip in Albania, even if it was a short stay, we loved Corfu, Paleokastritsa and Canal d’Amour Beach are the most famous beaches in the island, other nice beaches to visit are Agios Gordis, Pelekas, Rovinia and Bataria Kassiopi beach.
We were based in a nice little hotel with stunning sea view in the town of Perama, in the east side of the island, and from there we were going around the island with a scooter 125cc.
Corfu town is really nice to visit, you’ve got incredible historic sites like the Old Venetian Fortress and the castle, built to protect the islands from attacks. One of my favourite spots in the island is La Grotta Beach Bar (not too far from Rovinia beach), a beautiful little spot with fantastic views of the bay and very chilled vibes.

Mykonos

Almost everyone knows the island of Mykonos, one of the most famous Greek destination, where all the fun happens! Mykonos is the party animal of the Cycladic islands, but it also has a quiet charm.
Mykonos is full of traditional white houses and blue-domed churches. One of the most gorgeous spots of the island is where the beautiful traditional windmills are in front of Little Venice, where you can also enjoy the magical sunset. We enjoyed the vibes of Mykonos in the summer of 2015, we were 15 friends and we rented a fantastic villa with the pool and eight quads to go around the island.
The best organized beaches are on the southern coast, which gets extremely overcrowded during peak season. My favourite Mykonos beach clubs are Scorpios and SantAnna where you can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere, while Paradise Beach and Super Paradise Beach are the most famous beaches for partying. The beaches on the northern coast of the island are less organized and ideal to enjoy some calm and private moments.
Mykonos town is beautiful, from Little Venice to Windmills, the churches and the blue and white buildings that you find in every corner of the town, visitors can discover and feel the incredible energy that Mykonos has to offer.

Peloponnese peninsula

Just an hour driving west of Athens, the Peloponnese is the large peninsula that hangs from the rest of the Greek mainland by the narrow Corinth Canal. Its wild, mountainous landscape, is dotted with the ruins of Mycenaean palaces, ancient temples, churches, and many medieval castles built by the Crusaders and the Venetians.
If you start your trip to Peloponnese from Athens (as it’s the most convenient airport), your first stop will be the Corinth Canal. Since 1893, it separates Central Greece from Peloponnese, so you will have to cross it to reach the peninsula. Before it was built, if you wanted to go from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea and Saronic Gulf by boat, you had to circle the Peloponnese, which would prolong the journey an extra 400km.
The other main highlights of the peninsula are Mycenae site, Epidaurus site, Olympia, Nafplio and Monemvasia.
I visited the Peninsula in December 2019, I joined a full day tour from Athens, was a fantastic tour, with plenty of thing to see and full of history. I really loved the town of Nafplio, a charming town with a spectacular waterfront, small streets and historic buildings.
Mycenae is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece, the beautiful “Lion Gate”, was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae. Visiting this area off season was amazing, the Archaeological sites were almost empty!