Greece definitely was an impromptu vacation trip in September 2022 but as they say last minute plans always work the best and it did... in our favor as well. Out of few of our bucket list destinations Greece during the fall season seemed to fit all the bills for our historical, cultural and culinary experience.
Chora Town, Mykonos
Once the destination was selected, we started boggling around the island hopping options for this trip. Our main aim was to have a relaxing, no-fuss couple trip hence we decided to cover 3 cities/islands on this visit to Greece.
ATHENS-MYKONOS-SANTORINI
Chora Bazar Mykonos
We flew with Air Transat from Toronto to Athens. However the 9 hours long flight with the time difference of 8 hours didn't started well at first as we had to catch another flight from Athens to Mykonos. Our all fatigue disappeared when we arrived at our first destination Anax Resort and Spa at Mykonos. The view of white washed buildings, blue skies and unique architectural structures
were screaming of us having a great time ahead!
Anax Resort Mykonos
We wanted to try boutique and luxury hotel experience this trip hence Anax Resort and Spa was selected as our first stay - an ideal destination with warm and signature hospitality indeed. The resort is about 15/20 minutes walk from the town. However they offer the shuttle service to and from airport or town.
Anax Resort Mykonos
The resort has its own beach with pool and sea view rooms. The breakfast and the overall experience was great here.
We rented a scooter from the town to visit the famous Chora town in Mykonos (you may need to validate your license in order to drive the scooter in the country here). The drive around the shore and the old town would not have been the same without that memorable ride.
The Chora town is a mostly pedestrian maze of narrow streets with cubic whitewashed houses. It’s essentially a traditional Cycladic village, with bougainvillea, small white churches, and colorful windows, doors and balconies.
The place was overcrowded with boutiques, bars and restaurants + souvenir shops. Famous windmills on top of the island and former fisherman's houses in Little Venice were quite attractive. Walking around the town felt like a maze and at the end of the every street we ended up being at the waterfront.
Day 3 we took ferry to Santorini. The only way to reach there is either by a flight or by a ferry. These ferries fit thousands of passengers with their cars and belongings. There is a restaurant + bar on the ferry. Wi-fi is paid and the hard copy of the tickets to the ferry was mandatory. The only piece of advise I would suggest is to travel light. With big bags and heavy belongings your trip can ruin the entire experience. Less is more works in our case whenever we travel.
The main attraction of the trip was the island Santorini and after visiting, I must confess that it is one of the most beautiful place we have ever visited. It is ideally positioned at the most mesmerizing spot on the island. The drive from ferry to our hotel was enough to understand why Santorini is the most popular destination.
Santa Anna Luxury Resort - Imerovigli (Pic from Google)
Breakfast at Santa Anna Luxury Resort
Our next boutique hotel was Sant Anna Luxury Suites in Imerovigli....I had to learn to speak this name ;). The hotel was quite far from the hustle and bustle of the city Fira. However, the city was about 10/15 minutes cab drive from the hotel. And the famous sunset of Oia was about half an hour drive from the place.
The hotel only has a small number of suites, so it had a very personal touch. The main attraction of the place has to be the breakfast, it was delivered to your room at a time to suit yourself.
The walk through the narrow streets of Fira felt like a typical representation of the Cycladic islands, the small shops packed one next to the other, the pebbled streets, the traditional houses with the small blue and sun-burned verandas and of course the amazing view which distinguishes Santorini from every other island.
We took a trip to Oia to witness the famous sunset. The city has not only great views but also a different perspective than Imerovigli. However the place was overly crowded and cramped even in September month. Once the sunset beckoned, hundred of other people crowded the place and it all felt like too cramped. We were literally squeezed in a corner to watch the sunset. There are also cruises that take you to see the sunset up close. However, if time and budget permits, I would highly recommend to stay in the town Oia with a caldera view to make the most of your trip.
The highlight of the trip has to be our photoshoot (especially in a flying yellow dress) on these beautiful spots. There are quite a few choices of photographers who you have to book in advance for the photoshoot. There were quite a few wedding, anniversary and proposal shoots going around. Ours was entirely and purely for fun but turned out an experience that we will cherish forever.
With another ferry from Santorini to Athens we concluded our trip. We kept a day to explore the historic and capital city Athens before our flight to home. It was just another city with ancient civilizations with attractions like Acropolis and Ancient Agora. A day or two would be enough to spend in the city.
Ending this post, with some mouth watering Greek dishes for you all. Being vegetarian, we had plethora of choices in Greece to spoil our taste buds in every café and restaurant spotted. The best has to be the Greek Salad with the big chunk of Feta Cheese.
Planning to document many more destinations in near future so stay connected on the feeds of my social media (Instagram, or Facebook). Until we meet again, toodles!
