How to Spend a Day
on the Greek Isles of Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon
Greece
is everything you dream it would be- from the whitewashed buildings with blue
roofs in Santorini to the pristine beaches of Corfu, Mykonos and Katakolon
there is culture, history and beauty around every corner of each island. For
the whimsical, like my mom, you will feel like you’ve stepped onto the real
life set of Mama Mia; for those of you who, like myself, travel to gain
knowledge and perspective about the world and to experience other cultures,
there are endless opportunities to indulge your curious nature, and your
appetite! The food is fresh and always served with a humble smile. Your meal
was probably picked from the garden or caught from the sea that very morning.,
and the options are SO healthy- spanakopita is a simple but satisfying delight
enjoyed daily by locals, along with
greek salad. Much like the Venetians, they take great pride in their fresh
seafood dishes; I recommend ordering one or two mouthwatering options (perhaps
shrimp saganaki and the spaghetti vongole) for the table to share along with a
salad and spinach pie. Don’t order an extra feta cheese- your salad will come
with enough! Complete your meal with a glass of ouzo, and if you’re fortunate
enough to find a good bakery nearby, order the baklavaJ
The
food and scenery are worth the trip alone, but for me, the true charm of Greece
is its people. Everywhere we went, we were greeted by friendly drivers, servers
and store owners, and at no point did we ever feel anyone was taking advantage
of our doe-eyed tourist selves. The
Greeks take pride in their culture, their land, and the way they treat people.
Each of our drivers for the taxis and car rentals were knowledgeable of their
island and went out of their way to make sure we had the most optimal
experience possible. They took photos for us and were kind enough to stop at
every picturesque spot we passed, even if it meant our reservation was running
overtime. We thanked them with a generous tip of course, but that wasn’t even
expected. While much of the country is
poverty stricken, and many are out of work, there were far fewer gypsies and
peddlers than we’ve encountered in other parts of Europe in the last couple of
years. And on this itinerary, there was no presence of anyone we as Americans
may fear as dangerous. We were warned that Euros may be difficult to come by
because of their current economic crisis, but ATMS were readily available, and
most merchants accepted cash or credit cards, especially in the more populated
areas like Santorini. The drivers did require payment in cash; however, we were
met promptly on each island and received the service we reserved via email,
without having to make a deposit.
The
most special part of this trip for me was seeing another part of the world with
my Grandma. When we first booked the trip and told her she was becoming quite the
jetsetter, she texted back ‘That’s wonderful dear- I love being in the jetset!’.
I mean, could she be any more adorable?! And she kept us on track- just as we’d
become tired tourists and stop paying attention to the history in front of us,
Grandma would marvel at the architecture, noticing some artistic detail lost on
us until that moment. As she sat in the boat soaking in all the beauty from
under floppy hat, or shared a plate of pasta and split a carafe of vino with me,
I felt a quiet gratitude to be sharing this moment with her whilst creating
incredible memories that will last a lifetime. As we wandered the streets of
Venice (next blog!) earlier in the trip she contemplated where we would go
next. We have a long bucket list of countries to see together!
Grandma and me at a scenic overlook in Oia
Okay,
here is my recommended itinerary for each port day on the Norwegian Jade:
Day
1- Corfu:
Corfu
was the most pleasant surprise of the trip. We hired Dimitris Dafnas and his
partner Kostas at www.corfutaxiprivatetours.gr.
In all my research online, I didn’t find much that excited me; I quickly
discovered that is simply because the beauty of this place cannot be put into
words or even effectively captured by a photograph. My friends and I found pictures
of some nice beaches on trip advisor, but our drivers recommended alternatives
when we asked to go with the “locals” would be. We stopped at a church
well-known for weddings that was set against a beautiful background of water.
It was lovely, but I would skip this stop on my next visit. We then took
pictures at two overlooks as we wound around the hills to the other side of the
mountain on the way to Paradise Beach
Corfu view from the
mountaintop
The
drivers took us to a boating dock where they negotiated a private boat for 40
Euros pp. It was a fun and fairly calm ride to see caves on the way to the
beach that truly was paradise
Corfu cave on the way
to Paradise Beach
The water was very chilly (to us Floridians
anyway!) but people were swimming. My friend Greg and I ended up jumping in and
found it to be very refreshing; there’s something very revitalizing about
swimming in the Ionian Sea! Everyone who chose to stay on the boat enjoyed
watching the sun dance on the pristine waters. We headed back to shore where
our drivers were waiting (And have no fear of abandonment- they won’t leave
their clients who have spend half a day with them but not yet paid them a
dime!)
Next,
we stopped at a quaint corner store on top of the mountain that sold homemade
wares, spices and products made from the elusive kumquat fruit, which grows
rarely in hidden corners of the world. The shop owners were delightful hosts,
serving up samples of their housemade olive oil with bread along with liqueurs
and wine. Everything was certifiably made in Corfu, and I recommend you shop
for all your spices here, as additional purchases made in Katakolon yielded
hitchhiking bugs… hundreds of them, found in my sister’s souvenir oregano! On
the way back to town, we asked to stop at an authentic local restaurant. Much
to our surprise, the place recommended was called Three Pigs Steak House, but
it really was fantastic! They served all the Greek classics, and we stood out
like a sore thumb amongst the locals, which was exactly what we wanted J
Corfu
was beautiful and welcoming and we can’t wait to go back, hopefully on a
sailboat complete with a captain and chef, for a longer stay next time!
Sailing
into Santorini was pretty amazing; we sat on our balcony (Yes, you HAVE to
splurge for a balcony room on this cruise!
)
and marveled at how they must have gotten all those cars onto this island and
up the mountain, as well as how difficult it would be to leave and take your
car with you!
You
don’t want to miss a moment on this beautiful island- get in line to catch one
of the first tenders off the boat (small boat that takes you from cruise ship
to shore and back to the ship) and avoid some of the hot and sweaty crowds
trying to determine where to go next once they arrive on shore.
Several
experienced travelers told me Oia is one of the most beautiful places in the
world, and they were right. So, when you arrive, don’t take the funicular with
the masses of people heading up the mountain; instead, veer to the left and buy
a ticket for the “speed boat” (30 Euros per person) to Oia. The boat will drop
you off at the base of the mountain where you will walk up a short but steep
path to the motorcoach to transfer to Oia at the top of the mountain. Caution:
if you’re traveling with anyone elderly or with knee problems, this hike can be
a challenge- it would be best to arrange transportation in advance of your trip
to meet you at the boat dock. My 75-year old Gramma made it, but it was a bit
of a challenge. From the bus stop, it’s about a 5-minute walk to the narrow and
steep cobblestone streets of Oia. There are leather, clothing and pottery shops
galore. Many of the restaurants are extremely over-priced, but it’s worth an $8
“shaved ice” for a chance to rest your feet and cool off for a minute. Don’t
expect wifi to be readily available- the Greeks believe in actually spending
time with the people you came with or, heaven forbid, yourself!
We
had a reservation at Kastro, which came highly recommended by trip advisor as
one of the top-rated restaurants with a sunset view (by the way, if you’re
cruising in the summer, you’re not going to see the sunsetL). Unfortunately it
was too much walking on an incline for some of our party; however those of us
who were able went to check it out, and if you’re not too tired, it’s
definitely worth the walk, just for the view. We ended up settling on an
excellent family-run (as they all seem to be!) restaurant with a gorgeous view
of the water called Lotza. The food and service were spectacular.
After purchasing some sandals and a couple
Greek designer clothing items, we caught the last hourly bus departing back to
Santorini. It was a downhill stroll all the way from the bus to the funicular.
The icing on the cake for this perfect day was a frozen greek yogurt to enjoy
on the somewhat terrifying steep incline of the cable car ride down the
mountain to catch the last tender back to the ship to watch the sky turn burnt
orange as the sun dips behind the mountain.
Mykonos,
known for its nightlife and retired windmills was another pleasant surprise.
Here, we “rented a car” from www.mykonosrentacar-online.com. After much
research and emailing back and forth with the car rental company, we discovered
this was basically the same as a hired driver on the other islands. We rented a
Mercedes minivan for seven people, which included fuel, tax and our driver
George for 180 Euros for four hours, which was plenty of time to explore the
island. First, we stopped at the windmills, and then on to an old lighthouse
with a beautiful view of the water. We then drove down the mountain to see some
stunning rocky beaches.
Beaches of Mykonos
Next, our driver took us to Super Paradise
Beach. The food was mediocre and the beach chairs and umbrellas over-priced for
a quick stop, at 20 euros for two chairs for the day, no matter the length of
your stay. However, it really was paradise, so it was well worth the drive and fees.
After an hour and a half at the beach, we embarked back to the ship, stopping
for one more “perfect picture”
Mykonos Scenic
Overlook
And,
we still hadn’t found any Baklava, but George took us to Kvkhayivo Pattesserie
full of delectable goods and it did not disappoint.
A
couple general pieces of advice/information about Mykonos 1) It’s extremely
windy, everywhere, but not quite as strong at the Super Paradise Beach 2) there
are lots of feral but friendly cats roaming the island 3) Eat a hearty
breakfast on the ship to avoid falling victim to one of the poorly reviewed
tourist traps you’ll pass on your way into town from the cruise dock. But
definitely don’t pass up the baklava from Κνκζαμινο
Patisserie!
Last,
but certainly not least (could anything be least in the Greek Isles?!) is
Katakolon. There was a garbage strike, and we did pass some gypsy children
panhandling in the street, as well as the unfortunate bug-in-spice incident I
surprised my poor sister with in her souvenir (!!!), but once we got away from
the cruise dock, we found the beaches and restaurants here were just as lovely
as the other islands.
We
hired Private Tours by George and Takis, as recommended by Rick Steves to drive
us to Olympia- the original site of the Olympics. It was worth the 180 euro per
car for 4 hours to beat the bus traffic from cruise ship excursions. It was
fascinating to walk the grounds covering so much ancient history and reminisce
what it must have looked like thousands of years ago. Skip the guided tour and
take the book your driver offers you and/or download the Rick Steves guide so
you know what you’re looking at as you wander the site. We enjoyed the air-conditioned
museum full of artifacts near the exit, where our drivers promptly collected us
right as the droves of people began filing in. Next, they took us to this
beachfront restaurant,
Απολανοτε τα with
a view that could have easily been from somewhere in the carribbean if you
forgot where you were for a minute! Once again, the food was incredible- order
the saganaki, the breaded chicken appetizer, greek salad and a pasta, and enjoy
a greek beer while enjoying another one of the most breathtakingly beautiful
beaches I’ve ever seen.
Beach in Katakolon, 20 minutes from
the port
My
trip to Greece taught me that there is still kindness in the world, and that it
thrives in places where people put people first. The Greeks honour family, and
take pride in their heritage and culture. They believe in passing on tradition,
in creating quality products and services, and in relishing in the finer things
in life- such as enjoying a meal made with only the freshest ingredients to
support a healthy lifestyle. I hope to return again someday; in the meantime
efcharisto (thank you!) to the Greeks who welcomed us so warmly, shared their
home and history with grace and kindness, and gave us this gentle reminder with
smiling eyes and all their hospitality to take care of ourselves and each other
always<3
