When I was thinking of going island hopping in Greece, the hardest part was choosing the islands. The best thing to do in this case is to pick an island group so that you don’t spend too much time on transportation. Hiroshi and I chose the Cyclades. We both wanted to go to Santorini and we were told that Naxos was great, then we added a third island to our route which ended up being my favourite: Milos.
A second piece of advice: book your boat transfers beforehand, they get sold out very fast, especially during the high season (June to September).
As for accommodation, there are plenty of cute and affordable Airbnbs in Athens, and on the islands there is a lot to choose from. I found the most convenient option is to stay in a studio with a kitchenette, so that you can prepare your own breakfasts and some of your meals. Don’t miss out on eating out in Greece though, the food is delicious!
ATHENS
I was looking forward to visiting Athens for its rich history but was dreading finding myself in a big city. It turned out to be a very lovely city to stroll around in, there are some small streets outside of the Acropolis with plenty of restaurants, bars, shops etc. To end the day after exploring Acropolis and Agora, we watched the sunset from a rooftop bar while sipping some chilled local wine.
MILOS
Milos was with no doubt my favourite island. There is just so much to do and to see! We were based at Paleochori (Paleochori Studios), right by the beach and we rented a scooter to explore the island.
Paleochori Beach
Sarakiniko, the moonscape beach
The spot I was looking forward to the most was Sarakiniko, and it was definitely up to my expectations. It was very windy while we were there so we did not do any cliff jumping, but it is an extraordinary place. The volcanic rock formation makes you feel like you are walking on the moon.
Plakka
Plakka is the cutest village ever, we wandered around and got lost in those beautiful little white and blue streets decorated with bright pink flowers. At the end of the day we found a perfect spot off the cliff to enjoy the sunset.
Fishermen villages
There are a lot of small villages to discover along the coast. I have a soft spot for Klima and Mytakas; they look just like drawings from a storybook.
NAXOS
Naxos is a big island with a friendly family atmosphere. We stayed in a studio out of town, right by the beach (Vrahia Studios). It was less of an adventure than Milos and Athens for us; we slowed down and relaxed by the sea.
Naxos town offers a lot of delicious food and the streets are nice to wander around. We admired the sunset up at the gate, with hundreds of other people.
SANTORINI
Ah Santorini, the romantic one! Honestly it is even more beautiful than those pictures you see on Instagram. The problem is you have to share it with plenty of instagramers! We were so lucky and surprised to discover our room was right in front of the blue dome of Oia (VIP Suites). When I say right in front, I am not exaggerating; there was nobody else between the dome and us.
Everything was more expensive than anywhere else in Greece, but I do not regret a single thing, it is an incredibly charming place, no matter how many people you are sharing it with.
Photo collaboration: Hiroshi (Instagram)