How To Spend 8 Awesome Days of Summer in Greece - Part 2 (Island Travel Itinerary - Mykonos, Santorini)
This article continues from the first part of my Greece itinerary. Here I will cover the two beautiful islands of Mykonos and Santorini while in the first part (Days 1-3), I covered the mainland portion of the Greece, namely Athens and Meteora. If you haven't read that, be sure to check out How to Spend 8 Awesome Days of Summer in Greece - Part 1.
I absolutely loved the islands of Greece, especially Santorini. No visit to Greece will ever be complete without a visit to at least one of the many beautiful islands the country has.
I don't know if I can write well enough to express how truly beautiful they are. I will post as many pictures as I can for this post because words probably can't quite capture the beauty of these islands quite as eloquently.
One of the easiest way to travel between the islands is by ferry which is how we travelled to the two islands. Do also read Travelling the Greek Islands by Ferries if you are considering travelling that way. It details our experience aboard the Blue Star and the Golden Star ferries.
Day 4 - Athens to Mykonos (Blue Star Paros, Mykonos Town, Windmill)
We reached the New Port in Mykonos somewhere around 2.30 p.m. Do note that Mykonos has two ports, The New Port and the Old Port. The New Port is where most of the ferries dock but ferries do dock at the Old Port too, especially the smaller ones.
Our Airbnb was in an area called Agios Stefanos. On the Google map of Mykonos, it showed that it was quite close to the Mykonos New Port which was where our ferry had docked. Only a 15 - 18 minutes walk away.
So thinking that perhaps we might be able to walk to the Airbnb, we decided against getting the port transfer. The Airbnb owner had also said that it was possible to walk to the accommodation even with all our baggage.
Turns out it was too long of a walk through narrow roads that we will have to share with vehicles. No walking path so was a little hard to be lugging all the luggage around. Plus we were a little lost trying to locate the address. Next time, we will just book the transfer even if we have to pay for it.
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| You can see how close Agios Stefanos and New Port is (Map of Mykonos from OK Mykonos rental place) |
So thinking that perhaps we might be able to walk to the Airbnb, we decided against getting the port transfer. The Airbnb owner had also said that it was possible to walk to the accommodation even with all our baggage.
Turns out it was too long of a walk through narrow roads that we will have to share with vehicles. No walking path so was a little hard to be lugging all the luggage around. Plus we were a little lost trying to locate the address. Next time, we will just book the transfer even if we have to pay for it.
The Airbnb had a great view of the beach from our room - the Agios Stefanos beach was just a short walk away.
There are a few restaurants nearby and we ate lunch at one of them, the Limnios Tavern.
The view from here was stunning as well. Do take note that you might have to climb many stairs to get to it from the beach (pictured above).
The food was not too bad but pricey. But then again the prices at Mykonos tends to be on the higher side so I guess its reasonable price.
The best part was that it wasn't crowded at all! Seems like it might have gotten slightly more crowded and touristy recently but if you could get one of the window seats, the amazing view might make it worthwhile to try the place.
Getting around Mykonos
One of the first things we did before beginning any exploration was to rent ourselves a scooter! This we did from a rental place close to our Airbnb called 'OK Mykonos'.
Cost us 18.55 € per day for a 50 cc scooter. Pretty expensive for a very basic ride with noisy engine. Sometimes it felt like the engine might just die on us but it never did. It's a good thing Mykonos is a rather small island so we didn't exactly need a very powerful vehicle.
But definitely do your research. I am pretty sure there are much better prices around for more powerful bikes!
It was a pretty last minute decision on our part. Initially I thought we could take the bus around but then we had very little time to explore and given how much of the day we had lost because of the ferry delay, renting a bike just seemed like the best option.
There are public transports to get you around Mykonos like the bus and taxi. Taxis of course is the much costlier option that can set you back 13 - 15 € for a 4 - 6 km journey. But there are few taxis in Mykonos and the wait for one could be hours. At least it was in 2018. Not sure if times have changed.
Buses typically cost about 1 - 2 € but they are not as frequent as one would like, probably at hourly frequency. In the summer, the bus frequency is increased to every half an hour. Some of the bus services end early too so you will have to be mindful of catching the last bus back to your accommodation!
You could check out this website of KTEL, the bus network of Mykonos for more bus information and schedule.
Another option, especially to visit the popular beaches on the island is to use the water taxi. I have seen some of these but have no idea how much they cost. These of course have a cut-off time too.
Otherwise, if you can drive or ride, renting scooters / motorbikes or cars / ATVs are good options especially if you desire flexibility. With this option you could travel to even remote corners or the island and not have to worry about catching the last bus back or finding yourselves a taxi.
Mykonos Town
With our transport settled, we were off to Mykonos Town, Chora. Located at the western end of the island. The sights we visit today are all at the west of the island near to the two ports of Mykonos.
Here we have shops and restaurant in whitewashed structures with the occasional blue doors and balconies. Yup the cycladic architecture that is ubiquitous in the Greek islands. Just felt so peaceful to be walking along the narrow alleys and observing the activities.
Mind you, it can get pretty crowded here especially during the morning and early afternoon. But towards the late afternoon / evening, it becomes real quiet again.
Windmills
A short walk away we have the windmills, an iconic feature of Mykonos. There are about sixteen windmills in the whole island and seven of these are located near Chora.
Today these windmills are not utilised but they used to be an important driving force of the economy in earlier times primarily to mill wheat. It really helped that Mykonos has very strong winds.
These five windmills on the hill in Chora are referred to as Kato Myloi (lower windmills).
There are a few restaurants nearby and we ate lunch at one of them, the Limnios Tavern.
The view from here was stunning as well. Do take note that you might have to climb many stairs to get to it from the beach (pictured above).
The food was not too bad but pricey. But then again the prices at Mykonos tends to be on the higher side so I guess its reasonable price.
The best part was that it wasn't crowded at all! Seems like it might have gotten slightly more crowded and touristy recently but if you could get one of the window seats, the amazing view might make it worthwhile to try the place.
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| Beautiful View of the Beach from Limnios Tavern! |
Getting around Mykonos
One of the first things we did before beginning any exploration was to rent ourselves a scooter! This we did from a rental place close to our Airbnb called 'OK Mykonos'.
Cost us 18.55 € per day for a 50 cc scooter. Pretty expensive for a very basic ride with noisy engine. Sometimes it felt like the engine might just die on us but it never did. It's a good thing Mykonos is a rather small island so we didn't exactly need a very powerful vehicle.
But definitely do your research. I am pretty sure there are much better prices around for more powerful bikes!
It was a pretty last minute decision on our part. Initially I thought we could take the bus around but then we had very little time to explore and given how much of the day we had lost because of the ferry delay, renting a bike just seemed like the best option.
There are public transports to get you around Mykonos like the bus and taxi. Taxis of course is the much costlier option that can set you back 13 - 15 € for a 4 - 6 km journey. But there are few taxis in Mykonos and the wait for one could be hours. At least it was in 2018. Not sure if times have changed.
Buses typically cost about 1 - 2 € but they are not as frequent as one would like, probably at hourly frequency. In the summer, the bus frequency is increased to every half an hour. Some of the bus services end early too so you will have to be mindful of catching the last bus back to your accommodation!
You could check out this website of KTEL, the bus network of Mykonos for more bus information and schedule.
Another option, especially to visit the popular beaches on the island is to use the water taxi. I have seen some of these but have no idea how much they cost. These of course have a cut-off time too.
Otherwise, if you can drive or ride, renting scooters / motorbikes or cars / ATVs are good options especially if you desire flexibility. With this option you could travel to even remote corners or the island and not have to worry about catching the last bus back or finding yourselves a taxi.
Mykonos Town
With our transport settled, we were off to Mykonos Town, Chora. Located at the western end of the island. The sights we visit today are all at the west of the island near to the two ports of Mykonos.
Here we have shops and restaurant in whitewashed structures with the occasional blue doors and balconies. Yup the cycladic architecture that is ubiquitous in the Greek islands. Just felt so peaceful to be walking along the narrow alleys and observing the activities.
Mind you, it can get pretty crowded here especially during the morning and early afternoon. But towards the late afternoon / evening, it becomes real quiet again.
Windmills
A short walk away we have the windmills, an iconic feature of Mykonos. There are about sixteen windmills in the whole island and seven of these are located near Chora.
Today these windmills are not utilised but they used to be an important driving force of the economy in earlier times primarily to mill wheat. It really helped that Mykonos has very strong winds.
These five windmills on the hill in Chora are referred to as Kato Myloi (lower windmills).
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| Kato Myloi of Mykonos! |
Little Venice
Located just below the windmills and close to the water is an area dotted with bars and restaurants called Little Venice. Named so because of its resemblance to the Italian city, albeit mildly.
One distinct feature of Mykonos is that it is really close to the waters. The restaurants, the buildings are all just a few feet away waters unlike in Santorini as you will see later in the post.
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| You can see Little Venice along the water |
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| Some of the colourful buildings of Little Venice |
It gets particularly lively and crowded during the evening. And you guessed it. Spectacular sunset view!
We took some of our own sunset images! Near the windmills and Little Venice.
Whether you choose to dine within one of the restaurants or just walk along the water, Little Venice is a great place to be in the evenings.
Day 5 - Mykonos (Fokos Beach, Ano Mera, Paradise Beach)
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| Waiting outside our to start the day's adventures! |
On with my new bikini and off we went beach-ing around. Today was the reason I wanted to be on this Greek island in the first place!
To swim in their waters and laze around on their fine sands. I was actually all for just going to the Agios Stefanos beach and spending at least part of the day there. Which was why I didn’t really search for other beach options.
It is really close to the New Port, has water sports and is family friendly. But it was really crowded!
So I tried Googling for one that was less crowded which usually means more inaccessible. We had a scooter so it wasn’t a really an issue to get to the more remote beaches and boy was I glad we found Fokos beach.
Fokos Beach
Located at the Northeastern end of Mykonos, it is a little remote and far out but I highly recommend you to check this beach out if you have rented a vehicle.
Really one of the least crowded beaches in Mykonos so if you wish to have a quiet spot to lounge around in, this is it.
Absolutely stunning!! Beautiful sand, clear waters and so peaceful. Even had a really cute taverna, Fokos Taverna that served good food! A quiet little place with great ambiance and friendly staff.
But remember to get something to eat before heading to the beach in the morning. The restaurant only opens at 1 p.m. for lunch. I was starving by the time it opened.
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| Fokos Taverna |
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| Mr Chan. With our food! |
Once again, we got some lamb! It's not easy to find lamb in Singapore so Greece was like heaven for a lamb lover like myself.
Do note though that the beach itself is really bare. Just the sand and water. No umbrellas and stuff. So get absolutely everything you need before you hop over. Mats and stuff.
Ano Mera
After spending the early part of the day at Fokos beach, we decided to head over to Ano Mera, the second largest settlement in Mykonos (after Chora) located within the central portion of Mykonos. It is a rather quiet little village that seems like it's disconnected from the more touristy parts of Mykonos.
There are plenty of shops and restaurants that you will encounter as you amble your way around.
We tried some Greek dessert like baklava and kataifi from the Koutsothanasis Bakery. They have a huge selection you could choose from. A word of caution - Greek desserts are really sweet!
If you are interested in monasteries, you could visit the Panagia Tourliani Monastery or the lesser known Monastery of Paleokastro. Remember to dress appropriately and take note of the opening hours.
Paradise Beach
Not entirely satisfied with our beach exploration. After all, Mykonos has a huge number of stunning beaches. So why stop at one?
We decided to head out to Paradise Beach, perhaps the most famous beach of Mykonos!
I can understand why it is called the party beach, with its vibrant crowd of youngsters, loud music streaming from the many bars and restaurant dotting the beach. This is the place to be if you are looking for a beach party experience!
We ended up not staying too long and headed back to Agios Stefanos beach where we had dinner at Tavern Petran. The food was not too bad. I especially loved their prawns! Unfortunately, we forgot to take any pictures.
Day 6 - Mykonos to Santorini (Oia Town)
And then it was time to head over to the island of Santorini! This time we took the Golden Star Ferries which was smaller than the Blue Ferry. The journey took 4 hours. And yes, the ferry was late to arrive. We had to stand around waiting for it but surprisingly, it got us to Santorini according to schedule.
The full ferry account is in the travelling by ferries in Greece post.
Getting around Santorini
We were much better prepared for Santorini in terms of arranging our transport. Having experience biking around in Mykonos, albeit on a scooter, we couldn't get enough of it! It is a damn fun way to explore the island!
So while in Mykonos itself, we searched for a good rental company that provides great service and quality vehicles at reasonable prices and found Motor Club Santorini Rentals. Not very hard to find apparently. They come highly reviewed. You can rent cars, ATVs or bikes from them as well.
This time we got a 200 cc Peugeot scooter, a much more powerful ride that the Mykonos one. It cost us 27 € per day including 4 € for collision damage waiver.
What is great about Motor Club Santorini is that they can meet you at the ferry port itself with your rental vehicle. Or any location of your choice like your hotel, etc. Just make the arrangements online at least a few days in advance to guarantee a rental.
Returning the rental vehicle is also a very simple matter. Simply leave the vehicle at the location agreed upon and they will arrange the collection.
We had a slight miscommunication regarding our arrangement. The staff brought our rental to the ferry port but we obviously couldn't get onto it with all our luggage. They were understanding enough to arrange for a car to take us to our hotel for a fee then bring over the bike to the hotel where we signed the official rental agreement.
If driving or riding is not an option for you, there are buses and taxis that could take you around Santorini. The bus cost around 2 - 2.50 € per trip while a taxi ride could set you back 10 - 20 €.
Similar to Mykonos, there are also water taxis to take you around to the various beaches.
Fira Town
Our accommodation, Villa Rose, was at Fira Town, which is the main town of Santorini. I had booked this place months before and it is a lovely and cozy little place. The staff were very friendly and truly made the entire stay wonderful.
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| Our small but adequate room at Villa Rose |
Initially the plan was to take the bus and so Fira seemed like a better option to stay in. And if you plan to travel around Santorini by bus, it might be a good idea to get accommodations at Fira.
This is because even though the buses do go to the other parts of Santorini like Perissa beach and Oia Town, to get to anywhere on the island, you need to start the journey at Fira.
So you can't go from Fira to Perissa to Oia. You have to go from Fira to Perissa first. Then return to Fira to catch a bus to Oia. Not the smartest of systems but that's the way it was in 2018. And I don't think things have changed since the website shows the same information. Check out the KTEL website for the bus schedule.
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| Map of Santorini to help you see the various points of interest Credit: Notostravel (Note that I didn't use their services during my trip) |
Being the capital of Santorini, Fira is constantly bustling with activity. There are loads of cafe, bars and restaurants. Many shopping options are available.
Oia Town
An extremely cool thing you could consider doing is to do is to take a hike from Fira to Oia. Admittedly it is going to be a long walk ranging between three to five hours depending on the speed you are going at and how often you stop at the various villages you pass.
But think of all the amazing Caldera view you will be taking in!
And you will be passing by villages like Firostefani and Imerovigli where you could stop and wander among the shops, houses, restaurants, churches and more!
When you finally do reach Oia Town, go and watch the sunset! Then have a leiurely stroll about the town and settle in for a laid-back dinner.
Just make sure you catch the last bus back to wherever your accommodation is if you are taking the public transport. The last bus was at 11.20 p.m. while I was there. Do check the website to confirm.
In fact, the main reason we wanted to visit Oia Town was to take beautiful shots of the sunset and guess what? Of all the s***ty luck, we missed it!! We did manage to capture some nice pictures but no sunset.
To make sure you don't miss it like us, take note of the time the sun sets!! Very important. The sky may look very bright but in another moment it will be setting and then the next, it will be completely out of sight.
Feeling rather dejected about our failure, we were strolling through the town and you won't believe it but we saw Matthew McConaughey! Taking a leisurely stroll with his kids. This was my first ever celebrity sighting!
He wasn't really giving autographs or taking pictures even though several people requested for it. Anyway, we didn't really want one. It wasn't necessary. Just thought it was so cool that someone I had seen on the big screen was suddenly in front of me in the flesh.
For dinner, we went to one of the countless restaurants in Oia Town. A place called King Neptune. It was a cozy place with a very laid-back vibe.
I had lamb and it was so good!
Day 7 - Santorini (Black Beach, Red Beach, Oia Town)
Today was beach-ing day for us!! There are lots of beaches in Santorini but we really wanted to visit the Black and Red beaches. There are several black beaches you could check out but the two more popular ones are Kamari Beach and Perissa Beach. Perivolos Beach is another black beach that is just adjacent to Perissa.
I had read that both Kamari and Perissa beaches were rather similar. Just that Perissa is the larger of the two and so it might not get as crowded as Kamari Beach. We randomly chose one of the two. Also note that there are lots of accommodation options at these two locations.
Santorini also has a White Beach that you could check out! We didn't have enough time for that.
Kamari Beach
Our first stop was the black beach which is closer to Fira than the red beach. It's easy enough to get here from Fira Town taking the bus.
See that huge rock in the background? That's Mesa Vouno and on the other side of it is Perissa beach. It is interesting to note that Mesa Vouno is where Ancient Thera, the archaeological site of the ancient city is located.
If you are up for it physically, you could hike up Mesa Vouna to explore the ruins of Ancient Thira for a fee of 4 €. And at the top, you will find spectacular views of all of Santorini! Driving up is also possible.
I have to say though, that the beaches in Mykonos were definitely more comfortable, with the sand being more fine and the waters clearer and less greasy.
Remember to bring proper footwear. It is difficult enough to walk on the black pebbles and shingles which can get really hot during the day.
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| Pebbles of the Black Beach |
The two Mykonos beaches we went to, Fokos and Paradise beaches, the waters were also relatively free of motorised water-vehicles. The waters at Santorini's beaches just felt more 'dirty' due to the grease from the motorised boats / ship.
So even though we did swim in the waters and sat on the beach, it wasn't for long. The best part was the beautiful photo opportunities!
There are plenty of restaurants here. We randomly selected one, Mango Restaurant and Bar. They had outdoor seating like most of the restaurants which was perfect.
The food was so-so and this time I remembered to take pictures.
Red Beach
About a half hour ride away from Kamari Beach, we got to the Red Beach!
An issue with driving in Santorini is difficulty in finding parking space. Not because there are insufficient parking lots but because there are many cars that need to be parked. I noticed a few cars waiting around for an empty parking spot at a few of the popular attractions.
With a scooter / bike, this problem is usually eliminated since you can almost always find a small space to park the vehicle. That was just one of the reasons we decided to get a scooter.
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| See how full the parking lots are |
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| Looking down to the Red Beach |
Similar to the black beaches, the sand here is pebble-y. Again, the beach makes for really beautiful phototaking opportunities!
If you do plan to go down to the Red Beach, do note that the area is very to landslides. There are warning signs all over the site but you will find many who ignore the warning including ourselves.
Just feel it's the right thing to do to put in a warning here. Go at your own risk!
Also, I didn't really see any eateries at the Red Beach, so do make arrangements to pack your meal or eat before you head over.
Akrotiri
If you do heed the warning and decide to give the Red Beach a miss, you could head over to Akrotiri. This is an archaeological site of an ancient city that is located a short distance away from the Red Beach. Admission price is 12 €.
What is interesting is that the entire site was discovered to be covered in volcanic ash. This is due to the volcanic eruption of Thera sometime in the late 17th century B.C. that resulted in the entire city to be destroyed and buried under a thick layer of ash and debris.
We didn't explore this area and opted instead to head over to Oia Town. To catch the sunset that we missed yesterday!
Sunsets
Imerovigli
Oia Town is not the only place to catch spectacular sunsets. You could catch beautiful sunsets at Imerovigli too. Hike up to the top of Skaros Rock where you will find great sunset views. The hike shouldn't take more than half an hour each way.
If you do plan to go down to the Red Beach, do note that the area is very to landslides. There are warning signs all over the site but you will find many who ignore the warning including ourselves.
Just feel it's the right thing to do to put in a warning here. Go at your own risk!
Also, I didn't really see any eateries at the Red Beach, so do make arrangements to pack your meal or eat before you head over.
Akrotiri
If you do heed the warning and decide to give the Red Beach a miss, you could head over to Akrotiri. This is an archaeological site of an ancient city that is located a short distance away from the Red Beach. Admission price is 12 €.
What is interesting is that the entire site was discovered to be covered in volcanic ash. This is due to the volcanic eruption of Thera sometime in the late 17th century B.C. that resulted in the entire city to be destroyed and buried under a thick layer of ash and debris.
We didn't explore this area and opted instead to head over to Oia Town. To catch the sunset that we missed yesterday!
Sunsets
Imerovigli
Oia Town is not the only place to catch spectacular sunsets. You could catch beautiful sunsets at Imerovigli too. Hike up to the top of Skaros Rock where you will find great sunset views. The hike shouldn't take more than half an hour each way.
Oia
To make sure we didn't miss the sunset today, we hunted for the best spot we could find almost an hour before! There were so many people, I kid you not. It was almost impossible to find a spot to stand much less take good pictures.
But then we found a spot that had considerably less people! It might not be the best vantage point to take pictures from but at least we were not being jostled around.
One suggestion I would make when travelling the island at night on a bike or ATV, especially long distances between Fira and Oia, etc is to make sure you dress warmly. Or at least have a scarf or a jacket. It can get cold riding at night especially with the strong winds blowing against you.
To make sure we didn't miss the sunset today, we hunted for the best spot we could find almost an hour before! There were so many people, I kid you not. It was almost impossible to find a spot to stand much less take good pictures.
But then we found a spot that had considerably less people! It might not be the best vantage point to take pictures from but at least we were not being jostled around.
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| That's how you get to the sunset spot |
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| Looking for the sun |
One suggestion I would make when travelling the island at night on a bike or ATV, especially long distances between Fira and Oia, etc is to make sure you dress warmly. Or at least have a scarf or a jacket. It can get cold riding at night especially with the strong winds blowing against you.
Day 8 - Santorini (Oia Town and Fira Town) / Flight to Singapore
Our flight wasn't until at night so we essentially had some time to wander around Santorini today.
Oia Town
And yes, we went back to Oia Town. Yet again! There is just something so magical about that place. I honestly feel like Oia was the most idyllic part of Santorini. Walking around the town felt surreal to me. If I ever go back to Santorini, that is where I am going to stay!
Also we hadn't taken pictures of the iconic three blue domes. SO that was our mission at Oia today - to hunt for the iconic domes. At least for an hour or two.
Overall, it was a success but the pictures were not great. I mean there are people everywhere so you have to wait around for them to be done, which is a long time. Then there is almost always someone in the pictures with you, the inadvertent photobomber.
Oh well. Just knowing that I have been there is great. Unfortunately I just don't have great pictures to capture the actual beauty of it for you guys.
Once we were done with our phototaking session, we headed back to Fira for a walk around.
We had to return our bike by 5 p.m. at the hotel itself from where the rental company will do the pick-up. So we had to do our final visit to Fira on foot which was alright since it was only a short walk from the hotel.
Three bells of Fira
Of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church.
This iconic blue dome with the three bells is perhaps one of the most photographed structures in Santorini. Not surprising at all. After all its Cycladic architecture makes for such great photography.
A lovely view of Fira Town.
Then from Athens we flew back to Singapore via our return Qatar flight.
I had a wonderful time spending 8 days in Greece. I make it a point to visit each country only once since there are so many places I desire to go to. But Greece is one of those countries I really hope I get to return to. It is beautiful and its people are equally great, warm and welcoming!
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