Indeed, of the esteemed Blue Flag-awarded beaches in the world, Greece came second only to Spain in 2019.Ī Blue Flag is awarded to a beach for cleanliness and facilities such as first aid equipment and restrooms, among others. Ferry from Santorini to the port of Heraklion, just over 2 hours.Many of us are attracted to Greece because of the long summer days and high-quality selection of beaches. My driver gave me olive oil from his father’s olive tree orchards- such a warm gesture of kindness. I also would have felt comfortable to drive, although I did not because of my time constraints. Honestly, Crete could have been a vacation by itself. I split my stay between Elounda and Chania, two nights each, driving time 3 hours. I traveled to Santorini by ferry (just over an hour from Paros).Ĭrete, the largest and most populous of the Greek Islands. The Akrotiri Ruins are one of the most important sites in the Aegean. Yes, it is! As a single traveler I did not feel left out of the island’s beauty or the beauty of the sunset. Santorini, everyone’s romantic dream island. The town of Lefkes was the former capital of Paros during the middle- ages and a must see. Simplistic and yet comfortable to stay, explore and enjoy. Paros, just over an hour by ferry from Mykonos. Plenty of “taxi” transportation available. It is very crowded on the island, and more enjoyable to have someone drive you around. I know that you might be inclined to rent a scooter or a car- that was too scary for me. Getting lost without a map, - part of the discovery. Mykonos town is idyllic, blue/white buildings and pink bougainvillea. Mykonos, a 20- minute flight from Athens. The sea access is magnificent, along with the fact that the property is open all year long. Combine it with a stay at the Four Seasons Astir Palace, only 45 minutes away from city center. My itinerary was quite busy as the intention was to see as much as possible in my 16days.Īthens, more than the Acropolis and the Parthenon- the food scene is thriving: a shopper’s paradise/especially for shoes: art: history: and a friendly/walkable city. A special shout out and thank you to American Airlines, Eclectic Greece and Peter Vlitas/Internova Travel Group for helping to make my trip exceptional. English is widely spoken, the currency is Euro, steeped in history, delicious food and wine, blue water/white buildings- all of this and more. I was able to test at Domes Zeen on Crete, at a cost of 25 Euro, results back to me within 2 hours. Re-entry back to the States was equally streamlined- all travelers must have a negative PCR (Rapid Antigen ok) test result before boarding the plane. The QR code and your CDC vaccination card are the golden tickets to enter the country. Once submitted, the system generates a QR code within 12 hours of your landing. The process was streamlined, accessing the PLF (passenger locator form) from the website. Greece is currently open for tourism both for vaccinated travelers and for those willing to take the proper testing prior to arrival. This was a dream trip, starting off by flying on the American Airlines inaugural nonstop flight on June 3, from JFK to Athens. Greece has always been on my top ten bucket list destinations, and yet it took me 41 years to finally visit the beautiful country.
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