The Best of the Greek Islands

From Santorini’s dramatic caldera to the reconstructed palace of Knossos on Crete,the Greek Islands are spectacular. There aren’t many places in the world where theforces of nature have come together with the ancient sites and architectural treasuresto create such dramatic results.

It can be bewildering to plan your trip with so many options vying for your atten-tion. Take us along and we’ll do the work for you. We’ve traveled the country exten-sively and chosen the very best that Greece has to offer. We’ve explored thearchaeological sites, visited the museums, inspected the hotels, reviewed the tavernasand ouzeries, and scoped out the beaches. Here’s what we consider the best of the best.

1 The Best of Ancient Greece

1

• The Acropolis (Athens): No matterhow many photographs you’ve seen,nothing can prepare you for watchingthe light change the marble of thebuildings, still standing after thou-sands of years, from honey to roseto deep red to stark white. If thecrowds get you down, remember howcrowded the Acropolis was during reli-gious festivals in antiquity. See p. 154.

• Palace of Knossos (Crete): A seem-ingly unending maze of rooms andlevels and stairways and corridors andfrescoed walls—this is the MinoanPalace of Knossos. It can be packed atpeak hours, but it still exerts its powerif you enter in the spirit of thelabyrinth. King Minos ruled over therichest and most powerful of Minoancities and, according to legend, hisdaughter Ariadne helped Theseus killthe Minotaur in the labyrinth andescape. See p. 197.

• Akrotiri (Cyclades): Santoriniis undoubtedly one of the most

spectacular islands in the world. Thesite of Akrotiri offers a uniqueglimpse into the life of a Minoan city,frozen in time by a volcanic eruption3,600 years ago. Be sure to find out ifthis site, which closed to the public in2004, has reopened.

• Delos (Cyclades): This tiny isle,just 3.2km (2 miles) offshore ofMykonos, was considered by theancient Greeks to be both the geo-graphical and spiritual center of theCyclades; many considered thisthe holiest sanctuary in all of Greece.The extensive remains here testifyto the island’s former splendor. FromMount Kinthos (really just a hill, butthe island’s highest point), you cansee many of the Cyclades most days;on a very clear day, you can see theentire archipelago. The 3 hours allot-ted by excursion boats from Mykonosor Tinos are hardly sufficient toexplore this vast archaeological treas-ure. See chapter 8.

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COPYRIG

HTED M

ATERIAL

C H A P T E R 1 . T H E B E S T O F T H E G R E E K I S L A N D S6

Sea o f Cre t e CRETE

IerapetraAyia Galini

Rethymnon Ayios NikolaosIraklion

Chania

Piraeus

Skiathos

Skopelos

Corfu

Paxos

Lefkada

IthakaKefalonia

ZakinthosAthensCorinth

NafplionEpidaurus

Mycenae

Argos

Megalopolis

Andritsena

SpartaMistra

Monemvassia

Kythira

Githio

Areopolis

KalamataPilos

Olympia

Kyllini

Patras

Delphi

Volos

Thessaloniki

Megara

Thebes

LivadiaMessolongi

Agrinio

Astakos

Vonitsa

Praveza

Arta

KarpenissiLamia

Larissa

Karditsa

Trikkala

Ioannina

KalpakiElassona

Kastoria

EdessaGiannitsa

KilkisSerres

Loutra Edipsou

IONIAN ISLANDS

SARONIC GULF

ISLANDS

MACEDONIA

EPIRUS THESSALY

CENTRALGREECE

PELOPONNESE

FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICOF MACEDONIA

ALBANIA

Mt. Parnassus

Tripoli

Metsovo Meteora(Kalambaka)

ZAGORI

Igoumenitsou

Pirgos

Pella

Vergina

Dion

KozaniStratoni

PelionPeninsula

AdriaticSea

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IonianSea

Mediterranean Sea

Mt. Olympus

Lake Pamvotis

Lake Pamvotis

Tirana�

MediterraneanSea

AegeanSea

AegeanSeaAthensAthens

CRETECRETE

0 25 mi

0 25 km

GREECE

Greece

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T H E B E S T O F A N C I E N T G R E E C E 7

To Crete(approx. 60 milesfrom mainland)

Donoussa

Kea

Anafi

Amorgos

Simi

Patmos

Kalimnos

Karpathos

Mykonos

Delos

Siros

ParosNaxos

Ios

Santorini

Tinos

Andros

Serifos

Sifnos

Milos

Alonissos

Skyros

Antiparos

Samos

Hios

Lesvos(Mitilini)

Limnos

Samothraki

Thasos

Rhodes

Xanthi

Alexandroupolis

Kimi

Karystos

Izmir

NORTHEASTERNAEGEAN ISLANDS

CYCLADES

DODECANESE

THRACETURKEY

TURKEY

BULGARIA

Mt. Athos

Folegandros

EVVIA

Kos

Sounion

Drama

KomotiniKavala

SPORADES

Aegean SeaLake

Pamvotis

Sea of Marmara

Ikaria

Mountain

AegeanSeaAthens

CRETE

�

GREECEGREECE

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• Church of Panayia Kera (Kritsa,Crete): If Byzantine art seems a bitstilted and remote, this strikingchapel in the foothills of easternCrete will reward you with its unex-pected intimacy. The 14th- and 15th-century frescoes are not onlystunning but depict all the familiarBiblical stories. See p. 227.

• Nea Moni (Hios, NortheasternAegean): Once home to 1,000 monks,this 12th-century monastery high inthe interior mountains of Hios is nowquietly inhabited by one elderly butsprightly nun and two friendly monks.Try to catch one of the excellent tourssometimes offered by the monks. The

mosaics in the cathedral dome areworks of extraordinary power andbeauty; even in the half-obscurity ofthe nave, they radiate a brilliant gold.Check out the small museum, andtake some time to explore the exten-sive monastery grounds. See p. 372.

• A Profusion of Byzantine Churchesin the Cyclades: The fertile country-side of the island of Naxos is dottedby well-preserved Byzantine chapels.Parikia, the capital of Paros, has theByzantine-era cathedral of PanayiaEkatondapiliani. Santorini boasts the11th- to 12th-century church of thePanagia in the hamlet of GoniasEpiskopi. See chapter 8.

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2 The Best of Byzantine Greece

3 The Best Beaches• Plaka (Naxos, Cyclades): Naxos has

the longest stretches of sea sand in theCyclades, and Plaka is the most beau-tiful and pristine beach on the island.On its 5km (3-mile) stretch of mostlyundeveloped shoreline, you can easilyimagine yourself as Robinson Crusoealone on his island (bending the plotto include a few sunbathing Fridays).If you need abundant amenities anda more active social scene, you canalways head north to Ayia Anna orAyios Prokopios. See p. 278.

• Paradise (Mykonos, Cyclades): Par-adise is the quintessential party beach,known for wild revelry that continuesthrough the night. An extensive com-plex built on the beach includes a bar,taverna, changing rooms, and sou-venir shops. This is a place to see andbe seen, a place to show off muscleslaboriously acquired during the longwinter months. See p. 285.

• Lalaria Beach (Skiathos, Sporades):This gleaming, white-pebble beach

boasts vivid aquamarine water andwhite limestone cliffs with naturalarches cut into them by the elements.Lalaria is not nearly as popular nor asaccessible as Skiathos’s famous Kouk-ounaries, which is one of the reasonsit’s still gorgeous and pristine. See p. 396.

• Megalo Seitani (Samos, NortheasternAegean): Megalo Seitani and its neigh-bor, Micro Seitani, are situated on themountainous and remote northwestcoast of Samos. There aren’t any roadsto this part of the island, so the onlyways to reach the beaches are by a shortboat ride or a rather long (and beauti-ful) hike. You won’t regret taking thetrouble, since both beaches are superb:Micro Seitani’s crescent of pebbles in arocky cove, and Megalo Seitani’sexpanse of pristine sand. See p. 366.

• Vroulidia (Hios, NortheasternAegean): White sand, a cliff-rimmedcove, and a remote location at thesouthern tip of the island of Hios

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combine to make this one of themost exquisite small beaches in thenortheastern Aegean. The rocky coast

conceals many cove beaches similarto this one, and they rarely becomecrowded. See p. 376.

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4 The Best Scenic Villages & Towns• Chania (Crete): Radiating from its

handsome harbor and backdroppedby the White Mountains, Chania hasmanaged to hold on to much of itsVenetian-Renaissance and later Turk-ish heritage. Wander the old town’snarrow lanes, filled with a heady mixof colorful local culture, and enjoy itscharming hotels, excellent restau-rants, interesting shops, and swingingnightspots. See p. 205.

• Hora (Folegandros, Cyclades): In thistown huddled at the edge of a cliff,one square spills into the next, itsgreen and blue paving slates outlinedin brilliant white. On a steep hilloverlooking the town is the ornatechurch of Kimisis Theotokou, oftenilluminated at night. The church’sicon of the Virgin is paraded throughthe streets of Hora with great cere-mony and revelry every Easter Sun-day. Mercifully free of vehiculartraffic, Hora is one of the most beau-tiful and least spoiled villages in theCyclades. See p. 250.

• Yialos (Simi, Dodecanese): Theentirety of Yialos, the main port ofthe tiny, rugged island of Simi, hasbeen declared a protected architec-tural treasure, and for good reason.This pristine port with its extraordi-nary array of neoclassical mansionsis a large part of why Simi is knownas “the jewel of the Dodecanese.” Seep. 336.

• Ermoupolis (Siros, Cyclades): In the19th century, this was the busiestport in the Cyclades. Today, it is stilla hub for island travel and retains an

astonishing number of handsomeneoclassical governmental buildings,ship sheds and factories, and eleganttown houses. Walk uphill from theharbor to Ano Siros (upper Siros) andyou’ll find an old kastro (fortress) anda miniature whitewashed Cycladicvillage. See p. 306.

• Skopelos Town (Skopelos, Spo-rades): The amazingly well-preservedSkopelos, a traditional whitewashedisland port town, is adorned every-where with pots of flowering plants.It offers some fairly sophisticateddiversions, several excellent restau-rants, a couple good hotels, and lotsof shopping. See p. 404.

• Corfu Town (Corfu, Ionian Islands):With its Esplanade framed by a 19th-century palace and the arcadedListon, its old town a Venice-like war-ren of structures practically untouchedfor several centuries, its massive Venet-ian fortresses, and all this enclosing alively population and constant visitors,here is urban Greece at its mostappealing. See p. 418.

• Piryi & Mesta (Hios, NortheasternAegean): These two small towns, inthe pastoral southern hills of Hios, aremarvelous creations of the medievalimagination. Connected by theirphysical proximity and a shared his-tory, each is quirkily unique and adelight to explore. In Piryi, everyavailable surface is covered with elab-orate geometric black-and-white dec-orations known as Ksisti, a techniquethat reaches extraordinary levels ofvirtuosity in the town square. Mesta

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has preserved its medieval urban fab-ric and conceals two fine churches

within its maze of narrow streets. Seep. 375.

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5 The Best Museums• National Archaeological Museum

(Athens): This stunning collection,which reopened after a major renova-tion in 2004, has it all: superb red-and black-figured vases, bronze stat-ues, Mycenaean gold, marble reliefsof gods and goddesses, and thehauntingly beautiful frescoes fromAkrotiri, the Minoan site on theisland of Santorini. See p. 162.

• Museum of Greek Popular MusicalInstruments (Athens): Life-size pho-tos of musicians beside their actualinstruments and recordings of tradi-tional Greek music make this one ofthe country’s most charming muse-ums. On our last visit, an elderlyGreek gentleman listened to somemusic, transcribed it, stepped intothe courtyard, and played it on hisown violin! See p. 168.

• Archaeological Museum of Iraklion(Crete): Few museums in the worldcan boast of holding virtually all theimportant remains of a major culture.This museum can do just that with itsMinoan collection, including superbfrescoes from Knossos, elegant bronzeand stone figurines, and exquisitegold jewelry. The museum also con-tains Neolithic, Archaic Greek, andRoman finds from throughout Crete.See p. 196.

• Archaeological Museum of Chania(Crete): Let’s hear it for a truly engag-ing provincial museum, not one fullof masterworks but rather of repre-sentative works from thousands ofyears, a collection that lets us see howmany people experienced their differ-ent worlds. All this, in a former Ital-ian-Renaissance church that feels likea special place. See p. 206.

6 The Best Resorts & Hotels

• Andromeda Hotel (Athens; & 210/643-7302): The city’s first serious“boutique” hotel, located on a won-derfully quiet side street, the classyAndromeda offers charm, comfort,and a reassuringly helpful staff. See p. 144.

• Grande Bretagne (Athens; & 210/333-0000): Back for a return engage-ment and better than ever, Athens’spremiere hotel still overlooks the bestview in town if you have the rightroom: Syntagma Square, the Housesof Parliament and, in case you won-dered, the Acropolis. See p. 142.

• Atlantis Hotel (Iraklion, Crete;& 2810/229-103): There are manymore luxurious hotels in Greece, butfew can beat the Atlantis’s urbanattractions: a central location, mod-ern facilities, and views over a busyharbor. You can swim in the pool,work out in the fitness center, sende-mail via your laptop, and thenwithin minutes enjoy a fine meal orvisit a museum. See p. 199.

• Doma (Chania, Crete; & 28210/51-772): A former neoclassical mansioneast of downtown, the Doma hasbeen converted into a comfortable

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and charming hotel, furnished withthe proprietor’s family heirlooms.Although it’s not for those seeking themost luxurious amenities, its atmos-phere appeals to many. See p. 210.

• Astra Apartments (Santorini,Cyclades; & 22860/23-641): Thissmall hotel with handsomelyappointed apartments looks like aminiature whitewashed village—andhas spectacular views over Santorini’sfamous caldera. The sunsets here arenot to be believed, the staff is incred-ibly helpful, and the village ofImerovigli itself offers an escape fromthe touristic madness that over-whelms the island each summer. Ifyou decide to get married here, youhave but to speak to the manager,George Karayiannis (before youarrive, unless you want to tie the knoton a return visit). See p. 243.

• Anemomilos Apartments (Folegan-dros, Cyclades; & 22860/41-309)and Castro Hotel (Folegandros,Cyclades; & 22860/41-230): Thesmall island of Folegandros has twoof the nicest hotels in the Cyclades,both with terrific cliff-top locations.The Anemomilos has all the creaturecomforts, traditional decor, and agood location (it’s just out of town),with a delicious pool and sea viewsthat stretch forever. The Castro, builtinto the walls of the 12th-century

Venetian castle that encircles the vil-lage, has lots of character and the nec-essary modern comforts. See p. 252.

• Rodos Palace (Rhodes, Dodecanese;& 22410/25-222): The largest five-star hotel in Greece and possibly inthe entire Mediterranean, this“palace” was decorated by the fameddesigner of the movies Ben Hur andQuo Vadis. Located in Iksia, just out-side Rhodes city, it offers all theamenities imaginable, including afamily center—a resort within aresort designed to provide the ulti-mate holiday for travelers with chil-dren. See p. 325.

• Hotel Nireus (Simi, Dodecanese;& 22410/72-400): Perfect island,perfect location, unpretentious, andtasteful. The views from the sea-facing rooms, framed by the fluidswirls of the wrought-iron balcony,define the spell of this little gem of anisland. You’ll never regret one morenight on Simi, and here’s the place tospend it. See p. 339.

• White Rocks Hotel & Bungalows(Kefalonia, Ionian Islands; & 26710/28-332): For those who appreciateunderstated elegance, a shady retreatfrom all that sunshine, a privatebeach, and quiet but attentive service,this hotel, located a couple of milesoutside Argostoli, can be paradise.See p. 433.

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7 The Best Restaurants

• Daphne’s (Athens; & 210/322-7971): As well as Pompeiian-stylewall frescoes and one of the nicest gar-dens in Athens, Daphne’s offers con-sistently delicious food. It makes youwonder why other Greek restaurantscan’t make supposedly simple disheslike eggplant salad or yogurt with

quince taste this distinctive. Added toall this are strolling musicians—andthe owners and staff are so delightfulthat you hate to leave, even when youcan’t eat another prawn with toastedalmonds. See p. 147.

• Vlassis (Athens; & 210/646-3060):This small restaurant with a very loyal

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following (ranging from prominentambassadors to struggling artists)serves traditional (paradisiako) Greekcooking at its very best. A temptingchoice if you have only one night inAthens—but be sure to make a reser-vation. See p. 154.

• Varoulko (Athens; & 210/522-8400; www.varoulko.gr): In its newAthens location, with a menu thatadds tasty meat dishes to its signatureseafood, Varoulko continues towin plaudits. Everything here is sogood that many Athenians believechef/owner Lefteris Lazarou servesnot only the finest seafood in Athens,but some of the best food in all ofGreece. See p. 153.

• Nykterida (Chania, Crete; & 28210/64-215): We’re not saying that thelocation may influence your taste budshere, but the spectacular views fromthis restaurant high above Chania andSoudha Bay can definitely make youfeel as if you’re eating a meal like fewothers in Greece. See p. 211.

• Selene (Santorini, Cyclades; & 22860/22-249): The best restaurant on anisland with lots of good places to eat,

Selene is one of the finest restaurants inall Greece. The reason: Owners Georgeand Evelyn Hatzyiannakis constantlyexperiment with local produce to turnout their own innovative versions oftraditional dishes. Inside, the diningroom is elegant, while the terrace hasa wonderful view over the caldera. Seep. 247.

• Petrino (Kos, Dodecanese; & 22420/27-251): When royalty come to Kos,this is where they dine. Housed in anexquisitely restored, two-story, cen-tury-old stone (petrino) private resi-dence, this is hands-down the mostelegant taverna in Kos, with cuisine tomatch. This is what Greek homecooking would be if your mother werepart divine. See p. 347.

• Venetian Well (Corfu, Ionian Islands;& 26610/44-761): A bit severe in its setting at the edge of a smallenclosed square in Corfu town, withno attempt at the picturesque, thisrestaurant gets by on its more esoteric,international, and delicate menu. It’sfor those seeking a break from thestandard Greek scene. See p. 426.

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8 The Best Nightlife• Theater Under the Stars (Athens): If

you can, take in a performance ofwhatever is on at Herodes AtticusTheater in Athens. You’ll be sittingwhere people have sat for thousands ofyears to enjoy a play beneath Greece’smagical night sky. See chapter 5.

• Mykonos (Cyclades): Mykonos isn’tthe only island town in Greece withnightlife that continues through themorning, but it was the first and stilloffers the most abundant, variedscene in the Aegean. Year-round, thetown’s narrow, labyrinthine streetsplay host to a remarkably diversecrowd—Mykonos’s unlimited ability

to reinvent itself has assured it of con-tinued popularity. Spring and falltend to be more sober and sophisti-cated, while the 3 months of summerare reserved for unrestrained revelry.See chapter 8.

• Rhodes (Dodecanese): From cafes tocasinos, Rhodes has not only the rep-utation but also the stuff to back itup. A good nightlife scene is ulti-mately a matter of who shows up—and this, too, is where Rhodes standsout. It’s the place to be seen, and ifnobody seems to be looking, you canalways watch. See chapter 9.

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• Skiathos (Sporades): With as many as50,000 foreigners packing this tinyisland during the high season, themany nightspots in Skiathos town areoften jammed with the mostly youngerset. If you don’t like the music at oneclub, cross the street. See chapter 11.

• Corfu (Ionian Islands): If raucousnightspots are what you look for on a

holiday, Corfu offers probably thelargest concentration in Greece. Mostof these are beach resorts frequentedby young foreigners. More sedatelocales can be found in Corfu town.Put simply, Corfu hosts a variety ofmusic, dancing, and “socializing”opportunities. See chapter 12.

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