Greece Luxury Anniversary Travel Review: Athens, Peloponnese, Crete, Santorini, Milos, Naxos, Nafplio, Private Tours, 18-Day Trip

There were many memorable moments during our time in Greece which encompassed visiting Athens, the Peloponnese, Crete, Santorini, Milos, and Naxos. In Athens, we enjoyed our stay at the hotel which is centrally located, with nicely appointed and spacious rooms, and a rooftop restaurant with breathtaking views of the Parthenon. The hotel staff here, as in all our other hotels in Greece, offered warm, friendly, personal Greek service. The Parthenon was impressive to see and tour with our private guide. The nearby Plaka area is bustling with restaurants, stores, historical sights. My wife enjoyed sampling pastries at the many bakeries she came across, while I couldn’t resist the temptation of the numerous gelato shops. We planned and made dinner reservations in advance with input from the travel company. Our dinners at the Metropolis Roof Garden Restaurant, Lithos Restaurant, and Anefani were outstanding and worth noting. The latter two are in a vibrant area of Athens which we enjoyed. We liked Athens and its many restaurants, shops, and nightlife plus it’s history. During our trip to the Peloponnese, we visited the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, Mycenae, and made a lunch stop at the beautiful seaside town of Nafplio in the Peloponnese. Nafplio was a welcome respite from looking at “rocks” as my wife refers to the ancient ruins. We would return to Nafplio again to explore its imposing castle and city. Crete was one of our favorite islands. More specifically, we liked the town of Chania, which is an ancient Venetian port with a picturesque lighthouse. The highlights there were the beautiful and historic hotel. Boutique, but full service hotel that’s conveniently located. Our favorite restaurants there were the Pallas Restaurant and the quaint Columbo Kitchen & Bar, where we were served by the owner. The small group tour of 7 villages of Apokoronas was excellent including tours of a cheese-making facility and a family-owned Olive oil business. The absolute highlight in Crete and perhaps in Greece was a 2-hour traditional Greek dancing and music festival that is held in Chania on Tuesday nights and sponsored by the Cretan and Greek government. They had 40 dancers and approximately 10 musicians. It was a fun, lively event showcasing Greek culture which we enjoyed. In Santorini, the highlights were the views from our hotel, restaurants and the town of Oia. The sunset cruise, wine tour with brief stop at the quaint town of Emporio and dinners at Mia’s, Onar and Aroma Avlis were memorable and are highly recommended. We chose Milos for its breathtaking beaches and unique topography of caves. The hotel is beautiful, quaint, and the rooms and facilities are uniquely and artistically appointed. The highlights here were the all-day catamaran cruise of Milos where you can appreciate the beauty of the island from the vantage point of the ship since some beaches are not easily accessible by land. Our best guide in Greece was the one in Milos, and as a long time resident of Milos, he was knowledgeable, interesting, and passionate in sharing the history of his home including the discovery site of the famous Venus de Milo statue now in display in the Louvre. The tour included a gastronomic lunch stop at Alevromilos Restaurant, where we were served personally by the chef/owner. This was one of our best meals in Milos and in Greece. Another standout dinner was at Barriello Restaurant, where we were also served by the owner. We liked Milos a lot; less crowded than Santorini with beautiful beaches and rich history of pirates. The last island we visited was Naxos and it’s the largest of the Cyclades islands. The hotel were we stayed was nice and conveniently located. The highlights in Naxos were lunch at the Rotunda Restaurant, dinners at Apostolis and Doukato and a 1/2 day tour of the mountainside of the island visiting the quaint towns of Chalki and Apeiranthos. Our driver, who wasn’t a professional guide, gave us one of our best tours because he lived in this area. The overall highlight of our trip was not the places, tours or restaurants but the people of Greece. Everyone was kind, warm, helpful to us. While our memories of this trip may fade with time, the indomitable spirit and kindness of the Greek people has left an indelible mark in our hearts. Greece is home to us now.