Destination Greece
I have been obsessed with Greece since I was a little girl. As a child, my mother got me a copy of the D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths. It was full of heroes, adventure and capricious gods. I fluctuated back and forth from pretending to be Aphrodite (Goddess of Love), Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt), and Athena (Goddess of Wisdom). In college, I devoured the Greek Philosophers and studied ancient Greek art. Before I even knew I wanted to travel the world, I wanted to travel to this mysterious place with its rich history and ancient civilizations.
Since then, I have travelled to many places, but had yet to visit Greece. It’s been #1 on my bucket list for decades, but the timing never seemed to be right. This fall, I finally got my opportunity to visit the place of my fantasies. I joined a small group of fellow travel advisors on a a FAM (industry term for “Familiarization”) trip where we were able to meet with some of Greece’s finest hoteliers, suppliers, and luxury travel connoisseurs, all while experiencing the sites in Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini. A dream come true!
I’ll be honest-- FAM trips are AMAZING, but they are also exhausting! Days often start at 8am and often don’t end until about 11pm. We squeeze in as many hotel site visits, experiences, and destinations as possible in order to offer our clients as much first-hand knowledge as possible. Unlike on a vacation, your time is strictly scheduled and there is little down time. But, it’s an incredible way to explore a new destination and connect with people who are passionate about sharing their country.
We started the trip in Athens. Upon arrival, I sat, exhausted from travel, on my private balcony drinking Greek wine… in amazement that I was actually here! Athens is a large city of 4 million people with a lot of hustle and bustle. I sipped my wine and watched the busyness of the city with all the cars and motor scooters whizzing by.
The next day we visited the Acropolis, which literally means “high city” and was the center of the ancient Greek world. This archaeological site is the most famous in Greece and is visited by roughly 3 million people a year. It’s full of rich history and seeing the Parthenon in person is an incredible thing. They refurbished the Archaeology Museum in 2024, and it’s stunning. But as we trekked through the crowds at the Acropolis and discovered how many of the museum artefacts were replicas (a good portion of the originals are housed in the British Museum and Louvre…) I struggled to capture a real sense of place. I still think it is worth visiting, but as with many of the world’s wonders it can be overrun with tourists.
Side note: If you can’t make it to Athens, there is an exact replica at the Centennial Park in Nashville. Though not the same, it’s still very cool and worth a visit.
I usually recommend my clients spend only one full day in Athens to visit the Parthenon; but strolling through the Chora, I could sense there was so much more of this city to see and wished I had an extra day.
The rest of our journey was to 3 of the Cycladic islands: Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini. The islands are stunning, surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Mostly open from April-October, there is a short window to enjoy them without the crowds of the summer. May and mid-to-late September are best, but if you want to swim the Aegean, the water is warmer in September.
Our first stop was Mykonos, which has always been etched in my brain for being a party town. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this island and you don’t have to participate or be surrounded by the party culture, especially at this time of year. I loved the little shops, art galleries, and maze-like cobbled streets of the Chora, but was surprised by the crowds even though it was late September. Do note, the cruise ships let out in the Chora so this is where you see the most crowds. So the best time to come is after 5p, when you can watch the sunset as everyone gets back on the ships.
There were so many memorable meals in Greece, but our lunch at Pere Ubu Mykono, the restaurant at the gorgeous Kalesma Mykonos Hotel was a stand out! What was supposed to be a “light lunch” was a dizzying amount of meze as they brought plate after plate to our outdoor table. The eggplant was some of the best I have ever had!
The highlight for me was the 2-hour speedboat trip to Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The entire island is an archaeological site, and nobody is allowed to stay on the island. With such a short time, we had to choose between visiting the site or taking a swim in the crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea with the ancient island as a stunning backdrop. To swim was an easy choice, and I was in my happy place-- ancient ruins and the sea! PERFECTION.
Next, we took a ferry to Naxos. Ferries are often the best way to travel from island to island, but IMPORTANT note: They can be crowded and tricky to navigate. You must deal with your own luggage and leave luggage unattended. You can hire someone to accompany you for the entire ride, but drivers and guides cannot help you on the ship.
I fell in love with Naxos in a way I was not expecting. It stood out from the other destinations that I visited in Greece— it felt the most authentic and the least touristy by far (it helps that Naxos doesn’t allow cruise ships). With its pristine beaches, rich history, and local charm, it will quickly be the next “it” island in Greece.
A huge highlight was our delicious cooking class with Mama Vulu (pictured at right). She led us with that authentic motherly tough love that got a group of 10 giggly travel advisors to whip up a multi-course fresh meal in only an HOUR! We went home with all the recipes and I had so much fun replicating the meal with my family. Full disclosure-- it took WAY more than an hour when we did it on our own!
Another favorite moment was visiting the gate of the Temple of Apollo, which we explored with the guidance of a true Grecian archeologist. The spiritual feeling…the history that one could sense at the gate… it brought tears to my eyes. Here is where I felt that true sense of place I was missing from the Acropolis.
Santorini was our last stop of the trip and is the place on most people’s Greece bucket list. I won’t lie-- it’s beautiful! With towns clinging to the cliffside overlooking an underwater caldera formed by volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago, it’s an extremely romantic destination. But, oh the crowds! The ferry port is a stressful adventure as this is where all the cruise ships let off. During the high season, tourists can almost double the local population of 20,000 people. Santorini is proposing a tourist limit of 8K people per day to help mitigate the crowds. There is only one winding road from the port, which can get super clogged. People line up to get IG shots and photos of the famous sunsets.
My favorite part of the visit was getting off the island. On our last day of the trip, we enjoyed a catamaran cruise around the caldera. The plan was to stop in the sulphur-rich hot springs off a volcanic island in the center of the caldera. Santorini can be quite windy and we were unable to access the spot that day. We did, however, enjoy a final dip in the Aegean sea and a Greek BBQ prepared on deck by the captain.
We stayed off the caldera which allowed us to enjoy less crowds and more tranquility. But, for our final dinner of the trip, we enjoyed another amazing meal at Adami Restaurant at Canaves Ena. Perched on a cliff overlooking the caldera, we experienced the stunning sunset, and I understood why Santorini is such a popular destination. Again, we enjoyed dish after scrumptious dish. My favorite was an amazing lamb dish called Kleftiko which means “of the thieves.” The dish is associated with the struggle against the Ottoman empire, when the Turks were taking over Greece. The Greeks would steal lamb from the Turks and bury them to slow cook underground so the smell couldn’t be detected. There are various ways to prepare Kleftiko, but here they wrapped it in a delicate phyllo pastry-- delicious!
Though it took me decades to finally get there, I know this will not be my last trip to Greece. With 600 islands, warm people, rich history, stunning beauty, and amazing food, you could spend a lifetime exploring this amazing place.