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 ancient sites and architectural treasures tocreate such spectacular 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 have 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.

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1 The Best of Ancient Greece• Acropolis (Athens): No matter how

many photographs you’ve seen, noth-ing can prepare you for watching thelight change the marble of the build-ings, still standing after thousands ofyears, from honey to rose to deep redto stark white. If the crowds get youdown, think about how crowded theAcropolis was during religious festi-vals in antiquity. See p. 161.

• Palace of Knossos (Crete): A seem-ingly unending maze of rooms andlevels, stairways and corridors, inaddition to frescoed walls—this is theMinoan Palace of Knossos. It can bepacked at peak hours, but it stillexerts its power if you enter in thespirit of the labyrinth. King Minosruled over the richest and most pow-erful of Minoan cities and, accordingto legend, his daughter Ariadnehelped Theseus kill the Minotaur inthe labyrinth and escape. See p. 217.

• Akrotiri (Cyclades): Santorini isundoubtedly one of the most spec-tacular islands in the world. The site

of Akrotiri offers a unique glimpseinto the life of a Minoan city, frozenin time by a volcanic eruption some3,600 years ago. The site has beencompletely or partially closed to thepublic since 2004, but finds from thesite can be seen at the Museum ofPrehistoric Thera. See chapter 8.

• Delos (Cyclades): This tiny isle, just3.2km (2 miles) offshore of Mykonos,was considered by the ancient Greeksto be both the geographical and spir-itual center of the Cyclades; manyconsidered this the holiest sanctuaryin all of Greece. The extensiveremains here testify to the island’s for-mer splendor. From Mount Kinthos(really just a hill, but the island’shighest point), you can see many ofthe Cyclades most days; on a veryclear day, you can see the entire archi-pelago. The 3 hours allotted by excur-sion boats from Mykonos or Tinosare hardly sufficient to explore thisvast archaeological treasure. See chap-ter 8.

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COPYRIG

HTED M

ATERIAL

T H E B E S T B E A C H E S 7

2 The Best of Byzantine & Medieval Greece• Church of Panagia Kera (Kritsa,

Crete): Even if Byzantine art seems abit stilted 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. 252.

• Nea Moni (Hios, NortheasternAegean): Once home to 1,000monks, this 12th-century monasteryhigh in the interior mountains ofHios is now quietly inhabited by oneelderly but sprightly nun and twofriendly monks. Try to catch one ofthe excellent tours sometimes offeredby the monks. The mosaics in the

cathedral dome are works of extraor-dinary power and beauty; even in thehalf-obscurity of the nave, they radi-ate a brilliant gold. Check out thesmall museum, and take some timeto explore the extensive monasterygrounds. See p. 407.

• 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 PanagiaEkatondapiliani. Santorini boasts the11th- to 12th-century church of thePanagia in the hamlet of GoniasEpiskopi. See chapter 8.

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

the longest stretches of sea and sandin the Cyclades, and 4.8km (3-mile)Plaka is the most beautiful and pris-tine beach on the island. If you needabundant amenities and a moreactive social scene, you can alwayshead north to Ayia Anna or AyiosProkopios. See p. 303.

• Paradise (Mykonos, Cyclades): Para-dise 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. 309.

• Lalaria Beach (Skiathos, Sporades):This gleaming, white-pebble beachboasts vivid aquamarine water andwhite limestone cliffs with naturalarches cut into them by the elements.

Lalaria is neither nearly as popularnor as accessible as Skiathos’s famousKoukounaries, which is one of thereasons it’s still gorgeous and pristine.See p. 428.

• Myrtos (Kefalonia, Ionian Islands):Although remote enough to requireyou come with your own wheels, thisisolated sand-pebble beach has longcharmed countless visitors. It doeslack shade and it offers limitedrefreshments—perhaps bring a pic-nic—but the setting makes up forthese deficiencies. See p. 470.

• Vroulidia (Hios, NortheasternAegean): White sand, a cliff-rimmedcove, and a remote location at thesouthern tip of the island of Hioscombine to make this one of the mostexquisite small beaches in the north-eastern Aegean. The rocky coast con-ceals many cove beaches similar tothis one, and they rarely becomecrowded. See p. 409.

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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

MACEDONIA

ALBANIA

Mt. Parnassus

Tripoli

Metsovo Meteora(Kalambaka)

ZAGORI

Igoumenitsou

Pirgos

Pella

Vergina

Dion

KozaniStratoni

PelionPeninsula

AdriaticSea

�

IonianSea

Mt. Olympus

Lake Pamvotis

Lake Pamvotis

Tirana�

MediterraneanSea

AegeanSea

AegeanSeaAthensAthens

CRETECRETE

0 25 mi

0 25 km

GREECE

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 S8

Greece

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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

THRACE

TURKEY

BULGARIA

Mt. Athos

Folegandros

EVVIA

Kos

Sounion

Drama

KomotiniKavala

SPORADES

AEGEAN SEA

Sea of Crete

Lake Pamvotis

Sea of Marmara

Ikaria

AegeanSeaAthens

CRETE

GREECEGREECE

T H E B E S T B E A C H E S 9

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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 S10

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. 226.

• Hora (Folegandros, Cyclades): In thistown huddled at the edge of a cliff, onesquare spills into the next, its greenand blue paving slates outlined in bril-liant white. On a steep hill overlookingthe town is the ornate church of Kimi-sis Theotokou, often illuminated atnight. The church’s icon of the Virginis paraded through the streets of Horawith great ceremony and revelry everyEaster Sunday. Mercifully free ofvehicular traffic, Hora is one of themost beautiful and least spoiled vil-lages in the Cyclades. See p. 273.

• Yialos (Simi, Dodecanese): Theentirety of Yialos, the main port of thetiny, rugged island of Simi, has beendeclared a protected architecturaltreasure, and for good reason. Thispristine port with its extraordinaryarray of neoclassical mansions is alarge part of why Simi is known as “thejewel of the Dodecanese.” See p. 369.

• Ermoupolis (Siros, Cyclades): In the19th century, this was the busiestport in the Cyclades. Today, it is stilla hub for island travel and retains anastonishing number of handsomeneoclassical governmental buildings,ship sheds and factories, elegant town

houses—and an opera house mod-eled on Milan’s La Scala. Walk uphillfrom the harbor to Ano Siros (upperSiros) and you’ll find an old kastro(fortress) and a miniature white-washed Cycladic village. See p. 338.

• 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. 435.

• Corfu Town (Corfu, Ionian Islands):With its Esplanade framed by a 19th-century palace and the arcaded Liston,its old town a Venice-like warren ofstructures practically untouched forseveral centuries, its massive Venetianfortresses, and all this enclosing a livelypopulation and constant visitors, hereis urban Greece at its most appealing.See p. 450.

• 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, every avail-able surface is covered with elaborategeometric black-and-white decora-tions known as Ksisti, a technique thatreaches extraordinary levels of virtuos-ity in the town square. Mesta has pre-served its medieval urban fabric andconceals two fine churches within itsmaze of narrow streets. See p. 408.

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 reliefs

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of gods and goddesses, and thehauntingly beautiful frescoes fromAkrotiri, the Minoan site on theisland of Santorini. See p. 171.

• 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. 171.

• 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 withits Minoan collection, includingsuperb frescoes from Knossos, elegantbronze and stone figurines, andexquisite gold jewelry. The museumalso contains Neolithic, ArchaicGreek, and Roman finds fromthroughout Crete. See p. 216.

• 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. 230.

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6 The Best Resorts & Hotels

• Andromeda Hotel (Athens; & 210/643-7302): The city’s first seriousboutique hotel, located on a wonder-fully 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. 141.

• Atlantis Hotel (Iraklion, Crete; & 28102/29-103): 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. 220.

• Doma (Chania, Crete; & 28210/51-772): A former neoclassical mansioneast of downtown, the Doma hasbeen converted into a comfortableand 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. 232.

• 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 tourist madness that overwhelmsthe island each summer. This is a spotto get married at—or celebrate anyspecial occasion. See p. 268.

• Anemomilos Apartments (Folegan-dros, Cyclades; & 22860/41-309)and Castro Hotel (Folegandros,

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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 pool and sea views that seemto stretch forever. The Castro, builtinto the walls of the 12th-centuryVenetian castle that encircles the vil-lage, has lots of character and the nec-essary modern comforts. See p. 275.

• S. Nikolis Hotel (Rhodes, Dode-canese; & 22410/34-561) This smallhotel in the Old Town of Rhodescombines such modern amenities asInternet access and Jacuzzis with theexperience of living in a renovatedcenturies-old Venetian mansion. Thedecor and furnishings maintain the

sense that you are indeed in a specialplace and the proprietors’ warm hospi-tality enhances this feeling. See p. 355

• Hotel Nireus (Simi, Dodecanese; & 22410/72-400): Perfect island,perfect location, unpretentious, andtasteful. The views from the sea-fac-ing rooms, framed by the fluid swirlsof the wrought-iron balcony, definethe spell of this little gem of anisland. You’ll never regret one morenight on Simi, and here’s the place tospend it. See p. 371.

• 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, a couple of miles outsideArgostoli, can be paradise. See p. 467.

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7 The Best Restaurants• Varoulko (Athens; & 210/522-

8400): In its new Athens location,with a menu that adds tasty meatdishes to its signature seafood,Varoulko continues to win plaudits.Everything here is so good that manyAthenians believe chef/owner LefterisLazarou serves not only the finestseafood in Athens, but some of thebest food in all of Greece. See p. 154.

• Vlassis (Athens; & 210/646-3060):This small restaurant with a loyal fol-lowing (ranging from prominentambassadors to struggling artists)serves traditional (paradisiako) Greekcooking at its very best. A temptingchoice if you have only 1 night inAthens—but be sure to make a reser-vation.

• Selene (Santorini, Cyclades; & 22860/22-249): The best restau-rant on an island with lots of goodplaces to eat, Selene is one of thefinest restaurants in all Greece. Thereason: Owner George Hatzyiannakis

constantly experiments with localproduce to turn out innovative ver-sions of traditional dishes. Inside, thedining room is elegant, while the ter-race has a wonderful view over thecaldera. See p. 271.

• Brillant Gourmet (Iraklion, Crete;& 28103/34-959): Opened in 2007,this restaurant immediately posi-tioned itself as the most stylishrestaurant on Crete, with food andwine to match its decor. Admittedly,a restaurant for special treats or occa-sions, but it’s worth inventing one foryourself at least once. See p. 222.

• Mavrikos (Lindos, Rhodes; & 22440/31-232): Don’t be fooledby its location at the crossroads oftourists and its moderate prices—this70-year-old family restaurant servessome of the most elegant and innova-tive dishes in all of Greece. See p. 365.

• Petrino (Kos, Dodecanese; & 22420/27-251): When royalty come to Kos,this is where they dine. Housed in an

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exquisitely restored, two-story, cen-tury-old stone (petrino) private resi-dence, this is hands-down the mostelegant taverna in Kos, with cuisineto match. This is what Greek homecooking would be if your motherwere part divine. See p. 380.

• Venetian Well (Corfu, IonianIslands; & 26610/44-761): A bit

severe in its setting at the edge of asmall enclosed square in Corfu town,with no attempt at the picturesque,this restaurant gets by on its moreesoteric, international, and delicatemenu. It’s for those seeking a breakfrom the standard Greek scene. Seep. 459.

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

you can, take in a performance ofwhatever is on at Odeion of HerodesAtticus theater in Athens. You’ll besitting where people have sat forthousands of years to enjoy a playbeneath Greece’s night sky. See chap-ter 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 abilityto reinvent itself has assured it of con-tinued popularity. Spring and falltend to be more sober and sophisti-cated, whereas the 3 months of sum-mer are reserved for unrestrainedrevelry. See chapter 8.

• Rhodes (Dodecanese): From cafes to casinos, Rhodes has not only the

reputation but also the stuff to back itup. A good nightlife scene is ulti-mately a matter of who shows up—and this is where Rhodes stands out.It’s the place to be seen, and ifnobody seems to be looking, you canalways watch. See chapter 9.

• Skiathos (Sporades): With as manyas 50,000 foreigners packing this tinyisland during the high season, themany nightspots in Skiathos town areoften jammed with the mostlyyounger set. If you don’t like themusic at one club, cross the street.See chapter 11.

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