Athens and the Cyclades Islands

Our last stop in Europe for 2019 was Greece. We spent nine days exploring the Cyclades Islands – the chain of islands that includes iconic Santorini. We finished off with a few days in Athens.

Cyclades Islands

We visited Paros, Naxos and Santorini in mid-November. The daily highs were in the mid-20’s and the nighttime lows were in the high teens. As it was the off-season we had Paros and Naxos to ourselves. Many restaurants and tourist stores were closed for the season. The locals were relaxed enjoying their down time. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We even got gifts of fresh lemons and pomegranates from our neighbours’ garden in Paros.

We rented a car on both islands. Driving around was very relaxed (but for the cliffside hairpin bends on Naxos’ mountains!). Naxos is famed for its beaches but the highlight for us was the quaint mountain villages.

Paros

Naxos

Santorini

Santorini was still on tourist steroids, even in the “off-season”. The island is only about 76 sq km with a population of 10,500. During tourist season the population swells to 18,000. As many as 40,000 tourists can visit on a busy day. The majority of tourists arrive by cruise ship. When we were there cruise ships were only arriving on the weekends. Santorini was still crowded so would not want to see it during peak tourist season.

Our AirBnB was a “cave house” built into the mountainside in the village of Oia, famed for its blue and white churches. Our days started with coffee on our deck overlooking the sea, and ended with wine in the same place. We did a hike from Oia to the main town of Thira along a cliff edge that offered stunning views of the island, the Aegean Sea and the volcanic caldera that Santorini overlooks. Good exercise and a great experience.

Athens

Based on prior experience we were afraid Athens would be smoggy, dirty and congested with traffic. We were pleasantly surprised to find it was none of the above. The air was (relatively) clean, public transit was excellent and the streets were clean. The tourist season was at reduced numbers. It was nice not to have to line-up to enter the historical monuments.

Marousi, the suburb where our apartment was located was especially pleasant. Pedestrian shopping streets, restaurants, cafes, and, even though it was only November, Christmas decorations and music everywhere. One highlight had little to do with typical Athenian attractions. We saw Bryan Adams live at the Olympic Basketball Stadium. A memorable experience.

Next Stop: Bangkok

We are changing up our travels. We will not be on the move as much. We will be in Bangkok for the next few months, using it as a base to explore the region. As a result our posts may be more sporadic.

To view more photos of Greece go to the Photo Album menu and select “Athens & the Cyclades Islands”.