The Greek Islands hold serious nostalgia for me: pre children my husband and I spent multiple summers Greek Island hopping: choosing islands by the 'finger in the air' method; ( ie which rickety party boat arrived first/was cheapest/had the most remote sounding destination) renting hilltop spare rooms from old ladies holding placards on piers; staying in romantic/ancient four poster beds in aforementioned spare rooms; playing backgammon compulsively; travelling with only a backpack, and lying blissfully all day on uncomfortable but scenic pebble beaches.
So to return with three teenage children is a conundrum: Apart from the obvious need to be far more organised in the forward planning of such trip (goodbye finger in the air and rickety party boats and hello pre booked high speed ferries) in the intervening years I seem to have become the person who looks at every internet image available of any potential accommodation: memorising floor plans, square meterage and ensuring that every view is aesthetically pleasing. So that rules out the old lady pierfront method too. Do I want to add an altogether different experience to my existing Greek Island nostalgia? The answer is a large yes, obvs. And so two flights, three hotels, two boats, two car hires, one cat feeder and one airport parking booking later we are ready to create some new Greek Island 'hopping' family memories. And the result: extreme Ionian relaxation achieved in a slightly less spontaneous but equally memory making way. Here's what we did and how we did it:
STARTER: ATHENS
TO STAY We have a snappy 20 hours in Athens, flying in at midday and leaving at 8am the following morning . We ignore the endless taxi line at the airport in favour of a train that takes us in 45 minutes directly to Monastariki where we are staying. Minimal family complaint = smugness on my side. We stay at NLH Monastariki, found on a booking.com browse: A family suite, breakfast, a gym and a private terrace with a rooftop bar while still falling in the affordable bracket PS. These various ticks cancel out most familial grumbling from the 3am start.
To Do The lanes around Plaka and Monastariki are filled with both tourist buys and Greek artisanal goods and suit the whole family. Minutes from the hotel, our walk is easily filled with ice cream, the gooiest baklava and greek coffee. The Acropolis, a ten minutes stroll away, is perched on a hilltop above the city, and is the only adult no compromise item on the day's agenda. (Of course we compromise) We manage selfies in front, even if not the full Acropolis tour, but get a side order of spectacular city views. Nb. Good footwear is required- i’m wearing sandals and the stones are marble: read multiple mortifying slipping situations. To Eat: Train ride research suggests The Plaka Stairs are the place to go for food. This aesthetically lovely walkway leads down from under the Acropolis, lined with restaurants that spill onto becushioned steps (on which to perch with a cocktail). Alternatively go up to the rooftops to eat and see Athens laid out below. Considering this is one of the city's prime tourist spots the vibe is local, and the prices equally so. We eat whole fish and moussaka washed down with excellent local rose at Anefani as the sun sets, congratulating ourselves on successful navigation of Athens in just one afternoon, with only one child passed out from exhaustion at the table.
MAIN: PAROS & ANTI PAROS
TO STAY The next morning we are up at 6am for the main course: 5 nights in Paros, via a 3 hour fast boat from Piraeus Port (It takes twenty minutes in a taxi from central Athens) Powered by accommodation choice we are staying at Glyfa beach on the south of the island, near the fishing village of Aliki- ( I eschew my regular airbnb for booking.com that is suddenly awash with villas and houses alongside hotels) Our Greek 'summer house' is authentically divine, steps from an idyllic beach via the family grown vegetable garden. We immediately want to live here forever. Side note: The gym requirement has been fully accomodated the last few trips, so this time round we bravely veto demands.
TO DO: We spend our mornings at the pool or on 'our' beach: wild and pebbly and populated with olive trees and a few elderly locals: my idea of heaven. In the afternoons we explore other beaches, from the dramatic rocky (and popular) outcrops of Kolymbithres, to the wide sand and surfing waves of Parasporos. We visit the main town of Noussa ( verdict: the prettiest of any Greek town i've seen with bougainvillea filled cobbled alley ways, excellent shops and very cool bars), and Lefka, a gorgeous traditional inland village. We hire a self drive boat for a day from Aliki harbour and explore the perimeter of nearby Anti Paros. NB dismounting a self drive boat on an island is a new and possibly not to be repeated adventure resulting in my swimming to shore with 5 iphones balanced on a lifejacket.
TO EAT/DRINK: In Naoussa we eat Saganaki at the gorgeous portside Tsachpinis Ouzeri ( much child hilarity ensues at this name) - and enormous squid and crevettes at the Ibiza-esque beach club Zazala at Parasporos in front of a spectacular sunset. Aliki has authentic and affordable fish restaurants lining its port, and in Lefkas we sit rooftop at Lefkiano and eat honey crusted feta. In Anti Paros we make a quick stop at Soros Beach Club (They seem unimpressed at my husband's Castaway style dripping bare chested entrance, post the dramatic boat evacuation) Our own Glyfa Cafe is all bamboo shadows, bean bags and hanging rattan shades, and the fruit and vegetables grown in front of our summer house are used for juices and salads. Holiday utopia achieved.
DESSERT: SANTORINI
TO STAY And finally another boat trip onto our Greek Island 'dessert': 3 nights in Santorini. We stay at El Verano Suites on the edge of Imerovigli, that has breathtaking views, but at the cost of a vertiginous drive that at one stage has me evacuating the whole car for fear of rolling back down (possible over reaction) However once esconced, and I've got used to the perilously low walls all is excellent, with a 'luxe' feel ( read teen pleasing infinity pool and multiple beanbags) Plus although it feels remote we are a ten minute walk to the beautiful and bustling Imerovigli village that tumbles down the side of the caldera. (the craters caused from past volcanos)
TO DO For the second time this holiday I realise my footwear is woefully inadequate. I've managed to miss the memo that Santorini is all about the hike- there are well trodden routes between Fira to Oia along the caldera, that look amazing but require sensible shoes. We drive instead ( noone complains) spending an early morning in Oia before the crowds take over ( unmissable but crazily busy) and visit the ancient Minoan site of Akrotiri. Santorini isnt known for its beaches but the volcanic sand is stunning; we succeeed in a mini 'flip flop acceptable' hike to the famous Red Beach, and visit the wild and surprisingly empty coastline of Baxedes on the East coast ( Where the waves are judged suitably jumpable)
TO EAT/DRINK The best food is to be found out of Oia and Imerovigli which can be eyewatering and less authentic than the Greek stereotype ( we do have a fab blow out meal at the Buddha Bar in Imerovigli- great sunset- great sushi) - we stumble on the very special waterfront Melina's tavern near the red beach, complete with Octopus drying outside, and have the best zucchini and caramalised nut salad at (Conde Nast Traveller endorsed) Meze Meze in Finikia en route to Oia, that i have already attempted to reproduce. On our drive homebound to the airport we stop at the hilltop town of Exo Gonia for a final hilltop lunch at Sanafi.
THE SMALL PRINT TO SHOP: What to buy whilst Greek Island hopping? Athens serves up a good trilby (For me a holiday essential- not having one is a panic inducing situation) and some authentic Greek made shoes identical to the Ancient Greek Sandals i've been deliberating over on Net a Porter- for a third of the price. We pick up a wooden Icon in Oia and a a crystal ring in Lefka in Paros. Zazala restaurant's attached shop Agora has great scandi sunglasses that I regret not buying when i subsequently leave mine in a restaurant. Naoussa is full of curated designer and resort wear stores: I drag myself out of Saline Shop before i spend our entire holiday budget.
TO WEAR: And what to wear whilst Greek Island hopping? We only have one check in case between five of us so packing needs to be streamlined. ( I draw the line at the rucksacks of island hopping past however) I stick to my regular summer holiday capsule wardrobe, plus a couple of new additions: A leopard tie front dress and a seersucker checked jumpsuit with pleasing Andy Pandy vibes, both purchased from a recent job. The joy of a holiday capsule? It requires little thought when also packing for four other family members and deep cleaning my house the night before travelling ( essential non?)
TO GET THERE
I won't try to pretend that booking three locations plus individual flights two boats and two car hires is the most cost effective option. However I shop around for everything generally using skyscanner, booking.com and researching the different ferry providers. British Airways comes in cheapest for flights using skyscanner, and renting cars on individual islands is cheaper than taking a car on the ferries. The ferries between islands cost around £50 pp per journey. A self drive day boat for 5 costs around £200.
Thank you for reading! I am planning to migrate this blog to substack please do let me know here how you feel about this in comments!
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