Tag: Egali

Amorgos is a hiker’s paradise

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Amorgos hiking path

You will feel like you’re on top of the world while hiking on Amorgos. This particular trail leads from Egali to Chora along what’s called “the spine of Amorgos”

 

 

Amorgos hiking path sign

Start points for many of the hiking routes on Amorgos are well-marked by signs. This one even shows the approximate walking times to the destinations indicated.

 

 

Wonderful walks: If you like to see vacation destinations on foot rather than through the windows of a rental car or tour bus, you can’t beat the Greek Islands. Most islands, especially those in the Cyclades, are ideal for walking and hiking. Some, like Sifnos and Amorgos, boast extensive networks of footpaths and donkey trails that take visitors to scenic parts of the island that can’t be reached by vehicles.

Amorgos is one of our favourite destinations for hiking.

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Goats and sheep on the road and other perils of driving in the Greek Islands

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a sheep on Amorgos

A sheep stands on a bend on the main Amorgos highway near Chora. We also passed many goats on the roads while driving around the island …

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goats on a road in Amorgos

… including these three, who were in a herd of several dozen goats ambling along a stretch of highway between Egali and Chora on Amorgos

 

Highway hazards: One of the features we love best about the Greek Islands is the beautiful beach, sea, mountain and village scenery, and our favourite way to see it is on foot. Some islands, including Amorgos, Folegandros, Paros and Sifnos, boast excellent walking and hiking routes, with networks of well-established footpaths and donkey trails criss-crossing scenic mountain and valley terrain. Santorini has some fantastic footpaths, too, including the famous clifftop trail between Fira and Oia that presents spectacular caldera views every step of the way. And on some islands, including Kos, Milos, Naxos, Patmos and Samos, mountain bike rentals have offered a fun fresh-air option for getting around and seeing the sights.

When it’s not practical or feasible to hike or bike to the places we want to see, we usually rely on local buses — a cheap and easy way to get around islands like Mykonos and Santorini. But since we typically travel in low season, bus service can be infrequent or unreliable, particularly on some of the smaller islands that aren’t as popular with tourists. So we have occasionally rented cars to tour around islands and see places we couldn’t reach by bus.

 

We don’t enjoy driving while on vacation, though, because we like to check out the scenery and take photos — something that’s difficult for a passenger to do (and impossible for the driver) when you’re speeding down an island road or highway. So you could count on just one hand the number of times we have rented cars in Greece (only once on each of Amorgos, Crete, Mykonos and Naxos).

But when we have used rental vehicles to get around, we have quickly discovered some typical road hazards and dangers that first-time drivers in Greece should be aware of before getting behind the wheel and heading off on a road trip.

 

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Greece holiday pic of the day

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kitten in a window in Egali on Amorgos

A kitten peeks from behind a curtain in a window in Egali on Amorgos

 

 

Greece holiday pic of the day

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Egiali beach on Amorgos

The long curved sandy beach at the Amorgos port town of Egali

 

Things I love about Greece: Waking up to gorgeous views at hotels in the Greek Islands (Part 4)

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Fildisi Hotel Astipalea view

Enjoying the view from our private terrace at Fildisi Boutique Hotel on Astipalea

 

Return visits: Our 2009 Greece holiday took us to four islands, and on two of those we made return visits to hotels we had stayed at once before. That’s something we rarely do, since we generally prefer to experience new hotel surroundings whenever we return to a destination we’ve already seen. But we had particularly liked both of these hotels, so we were anxious to stay there again.

Astipalea was our first stop on this particular island hopping holiday, and we stayed at Fildisi Boutique Hotel near Livadi, a peaceful farming valley below the island’s main town, Chora. It was early in the season and the Fildisi had only a handful of guests; in fact, the owner, Elias, was still getting the swimming pool, terrace and some of the other rooms ready for the summer. When Elias picked us up at the Astipalea airport to drive us to the hotel, he said he was upgrading us to the “VIP Suite.” We had no idea what that meant until we arrived and discovered it was a large studio-size room with an enormous two-level private terrace. The spacious room was great, but the jaw-dropping views from the huge deck stole the show. (To be honest, I don’t think there is a bad view from anywhere on the Fildisi property.)

Amorgos was island destination number two, and we chose Yperia Hotel in Egali, one of two port towns on the island. We were embarrassed when the Yperia’s owner, Antonis, picked us up at the port when we arrived shortly before 7 in the morning on a gargantuan Blue Star Ferry that had left Astiplea at 5.30 with fewer than two dozen passengers. The drive to the Yperia took less than one minute — we could easily have walked there with our suitcases, which we were barely able to squeeze beside us into Antonis’s tiny sedan. (Mind you, there is no sign on the hotel, so we could just as easily have walked right past the place and missed it.) Antonis assigned us a second-floor room right above the hotel reception and breakfast area. It had two balconies that overlooked the hotel swimming pool and gave us views of the Egali ferry pier as well as sunsets over Naxos island. The room also had a window facing the mountainside behind the hotel; it gave us views of Potamos, a picturesque village where had three memorable sunset dinners at the wonderful Kamara Cafe (which, we later learned, is owned and operated by Antonis’s cousin, Christoforos).

Naxos was our third island, and we returned to the Lianos Village hotel which we had enjoyed in 2006.

Mykonos was our final stop, and Hotel Tagoo was our hotel choice there for the second year in a row.

Below are photos of our views at Fildisi Boutique Hotel, Yperia Hotel, Lianos Village and Hotel Tagoo.

 

Fildisi Boutique Hotel view

Every room at the Fildisi has this view of Astipalea’s Chora and Kastro (castle)

 

Fildisi Boutique Hotel

The private terrace for our “VIP Suite” at the Fildisi Hotel was unbelievably bigger than the hotel room itself.


Fildisi Hotel terrace

The top level of the terrace was furnished with this giant canopy shading a teak dining table and chairs, while the lower level had two lounge chairs for sunbathing.

 

Fildisi Boutique Hotel view

The enormous terrace offered an incredible panoramic view of the Livadi farming valley, Chora, the Aegean Sea, and a small beach below the hotel

 

Fildisi hotel Astipalea

Part of the Livadi valley viewed from our terrace at the Fildisi hotel

 

Fildisi Hotel Astipalea

Chora, the coastline and a small beach viewed from our private terrace

 

Fildisi Hotel Astipalea view

I never got tired of the view of Chora and the sea

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos

At the Yperia Hotel in Amorgos, our second-floor room had two balconies. One of them can be seen here, above the hotel entrance and pool terrace

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos

We could see Egali bay through the door to our balcony

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos balcony view

This photo, taken from one of our room’s two balconies, shows part of the sea view that we enjoyed from the second balcony

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos

I enjoyed relaxing on the balcony with an ice cold bottle of Mythos beer or glass of wine after a long day of hiking on Amorgos

 

Yperia Hotel balcony views

The balcony was a great spot to watch fishing boats return with their catch …

 

Yperia hotel balcony view

… and to watch Greek ferry ships come and go from the pier at Egali port. This was the same big Blue Star ferry that brought us to Amorgos from Astipalea

 

Yperia hotel room view

This was our balcony view of the Express Skopelitis ferry arriving at Egali one evening. We rode the Skopelitis to Naxos a few days later; this online album has photos of our journey through the Small Cyclades en route to Naxos.

 

Yperia hotel swimming pool view

Our balcony also had this view toward the mouth of Egali Bay

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos

A window in our room faced homes and hotels on the hillside behind the Yperia …

 

Yperia Hotel view

… but also gave us views of Potamos village higher up the mountain

 

Yperia Hotel Amorgos balcony view

Best of all were the views from our balcony of sunsets over Naxos

 

Lianos Village hotel Naxos

On Naxos, we could view the sea from inside our hotel room at Lianos Village

 

Lianos Village hotel room balcony

Our balcony was a nice spot to relax with a glass of wine while enjoying extensive views down the southwest coast of Naxos

 

Lianos Village Naxos balcony view

From our balcony we could see Agios Prokopios beach, Agia Anna, beach, Plaka beach, and mountains in the distance behind them

 

Lianos Village Hotel Naxos

Palm fronds and colourful flowering plants beside our balcony

 

Lianos Village balcony view

Balcony view toward Agios Prokopios beach at the bottom of the hillside

 

Lianos Village Naxos balcony view

Another balcony view toward Agios Prokopios beach

 

Lianos Village hotel swimming pool

The Lianos Village swimming pool terrace had terrific views of the  southwest Naxos coast and other nearby islands

 

Lianos Village swimming pool terrace view

Swimming pool terrace view of the Agios Prokopios resort area of Naxos

 

Lianos Village swimming pool terrace views

Another view from the hotel swimming pool terrace

 

Lianos Village Naxos view

Another pool terrace view of the island’s southwest coast

 

Hotel Tagoo balcony view

This was our balcony view during our second stay at Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos

 

Hotel Tagoo balcony view

Another view from our balcony, looking toward the left

 

Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

The Hotel Tagoo pool terrace is a great place to relax in the afternoon sun…

 

Hotel Tagoo pool deck view

… or watch cruise ships and ferries come and go from nearby Tourlos port

 

Hotel Tagoo swimming pool views

Hotel Tagoo pool deck views in the morning, looking toward the left …

 

Hotel Tagoo swimming pool views

… and looking toward the right

 

Hotel Tagoo at sunset

A gorgeous Mykonos sunset reflects in Hotel Tagoo’s reception room windows

 

 

 

Things I love about Greece: There’s always a great place to experience a Shirley Valentine moment

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Little Venice at Mykonos Town Mykonos Greece

Gazing toward Tinos island from Semeli bar at Little Venice, Mykonos

 

Seaside drinks and dining: One of the things I love most about Greece, especially in the Islands, are the bars and tavernas with seaside tables. I always find it soothing and refreshing to enjoy a drink or meal while sitting just a few feet, or even mere inches, from the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea. Gazing toward nearby islands, watching the waves, or savouring a spectacular sunset comforts and re-invigorates me. Experiencing my own “Shirley Valentine moment” is always a highlight of my holidays in Greece. Probably because it’s something I can never enjoy at home, unfortunately.

Although my home city, Toronto, has an extensive waterfront along Lake Ontario, there are precious few lakeside restaurants where you can enjoy an alcoholic drink or restaurant meal while overlooking the water and the Toronto Islands. In fact, you could probably count on one hand the number of dining spots that are within a stone’s throw of the water here. And most of those are situated side-by-side on just one outdoor terrace at Harbourfront’s Queen’s Quay Terminal, about 50 feet from the water’s edge (which usually isn’t even visible if any of the big Toronto harbour cruise boats happen to be in port at the time; they block most views of the water from all the restaurant patios). In Toronto, you just can’t enjoy food or beverages any closer to the water’s edge unless it’s fast food takeout or a picnic lunch you’ve lugged along.

The fact there are barely any harbourfront bars or restaurants in Canada’s biggest city is completely pathetic in itself, but what’s worse is our province’s incredibly antiquated and Puritanical liquor laws. Here in Ontario, we’re allowed to consume alcoholic beverages on outdoor restaurant patios only if the terrace is completely enclosed by a fence or barricade of some sort. If you ever dared to move a table and chair to the water’s edge, and sat down with a beer or glass of wine, you’d get charged with a provincial liquor law violation, while the restaurant would be fined and probably get its liquor licence suspended, if not revoked altogether. And if they served you any food, city health inspectors would probably shut down their kitchen.

But in Greece, you won’t risk getting a criminal record if you drink a glass of wine or a bottle of Mythos at the seaside, and the taverna that serves you won’t be shut down by the authorities. And that’s exactly the way it should be.

Paradiso Taverna on Plaka Beach on Naxos

Paradiso Taverna has tables under a tree on the golden sand of Maragas beach (near Plaka beach) on Naxos.

 

Tables next to the seaside at a taverna in Little Venice in Mykonos Town

These tables at a taverna in Little Venice in Mykonos Town sit only a few feet from the water’s edge, and offer incredible sunset views…

 

Tables next to the sea at a Little Venice taverna

…if the tables were any closer to the sea, diners would get their feet wet!

 

Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

Harbourside tables at Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

 

Babulas Taverna at Mykonos Town

An overhead view of Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

 

Babulas Taverna at Mykonos Town

From the harbourside tables at Babulas Taverna, Tinos island is faintly visible across the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea

 

Harbourside tavernas in Kokkari on Samos

Harbourside tavernas in the scenic village of Kokkari on Samos

 

Harbourside tavernas in Kokkari on Samos

Tables sit barely more than a meter from the water’s edge at dozens of bars and restaurants in Kokkari on Samos

 

Katina's fish taverna at Amoudi Bay

Katina’s fish taverna at Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

 

Sunset Taverna at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

Seaside tables at Sunset Taverna at Santorini’s Amoudi Bay

 

Taverna table at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

A table right next to the water at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

 

Oasis taverna at Grikos bay on Patmos

Oasis taverna has tables right on the sandy beach at Grikos Bay on Patmos

 

Meltemi beach bar in Skala Patmos

Meltemi beach bar in the port town of Skala on Patmos

 

 

Egali beach on Amorgos

Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos island

 

Egali beach on Amorgos

Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos

 

Beachside tables at Agia Anna on Naxos

Taverna tables beside the beach at Agia Anna on Naxos

 

Little Venice on Mykonos

Views of the famous Mykonos windmills from a seaside bar in Little Venice

 

Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Seaside cocktail bars at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

 

Semeli cocktail bar at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Sun-soaked Semeli cocktail bar at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

 

A seaside bar at Little Venice in Mykonos

Tables right at the water’s edge at a Little Venice cocktail bar in Mykonos Town

 

Little Venice in Mykonos Town

A table beside the water at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

 

Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Sunsets, sailboats and cruise ships are all part of the view from the bars and tavernas along the seaside at Little Venice on Mykonos

 

Harbourside taverna tables in Kokkari on Samos

Tables overlooking the harbour at the village of Kokkari on Samos

 

Greece is: Spectacular scenery. Beautiful beaches. Charming villages. Stunning sunsets. Historic ruins. Picturesque churches. Amazing Athens. And more…

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Chora village on Astipalea Island

The imposing Kastro (castle) towers above whitewashed mountainside houses in Chora, the main village on Astipalea island

 

A blue domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini

Look familiar? This blue-domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini has been pictured on countless postcards, posters, travel brochures and websites.

 

Elia Beach Mykonos

Sunbeds at popular Elia Beach on Mykonos overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea

 

Folegandros island

Spectacular cliff scenery on the north side of Folegandros island

 

The Panagia Church on Folegandros

The Panagia Church on Folegandros sits high above the island`s main village, Chora

 

Seaside fishermen`s houses in Klima Milos

Syrmata (fishermens houses) in the seaside village of Klima on Milos

 

A Cycladic style house on Naxos

A Cycladic-style house overlooking Agios Prokopios beach on Naxos

 

Venetian Fortress at Iraklion harbour

The Venetian fortress next to the old harbour at Iraklion on Crete

 

Sunbeds on a rocky point near Kalithea Bay

No sandy beach? No worries! In the Greek Islands, there’s literally thousands of miles of coastline with secluded coves and inlets…

 

beach chairs and umbrellas near Kalithea on Rhodes

…and countless more great spots to relax in the sun, fish, play or swim in the sea, like this rocky point near Kalithea Bay on Rhodes

 

Delos Island

Historic archaeological ruins on the hillside and seaside below Mt Kynthos on sacred Delos island

 

Little Venice on Mykonos Town

The “Little Venice” area of Mykonos Town is a perenially popular spot for tourists to enjoy a cocktail while watching a spectacular sunset…

 

A sunset viewed from the Little Venice area of Mykonos Town

…like this one, viewed from the Little Venice seaside

 

The Temple of Apollo on Naxos

The Portara (Temple of Apollo) is one of the symbols of Naxos island…

 

The Portara at the Temple of Apollo on Naxos

…and a popular spot for tourists to visit for sunset viewing

 

Knossos Palace on Crete

A tourist sketches at the Knossos Palace ruins on Crete

 

A view from Santorini at sunset

A view over the volcano island (Nea Kameni) off Santorini at sunset

 

Mikri Vigla beach

Not a soul in sight on the soft sands of Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

 

Achivadolimni Beach on Milos

or on the soft sands of Achivadolimni Beach on Milos…

 

Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos island

…or at Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

 

sparkling blue water in a bay on Milos island

…while the people in this boat have the sparkling waters of this entire quiet bay all to themselves on Milos

 

Fira village on Santorini

Fira, the bustling main town on the immensely popular island of Santorini

 

Kleftiko on Milos

The white cliffs at Kleftiko on Milos

 

the beach at Ammoudara Crete

Part of the long sandy beach at Ammoudara near Iraklion on Crete…

 

the beach at Ammoudara Crete

…and looking to the right along the same stretch of Ammoudara beach

 

Mykonos Town viewed from the northwest

Looking toward Mykonos Town from the northwest tip of Mykonos island

 

Mykonos Town

Some of the hillside hotels and houses overlooking Mykonos Town

 

Elia beach on Mykonos

Elia beach on Mykonos island

 

Elia beach Mykonos

Beach chairs and umbrellas on Elia Beach at Mykonos

 

Windmills at Chora on Astipalea

Windmills in the village of Chora on Astipalea island

 

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town on Rhodes

 

Filoti village on Naxos

The mountainside village of Filoti on Naxos island

 

sailing at Milos

Going for an early morning sail on calm seas off Milos island

 

Chora on Astipalea

Chora, the mountaintop village on Astipalea island

 

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

 

Naxos Town on Naxos island

Naxos Town, the bustling main port town on Naxos Island

 

A rock formation in the sea off Milos

A rabbit shaped rock formation in the sea off Milos island

 

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

 

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

 

Super Paradise beach Mykonos

Looking down on Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos

 

The Chapel of Seven Martyrs below Kastro on Sifnos

Waves crash against the rugged coast below the Chapel of Seven Martyrs on Sifnos

 

Amoudi Bay on Santorini

Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

 

Gorgeous Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

Beautiful Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

 

pelicans at Nikos taverna in Mykonos Town

Pelicans, like these two seen waiting for a fish dinner at ever-popular Niko’s Taverna in Mykonos Town, are famous mascots of Mykonos island…

 

Paraportiani Church in Mykonos Town

…while the incomparable Paraportiani Church is another Mykonos landmark

 

Seagulls trail a fishing boat as it returns to port at Egali on Amorgos

 

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

 

The Chozoviotissa Monastery on Amorgos

On Amorgos, the spectacular 900-year-old Chozoviotissa Monastery is carved into the face of a cliff, 300 meters above the sea