Category: Greek Island villages and towns (page 23 of 33)

A ‘Jaded’ view of Mykonos

February 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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Part of Mykonos Town is visible on the starboard side of the Norwegian Jade cruise ship

Whitewashed hotels and houses on the Tagoo hillside north of Mykonos Town are visible on the starboard (right hand) side of the Norwegian Jade cruise ship, seen here while it was docked at the New Port in Tourlos on May 16 2012

 

 

The bow of the Norwegian Jade cruise ship

A view of the Jade’s bow shortly before the ship hauled anchor and pulled out of the Tourlos port. It was one of at least six cruise ships that visited Mykonos that day. One of the others was the 4-masted Windstar vessel visible at left.

 

 

Norwegian Jade cruise ship

Three members of the Norwegian Jade crew take in the view from a service door near the cruise ship’s bow …

 

 

Norwegian Jade cruise ship

… while a few passengers on the upper deck take one last look at the island before the ship departs. The Jade can carry 2,402 passengers and 1,078 crew.

 

 

The Norwegian Jade pulls away from the pier at Tourlos as it departs Mykonos island

More of Mykonos Town comes into view as the Jade pulls away from the pier

 

 

Norwegian Jade cruise ship

An 11 a.m. view of the Jade docked at Tourlos. The ship arrived at Mykonos in the morning and set sail for another destination around 6 in the evening.

 

 

Monuments and houses in Kos Town

February 12, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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Houses overlook an historic archaeological site in the center of Kos Town on Kos island

History and archaeology buffs will enjoy visiting Kos island. In Kos Town, you don’t have to walk far to find monuments and historic ruins — they’re practically all over the place, right along residential and commercial streets as well as in the main tourist district in the center of town.

 

A captivating view of Kastro village on Sifnos

February 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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Approaching the medieval-era Kastro village on Sifnos island in Greece

One of the most memorable moments of our trip to Sifnos happened while we were hiking down the valley below Apollonia, and Kastro village suddenly came into view. The centuries-old settlement perched on a cliff high above the sea was one of the most exhilarating and breathtaking sights we have ever seen while walking in Greece. Built between the 14th and 18th Centuries, Kastro was the capital of Sifnos during the medieval period. It’s a must-see if you ever visit the island.

 

 

Arriving at Parikia port on Paros

February 10, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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The Seajets SuperJet ferry approaches port at the town of Parikia on Paros

The Seajets passenger ferry Superjet enters Parikia Bay as it heads to port at Paros island on October 13 2013

 

 

The Seajets SuperJet ferry approached the port at Parikia on Paros

The town of Parikia looms larger as Superjet approaches the ferry quay. I shot the photos above, as well as two of the videos below, from the Blue Star Ferries ship Paros as it departed Parikia en route to Athens.

 

 

 This is a short clip of Superjet that I shot from the Blue Star Paros.

 

 

 This video (Part 1 of 2) shows views of Parikia and some of its waterfront on the south side of the port. I shot this clip from a deck of the Blue Star Paros as it approached and prepared to dock at Parikia en route from Naxos to Piraeus.

 

 

 

This is the second clip I shot from the Blue Star ferry. It shows parts of Parikia and the bay on the north side of the port.

 

 

For a completely different perspective, here’s a video shot from land, showing the Paros docking at Parikia. It was filmed by YouTube member Steffen Mork.

 

A little white church in the valley below Lagada

February 8, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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Stormclouds pass above Lagada village and a little white church on Amorgos island

Dark grey stormclouds swirl above Lagada village as a spring storm moves across Amorgos. Although the weather looked bleak the morning we arrived on the island, the clouds cleared away during the afternoon and left us with sunny skies for the rest of our visit. Click the image to view a full-size photo.

 

Picture yourself … in Vathi on Samos

February 2, 2014 / / 0 Comments
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A stone house across the bay from Vathi, the main town on Samos island

A stone house sits across the bay from Vathi, the main town on Samos

 

Our best hotel experiences of 2013

January 21, 2014 / / 1 Comment
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Grotta area of Naxos Town on Naxos

Looking toward the Grotta district of Naxos Town from the Palatia peninsula at Naxos island. Naxos was our favourite Greek holiday destination in 2013.

 

 

Eclectic list: You could consider this a different sort of trip report. Rather than write a routine, day-by-day account of our two holidays in Greece in 2013, I have decided to mix things up and have a bit of fun compiling an eclectic “best of 2013” list instead.

In May, we island-hopped to Mykonos, Ios and Naxos before moving to the mainland for a weekend meet-up with friends in the Glyfada suburb of Athens. During a second holiday in October we spent two weeks on Naxos, then visited friends in Glyfada and Athens for two days. We had a great time at each place we visited during the two trips, but since Naxos was our overwhelming favourite, we named it our 2013 Destination of the Year, as regular readers will have noticed in my December 31 2013 post.

But there were special things we particularly enjoyed at each destination. Some, like features of the various hotels where we stayed and the restaurants where we dined, or attractions that we visited, were significant elements of our holidays. Others were interesting or quirky things we observed or encountered — minor aspects of our vacations, but still part of what made the two trips so much fun.

I thought that information about those various good things might provide useful insight into our destinations for people who haven’t been to them before, and perhaps even for people who have. So I have compiled the highlights into this “Best of 2013” holiday round-up. I have organized the “bests” into three categories: Hotels; Food & Drink; and Activities & Attractions. Today’s post profiles the best elements of our hotel accommodations, while separate posts about our best Food & Drink experiences, as well as our favourite Activities & Attractions, will follow soon.

 

 Katerina Hotel on Ios

Mylopotas beach, as seen from Katerina Hotel on Ios. This was just part of the marvellous view we enjoyed from the hotel during our May holiday. Turn to page 2 of this post to continue reading and see more photos of all the hotels we stayed at during our two trips to Greece in 2013.

 

 

 

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Our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos

January 6, 2014 / / 17 Comments
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The centuries-old Portara monument greets visitors arriving at Naxos by sea

The enormous marble entrance for the never-completed Temple of Apollo greets visitors arriving by sea at Naxos island in the Cyclades.  Also known as the Portara, the monument is an internationally-recognized symbol of Naxos island.

 

Something for everyone: If you’re trying to find a Greek holiday destination that ticks practically every box on even the pickiest traveller’s checklist of “must have’s” and “must see’s,” take a closer look at Naxos.

The largest island in the Cyclades, Naxos is equally big on the number of activities and attractions it offers visitors of all ages and lifestyles. From beautiful beaches to mountain villages; a vibrant port town with an historic castle and Old Market district; monuments, ruins and museums; excellent dining and nightlife; accommodations to suit any budget; walking trails, water sports and mountain biking; stunning scenery and sunsets; plus sightseeing excursions and tours both on and off the island, Naxos has it all.

Whether you’re planning to visit for three days or three weeks, you’ll never run out of things to do — if anything, you’ll probably wind up wishing you had more time to spend on the island.

 

What’s more, Naxos is surprisingly easy on the pocketbook, with reasonable prices for food, accommodations and entertainment.

All those are precisely the reasons why we named Naxos as our Greek Holiday Destination of the Year for 2013 (see our December 31 2013 post for more about that).

Click on the link below to continue reading and to see dozens of photos that illustrate our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos, including:

♦ Ease of getting to the island;

♦ Wide range of accommodation options;

♦ Suitability for travellers of all ages and holiday lifestyles;

♦ Its fascinating main town, built below a medieval castle;

♦ Dozens of beautiful mountain villages and seaside settlements;

♦ Historic archaeological sites, monuments and museums;

♦ An extensive array of places to eat delicious local specialties and Greek cuisine;

♦ Hiking, adventure sports and recreation opportunities galore;

♦ Spectacular scenery and sunsets;

♦ Cultural events, entertainment and nightlife;

♦ Fantastic beaches;

♦ Shopping and local products;

♦ Good local transportation services;

♦ Friendly residents

♦ Tours and boat excursions to other nearby islands

 

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