Looking toward nearby Paros island (upper left) from Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos. Click the photo to view a full-size image.
Category: Greek Islands beaches
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Picture yourself … warming up at a beach on Ios
Another polar vortex has brought biting cold weather to the northeastern USA and Canada this week, so I’ve been trying to distract myself from the chill by looking at photos and videos of beaches. Like these of the long, gently curving golden sand beach at Gialos, the port village area of Ios. It was sunny and a toasty 28 degrees Celsius (84 F) when I shot these pics — nearly 40 degrees warmer than it is outside my window at the moment. If only I could be enjoying that sun, heat and sand right now! Click on the photo to view a full-size image.
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Hersonissos’s hidden & not-so-secret treasures
This beautiful church…
… this dramatic mountain landscape …
… this inviting beach …
… and this spectacular sunset … are among the spellbinding sights and scenes featured in two promotional videos for Hersonissos Municipality in Crete
More than big resorts: The Hersonissos area on Crete is one of the largest and most popular mass tourism destinations in Greece, known for its huge hotels and all-inclusive resorts, exuberant nightlife, and extensive entertainment attractions and activities that will amuse visitors of all ages. Hersonissos has everything — from golf to go-karting, hiking to bungee jumping, plus waterparks, aquariums, museums, shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
But even though it’s a busy contemporary destination for holidaymakers as well as thousands of people attending conferences and business travel events each year, Hersonissos abounds with appealing natural wonders, too, like gorgeous beaches, beautiful mountain and plateau landscapes, historical monuments and even traditional Cretan villages.
Popular resort area is near Heraklion
Hersonissos is situated approximately 25 km east of the City of Heraklion, which is easy to reach by flight or by ferry. Hersonissos is a little more than a 15-minute drive from the Heraklion airport, by rental car or taxi, and can also be reached by frequent local bus service from a depot near the Heraklion port.
Further information about the biggest tourist destination on Crete is available on the Municipality of Hersonissos website as well as on the Hersonissos section of the comprehensive explorecrete.com web portal.
Below are two promotional videos that were produced for the Municipality of Hersonissos by the video production and web design agency Blueroom. Both films feature fabulous video scenery, along with stunning timelapse photography by Stian Rekdal.
Don’t be surprised if you feel a strong urge to plan a visit to Hersonissos after viewing the videos — I certainly did! In fact, I spent a few hours searching for photos and information about Hersonissos immediately after watching the clips. Don’t know if we’ll get there this year, but Crete is among the islands we’re considering for our next Greek holiday. Check out the videos and see if Hersonissos is a destination you might enjoy.
The Land of Beaches and Experiences video highlights some of the top activities enjoyed by visitors to Hersonissos, including water sports, diving, horseback riding, golf, and the CretAquarium. The video also provides inviting glimpses of some of the area’s gorgeous beaches.
The Power of Legacy video celebrates the “hidden treasures” of Hersonissos, ranging from “people full of warm hospitality to unbelievable beauty that was left behind by past generations. Everything coated with natural beauty and traditional villages in which you can experience tasty home made Greek cuisine.”
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Revisiting the Shirley Valentine beach on Mykonos
The southern section of Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos, known the world over as “the Shirley Valentine beach” from the 1989 movie
By popular request: Ever since television networks in the U.K. and U.S.A. broadcast Shirley Valentine in late December, interest in the movie’s filming locations has literally exploded. Thousands of people around the world have come to MyGreeceTravelBlog searching for information about “the Shirley Valentine beach,” wondering exactly where it is and what it looks like today.
Its actual name is Agios Ioannis beach, and it’s situated in the Agios Ioannis Diakoftis area near the southwest tip of Mykonos island.
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Nestled in one of the most scenic locations on Mykonos, Agios Ioannis offers superb views of nearby Delos and Rinia islands. As the legendary birthplace of the mythological Greek god Apollo, Delos is one of the most important archaeological and historical sites in all of Greece, and is recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The view toward Delos and Rinia islands from a soft sand area near the middle of Agios Ioannis beach. The beach surface varies from hard-packed smooth sand, to soft golden sand, to tiny pebbles and small stones mixed with sand.
Two distinct stretches of beach
Unlike most beaches on Mykonos, Agios Ioannis actually consists of two distinct beach segments, thanks to a rocky slope that juts into the sea beneath the 5-star Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort. This hill naturally divides the seashore into two separate beach areas — the main one to the north, and a shorter, narrower stretch to the south, below the Saint John Mykonos Resort, another premium 5-star hotel.
Both resorts have lounge chairs and umbrellas on the shores below their respective properties, for the exclusive use of their registered guests, but the beaches themselves are public spaces and anyone can stroll or spread a towel on the sand if they like. Just take care while climbing up and down the hill if you decide to check out the smaller beach below the Saint John Resort — it’s easy to slip on the sand and rocks.
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Since so many people have been seeking information about the Shirley Valentine beach, I’m republishing some of my photos and videos here. Below are several photos I shot during my last two visits to Agios Ioannis, in May of 2011 and 2012, followed by links to my Agios Ioannis Flickr albums, two of my videoclips, as well as two Shirley Valentine movie trailers.
You can also read more about the Shirley Valentine beach in my July 7 2011 post.
A view of the main (north) beach strip that most visitors see. It’s at the bottom of the beach access road, and has a small vehicle parking area right behind it.
Another view of the main section of the Shirley Valentine beach, as seen from the hill that divides the shoreline into two different segments. The lounge chairs and umbrellas in the foreground are reserved for guests of the Mykonos Grand hotel.
The beach taverna that starred in the Shirley Valentine movie is still there — but it has been transformed into Hippie Fish, a trendy, upscale restaurant with a sushi bar. This sign near the Hippie Fish entrance lets visitors know they’ve found the original movie filming location. This page on the restaurant website provides photos and information about the movie.
Hippie Fish has a huge, open-air terrace offering views of the beach, bay and beyond. Besides sushi, the restaurant serves Greek cuisine, as did the traditional taverna that occupied the space when Shirley Valentine was filmed here, but I don’t think you’ll find chips and eggs on the menu.
A view of the narrower, southern stretch of Agios Ioannis beach, below the Saint John Mykonos luxury resort. I shot this pic from atop the rocky point that divides the shoreline in half.
If you feel the urge to talk to a rock, you’ll find that the ones on the beach below the Saint John resort are the best listeners.
Manoulas Mykonos Beach Resort, partway up the hill behind Agios Ioannis beach, is where some of the scenes from Shirley Valentine were filmed
This is a video I shot at Agios Ioannis beach in May 2012
This is a short video I shot at the beach in May 2011.
A trailer for the 1989 Shirley Valentine film, starring Pauline Collins
From YouTube, more scenes from the Shirley Valentine movie
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Our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos
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.
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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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Naxos: Our Destination of the Year for 2013
This vantage point on Stelida mountain offers a breathtaking view toward Naxos Town and the rugged mountains rising behind it on the northeast side of St George’s Bay. Click on the photo to view a larger image.
Favourite destination: As 2013 draws to a close and the winter days and nights keep getting colder, we’re already thinking ahead to spring and trying to decide which places we might visit in Greece on our next vacation. We’re also thinking about the two holidays we took this past year. In fact, we’re still sorting out the thousands of photos and dozens of videos we shot on the trips. It might take me all winter to upload the pictures to the MyGreeceTravelBlog Flickr page!
Our 2-week May vacation took us to three islands — Mykonos, Ios, and Naxos — as well as to Glyfada and the Apollo coast southeast of Athens on the Greek mainland. For our return holiday in October, we expected to visit two islands, but wound up spending 12 days on Naxos alone, followed by two days in Glyfada and Athens.
We had a terrific time everywhere we went, but we just can’t stop talking about how much we loved Naxos. We had enjoyed the island during holidays in 2005, 2006 and 2009, but this year were pleasantly surprised by the great extent to which Naxos won our hearts and admiration.
Family, friends and acquaintances have always asked which place in Greece we like the most, and until now we had to say that several islands shared that honour, since we didn’t have a hands-down favourite. But that has changed. After two fabulous trips to Naxos in 2013, we’ll be telling people it’s our #1 place to visit in Greece.
So why do we like Naxos so much, and why have we picked it as Destination of the Year for 2013?
So much to see and do
The main reason is that Naxos offers visitors an extensive variety of activities and attractions. Even though we have now been there five separate times, we feel like we’ve only just scratched the surface, leaving plenty more new things to see and do on future visits.
Naxos is one of those rare places that has wide appeal for virtually every kind of traveller — singles, couples or families, the young and old alike, food lovers, history and nature buffs, and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
The island is easy to reach on direct Olympic Air flights from Athens, and is connected to the city and to other islands in the Cyclades by regular car and passenger ferry service. Once you’re there, an array of accommodations await, from camping and basic rooms to self-catering studios, luxury villas, hotels and resorts. There’s an equally diverse selection of cafés, restaurants and shopping, plus bars, clubs and concert performances for visitors seeking nightlife and cultural entertainment.
For those fascinated by history and archaeology, the island boasts numerous museums and scores of monuments and ruins. Sightseers can easily spend days exploring vibrant and historic Naxos Town, visiting the island’s many charming mountain villages and settlements, or photographing the stunning Naxian scenery and sunsets.
Active travellers can hike dozens of footpaths and trails or go mountain biking (either on their own, or on organized group excursions), while water sports enthusiasts can swim, snorkel, windsurf, kitesurf, sail or dive to their hearts’ content at the island’s many outstanding beaches.
And for tourists who want to see how other Greek islands compare, daytrips are available to Delos, Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Amorgos, Koufonissi and Iraklia, while private boat tours, sunset cruises and fishing expeditions can be arranged as well.
In the weeks to come, I’ll be telling you a lot more about Naxos, and will be posting hundreds of photos of this beautiful and amazing island. Keep checking back to see why MyGreeceTravelBlog.com has selected Naxos as Destination of the Year for 2013!
The medieval-era kastro (castle) dominates the skyline of Naxos Town, seen here from a wide sandy beach on the south side of Agios Georgios Bay
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Warming up with a walk along Mylopotas beach
An early evening view of Mylopotas beach on Ios
Warmer times: It’s bitterly cold outside right now and I’m huddling indoors, fighting a stubborn head cold and trying to keep myself warm.
But instead of wrapping myself in a thick woolly blanket, I’m making myself feel warmer by looking through photos and videos from our Greek Island holidays in May and October of this year.
And some images that really gave me a boost today were from Mylopotas beach on Ios back on May 19.
It had been a sunny and hot day, and we had already done a lot of walking around the island. But in early evening we were doing even more, taking a stroll on the golden sands of gorgeous Mylopotas beach, which was almost empty of people at the time. The sound of waves washing against the shore was incredibly soothing and relaxing.
Below is a brief videoclip I shot while I walked on the sand around 7 p.m. Remembering how warm it was at the time helped me forget about my cold for awhile. I hope it helps you warm up a bit if you’re in a cold part of the world right now, too.
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Pic of the day: St George’s beach on Naxos
We just got home from a 2-week visit to Naxos a few days ago. We’re suffering tremendous jet lag, and really miss being in gorgeous Greece, but at least we have thousands of photos we can view to take our mind off the miserable fall weather at home. I’ll be sharing many of those pictures with you in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, I can summarize Naxos in just one word: Amazing!
