Category: Ios (page 3 of 7)

Our best hotel experiences of 2013

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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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Warming up with a walk along Mylopotas beach

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The golden sands of Mylopotas beach on Ios

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.

 

 

 

Pic of the day: Three windmills on Ios

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Three windmills on a hillside above Chora village on Ios

A row of windmills on a hillside above Chora village on Ios

 

 

Pic of the day: A white cat on blue steps

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a cat on Ios island

A cat on Ios watches passersby from a staircase painted in the bold white and blue colours of the Greek flag

 

Mild to wild watersports in the Cyclades

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tubing at Mylopotas beach

Thrillseekers take a wild tube ride at Mylopotas beach on Ios

 

 

Take the tube: Going for a swim in the sea is the time-honoured traditional way to cool off and seek some relief from the searing summer sun in Greece. Activities on the water can help beat the heat, too, with tube rides and sports like kitesurfing and wakeboarding offering a wet ‘n’ wild workout for people seeking a much more active and exciting adventure.

But if you’re too timid to skim across the sea under sail or motor power, you can still have a blast watching a novice try one of the sports for the first time, observing experienced participants honing their skills, or seeing a professional make even the most difficult maneuvers look almost effortless.

Windsurfing, canoeing, sea kayaking, sailing, and stand up paddle boarding (SUP) are among the mainstream watersports offered at beaches on some of the islands in the Cyclades (as well as in other island groups and many places along the coast of the Greek mainland).

For people seeking more speed and excitement, alternative activities include jet skiing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, water tubing and banana boat rides. In some locations, kite surfing is available for enthusiasts eager to experience the thrills and adrenalin rush of an extreme water sport.

 

A kitesurfer skims across the choppy sea off Agios Prokopios beach at Naxos on May 23 2013

Mountains on nearby Paros island provide a backdrop to this kitesurfer skimming the choppy surf off Agios Prokopios beach on Naxos

 

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Pic of the day: The Gialos port area of Ios

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Looking down on the Gialos port and harbour area of Ios island from the footpath to Chora village

Part of the Gialos port and harbour area of Ios, as seen from a vantage point on the footpath to Chora. Click the photo to see a full-size image.

 

Pic of the day: A geranium gateway on Ios

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a gate on Ios

Brilliant red geraniums extend a colourful welcome at the entrance to a private home on the hillside above Gialos port on Ios island

 

Pic of the day: An island village full of fruit

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fruit store sign on Ios

This colourful sign hanging outside a food market on Ios depicts Chora (the island’s main village) bursting with fresh fruit. Below is a photo of Chora that I shot during our visit to Ios in May of this year.

 

 

Chora village on Ios

 

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