Category: Cyclades islands

  • The most colourful hotel in the Cyclades

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    Sun of Mykonos Studios

    Eye-popping colours greet guests at the Sun of Mykonos Studios in the Klouvas area of Mykonos island, as this image from the studios’ Facebook page illustrates

     

     

    Kaleidoscope of colour: A brightly painted hotel on Mykonos catches plenty of attention from motorists driving the highway from Mykonos Town to Ano Mera village and many of the island’s famous beaches.

    With its bold red, blue, orange, yellow and green doors, shutters, handrails and decor accents, along with landscaped grounds bursting with brilliant bougainvillea blooms, geraniums and other flowers, Sun of Mykonos Studios is a veritable kaleidoscope of colour that turns the heads of many people passing by on the island’s busy main highway.

    But I’m surprised that its reasonable rates don’t stop more people in their tracks or draw a waiting list a mile long.

    Although Mykonos is one of the most expensive tourist destinations in Greece, Sun of Mykonos offers 35 air conditioned studios at amazingly affordable rates.

    From September 1 to 15 of this year, for example, the standard nightly rate for a double room was €40, while a triple was €60 and an apartment for 4 persons was just €80. Even in August, which is the ultimate peak season for travel to the Greek Islands, a room was still available for €85 per night.

     

    Sun of Mykonos Studios

    The Sun of Mykonos Studios has a swimming pool with sunbeds and a poolside bar. The property is only 900 meters from Ftelia beach.

     

     

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  • Pic of the day: A church path on Sifnos

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    Chapel of the Seven Martyrs on Sifnos island

    A stone path leads up a hill to the Chapel of the Seven Martyrs, situated on a windy peninsula below Kastro village on Sifnos

     

     

  • Video visit: Apiranthos village on Naxos

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     This Apiranthos travel video runs nearly two and a half minutes. It was posted online by YouTube member naxosislandtv.

     

    Marble & museums: When we visited Naxos in 2006, we rented a car so we could do one of the much-recommended round-the-island drives and visit some of the scenic mountain villages — including Apiranthos — along the way. We wound up seeing far less than we expected, thanks to the weather.

    When we picked up the car shortly after breakfast, it was already 29 degrees Celsius (84 F).  By the time we reached the mountain village of Filoti, the temperature was in the mid-30s, and we felt like we were going to melt after only a few minutes of walking around. We got back in the air conditioned comfort of the car and headed on, planning to stop at Apiranthos, but as we approached the village the dashboard thermometer showed it was a scorching 38 degrees outside. There was no way we could drag ourselves around the village in that heat, so we didn’t even bother getting out of the car and just kept on going. We eventually stopped at the Apollonas coastal resort area, where it was only marginally cooler at the seaside.

     

    Marble architecture & four museums

    It was a huge disappointment not to see Apiranthos, which we’d heard is one of the most beautiful villages on the island. Boasting marble buildings and marble-paved streets and squares, along with four museums (the Archaeological Museum, Folk Art Museum, Geological Museum and Museum of Natural History), the medieval village certainly sounded like a place we would enjoy. We thought we would get there during our next Naxos visit, in 2009, but we didn’t rent a car that trip and never made it to Apiranthos.  We didn’t have a car during our brief stop in Naxos in May of this year, either, so the village remains on our Naxos “must-see” list.

    With luck, we might finally get to see it when we return to Naxos next month. If we do make it there, you’ll see our photos (and maybe some videos, too) here on the blog. In the meantime, check out the videoclip above for a quick peek at the scenic village.

     

  • 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

     

  • Flipping over Firostefani & cartwheeling above the caldera: Art of Motion event returns to Santorini

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    Red Bull Art of Motion Santorini 2013

    The spectacular Santorini caldera scenery provides a breathtaking backdrop for amazing acrobatic maneuvers by freerunners Ryan Doyle and Bartje van der Linden. Extreme photographer Predrag Vuckovic captured the pair in midair action at Andronis Luxury Suites in Oia during a photo shoot to promote this Saturday’s Red Bull Art of Motion 2013 competition

     

     

    Santorini somersaults: Whenever I book a trip to Greece, I practically bounce off walls with excitement. The thrill of returning to my favourite holiday destination is so strong, I almost have to restrain myself from jumping for joy, shouting from rooftops and turning cartwheels in the street.

    Coincidentally, that’s exactly what 18 acrobatic athletes will actually be doing on Santorini this coming Saturday afternoon as they participate in the third annual Red Bull Art of Motion 2013 freerunning championship.

    Cheered on by thousands of spectators, the young competitors will jump, flip, roll and hurl themselves over roofs, walls, streets and steps on the cliffside of Firostefani village while a panel of judges scores their tricks, stunts and style.

    Freerunning is an artistic offshoot of the sport of parkour. Freerunners, also known as urban body artists, creatively express themselves by running, vaulting, tucking, twisting and rolling over objects in their path — which, in Firostefani, will include a series of whitewashed cliffside hotel buildings, steps, paths and walls.

    The Art of Motion event was first held on Santorini in 2011, and a second championship took place last September.

    This week, competitors were showing off their stunts and style at photoshoots, demonstration events and qualifying rounds held at various places on the island, including the Andronis Luxury Suites in Oia.

     

    Red Bull Art of Motion 2013

    This Red Bull promotional poster illustrates the freerunning course that the Art of Motion competitors will negotiate in Firostefani on Saturday afternoon

     

     

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  • Pic of the day: Chimneys on a Mykonos villa

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    Traditionally designed chimneys rise from the roof of a private villa on Mykonos

    Three traditional Mykonian kapassi (chimneys) rise above a private villa on a hillside high above the Tourlos new port on Mykonos island

     

     

  • Pic of the day: Cool sunbeds on a Naxos beach

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    A row of contemporary wicker lounge chairs at St George's Beach on Naxos

    Definitely not your typical sunbeds! This row of wicker lounge chairs sits on the sand in front of Ippokampos Beach Restaurant at Agios Georgios beach (St George’s Beach) on Naxos. Click on the photo to view a full-size image.