This was one of the impressive sunsets we watched from the seaview terrace of our room at Delfini Hotel in Kamares on Sifnos island
Category: Greek Islands
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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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Wine Enthusiast features Greece’s Aegean Islands on list of top 10 wine travel destinations for 2014
This is just part of the jaw-dropping caldera view that tourists enjoy while visiting SantoWines on Santorini. At upper right is the clifftop village of Imerovigli, while in the distance beyond the cruise ships is the scenic village of Oia. This photo appears in Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s profile of the Greek Aegean Islands as one of 2014’s top wine travel destination.
All about the Assyrtiko: A leading international wine magazine has named Greece’s Aegean Islands as one of the world’s top wine travel destinations for 2014.
The listing by Wine Enthusiast Magazine cites three islands in particular as great places for oenophiles to visit this year: Santorini, Samos and Crete.
“With whitewashed villages that cling to steep hillsides, which drop precipitously toward the deep blue sea, few people think of the Aegean Islands as a wine destination. But if you look carefully, you will see that the island of Santorini is essentially one large farm, Samos has terraced vineyards on Mount Ambelos, and Crete is home to a variety of white and red grapes,” writers Mike DeSimone & Jeff Jenssen observe.
The magazine’s profile of the Aegean Islands wine destinations includes tips on things to see and do, places to dine, where to stay, and of course where to taste the local wine.
It recommends visiting the SantoWines facility on Santorini (seen in the photo above) to taste wines while enjoying the fabulous scenery and watching one of the island’s legendary sunsets.
“In Crete, sit back in a comfortable reclining chair, sample a variety of wines and learn about the history of Greek winemaking at Boutari’s state-of-the-art theater. On Samos, visit the Malagari Winery, part of the Union of Vinicultural Cooperatives of Samos, to sample the local sweet wines and to visit the Samos Wine Museum,” the profile adds.
You can read the full Aegean Island profile, as well as the listings for nine other top wine travel destinations, in the Top Wine Getaways feature on the Wine Enthusiast Magazine website.
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Our best hotel experiences of 2013
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.
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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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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