MyGreeceTravelBlog.com
Photos & memories from our trips to Athens, the Peloponnese, mainland Greece & Greek Islands — plus profiles of places we would love to visit

Greece holiday 2010: Kos

A giant wave of bougainvillea cascades over a stone wall in Kos Town

Starting point: Kos wasn’t on our travel radar for 2010 until I discovered it would be the easiest (that is, the fastest) island to get to after our overnight flight from Canada arrived in Athens. And when I realized it would be a convenient starting point for island hopping to Patmos and Samos, two islands we really wanted to see, I immediately booked two tickets to Kos on Aegean Airlines.

We spent only three nights on Kos, but that gave us enough time to relax and recover from jet lag, explore colourful Kos Town, and spend a day bicycling around, visiting the Tigaki area and the Asklepieion. (We had hoped we’d have time to take a day excursion to Bodrum, Turkey, but it just didn’t work out.)

Things we liked the most about Kos:

The ruins. At home, we can’t walk very far without passing a Tim Horton’s coffee shop or a McDonald’s. In Kos Town, you can’t walk very far without encountering historic ruins and monuments from centuries past, like the castle overlooking the harbour.

Cycling: Kos is a great island for bike riding! There are dedicated bicycle lanes on some of the main streets in Kos Town, and it’s an easy bike ride to some of the island’s beach areas, including Tigaki. We also rode the bikes to see the Asklepieion, rather than take the little tourist choo-choo train that makes regular trips from Kos Town.

What we liked the least about Kos:

We knew Kos would be extremely touristy and commercial, but we didn’t expect to be hounded and hassled as much as we were whenever we walked past restaurants in Kos Town, or strolled along the harbour past the excursion tour boats. I couldn’t begin to count the number of times restaurant staff actually came running — and I do mean running! — out to the street to urge us to stop in for a meal. Some even followed us part way down the street, with one fellow actually pestering us for nearly two blocks! It happened so often it was ridiculous, not to mention extremely annoying.

At some future date I hope to post a more detailed report of our short visit to Kos. In the meantime, you can find plenty of information about Kos at the kosinfo.gr website and on travel-to-kos.com.

We stayed at the St Constantine Hotel in Kos Town. Convenient location, pleasant & helpful staff, decent breakfast, OK room

It took about 15 minutes to walk along this street to get from the St Constantine Hotel into the heart of Kos Town. The street is lined with shops, tavernas and cafes all the way.

Colourful fishing boats and tour boats in Kos Town harbour

A huge church in Kos Town

Tavernas and shops on the street leading to the big church

The view toward Kos Town harbour from one of the beaches just a short walk away from the St Constantine Hotel

Colourful lounge chairs and umbrellas on one of the Kos Town beaches

Palm trees line Finikon Avenue outside the Castle of Neratzia in Kos Town

Inside the Castle of Neratzia at Kos Town

Inside the Castle of Neratzia in Kos Town

A street in Kos Town

There are archaeological ruins in Kos Town practically everywhere you walk

More archaeological ruins in Kos town

Mary’s House restaurant in Kos Town, where we had an amazing dinner — friendly hosts and an absolutely wonderful food!

The bicycles we rented to explore Kos, seen here at a stop along the coast during our ride to Tigaki and the Asklepieion

Tall grasses near the coast on the way to Tigaki

Vegetation on dunes near the beach at Tigaki on Kos

Lounge chairs along one of the sandy beaches near Tigaki

The Asklepieion ruins near Kos Town

The view toward Kos Town and Bodrum Turkey from the hillside at the Asklepieion

Fishing boats in Kos Town harbour

May 10, 2011
Things I love about Greece: There’s always a great place to experience a Shirley Valentine moment

Gazing toward Tinos island from Semeli bar at Little Venice, Mykonos

Seaside drinks and dining: One of the things I love most about Greece, especially in the Islands, are the bars and tavernas with seaside tables. I always find it soothing and refreshing to enjoy a drink or meal while sitting just a few feet, or even mere inches, from the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea. Gazing toward nearby islands, watching the waves, or savouring a spectacular sunset comforts and re-invigorates me. Experiencing my own “Shirley Valentine moment” is always a highlight of my holidays in Greece. Probably because it’s something I can never enjoy at home, unfortunately.

Although my home city, Toronto, has an extensive waterfront along Lake Ontario, there are precious few lakeside restaurants where you can enjoy an alcoholic drink or restaurant meal while overlooking the water and the Toronto Islands. In fact, you could probably count on one hand the number of dining spots that are within a stone’s throw of the water here. And most of those are situated side-by-side on just one outdoor terrace at Harbourfront’s Queen’s Quay Terminal, about 50 feet from the water’s edge (which usually isn’t even visible if any of the big Toronto harbour cruise boats happen to be in port at the time; they block most views of the water from all the restaurant patios). In Toronto, you just can’t enjoy food or beverages any closer to the water’s edge unless it’s fast food takeout or a picnic lunch you’ve lugged along.

The fact there are barely any harbourfront bars or restaurants in Canada’s biggest city is completely pathetic in itself, but what’s worse is our province’s incredibly antiquated and Puritanical liquor laws. Here in Ontario, we’re allowed to consume alcoholic beverages on outdoor restaurant patios only if the terrace is completely enclosed by a fence or barricade of some sort. If you ever dared to move a table and chair to the water’s edge, and sat down with a beer or glass of wine, you’d get charged with a provincial liquor law violation, while the restaurant would be fined and probably get its liquor licence suspended, if not revoked altogether. And if they served you any food, city health inspectors would probably shut down their kitchen.

But in Greece, you won’t risk getting a criminal record if you drink a glass of wine or a bottle of Mythos at the seaside, and the taverna that serves you won’t be shut down by the authorities. And that’s exactly the way it should be.

Paradiso Taverna has tables under a tree on the golden sand of Maragas beach (near Plaka beach) on Naxos.

These tables at a taverna in Little Venice in Mykonos Town sit only a few feet from the water’s edge, and offer incredible sunset views…

…if the tables were any closer to the sea, diners would get their feet wet!

Harbourside tables at Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

An overhead view of Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

From the harbourside tables at Babulas Taverna, Tinos island is faintly visible across the sparkling waters of the Aegean Sea

Harbourside tavernas in the scenic village of Kokkari on Samos

Tables sit barely more than a meter from the water’s edge at dozens of bars and restaurants in Kokkari on Samos

Katina’s fish taverna at Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

Seaside tables at Sunset Taverna at Santorini’s Amoudi Bay

A table right next to the water at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

Oasis taverna has tables right on the sandy beach at Grikos Bay on Patmos

Meltemi beach bar in the port town of Skala on Patmos

Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos island

Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos

Taverna tables beside the beach at Agia Anna on Naxos

Views of the famous Mykonos windmills from a seaside bar in Little Venice

Seaside cocktail bars at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Sun-soaked Semeli cocktail bar at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Tables right at the water’s edge at a Little Venice cocktail bar in Mykonos Town

A table beside the water at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

Sunsets, sailboats and cruise ships are all part of the view from the bars and tavernas along the seaside at Little Venice on Mykonos

Tables overlooking the harbour at the village of Kokkari on Samos

May 8, 2011
Mykonos: My first and favourite Greek island

Waves rolling ashore in the scenic Little Venice area of Mykonos Town

Feels like home: Once my partner and I had decided we were going to travel to Greece for the first time, we couldn’t decide which islands to visit. We were going to be travelling on a package tour, and had a huge variety of itinerary options. Most of the island hopping packages scheduled Mykonos as the first stop, but we weren’t all that keen on going there. We had heard that Mykonos is a wild and crazy island where people party in the streets and on the beaches 24/7. We wanted a restful, relaxing holiday, and didn’t relish the idea of not being able to sleep off our jet lag because noise from non-stop partying might keep us awake. But our travel agent promised that Mykonos wasn’t anything like we’d heard, and she urged us to go. “I know you’re going to come back and tell me you loved it,” she insisted. Somewhat reluctantly, we agreed to include Mykonos, and headed to Greece.

We arrived at Mykonos after dark, following a gruelling full day of travel. (It took nearly 24 hours from the time we left our home in Toronto until the moment we walked into our hotel room on Mykonos.) It was the last weekend in May, but when the crew opened the doors of the highspeed ferry once it had docked at the new port on Mykonos, we got blasted by a strong cold wind. We had been expecting Mykonos to be as hot as central Athens had been during our afternoon wait for the ferry, so the bone-chilling winds at the Mykonos port took us completely by surprise.

The shuttle bus ride from the port to our hotel — the Myconian Ambassador at Platis Gialos beach — was largely a blur, since the driver raced along the island’s twisting, hilly roads at breakneck speed. I recall seeing a Starbucks somewhere along the road, but didn’t recognize anything else. I was relieved when we got to the hotel without crashing, but was disappointed that we couldn’t see what the Platis Gialos area looked like because it was so dark. I kept my fingers crossed, hoping we would like what we saw when we woke up the next morning.

In my case, that was around 4 a.m. I peeked out the doors to our small balcony but couldn’t see much, so I went back to sleep. Sometime around 5 I awoke once more, hearing roosters crowing somewhere close by. I took another look outside and could see whitewashed buildings below us (the hotel is built up the side of a hill), but in the hazy pre-dawn light I still couldn’t tell if Platis Gialos was as nice as our travel agent said it would be. So I went back to bed for a few hours. When we finally got up and opened the balcony doors, we were thrilled to see a brilliant sunny morning and jaw-dropping gorgeous views not just of Platis Gialos beach and bay, but also nearby Psarou beach and bay. Just as the travel agent had predicted, we loved what we saw. We couldn’t have asked for a better welcome to Mykonos!

Below are several photos showing the views from our hotel room at the Myconian Ambassador. More photos of the hotel can be viewed in the Myconian Ambassador Hotel album on the mygreecetravelblog.com Facebook page.

The view from the balcony for our room at the Myconian Ambassador Hotel, overlooking the Platis Gialos beach resort area of Mykonos

The view to the far left, in the direction of nearby Paranga beach

The buildings below are hotels, many of which sit alongside Platis Gialos beach

Rows of rental loungers and umbrellas line most of the length of Platis Gialos beach

The hotel sits on a steep hill, but the walk to the beach takes only five minutes

A path winds above the coast from Platis Gialos to the rocky peninsula, passing small coves and inlets as well as a sandy crescent-shaped beach visible in the photo. From there, the path continues to Paranga beach.

Most days there were at least two private yachts anchored in Platis Gialos bay

From our balcony, the view to the right takes in much of Psarou bay, where several more luxury yachts are anchored

Mykonos has been a favourite destination of the affluent jet set for decades, and Psarou beach is one of their favourite places to see and be seen

Two luxury yachts at anchor in Psarou Bay

A sleek yacht anchored in Psarou Bay

A yacht anchored in the bay near Platis Gialos

A view of Platis Gialos from the far end of the beach, on the way to Paranga beach

Looking toward Platis Gialos from the coastal path leading to Paranga beach

May 6, 2011
Greece is: Spectacular scenery. Beautiful beaches. Charming villages. Stunning sunsets. Historic ruins. Picturesque churches. Amazing Athens. And more…

The imposing Kastro (castle) towers above whitewashed mountainside houses in Chora, the main village on Astipalea island

Look familiar? This blue-domed Church in Firostefani village on Santorini has been pictured on countless postcards, posters, travel brochures and websites.

Sunbeds at popular Elia Beach on Mykonos overlook the sparkling Aegean Sea

Spectacular cliff scenery on the north side of Folegandros island

The Panagia Church on Folegandros sits high above the island`s main village, Chora

Syrmata (fishermens houses) in the seaside village of Klima on Milos

A Cycladic-style house overlooking Agios Prokopios beach on Naxos

The Venetian fortress next to the old harbour at Iraklion on Crete

No sandy beach? No worries! In the Greek Islands, there’s literally thousands of miles of coastline with secluded coves and inlets…

…and countless more great spots to relax in the sun, fish, play or swim in the sea, like this rocky point near Kalithea Bay on Rhodes

Historic archaeological ruins on the hillside and seaside below Mt Kynthos on sacred Delos island

The “Little Venice” area of Mykonos Town is a perenially popular spot for tourists to enjoy a cocktail while watching a spectacular sunset…

…like this one, viewed from the Little Venice seaside

The Portara (Temple of Apollo) is one of the symbols of Naxos island…

…and a popular spot for tourists to visit for sunset viewing

A tourist sketches at the Knossos Palace ruins on Crete

A view over the volcano island (Nea Kameni) off Santorini at sunset

Not a soul in sight on the soft sands of Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

or on the soft sands of Achivadolimni Beach on Milos…

…or at Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos…

…while the people in this boat have the sparkling waters of this entire quiet bay all to themselves on Milos

Fira, the bustling main town on the immensely popular island of Santorini

The white cliffs at Kleftiko on Milos

Part of the long sandy beach at Ammoudara near Iraklion on Crete…

…and looking to the right along the same stretch of Ammoudara beach

Looking toward Mykonos Town from the northwest tip of Mykonos island

Some of the hillside hotels and houses overlooking Mykonos Town

Elia beach on Mykonos island

Beach chairs and umbrellas on Elia Beach at Mykonos

Windmills in the village of Chora on Astipalea island

The medieval castle in Rhodes Town on Rhodes

The mountainside village of Filoti on Naxos island

Going for an early morning sail on calm seas off Milos island

Chora, the mountaintop village on Astipalea island

Mountains in the distance off Vathi Bay on Samos

Naxos Town, the bustling main port town on Naxos Island

A rabbit shaped rock formation in the sea off Milos island

Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos

Temple of Apollo at the Asklepieion on Kos

Looking down on Super Paradise Beach on Mykonos

Waves crash against the rugged coast below the Chapel of Seven Martyrs on Sifnos

Amoudi Bay below the village of Oia on Santorini

Beautiful Agriolivadi Bay on Patmos

Pelicans, like these two seen waiting for a fish dinner at ever-popular Niko’s Taverna in Mykonos Town, are famous mascots of Mykonos island…

…while the incomparable Paraportiani Church is another Mykonos landmark

Seagulls trail a fishing boat as it returns to port at Egali on Amorgos

The village of Kastro on Sifnos

On Amorgos, the spectacular 900-year-old Chozoviotissa Monastery is carved into the face of a cliff, 300 meters above the sea

May 6, 2011
The gods are waiting!

An Air Canada billboard on Church Street in downtown Toronto

Travel reminder: Greece is always on my mind. It’s my favourite travel destination, and I constantly think about the places I’ve enjoyed exploring in Greece — plus the many, many more parts of the country I hope to visit some day. So when I see ads like the ones Air Canada has plastered on billboards in my neighbourhood and other parts of downtown Toronto, I immediately want to hop on the next flight to Athens! Fortunately, I booked my next flight to Greece months ago, so it’s just a matter of time before I get to go back. But the wait is practically killing me!

May 5, 2011