Stone walls enclose a private villa on a hillside above Grikos Bay on Patmos
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Mykonos Island “when no one’s watching” from Andreas Bekas on Vimeo.
Mention Mykonos, and most people instantly imagine sun-scorched rocky hills; crescent-shaped beaches packed end-to-end with people partying under searing sunshine; throngs of tourists swarming the iconic windmills on the hill near Little Venice; gigantic cruise ships docking at both of the island’s ports; and luxurious private yachts dropping anchor in almost every bay. That’s a fairly accurate image of what the island is like during the peak travel months of July and August.
But Mykonos has a completely different look during winter when the island’s 10,000 residents have the beaches and monuments entirely to themselves. The hillsides are verdant with winter flowers and greenery; the quiet beaches are empty of people, lounge chairs and umbrellas; and there’s nary a soul to be seen near the windmills or on the seaside at Little Venice.
Spectacular video by Andreas Bekas
In his spectacular time-lapse video Mykonos Island: When no one’s watching, photographer Andreas Bekas captures the Mykonos landscape in moments of peace, quiet, solitude and colour that few tourists ever get to see.
The 2.5-minute video opens with striking sunrise views of the Agios Iakovos chapel near Agios Sostis (which I profiled in a June 10 2013 post), and features scenes including: the five windmills at Alefkandra; the Armenistis lighthouse; the Bonis windmill on the hill above Mykonos Town; vast expanses of green countryside; the blissfully empty beaches at Paraga, Kalfatis and Panormos; the remarkable Paraportiani Church; and a moody view of the Little Venice seafront. The clip concludes with an aerial view of an eerily quiet Mykonos Town and harbourfront at sunset; a star-filled sky above a rustic dovecoat; and tall green grass rustling in wind.
Makes me wish I could take a winter trip to Mykonos!
The Knights of St John established the magnificent Palace of the Grand Master of Rhodes during the 14th Century. Situated in the medieval city of Rhodes, the palace occupies a site where a Byzantine fortress originally had been built in the 7th Century. The Grand Master’s palace is one of more than 30 major museum and archaeological attractions in Greece that will operate under new extended hours from April 1 to October 31 in 2014.
Don’t rush: The Greek Ministry of Culture has some good news for travellers who like to take their time while visiting museums and exploring archaeological sites — hours of operation are being extended for more than 30 of the country’s top attractions.
From April 1 until October 31, archaeological sites including Olympia, Delphi, Epidaurus, Mycenae and Mystras, plus the Acropolis in Athens, will be open to the public from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day.
The longer opening hours for the historic sites, and for a number of important museums in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes and other locations, were announced this week. They are among a series of initiatives that the Culture Ministry is undertaking to enhance and update the visitor experience in Greece. The other improvements, which will be rolled out later this year, include installation of Wi-Fi networks, the design of mobile virtual tour applications, and the launch of an e-ticketing system for entrance to museums and archaeological sites.
Greece anticipates record tourist traffic in 2014
The extended hours couldn’t come at a better time: Greece is expecting a record number of tourist visits in 2014 — over 18.5 million, to be precise.
The longer hours will be particularly appreciated by cruise ship visitors, whose tight time schedules in the past have forced them to rush through major sites, or miss seeing them altogether.
The extended hours apply to a total of 33 sites and museums which account for more than 95 per cent of visits to Greek historical attractions. One of the monuments, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, will remain open until sunset each day.
Here is the complete list of attractions that will offer longer hours of operation:
◊ the archaeological site of the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Ancient Agora in Athens;
◊ the archaeological site of the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion;
◊ the Olympieion — Arch of Hadrian;
◊ the archaeological site of Epidaurus;
◊ the archaeological site of Mycenae;
◊ the archaeological site of Olympia and the archaeological museum at Olympia;
◊ the archaeological site of Delphi and the archaeological museum of Delphi;
◊ the archaeological site of the Royal Tombs of Vergina and the archaeological museum of Vergina;
◊ the archaeological site and museum at Delos island near Mykonos;
◊ the archaeological site of Akrotiri Thera on Santorini;
◊ the archaeological site of Lindos on Rhodes;
◊ the archaeological site of Asklepieio on Kos;
◊ Ancient Kamiros on Rhodes;
◊ the archaeological museum of Rhodes;
◊ the archaeological site of Knossos on Crete;
◊ the archaeological site of Phaistos on Crete;
◊ Cave of Psychro on Crete;
◊ the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth;
◊ the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes;
◊ the Ancient Castle of Kos;
◊ the archaeological site of Mystras;
◊ Spinalonga on Crete;
◊ Corfu Castle;
◊ the archaeological site of Palamidi;
◊ the archaeological museum of Heraklion on Crete;
◊ the archaeological museum of Thessaloniki;
◊ the Byzantine & Christian Museum in Athens;
◊ the National Archaeological Museum in Athens;
◊ the White Tower Museum in Thessaloniki; and
◊ the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki.
The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion will remain open until sunset each day from April 1 to October 21.
A view toward Tsikalario and Himmaros, just two of many scenic mountain villages on Naxos island
Visitor favourite: Looks like we have plenty of company in recommending Naxos as an outstanding Greek Island holiday destination — it has been rated the Number 6 island in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2014 Traveler’s Choice Awards.
Naxos is the only Greek island to crack the Top 10 list of the world’s best islands, a ranking based on reviews posted by the tens of millions of travellers who participate on TripAdvisor.com each year.
Basking in the glory of the #1 ranking is Ambergris Caye, the largest island in Belize, which also took first place last year. Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos islands claimed the #2 spot, while Bora Bora in the Society Islands came 3rd.
We have been to Providenciales and, though we enjoyed it, we can’t understand how it ranked higher than Naxos in the Top 10 list. Although it does boast spectacular white sand beaches, superb restaurants and some incredible luxury resorts and rental accommodations, it doesn’t have a fraction of the attractions and activities awaiting visitors to Naxos.
Only seven weeks ago, MyGreeceTravelBlog named Naxos as our Destination of the Year for 2013, based on two fantastic visits to the island in May and October of last year. See our January 16 post, Our Top 15 reasons to visit Naxos, for dozens of photos and a wealth of information explaining why Naxos is a must-see destination.
And while you’re at it, check out TripAdvisor’s list of the top attractions on Naxos. Also based on traveller reviews, the list includes beaches, museums, monuments, churches, sports facilities and activities.
Greek Islands dominate list of Europe’s 10 best
Naxos ranked much higher on TripAdvisor’s list of the Top 10 islands in Europe, clinching 2nd place (behind Lewis & Harris in the Outer Hebrides). Four other Greek islands made the list and confirmed that, with five islands in the world’s best 10, Greece is indisputably the top island destination in Europe.
Milos took 5th place, followed by Kefalonia in 6th and Santorini in 7th. Paros picked up 10th place.
An evening view of Thalassitra Church and the Gulf of Milos, as seen from a pathway leading to the kastro (castle) above Plaka village. TripAdvisor has rated Milos as the #5 island in Europe.
