Tag: Mykonos

  • Greece holiday pic of the day

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    church belltower in Mykonos

    Early evening view of a small church high above the sea on Mykonos

     


  • Greece holiday pic of the day

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    red poppies on a Mykonos hillside

    Red poppies blanket a hillside in the Tagoo area of Mykonos

     


  • Things I love about Greece: Waking up to gorgeous views at hotels in the Greek Islands (Part 6)

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    Tinos island viewed from Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    The swimming pool terrace at Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos offers this view of Tinos island, a short ferry ride from the tip of Mykonos (right)

     

    Oia Santorini viewed from Hotel Hermes on Ios

    On a clear day, we could see the whitewashed clifftop buildings of the renowned Santorini village of Oia from our balcony at Hermes Hotel on Ios

     

    Halara Studios in Plaka on Milos

    Our terrace at Halara Studios in Plaka, on Milos, gave us this sweeping view of the Gulf of Milos and mountains on the western half of the island.

     

    Three islands, three hotels, three superb views: Last month, our 2011 Greek Island holiday took us back to a favourite hotel on an island we have visited more times than any other place in the world; a different hotel on an island we visited back in 2007; and a hotel on an island we had previously seen only from a ferry. All three gave us superb views.

    On Mykonos, we stayed at Hotel Tagoo for the third time in as many visits. We’ve been to Mykonos so often I can practically picture the views with my eyes closed, and I also never forget the scenery from the balconies and public areas at Hotel Tagoo. (If you’ve been following my posts about Greek Islands hotel views, you’ve already seen numerous pictures showing the wonderful views from Hotel Tagoo.) No matter how often I visit, I never get bored of looking at the sea and nearby islands, or the mountains, beaches and coastline of Mykonos itself. For this trip, I requested the same room we stayed in our first time at Hotel Tagoo — the cozy and semi-secluded #19, on the east side of the property — and I was glad it was available for our stay. Although #19 has only a partial sea view, rather than a full-on panoramic sea and island view like many of the rooms positioned at the front of the hotel, I like it because I always sleep exceptionally well in that room. I don’t know why, but I always wake up feeling more refreshed after a night in that particular room than in any other. What’s more, the afternoon sun doesn’t seem as hot or intense on room 19’s terrace, like it does on other balconies, so I can spend more time sitting there without feeling like I’m going to melt.

    After several days on Mykonos we travelled to Ios for the first time. We had “seen” Ios several times before — through the windows of the FlyingCat 4 ferry en route to Santorini — but we had never set foot on it. We stayed at Hermes Hotel in Agios Ioannis, a hillside area high above beautiful Mylopotas beach, and just a short walk from the island’s main town, Chora. Although views from our hotel room balcony were partially obscured by a building in front of us, we could still gaze across the Aegean Sea and, if the skies were clear, see the whitewashed buildings in the village of Oia on Santorini. When we wanted completely unobscured views of Ios scenery, all we had to do was walk up one flight of stairs to the hotel’s breakfast room & bar, which had a comfy outdoor sitting area, or down several flights to the huge sea- and valley-view swimming pool terrace. (The pool was just being cleaned and filled during our visit, so we couldn’t take a swim, but we did enjoy the terrace for suntanning, taking in the scenery, and watching the hotel’s herd of goats in the field below.)

    Our third island stop was Milos, which we had visited once before in September 2007. Last time we stayed at a hotel on the edge of the port town of Adamas; this holiday we wanted a complete change of location and scenery, so we stayed at Halara Studios, which is literally on the edge of the mountaintop village of Plaka, the capital of Milos. Being high up and on the edge meant we had outstanding views of farm fields, the Gulf of Milos, and the mountainous western half of Milos. If our visit had been just a few months later in the summer, we would have enjoyed incredible sunset views from the Halara Studios terrace, too.  Nevertheless, we won’t soon forget the scenery because on our last full day in Milos the island got thrashed by a vicious thunderstorm, and our terrace provided an excellent front-row seat for watching lightning strikes and the dramatic, dark stormclouds swirling over western Milos.

    Below are photos of our views from Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos, Hermes Hotel on Ios, and Halara Studios on Milos.

     

    Donny B at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    Enjoying a glass of wine on the terrace for Room 19 at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

     

    Hotel Tagoo Room 19 terrace

    The cozy terrace for Room 19  sits on the east side of the Hotel Tagoo property

     

    Room 19 terrace at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    Part of the view from the terrace for Room 19 at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos Room 19 view

    The terrace overlooks another nearby hotel and this old stone wall

     

    Room 19 terrace at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    It also overlooks the balcony for the room next door, but still feels fairly private

     

    Hotel Tagoo room terrace view of the sea

    Our terrace at Hotel Tagoo gave us a partial view of the sparkling Aegean Sea …

     

    Hotel Tagoo view of the Aegean Sea

    … which is a gorgeous blue in the morning but takes on a molten silver hue under the blazing afternoon sun. Sunglasses are definitely required to enjoy this view — the sunlight reflection is so intense, it’s almost blinding!

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos views

    A late afternoon view of the sea from one of Hotel Tagoo’s many levels

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos view

    When I’m in the Greek Islands, I enjoy watching cruise ships and ferries come and go … this is a view from the Hotel Tagoo swimming pool terrace of a cruise ship approaching the nearby port of Tourlos (also known as the New Port)

     

    Hotel Tagoo view of Tourlos port on Mykonos

    The hotel’s pool terrace has a good view of ships docked at Tourlos

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos swimming pool view

    This is the view in the opposite direction, looking towards Mykonos Town

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    From the pool deck, my camera can zoom in on three of the famous Mykonos windmills and the Paraportiani Church (right) near Little Venice

     

    The view from Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    Looking straight ahead, there’s a fabulous view of the sea and nearby islands

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos views

    An early morning view from the Hotel Tagoo swimming pool deck

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos swimming pool

    A late afternoon view from the Hotel Tagoo swimming pool deck

     

    Donny B at Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    Enjoying one last look at the view before leaving Hotel Tagoo to travel to Ios

     

    Hotel Hermes balcony view

    At Hermes Hotel on Ios, we could see the Aegean Sea and mountains near Mylopotas beach through our balcony doors

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios Room 2 balcony view

    The balcony for our room (Room #2) gave us this view of the Aegean Sea and a graceful palm tree on the hotel grounds below

     

    Hotel Hermes Room 2 balcony view towards Santorini

    From our Room 2 balcony, our cameras could zoom in on Santorini island

     

    view from the door to Room 2 at Hotel Hermes Ios

    We had this view of the valley when looking out the door to our room

     

    Hotel Hermes main entrance

    Sitting areas outside the Hotel Hermes reception entrance offered excellent views of the sea and parts of Ios; this was a popular place for hotel guests and other people to enjoy the scenery while relaxing with breakfast or a drink

     

    Hotel Hermes seaview cafe and bar deck

    One of the features we loved most about Hotel Hermes was its sea-view outdoor café-bar terrace where we ate breakfast or had an afternoon coffee

     

    Hotel Hermes cafe-bar deck

    Part of the amazing view from the hotel’s café-bar terrace

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios cafe-bar deck

    The café-bar deck was my favourite place to take in the views

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios outdoor cafe-bar terrace

    The café-bar terrace overlooked the sea and nearby valley …

     

    Hotel Hermes view of the road to Chora

    … had this view up the road to Chora, just 10 minutes away by foot …

     

    the hillside between Chora and the Hotel Hermes Ios

    … this view of the upper part of the valley near the hotel …

     

    view from the cafe-bar terrace at Hotel Hermes Ios

    … and this view of the lower valley and the scenic Ios coastline

     

    Cafe-bar terrace view from Hotel Hermes Ios

    Another view of the coastline far below the Hotel Hermes

     

    view from cafe-bar terrace at Hotel Hermes Ios

    The café-bar terrace had this view  of the mouth of Mylopotas Bay …

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios cafe-bar terrace view

    … and this view towards beautiful Mylopotas beach

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios view of Mylopotas beach

    Mylopotas beach is just a 15-minute walk down the hill from Hotel Hermes

     

    Hotel Hermes view of Mylopotas beach

    Another view of Mylopotas beach from the café-bar deck at Hotel Hermes

     

    Hotel Hermes view of Drakos Fish Taverna

    A camera zoom view of our favourite seaside drinking and dining spot at the far end of Mylopotas beach, Drakos Taverna (right)

     

    Hotel Hermes Ios pool deck view

    The swimming pool deck had views toward Santorini (visible under the clouds near the upper left corner of the photo) …

     

    goats at Hotel Hermes Ios

    … and was a great spot to watch the goats roaming the hillside below the hotel

     

    Halara Studios Milos view of western Milos

    On Milos, the front window to our room at Halara Studios gave us this scenic view toward the western half of the island …

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    … while the window next to the kitchenette in our studio gave us this view

     

    Halara Studios terrace view

    However, the long terrace outside our room had the best views of all

     

    Halara Studios Milos

    In the morning, we would enjoy the view with a cup of coffee and, in the evening, savour the scenery while drinking a bottle of wine

     

    Halara Studios view

    When we weren’t hiking around Milos, I spent my time admiring the views

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    This bucolic scene greeted us when we opened the door each morning

     

    Halara Studios Milos

    The hillside below us was lush and green, thanks to wet spring weather

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    Mount Profitis Elias rises 748 meters on the west side of the Gulf of Milos

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    The white building at left is a farmhouse; the other two buildings are churches that we visited during a morning hike to the seaside village of Klima

     

    Halara Studios Milos

    We snapped this photo of Halara Studios while hiking to the churches

     

    Halara Studios Milos

    Our studio was the one with the light blue-coloured window and door on the lower right-hand side, just above the MyGreeceTravelBlog.com logo

     

    house on the hillside in Plaka Milos

    Our terrace view included this hillside house, to our upper left …

     

    houses in Plaka on Milos

    … and this house, just a few feet to the left below our balcony

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    This was the terrace view looking straight ahead across the Gulf of Milos

     

    Halara Studios Milos views

    Right below us is a wide expanse of farm fields on the east side of the Gulf

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    Looking to the right, we could see the west coast of the Gulf of Milos all the way to Cape Vani, the point at the northwest tip of Milos

     

    Halara Studios Milos view

    Some of the mountains along the west coast of the Gulf of Milos

     

    sailboat off the coast of Milos

    A sailboat passes steep rocky cliffs on the west coast of the Gulf of Milos

     

    Cape Vani on the northwest tip of Milos

    I get a kick out of looking at Cape Vani on the northwest tip of Milos because I think it resembles a semi-submerged hippopotamus

     

    view from Halara Studios Milos

    Rays of sunlight stream through clouds above Milos one evening before sunset

     

    Cape Vani on Milos

    A ship passes behind Cape Vani at sunset on May 24 2011

     

    Cape Vani on Milos at sunset

    Another view of Cape Vani at sunset on May 24 2011

     

    stormclouds passing over western Milos

    Dark stormclouds threaten western Milos, but we felt only a few drops of rain before the storm system cleared the region

     

    west coast of the Gulf of Milos

    The west coast of the Gulf of Milos at sunset on May 24 2011

     

    thunderstorm over western Milos

    A severe thunderstorm lashes western Milos on the afternoon of May 27 2011

     

    a thunderstorm over western Milos

    Stormclouds above western Milos on Friday May 27 2011

     

    Halara Studios Milos

    The terrace view I hated to leave when we had to depart for Athens on May 28

     

     

  • Things I love about Greece: Waking up to gorgeous views at hotels in the Greek Islands (Part 4)

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    Fildisi Hotel Astipalea view

    Enjoying the view from our private terrace at Fildisi Boutique Hotel on Astipalea

     

    Return visits: Our 2009 Greece holiday took us to four islands, and on two of those we made return visits to hotels we had stayed at once before. That’s something we rarely do, since we generally prefer to experience new hotel surroundings whenever we return to a destination we’ve already seen. But we had particularly liked both of these hotels, so we were anxious to stay there again.

    Astipalea was our first stop on this particular island hopping holiday, and we stayed at Fildisi Boutique Hotel near Livadi, a peaceful farming valley below the island’s main town, Chora. It was early in the season and the Fildisi had only a handful of guests; in fact, the owner, Elias, was still getting the swimming pool, terrace and some of the other rooms ready for the summer. When Elias picked us up at the Astipalea airport to drive us to the hotel, he said he was upgrading us to the “VIP Suite.” We had no idea what that meant until we arrived and discovered it was a large studio-size room with an enormous two-level private terrace. The spacious room was great, but the jaw-dropping views from the huge deck stole the show. (To be honest, I don’t think there is a bad view from anywhere on the Fildisi property.)

    Amorgos was island destination number two, and we chose Yperia Hotel in Egali, one of two port towns on the island. We were embarrassed when the Yperia’s owner, Antonis, picked us up at the port when we arrived shortly before 7 in the morning on a gargantuan Blue Star Ferry that had left Astiplea at 5.30 with fewer than two dozen passengers. The drive to the Yperia took less than one minute — we could easily have walked there with our suitcases, which we were barely able to squeeze beside us into Antonis’s tiny sedan. (Mind you, there is no sign on the hotel, so we could just as easily have walked right past the place and missed it.) Antonis assigned us a second-floor room right above the hotel reception and breakfast area. It had two balconies that overlooked the hotel swimming pool and gave us views of the Egali ferry pier as well as sunsets over Naxos island. The room also had a window facing the mountainside behind the hotel; it gave us views of Potamos, a picturesque village where had three memorable sunset dinners at the wonderful Kamara Cafe (which, we later learned, is owned and operated by Antonis’s cousin, Christoforos).

    Naxos was our third island, and we returned to the Lianos Village hotel which we had enjoyed in 2006.

    Mykonos was our final stop, and Hotel Tagoo was our hotel choice there for the second year in a row.

    Below are photos of our views at Fildisi Boutique Hotel, Yperia Hotel, Lianos Village and Hotel Tagoo.

     

    Fildisi Boutique Hotel view

    Every room at the Fildisi has this view of Astipalea’s Chora and Kastro (castle)

     

    Fildisi Boutique Hotel

    The private terrace for our “VIP Suite” at the Fildisi Hotel was unbelievably bigger than the hotel room itself.


    Fildisi Hotel terrace

    The top level of the terrace was furnished with this giant canopy shading a teak dining table and chairs, while the lower level had two lounge chairs for sunbathing.

     

    Fildisi Boutique Hotel view

    The enormous terrace offered an incredible panoramic view of the Livadi farming valley, Chora, the Aegean Sea, and a small beach below the hotel

     

    Fildisi hotel Astipalea

    Part of the Livadi valley viewed from our terrace at the Fildisi hotel

     

    Fildisi Hotel Astipalea

    Chora, the coastline and a small beach viewed from our private terrace

     

    Fildisi Hotel Astipalea view

    I never got tired of the view of Chora and the sea

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos

    At the Yperia Hotel in Amorgos, our second-floor room had two balconies. One of them can be seen here, above the hotel entrance and pool terrace

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos

    We could see Egali bay through the door to our balcony

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos balcony view

    This photo, taken from one of our room’s two balconies, shows part of the sea view that we enjoyed from the second balcony

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos

    I enjoyed relaxing on the balcony with an ice cold bottle of Mythos beer or glass of wine after a long day of hiking on Amorgos

     

    Yperia Hotel balcony views

    The balcony was a great spot to watch fishing boats return with their catch …

     

    Yperia hotel balcony view

    … and to watch Greek ferry ships come and go from the pier at Egali port. This was the same big Blue Star ferry that brought us to Amorgos from Astipalea

     

    Yperia hotel room view

    This was our balcony view of the Express Skopelitis ferry arriving at Egali one evening. We rode the Skopelitis to Naxos a few days later; this online album has photos of our journey through the Small Cyclades en route to Naxos.

     

    Yperia hotel swimming pool view

    Our balcony also had this view toward the mouth of Egali Bay

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos

    A window in our room faced homes and hotels on the hillside behind the Yperia …

     

    Yperia Hotel view

    … but also gave us views of Potamos village higher up the mountain

     

    Yperia Hotel Amorgos balcony view

    Best of all were the views from our balcony of sunsets over Naxos

     

    Lianos Village hotel Naxos

    On Naxos, we could view the sea from inside our hotel room at Lianos Village

     

    Lianos Village hotel room balcony

    Our balcony was a nice spot to relax with a glass of wine while enjoying extensive views down the southwest coast of Naxos

     

    Lianos Village Naxos balcony view

    From our balcony we could see Agios Prokopios beach, Agia Anna, beach, Plaka beach, and mountains in the distance behind them

     

    Lianos Village Hotel Naxos

    Palm fronds and colourful flowering plants beside our balcony

     

    Lianos Village balcony view

    Balcony view toward Agios Prokopios beach at the bottom of the hillside

     

    Lianos Village Naxos balcony view

    Another balcony view toward Agios Prokopios beach

     

    Lianos Village hotel swimming pool

    The Lianos Village swimming pool terrace had terrific views of the  southwest Naxos coast and other nearby islands

     

    Lianos Village swimming pool terrace view

    Swimming pool terrace view of the Agios Prokopios resort area of Naxos

     

    Lianos Village swimming pool terrace views

    Another view from the hotel swimming pool terrace

     

    Lianos Village Naxos view

    Another pool terrace view of the island’s southwest coast

     

    Hotel Tagoo balcony view

    This was our balcony view during our second stay at Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos

     

    Hotel Tagoo balcony view

    Another view from our balcony, looking toward the left

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    The Hotel Tagoo pool terrace is a great place to relax in the afternoon sun…

     

    Hotel Tagoo pool deck view

    … or watch cruise ships and ferries come and go from nearby Tourlos port

     

    Hotel Tagoo swimming pool views

    Hotel Tagoo pool deck views in the morning, looking toward the left …

     

    Hotel Tagoo swimming pool views

    … and looking toward the right

     

    Hotel Tagoo at sunset

    A gorgeous Mykonos sunset reflects in Hotel Tagoo’s reception room windows

     

     

     

  • Things I love about Greece: Waking up to gorgeous views at hotels in the Greek Islands (Part 3)

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    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos sunset view

    A dramatic sunset viewed from Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos in September 2007

     

    Sunsets, sea views & windstorms: 2007 was the year we took our first-ever September trip to Greece, breaking a pattern of travelling in mid- to late May or early June.  This particular island-hopping holiday took us to Milos, Sifnos, Folegandros and Mykonos.

    Milos was our first stop; we flew there on an Olympic Airways flight from Athens the same day we arrived in Greece. We stayed at the Santa Maria Village hotel near Adamas, the main port town on Milos. Santa Maria Village is a hillside complex of hotel rooms, suites, apartments and bungalows less than a 15-minute walk from the Adamas harbour. The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Milos, and the balcony to our room had views of the gulf, 748-meter Mt. Profitis Elias and other mountains on the west side of the bay, and Adamas. No sunset views from this location, but we did get to see a spectacular sunset from Utopia bar in Plaka one evening.

    Sifnos was our second destination. We stayed at Hotel Delfini, which sits directly across from the Kamares ferry port on the far side of Kamares Bay. The hotel has a beautiful swimming pool that overlooks Kamares and the bay. In our room, one of the tiniest hotel rooms we’ve stayed in anywhere, the window and the balcony both gave good views straight down the wide bay toward open sea. We saw some brilliant sunsets during our stay — a stroke of luck considering that a bad weather system moved over the Aegean during our first night on Sifnos, bringing cloudy skies and a fierce windstorm that disrupted ferry travel for several days. We actually had to spend one extra night on the island because there were no ferries going anywhere on our scheduled departure day.

    Folegandros was our third stop, and we arrived more than a day late because of the ferry cancellations caused by the weekend windstorm that “stranded” us on Sifnos. We stayed at the Fata Morgana Studios, a small clifftop complex of 14 apartments near the island’s main town, Chora.This place has incredible views, including sunsets! The swimming pool and bar overlook the sea and the mountainous western half of the island, while our balcony gave us even better views — the same breathtaking sea and mountain views, plus sightlines of Chora and the stunning church of Koimisis tis Theotokou (Assumption of the Virgin Mary), perched high on the mountain above the town.

    Mykonos was our final island-hopping destination, and this time we decided to stay close to Mykonos Town, rather than at a beach resort like Elia or Platis Gialos where we had stayed three times before. We chose Hotel Tagoo not only because of its many positive reviews on TripAdvisor.com, but also since it came highly recommended first-hand by some people from Toronto we knew who had stayed there the previous year. (I had recommended the Lianos Village to them for their Naxos visit; they loved it and suggested we try Hotel Tagoo next time we went to Mykonos because it had many similarities and they felt certain we would love it. They were right.)

    We actually got to stay in two different rooms. Our first room was situated on the east side of the Hotel Tagoo complex, with a semi-private partial sea-view terrace that was cozy, comfortable and quiet. We couldn’t watch the sunset from that terrace, but if we wanted to see it, all we had to do was walk a few flights of stairs to the swimming pool and pool bar deck. The panoramic vistas from there are spectacular; on clear days, you can see several other Cyclades islands including Tinos, Syros, Rinia and sometimes even Giaros. As you can imagine, the sunsets look sensational from up there, too. And for our last night on Mykonos, we got to move into a room with a direct sunset view. When guests checked out of one of the hotel’s front-facing rooms earlier in the day, hotel manager Anna asked if we wanted to switch rooms for the night. We did, of course, so we got to watch a brilliant sunset while enjoying a bottle of wine on the comfort of our own terrace. It was the perfect place to spend our final evening on the island!

    Below are photos of our views from the Santa Maria Village on Milos, the Hotel Delfini on Sifnos, the Fata Morgana Studios on Folegandros, and Hotel Tagoo on Mykonos.

    Santa Maria Village hotel balcony view

    This was the view looking straight out from our second-floor hotel room balcony at the Santa Maria Village hotel in Adamas on Milos

     

    Santa Maria Village balcony view

    Directly ahead is the Gulf of Milos, the wide bay that separates the east and west sides of the island

     

    Santa Maria Village balcony view

    Off to the right stands Mount Profitis Elias on the west side of the Gulf of Milos

     

    Santa Maria Village balcony view

    The mountains blocked sunsets from sight at the hotel — but there were many excellent sunset viewing spots in Plaka and Kastro

     

    Santa Maria Village hotel swimming pool

    Our balcony also overlooked the Santa Maria Village swimming pool and bar terrace

     

    Santa Maria Village swimming pool

    The swimming pool and its surrounding terrace had views of the Gulf of Milos …

     

    Santa Maria Village view of Adamas

    … as well as views towards the island’s main port town, Adamas, which was only a 15-minute walk from the hotel along the waterfront

     

    Hotel Delfini Sifnos

    The Hotel Delfini is situated on a hill above Kamares Bay on Sifnos

     

    Hotel Delfini Sifnos

    The Delfini has great views of the mountains that tower above the bay and port…

     

    Hotel Delfini view toward Kamares

    … while parts of the hotel property overlook the port town of Kamares

     

    Hotel Delfini swimming pool

    The Hotel Delfini has a beautiful infinity pool …

     

    Hotel Delfini infinity pool

    that faces straight down Kamares Bay toward the open sea …

     

    Hotel Delfini Sifnos infinity pool

    … has views of the island’s main port town, Kamares …

     

    Delfini Hotel Sifnos sunset view

    … and offers excellent sightlines as the sun sets over the Aegean Sea to the west

     

    Delfini hotel Sifnos sunset view

    Another sunset view from the Hotel Delfini’s infinity pool

     

    Hotel Delfini Sifnos view

    The window in our room overlooked the pool and the hotel’s outdoor restaurant area (under the bamboo roof), and had great views of Kamares Bay

     

    Hotel Delfini balcony view

    Our balcony faced right down Kamares Bay toward the open sea

     

    Kamares Bay on Sifnos

    Our balcony view of the rugged coastline and rocky mountain above Kamares Bay

     

    Delfini Hotel Sifnos sunset view

    Our balcony view of a sunset over the Aegean Sea

     

    Fata Morgana Folegandros

    The swimming pool terrace at Fata Morgana Studios on Folegandros has fantastic views. The island of Paros is visible in the distance in this photo.

     

    Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

    This was part of the view from our terrace at Fata Morgana Studios; I say “part” because the second-floor balcony wrapped around the building, offering wonderful views in several different directions

     

    Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

    We could see the village of Ano Mera on the mountaintop in the distance

     

    Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros views

    Looking straight out to sea from our balcony at Fata Morgana Studios

     

    Fata Morgana Studios

    A sitting area for the pool bar had amazing views of the island, sea and sunset

     

    Fata Morgana Studios

    The sitting area looks surrounded by nothing but deep blue sea

     

    Fata Morgana Studios

    Our balcony also had great views of Chora, the main town on Folegandros

     

    Church of Koimisis tis Theotokou in Folegandros

    This was our balcony view of the Church of Koimisis tis Theotokou at sunset …

     

    Fata Morgana Studios balcony view

    … and this was our view of the moon high above Chora at sunset one evening

     

    Fata Morgana Studios Folegandros

    With all those views, I loved sitting on the balcony when we weren’t hiking around Folegandros (which is one of the best islands for walking)

     

    Hotel Tagoo balcony

    This was the semi-private sea-view terrace for our first room at Hotel Tagoo

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos view

    To the left was this view of the hotel next door to Tagoo. The hillside in the distance is the Apollonia area of Mykonos island.

     

    Hotel Tagoo balcony view

    This was the direct sea view from our second room at Hotel Tagoo

     

    Hotel Tagoo balcony view

    Our balcony overlooked the swimming pool deck for another hotel lower down the hillside in what is known as the Tagoo district of Mykonos

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos views

    The upper levels of Hotel Tagoo offer superb views of the sea and nearby islands

     

    Hotel Tagoo views

    On a clear day, the shimmering sea looks silver under the glare of the blazing sun

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos view

    Standing on the swimming pool deck, two Hotel Tagoo guests watch as a four-masted luxury cruise ship sails out of Mykonos port

     

    Hotel Tagoo swimming pool terrace at sunset

    Guests watch a sunset from the swimming pool terrace at Hotel Tagoo

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos sunset view

    The incredible sunset views make the Hotel Tagoo swimming pool terrace a popular gathering spot for guests each evening

     

  • Greece holiday May 2011: More Mykonos photos

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    Ornos beach

    Ornos Beach on May 17 2011

     

    Mykonos in May: We started our 2011 holiday with a three-night visit to one of our favourite  Greek islands, Mykonos. Here are more photos from one of our island walkabouts.

     

    Hotel Tagoo Mykonos

    The view from Hotel Tagoo in the Tagoo district of Mykonos

     

    Hotel Tagoo swimming pool

    The Hotel Tagoo swimming pool in late afternoon sunshine

     

    Mykonos goats

    Some goats in a field in the Tagoo district of Mykonos

     

    Cycladic architecture on Mykonos

    An example of typical Cycladic architecture on Mykonos: a white cube building with rounded corners

     

    Mykonos Town harbour

    A cruise ship and a private yacht at Mykonos Town’s Old Port

     

    Mykonos Town

    White cube buildings on the hillside above Mykonos Town

     

    Mykonos Town

    A view towards the heart of Mykonos Town

     

    Mykonos Town and harbour

    A view of Mykonos Town’s harbour and the famous windmills at Little Venice

     

    Mykonos archaeological museum

    A red-domed church sits next to the Mykonos Archaeological Museum

     

    Mykonos Town

    The main harbourside street in Mykonos Town

     

    Paraportiani church Mykonos

    Paraportiani church at Little Venice

     

    Little Venice area of Mykonos

    Taking pics on the seaside at Little Venice

     

    seaside cocktail bars at Little Venice

    Enjoying the sea view from the cocktail bars at Little Venice

     

    hotels in Mykonos Town

    Hotels on the Tagoo district hillside above the Old Port

     

    luxury yachts at Mykonos

    Private luxury yachts docked at the Old Port at Mykonos Town

     

    Agia Anna beach

    Agia Anna beach between Platis Gialos and Paranga beaches

     

    Nicholas taverna at Agia Anna beach

    Nicholas taverna at Agia Anna beach

     

    a church near Megali Ammos bay

    A red-domed church overlooking Megali Ammos bay

     

    a cove on Megali Ammos Bay

    A cove below the church overlooking Megali Ammos bay

     

    Megali Ammos bay

    A cruise ship anchored off Mykonos Town viewed from Megali Ammos bay

     

    Megali Ammos beach and bay

    Megali Ammos beach and bay

     

    Megali Ammos beach and bay

    Hotels on the hill above Megali Ammos beach

     

    Joanna's and Niko's Taverna

    Joanna’s and Niko’s Taverna at Megali Ammos beach

     

    Megali Ammos beach and bay

    Megali Ammos beach

     

    Megali Ammos beach

    Megali Ammos beach

     

    Mykonos Bay Hotel

    The swimming pool at the Mykonos Bay Hotel

     

    Mykonos coastline

    The coast on the way to Ornos Beach

     

    Ornos beach

    Ornos beach

     

    Ornos beach

    Ornos beach

     

    Ornos beach

    Lounge chairs and umbrellas on Ornos beach

     

    Ornos beach

    Ornos beach

     

    Ornos beach

    Looking down on the Ornos beach area

     

    a church at Ornos beach

    A church on a hillside above Ornos beach

     

    Ornos bay on Mykonos

    Ornos bay on Mykonos

     

    Ornos bay

    Ornos bay

     

  • Greece holiday 2011: Mykonos

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    Mykonos Town

    Looking down on Mykonos Town and its harbour

     

    The main harbourside walkway in Mykonos Town

    The main harbourside walkway in Mykonos Town

     

     a street in Mykonos Town

    A church on a street in the heart of Mykonos Town

     

    Mykonos Town harbour

    Mykonos Town harbour

     

    the famous Mykonos pelican

    Tourists meet the famous Mykonos pelican

     

    A street in Mykonos Town

     

    an intersection in Mykonos Town

    An intersection in Mykonos Town

     

    boats in Mykonos harbour

    Boats in Mykonos harbour

     

    octopus

    Octopus drying in the sun at Babulas taverna

     


  • Things I love about Greece: There’s always a great place to experience a Shirley Valentine moment

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    Little Venice at Mykonos Town Mykonos Greece

    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 on Plaka Beach on Naxos

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

     

    Tables next to the seaside at a taverna in Little Venice in Mykonos Town

    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…

     

    Tables next to the sea at a Little Venice taverna

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

     

    Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

    Harbourside tables at Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

     

    Babulas Taverna at Mykonos Town

    An overhead view of Babulas Taverna in Mykonos Town

     

    Babulas Taverna at 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 Kokkari on Samos

    Harbourside tavernas in the scenic village of Kokkari on Samos

     

    Harbourside tavernas in 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

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

     

    Sunset Taverna at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

    Seaside tables at Sunset Taverna at Santorini’s Amoudi Bay

     

    Taverna table at Amoudi Bay on Santorini

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

     

    Oasis taverna at Grikos bay on Patmos

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

     

    Meltemi beach bar in Skala Patmos

    Meltemi beach bar in the port town of Skala on Patmos

     

     

    Egali beach on Amorgos

    Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos island

     

    Egali beach on Amorgos

    Taverna tables beside Egali beach on Amorgos

     

    Beachside tables at Agia Anna on Naxos

    Taverna tables beside the beach at Agia Anna on Naxos

     

    Little Venice on Mykonos

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

     

    Little Venice in Mykonos Town

    Seaside cocktail bars at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

     

    Semeli cocktail bar at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

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

     

    A seaside bar at Little Venice in Mykonos

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

     

    Little Venice in Mykonos Town

    A table beside the water at Little Venice in Mykonos Town

     

    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

     

    Harbourside taverna tables in Kokkari on Samos

    Tables overlooking the harbour at the village of Kokkari on Samos