Traditional Greek Food

Nothing feels more like serious leisure time than sitting in a Greek beachside taverna feasting on calamari or souvlaki, a skewer of fresh meat, served with grilled pita bread, tzatziki, fresh tomatoes, onions and fried potatoes dripping with lemon, garlic, and oregano – food of the ancient gods indeed.

Greek families like to eat out and when they do they choose to eat traditional Greek cuisine which has been prepared almost the same way for 4,000 years. Their classic Mediterranean food starts on the foundation of olive oil, wheat and wine. Being a nation of surrounded by water it is no surprise that their diet includes lots of fresh seafood. Sheep and goats provide most of the land-based protein and world famous cheeses and yogurt. Desserts tend to be made from honey and nuts.

Menus do vary from island or region but the main choices will be found in all tavernas and restaurants. Increasingly one can find establishments offering cuisine, including fast food from other countries, but mostly there will be hearty rustic delicious Greek food.

Santorini Deco

In my previous blog I coined the phrase "Santorini Deco." Well I thought I coined it. A Google search for the phrase took me to an elegant photograph on Flickr which someone had titled  by that same moniker. So I guess there are at least two of us who see a connection between the uniquely traditional Santorini style and the Deco school of design.

I also mentioned in the last blog that Cycladic architecture has a distinct attraction to artists and sculptors who for decades have been drawn to the islands. That is especially true of Santorini, partly due to the stunning Caldera vistas, the cylinder shaped roofs, and the incomparibly rich Oia sunset. Consequently, Santorini takes on subtle shades of pastel overlayed on the basic white Cycladic stucco. And why not, Oia turns delicious orange and mauve every night at sunset anyway. Who can blame them if there souls have been tinged with pastel.

Deco design may in fact be a derivative of traditional Greek jewelry and tile design, with its spiraling squares. It is a small step indeed for someone like Klimt to discover the visual magic of spiraling circles - all of which gets played out in the black ironwork gracing entry ways.

And dare I forget the timeless contibution of the ancients with the ultimate elegance of white and creme marble sculptures. Greece is the world's vanguard of design - even when it is looking backwards! (OK, maybe the Romans and Italians also made a huge contibution, but where is their Santorini?)

Cycladic Architecture - Greek Islands

The bright whitewashed cubic structures shining in contrast to the intense cobalt blue of sea and sky are the signature of the 220 Cycladic islands. Villages often look like organic reefs that have grown out of the sea clinging to the cliffsides or up the sides of mountains. They showcase the centuries old ingenuity of the Greek culture adapting to the necessity to conserve space while still expressing their expansive vision. The Cycladic chain includes twenty of Greece's main inhabitated islands, each having evolved its own character, based upon its unique geography, materials and history.

Santorini

As residents and visitors stroll through narrow alleyways they see glimpses of blue shutters and doors, balconies covered with bouganvillas and flowers, and another strata of life perched on roof tops overlooking the alleyways below. During the summer the white walls reflect the intense Greek sun, whilst the densely packed buildings provide shelter from the fierce winds that can blow in as the high season fades in late September. Each locale adapts accordingly with the building materials that are available - stone, straw bricks, caves, etc.

Mykonos

Because of its sculptured beauty, human scale and integrated style, the Cycladic islands are often described as fairylands or movie sets. And indeed their beauty has attracted many an artist and sculpturer who have added to the indigenous architectural artform.

Santorini

Santorini

Ferry to Anti-Paros

If you are ever in Paros - and you would be foolish if you weren't - you should definitely take the short ferry over to Anti-Paros. You can easily make it over for lunch or dinner, stroll around a bit and be back within a couple of hours. Anti-Paros has the reputation of being a laid back Paros, although I always thought Paros was laid back enough. In any case, it is also a magnet for Scandinavians, so if you don't have blonde, blonde hair you may start to wonder how you got invited to the party.


The main street is a pedistrian mall that has great outdoor cafes seated under an avalance of bouganvillas, lots of fun shops and great people watching.

Little Anti-Paros looms large  on the horizon off the western coast of Paros.

Ferry docks at Anti-Paros harbour



Nauossa Paros

Nauossa is the primary tourist centre on Paros. Ferries may arrive in Paroikia but the good times are to be had in Naoussa. Although that said, Paros is a relatively small island and if you rent a car or motorbike there isn't any place that is far away. We tend to stay south of Naoussa and come in for the evenings as we are inclined. However we have also stayed in a very nice hotel just on the outskirts of Nauossa that had a lovely beach and it was just a couple of minutes to the city centre.

Nauossa has a fairly significant harbour for fishing boats which means the many fine restaurants have wonderful fresh seafood. We also like to breakfast at the cafes along the harbour and watch the tourists and fishermen all buzz about with their business in the warm morning sun.

The many quiet bouganvillas lined back alleys are also a great place for shopping, dining or just strolling. Although somewhat smaller and more quiet, Nauossa has much the same flavour as Mykonos and is well worth a stop on your island hopping in paradise.

Try the Peloponnese!

Dear Neptune Poseidon,

First and foremost I would like to thank you very much for your very informative website. I am fond of Greece and have vacationed there many times, especially the Greek islands. My last vacation was in September 2011 when I spent some days on Crete, as well as on Rhodes. These two islands along with the other ones that have been included in your website are undoubtedly some of the most unique destinations in the world.

The main reasons that I was drawn to your site was the impressive photography that really captures the flavor of the Greek Islands. I also appreciated that you included information on the famous Greek cuisine, jewelry, artwork and crafts. The general travel tips are essential if you are visiting for the first time.

Your site is accurate and well organized so one can get the information without wasting a great deal of time. I always recommend Top 10 Greek Islands to anyone I know who is planning a vacation.

PS. I hope that in the foreseeable future you will create something similar for the mainland as well. There are so many beautiful places on the mainland which are more easily accessible as well. Two years ago I and my family visited “ MANI ” one area that is located in the southern most and middle peninsula of the Peloponnese. This particular district is a treasure trove of Byzantine and post Byzantine churches, Frankish castles and stunning scenery. Furthermore, the whole area provides unlimited possibilities for excursions to unique natural beauty areas and some of the best beaches that I have ever seen. I have include some photos if you would like to share them with your readers.

All the Best, Michael

Mykonos Town

Over the last forty years Mykonos Town evolved from traditional Cyclades, to hypster, to jet-set and finally to an international tourism destination. Fortunately, it has retained characteristics of all those phases. It is a circus of shops, restaurants, galleries, clubs and hotels - yet it is still a laid back beach island. There are good beaches in and around town, and fabulous beaches a short distance from town, with shuttles buses to the more distant beaches (as in 10 to 15 minutes away).


Mykonos is second only to Santorini in terms of its stunning visual impact - Cycladic cubist architecture, white stucco-ed, cobble stone alley ways drapped with vibrant bouganvillas. In some senses Mykonos is a victim of its own success - a bit crowded and commercialized, but there are advantages to that as well. And you can always get the best of Mykonos and then move on to a quieter nearby island to recover. That is the wonderful thing about the Greek Islands - so much variety and things to discover and just a short ferry ride to the next experience.

Platys Gialos - Mykonos

Platys Gialos (spelled various ways) is a picture perfect resort beach on the south side of Mykonos Island. The sand is soft, the water is clear and cool, but not cold and the board walk is lined with hotels and tavernas.


It is a ten minute ride into Mykonos Town and there is a regular shuttle. Some people stay in town, then come to the beach during the day. Others prefer staying at the beach, then go into town at night. Either way, it is a nice mix of Greek culture and nature.


We spent two weeks and never got restless to move on - and we are island hoppers by nature. In fact, on the beach one day we met a young thirty-ish woman from New York who had been coming to Platys Gialos for the last eleven years in a row. She said she had a good life in New York, but it was her three weeks on Mykonos every year that made her life special. Hard to argue with that!

View from our hotel balcony

Dusk sets on Platys Gialos

It may not be Mykonos Town, but Platys Gialos has a nightlife of sorts.

And all of the locals are very friendly.

Oia of Santorini

Our favourite village on Santorini is Oia. The views are absolutely incomparably gorgeous - which is why Oia is the poster child of the Greek Islands. Oia is especially blessed with a rich sunset that draws visitors from around the world. The sunset also leaves its mark on the locals who blend unique subtle pastels in with the traditional Cycladic white stucco buildings.


The main activities of Oia are watching the sunset, photography, painting, shopping, , eating and drinking at great restaurants and cafes, watching the sunset, hiking the hillside to the rocky beach, gallery hopping, writing post cards that will make your friends die with envy, meditating, and watching the sunset. You definitely should give it a try. Oia is a life changing experience.


There are about 1,300 year around residents and it is 10 kilometers to the Thira city center.

Photo by Karol M

Photo by Top10GreekIslands.com

Photo by Top10GreekIslands.com

Santorini

We are often asked our advice on how someone might best spend a week in the Greek Islands. The first part of the answer is fairly simple. GO TO SANTORINI. Nothing compares with the exilerating beauty of its vistas formed around the caldera of an ancient volcano. (Some claim it is Lost Atlantis). The water is the deepest blue you have ever seen, making a stunning contrast to the white cubist villages clinging to the cliffs of the Caldera. 

Photo: Leonard G.

A couple of warnings however. Some of hikes down to the villas are rather steep and if you are less than athletic you need to be careful where you book your hotel. Some folks prefer the other side of the island on Kamari Beach. It is a great boardwalk of hotels and tavernas. However its "black beach" is not sand, its pebbles that can be a little uncomfortable for sunning and making it the water. For that reason, we generally advise that people spend two or three days in Santorini before catching a plane or ferry to a nearby island with better beaches. Of course if you are not a beach person and you are just looking for a place to hike, paint or photograph, then go no further.


Our favorite village is Oia, but Imerovigli and Firestefani are also fantastic - and an easy walk into the main 'town' of Fira (Thira).

Logaras Beach - Paros

The background photo on our new blog is of Logaras beach, one of the most popular beaches of Paros, near Piso Livadi on the southeast side of the island. It is a wonderful beach for swimming and sunning. It has several nice hotels and tavernas and is only a kilometer down to Piso Livadi, which is slightly larger and also very charming and laid back.


We stayed at the Paros Inn. Because we arrived June 15 before the crowds we got an excellent rate of 35 euros. The hotel is a small family owned business.. Rooms were simple, clean and with views to die for, only twenty meters from the beach.


We rented a car at the nearby airport. You really don't need one, but we like to get around a bit, it is only 15 minutes to Nauossa and maybe a half hour to Parokia. You can also catch a very short ferry to Anti-Paros, which is also a wonderful spot.


By the way, the weather was lovely in late June. We usually go to the islands in late June or early September to miss the crowds and get a better deal on accomodation. But anytime June through early September is beach weather.

Top 10 Greek Islands Blog

Welcome to our new Top 10 Greek Islands Blog. This is where we can  answer your questions about our Top 10 Greek Islands and also share that information with other travelers. Also we, encourage people to share their Greek Islands experiences and perhaps provide information on islands that didn't make our Top 10.


Happy Island Hopping!!