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Greece | Sep 18 - Sep 29, 2025

The location is superb, if you want to be in the thick of things (which we did!). We were just a few blocks from Monastiraki Square...one of "the" places to be in Athens. We walked everywhere from our hotel, including to the Acropolis. The staff at the hotel were very nice and helpful. The rooms were great (small by US standards, but par for the course in Europe) - modern and well equipped. The hotel's 2nd floor lobby and breakfast room was roomy and nice and the breakfasts (included) were DELICIOUS and ample. They have a lovely rooftop bar. The only complaint we had was that getting around the hotel is a bit of a maze. There are many different wings and half floors. Finding our rooms was a bit of a challenge (it took a few tries to finally get the hang of it!). Just be aware that if you're not completely sober you might "get lost" in the hotel!

Good location if you're needing a place in proximity of the Athens airport. It's a big place (compared with boutique hotels) and located on the waterfront at the Port of Rafina (with ferry boats). Nothing else was particularly noteworthy about the hotel or the room (very small, as usual in Europe). Front desk staff very business-like. Breakfast (included), quite ample. Hotel restaurant quite decent, with view over the port/harbor and optional outdoor seating.

The location can't be beat. Backs up to the waterfront and entrance is on a pedestrian-only street in the heart of the Old City. We walked out the front door to into the center of action! You can walk to everything from this hotel - easy peasy. We had a harbor-view room - WOW! The sunrises and sunsets were gorgeous. The room itself - very small by US standards (but common for Europe) - was fine. Our only complaints were gigantic decorative pillows that took up WAY too much space in a small room, the steps up to the bathroom, and a loud, automatic bathroom fan that we could not control or turn off. Be aware that this hotel is part of a large group of boutique hotels all owned/managed by a larger company. As such, our breakfasts (very delicious and ample) were a block away in one of the other hotels. Also the staff in the "lobby" (tiny reception area) work at many different locations so they aren't always totally familiar with all the details of the Elia Zampeliou. Also, one staff person had a bit of an "attitude." She was at the front desk many times during our stay and was never friendly to us. She seemed quite bothered by anything we asked. We tried to avoid her when possible. Guess people like that are everywhere.

Gorgeous newer hotel on a hill above the town of Apollonia. The rooms (with private balconies/patios) were spacious (by European standards), super clean and modern, tastefully decorated. Just a 10-minute walk (downhill) into town. Breakfast (included) was delicious. Hotel restaurant (open for lunch and dinner) was also delicious. Staff very, very helpful and friendly. Highly recommend this place.

Gorgeous, newer hotel. The proprietor, Alex, was exceedingly friendly and helpful. His dog, Arthur, was quite charming too! Alex will help with anything you need. The rooms were spectacular - top-notch beds, tasteful decor, and spacious by European standards! Lovely private outdoor patio. Even though no breakfast was included, we loved this hotel.

The Monastiraki Square area and the adjoining Athens neighborhoods provide endless opportunities for exploring shopping, food, culture and more. Just roam around and get lost (your phone GPS will get you back to your hotel)!

One can't visit Athens without seeing the Acropolis, for good reason. It's absolutely worth braving the crowds and doing the walking and stair climbing. We had a good, supremely knowledgable tour guide (Theo) who spoke excellent English. This greatly enhanced our experience. Good luck navigating through all the tour groups and crowds - a necessary circumstance when visiting this inimitable site.

Our driver was great - super knowledgable and willing to tell us everything he knew. He went off-script, per our questions, and made a special stop at a WWII related memorial for Greek partisans who were ruthlessly murdered by the German occupiers. At Delphi itself, we had a guide that was very knowledgable and spoke good English but his accent was super strong and, consequently, we lost maybe 1/3 of what he was saying...which was unfortunate. The many tour groups visiting the site (particularly the museum) at the same time made for some logistical crunches and squeezes. All to be expected at a world renowned tourist destination. We were taken to a restaurant for lunch in the "modern" town of Delphi that was exquisite. The food was fabulous and the view from the outdoor patio....WOW!!! Down to the Sea of Corinth and overlooking one of Europe's larges olive orchards.

Old Town/City Chania is charming beyond measure. The Venetian waterfront/harbor is gorgeous (the water is crystal clear) and one restaurant after the other is quite a sight. The shops in Old Town are endless - the leather goods, clothing, art, on and on. And the gelato and ice cream and frozen yogurt - OMG. Cretan history is fascinating and OLD. The many occupiers/conquerers over the millenia is fascinating and evident everywhere....some of the earliest known civilizations in the western hemisphere were in Crete...the Minoans. Ruins are easy to spot. The Jewish history of Chania is also fascinating and the Etz Hayyim synagogue was well worth the visit.

Our driver was competent and friendly. Our guide for our hike was a young, fun guy who had hiked the Imbros Gorge dozens and dozens of times. He was kind, knowledgable and helped a member of our group who wasn't confident on big or slippery rocks. The Gorge is very pretty and the goats were fun to see (and hear...their bells!). There are some very interesting plants in the Gorge (if you're inclined to notice such things). It's highly "civilized," compared with wilderness trails in the US: there are trash cans, and a snack/beverage stand (with bathrooms) mid-way. There was a bit of extra walking at the end before meeting our driver. It seemed we didn't have all that much time for the promised lunch and possible swim in the Liberian Sea after the hike. Our driver dropped us at a restaurant and we only had an hour before he said we needed to return to the van. So our lunch was a bit rushed (though the view over the sea was lovely) and there was no time to take a dip in the water (and we had brought our swim suits and towels with us).

We didn't really follow the self-guided hiking suggestions provided to us. After getting situated in our hotel in Pollonia, Milos, the effort and expense involved with getting around the island proved more cumbersome than we wanted. Instead we opted to explore Pollonia - the waterfront in town, and the hike out to the lighthouse and church on a peninsula...which was plenty lovely. Feral cats were EVERYWHERE and we enjoyed them very much.

Best laid plans... We didn't know about the meltemi winds in the Cycladic islands. Lucky us, we hit a 2-day stretch of very strong north winds the day of our all-day sailing trip around Milos. Our boat tour company had to change our departure location as well as the route of our trip. Our group of 14 was driven to the south of the island (a 30-minute drive) where - 4 at a time - we were put on a tiny inflated raft with a motor and ferried out to the sailboat. It took about an hour to get going after we first met that morning. Then, instead of going around the island, we simply sailed the south shore, going east to west, with Kleftiko Beach as our turn around point. It was INTENSELY windy and it was difficult to stand on the deck of the boat most of the time while the boat was moving. Nonetheless, it was quite beautiful. We stopped at some very scenic locations, and with a bit of sheltering from the wind, we were able to swim and snorkle a bit. The water clarity and color were magical. We were fed a rather incredibly tasty and filling lunch aboard the boat by the very nice and competent crew. Lots of cold drinks, beer and wine, and fruit. Kleftiko Beach was stunning.

Our driver was THE BEST. Vas (Vasilly or Vasillius?) was the coolest dude ever. He mastered the skill of telling us lots of interesting things without telling us too much. He knew how to read his audience. He also knew when to stop talking and when to give our group of 4 time to ourselves. Vas expertly drove a very scary road out to and back from Balos Lagoon overlook. We saw hundreds and hundreds of goats - all over the roadsides and hillsides, which was great fun. Vas pointed out the sea onion plant that was just beginning to bloom all over the mountains above the lagoon. The view to the lagoon itself was AWESOME. The word gorgeous doesn't do it justice. A sight to behold. Pretty windy on the ledges, though. Falassarna Beach was possibly the most user friendly beach I've ever experienced: water at a perfect temperature, as clear as sea water can possibly be, no rocks, no seaweed, no seashells, soft sand. Wow. Vas took us to our reserved lounge chairs and left us alone for a couple of hours. We later met him at the beachside restaurant where he arranged a huge, delicious lunch for us (kindly accommodating my pescetarian diet). It was a FABULOUS day.

The White Mountains are gorgeous and just the drive alone was worthwhile. Vas (Vasilly or Vassilius?) was our guide and driver again (he was also our guide and driver for Balos Lagoon and Falassarna Beach the day before). Once again, he expertly guided us through the day, telling us all sorts of relevant and interesting things about olive growing and oil making, agriculture in Crete, wine making, etc. Visiting the olive orchard with the one of the world's oldest olive trees was very cool. Vas took us around the facility a little bit and showed us the owner's private fruit orchard and farm animals. He also gave us a tour of some of the old, traditional equipment used in making olive oil. The wine and olive oil tasting destination was next and a lot of fun. The tasting room was very chic and the servers were extremely knowledgable and friendly. The samples of food and oil and wine were AMPLE! Next we drove to the entrance of the Samaria Gorge and the scenery became dramatic and awesome. We were given lunch at the restaurant above the Gorge entrance, on a ridiculously scenic balcony. The lunch was one of the best meals we had in Greece. Vas arranged the menu and served us the food. It was MEMORABLE!!!

It was fun to meet some of the proprietors of little places we visited. Our guide, Ronia (sp?) was very knowledgable and affable. She pointed out lots of historical and cultural things in addition to food stuff. The little treats we were given to take home were cute and tasty...these included a cookie from a bakery (that we were instructed to eat right away...wish we hadn't because it ruined our appetites for the food to come later), a nougat-type taffy with nuts inside of a wafer, a little ceramic cup, etc. We had "hors d'oeurves" at a little bar on the street in Apollonia. Our guide brought different Greek "pies" for us to try - spinach, mushroom, cheese and meat. We were also given complimentary beverages of our choice. After this we totally weren't hungry and then we were taken for DINNER - yikes! Dinner was at a little place in Apollonia - nothing fancy but the food was very good and it was a total shame we barely put a dent in it because we were so full. It was also a shame that people were smoking near our table and it was difficult to enjoy the food (one person in our party had to leave the restaurant due to lung issues).

We'd have preferred to do this tour during the daytime slot but apparently it wasn't possibly with our schedule...so we began at 6 PM. We had the same guide for this tour as we'd had the night before, for Taste of Sifnos, Ronia (sp.). Therefore it felt very comfortable and familiar from the start. Because we'd already been in Sifnos for 2 full days, we'd already visited a few of the destinations planned for this tour (e.g. Kastro, Artemonas, Platis Gialos beach). Our guide tried to make adjustments to accommodate our recent experiences (for instance, we did not visit Kastro again). Also, because the tour was in the evening, a few things that were listed as part of the Hidden Gems tour were not possible because they were closed in the evening (such as the Profits Ilias church/museum, museum in Kastro...). We did, however, visit the Monastery of Panagia Chrysopigi which was very cool (though 2 of us had already visited it earlier in the day) and also, just after sundown, drove the very steep, windy road up to the Ageos Symeon church (on top of the highest hill above the port town of Kamares). The views were spectacular at night, but bathrooms and most everything else was locked up. The very first thing we did on our tour was visit one of the island's 14 currently operating pottery workshops. We did this because we requested it! It was a wonderful experience. The potter/landowner we met was a super cool dude - very talented, hospitable, friendly, funny and owns a lovely, scenic piece of property with lots of artsy things adorning his surroundings. Our guide, Ronia, gave us a nice tour of the pottery workshop, explaining the process and the significance of pottery in Sifnos' history.

Practically, we weren't able to see everything recommended for this, in actuality, half-day. So we had to be selective. We decided not to "beach it" and ended up hiking to Kastro. It was a lovely walk (maybe 2.5 miles?), largely downhill, often on old (VERY old) stone paths. We learned that the many, many ancient stone paths on the island are popular hiking routes for many visitors. They are supposedly well-marked, but many times we found ourselves very confused at road and path junctions. We later discovered that some of the trails are well marked (with red and white painted blazes) and others not so much! Kastro is a lovely, very historic village perched on a hill above the sea. It's totally charming and walking the narrow streets through the little community was fun. The views from the seaside edge of the village were stunning. We did not walk all the way down to the Church of the Seven Martyrs (perched on a little jetty out in the sea) because we heard it was closed. We were able to bum a ride back to Apollonia in a Greek tour bus that had vacant seats! We also explored the village of Apollonia, walking the entire Steno (shopping/restaurant district) and through town.

Again, practically, we did not have enough time to utilize the many great suggested hikes for this day. We had to catch a late afternoon ferry to Athens. Also, it was raining quite hard until noon so our options were very limited. The day before, however, two of us ventured out to Faro Beach (by bus from Apollonia) and then hiked to Platis Gialos Beach - a lovely, scenic stretch of foot path on the island's southeast side.