I Just Traveled To Greece For The First Time, And Here Are The Things That Surprised, Confused, And Delighted Me
Last month, my husband and I got back from a vacation to Greece, a destination that had been at the very top of our travel bucket list. We stuck to a strict budget and hoarded vacation days in order to take two weeks off to travel to the Greek islands.
After spending way too much time devising my perfect itinerary, I decided on Santorini, Folegandros, Sifnos, and Milos. And upon returning to the US, the one thing I know for sure is that I want to return to Greece ASAP to explore even more of the country. Between the islands and the mainland, there is SO much to see.
Greece definitely lived up to its expectations, but it was also full of surprises and things that I didn't expect. Here are some takeaways from my trip. Hopefully, you'll find them helpful — whether you're planning already your next getaway or just daydreaming. (Or just maybe I can convince you to put Greece at the top of your must-visit list!)
1.The weather is excellent well beyond July and August.
I'm always a big fan of traveling during the shoulder season — that stretch of time just before and after peak season when the weather is still nice but the crowds die down — and lucky for me, Greece has a particularly lengthy shoulder season.
While July and August are extremely busy, the beginning of May through the end of October comes with perfect weather for exploring the islands (think: warm, sunny days perfect for lounging on the beach and cooling off in the Aegean). And if you're interested in visiting Athens, many locals said early spring or late fall is ideal.
2.Local restaurants don't really serve pita bread.
This was possibly the most shocking discovery of all. When you go out to a Greek restaurant in NYC, your dips and spreads are always accompanied by fluffy pita bread — so naturally, I was expecting the same to be true in Greece. I was so wrong.
Restaurants serve regular bread, and many don't even have pita on the menu. I asked a local guide about this and he told me that pita is typically served with meat (for example, when you order a gyro), but most restaurants typically serve bread with anything else. At first, I was a little disappointed, but turns out Greek bread is really delicious and an equally as satisfying way to sop up smoky eggplant dip and cucumber-laden tzatziki.
3.Every island has a very distinct feel.
I only visited four Greek Islands — Santorini, Folegandros, Sifnos, and Milos — which are all in the same group of islands called the Cyclades. Even so, each island I saw had such a distinct feel. For example, whereas Santorini was polished and stunning, Folegandros was rugged, wild, and remote.
Whenever I found myself talking to a Greek local, I made a point to ask about his or her favorite island. Everyone had a different response complete with a reason why. Every island seems to have such a different vibe and character, and now I just want to visit more of them.
4.And the country is made up of thousands of them.
There are literally thousands of islands that make up Greece, but only 227 islands are habitable. Still, that's a pretty big number, and it makes it especially difficult to choose where to visit! There are the Saronic Islands, closest to Athens, and perfect for an easy getaway from the city (I'm personally hoping to visit Spetses and Hydra). There are the Ionian Islands (think: Zakynthos, Corfu, and Kefalonia), The Dodecanese Islands (I'm already dreaming about visiting Symi and Kos), the lush Sporades, and then the volcanic Cyclades. You could spend a lifetime visiting them all...and that's exactly what I plan on doing.
5.Wine can actually be as cheap as water.
Where I live in New York City, you're lucky if you can find a glass of wine on a restaurant menu for under $12. OK, maybe $10 during happy hour. But in Greece, you could order a glass of wine for around $2 or a CARAFE of wine for around $5. Most tavernas and restaurants offer house wines that are easy drinking, delicious, and so affordable. Suffice it to say I drank too much wine in Greece and it was a rude awakening returning home to $15 glasses of Pinot Noir.
6.But there's also a ton of variety and so many delicious Greek wines.
While there is highly affordable house wine flowing everywhere you look, Greece also has a really cool and diverse wine scene that I had never really explored before visiting. I've had a few Greek wines in the US, but if you walk into any wine store you'll find a limited number of imported Greek wines (if any).
Turns out, there is tons of wine being produced all over Greece at just about every price point. I absolutely loved how most restaurants in Greece offered only Greek wines. I tried lots of grape varietals I'd never even heard of (Xinomavro and Assyrtiko were only the beginning). I also especially loved the delicious skin-contact (aka orange) wines that are prevalent in Greece.
7.The winds are really important, and they can even dictate where you travel.
8.There's so much variety when it comes to Greek cuisine.
I went to Greece expecting to eat lots of Greek salad and octopus, and I most certainly did. But I also discovered that there's so much more to Greek cuisine. I tried so many dishes I'd never seen before in the US — like fava bean dip, stewed chickpeas served in clay pots, crispy tomato fritters, grilled saganaki cheese topped with local honey for starters. Normally after a few days away I get sick of eating the same cuisine over and over again, but I could have eaten Greek food forever because there is so much to try!
9.Some of the best beaches can only be reached by boat.
There were amazing, accessible beaches on most of the islands we visited. But one thing I quickly learned is that many of the best beaches — sandy coves and remote stretches of sand surrounded by nothing but water — are only accessible by boat (and sometimes by hiking).
If that sounds intimidating, it shouldn't — because on every island I visited you could find plenty of boat tours to take you around the coast to the very best, hard-to-reach beaches. Some islands even provided boat shuttles running from one popular beach to another quieter one. Visiting these more remote beaches was some of my absolute favorite experiences in Greece.
In Milos especially, I took a full-day boat tour around the entire island, which took me past caves, amazing rock formations, and some of the bluest water I've ever seen.
10.The beaches in Santorini are nothing to write home about.
I had heard Santorini isn't specifically known for its beaches, but before visiting I always thought this popular island would at least have some decent stretches of sand. Turns out, not really. There's Perissa, a black sand beach, and Red Beach, known for its uniquely colored sand, but these beaches are wildly crowded with rough, narrow terrain that isn't ideal for sunbathing. In fact, at Red Beach, I was even told that swimming can be dangerous due to falling rocks.
Folegandros, by sharp contrast, is located just 40 minutes away from Santorini and was home to amazing, pristine, and quiet beaches where you could look around and see not one other tourist. Santorini was drop-dead gorgeous, but not a great beach destination.
11.And TBH, it's the only island I visited that I wouldn't return to.
When I was planning my trip, I thought about cutting out Santorini completely. I'm happy that I kept it in my itinerary, but that being said, it's the one island I visited that I wouldn't rush back to. It was the first stop on my trip, so I was instantly blown away by its sheer beauty. But it's one of those destinations that is almost ruined by over-tourism. Everything was very overpriced, wildly busy, and "Instagrammable," which sadly made the island lose a little bit of its magic for me.
I did some things I would highly recommend: Sunset in Santorini was extremely chaotic, so I woke up to see the sunrise at the edge of Oia in peace and quiet. I found some restaurants away from all the crowds (Armeni and Metaxi Mas were two of my favorites), I walked a stretch from Fira to Oia, which really was breathtaking, and I took a boat tour to see Santorini from a totally different perspective.
I would encourage you to go to Santorini for a brief visit and see it for yourself. Spend a day...maybe two, take in the beauty, and then make your way to the other islands.
12.When it comes to cheese, there's way more than just Feta.
Before visiting Greece, I'd always associated the cuisine with feta cheese. I pictured myself eating Greek salads every day topped with big blocks of feta. But I soon learned that feta is just the beginning. In fact, pretty much every island we visited had it's own special, locally made cheese.
In Sifnos, I ate tons of mizithra, which is a soft cheese sort of like goat cheese. A big scoop of mizithra was often served on Dakos salad, a huge bowl of the ripest cherry tomatoes I've ever tasted, and crunchy rye rusks (sort of like Greek Panzanella). In Folegandros, the local cheese was sour, and it often replaced feta on Greek salads. I also had plenty of grilled Graviera drizzled with nuts and honey. In short, Greek cheese is spectacular and way more varied than your basic feta.
13.The ferry system was surprisingly organized and extremely efficient.
I decided to fly from Athens to Santorini and then back from Milos, but I took ferries between all the Cycladic islands. Truthfully, I was expecting the ferries to be total chaos. But in reality, they couldn't have been more efficient, easier, or much more enjoyable.
Greece has a great ferry system that you can pretty much take anywhere. All of my ferries were direct and shorter than one hour. Everything was simple enough from booking to boarding. I used Ferryhopper, which has great customer service and was happy to assist me and answer my questions). Each arrived and departed pretty much exactly on time. All of my ferries were very smooth, but I'm glad that I packed some non-drowsy motion sickness medicine just in case.
14.There's way more to Athens than the Acropolis.
Before visiting Greece, I realized that there were two types of people: those who love Athens and claim the city is severely underrated and those who say to see the acropolis and leave.
While I only spent about 24 hours in Athens this time around, it was a mistake. I can confidently say I am a member of the former party. As soon as I arrived in Athens I already wished I had more time there. I spent hours walking around and wanted to see more and more. The city reminded me a lot of Rome with its unique balance of ancient and new, complete with lots of charming alleyways, beautiful vistas, bustling cocktail bars, and tons of globally-inspired restaurants.
15.Speaking of Athens, there are amazing beaches right beyond the city.
Sadly, I didn't spend enough time in Athens to explore the nearby beaches, but there are, actually, tons of great beaches just miles from this bustling city. Just about 10 miles from downtown Athens there's the Athenian Riviera, a supposedly beautiful stretch of coastline. Next time I visit Athens (and there will be a next time), I can't wait to explore the nearby beaches.
16.Most of the food is really affordable.
Generally speaking, food costs much less in Greece than it does in the US. With the exception of Santorini, which has gotten pretty expensive with tourism, we ate extremely affordable, high-quality food throughout our trip (which probably has a thing or two to do with the $5 carafes of wine). We enjoyed plenty of sumptuous feasts for a fraction of what they would cost back home in NY. One of the best bargains of all though: Gyro. A pita stuffed to the brim with shaved meat and French fries cost about $4...and we took full advantage.
17.In Greece, people eat dinner really late.
Having studied abroad in Barcelona, I always thought the Spanish ate late. But I was surprised to learn that the medal might just go to the Greeks. Most restaurants don't open for lunch until 1 p.m. (but would only get busy closer to 2 or 3 p.m.) and they stayed open late, often serving dinner until midnight. At some restaurants there were only two seatings: 7 p.m. or 10 p.m. 😮 While this was a bit of an adjustment at first, I loved being able to prolong the day and enjoy a beautiful sunset before sitting down for dinner.
18.Many islands have an extensive network of great hiking trails.
I always thought the Greek islands were beach destinations, ideal for being lazy and basking in the sun (and they certainly can be!). But every island we visited also had lots of great, well-marked hiking trails that led to villages, secluded beaches, iconic churches or monasteries, and scenic overlooks. There were also plenty of helpful maps scattered around the islands that outlined the trails. My idea of a perfect getaway includes some activity and some relaxation, so I was more than delighted to find that the Greek islands checked off both boxes.
19.You'll probably want to rent a car.
We rented a car on each of the islands we visited besides for Santorini (and in retrospect, I wish we rented a car here even if just for a day to really explore). Even on an island as small as Folegandros, I loved having a vehicle and being able to explore on our own time without depending on a bus schedule.
One of my favorite parts of seeing a new place is just driving around and getting lost, then seeing what I find. I was surprised to find that taxis on all of the islands were sparse, and you always have to call ahead to arrange one so a car really makes things easier and more convenient. There are lots of scooters and ATVs available to rent as well if you're comfortable with that.
20.Driving can be really difficult.
Lucky for me, my husband knows how to drive a stick shift and I do not, so I was off the hook when it came to driving our manual rental cars. And I couldn't have been more relieved. The islands we visited (and most of the Cycladic islands, if I had to guess) are volcanic, rocky, and covered with some windy, narrow roads.
Not to mention many of the towns are very narrow in that distinctly European way where two-lane roads should really be just one lane. In Milos, driving was especially treacherous in places because of narrow streets and also unpaved, rocky, and often extremely vertical off-roading conditions. Rent a car, but you may want to consider a 4x4 and you'll definitely want to drive very carefully.
21.The fresh seafood is what dreams are made of.
At just about every taverna, a waiter would either walk around with a cooler of fresh fish (read: swimming a few hours ago) or guide me inside to the kitchen to take a look at the catch of the day. Then it came down to the ultimate tough decision (sea bream or calamari? Sea bass...or scorpionfish?!).
This was, without a doubt, the greatest stress of every day, but whatever we chose would be grilled and delivered to our table fully filleted and garnished with a mixture of olive oil and lemon. There is no other way to put it: Greek seafood is my personal heaven.
22.But there are also tons of options for people who prefer meat...or even a vegetarian diet.
While I could go on about the seafood, we also had incredible meat and vegetarian food. On every single menu, even those specializing in seafood, you could find plenty of other options. My husband, who happens to be a big meat-lover, indulged in meals like lamb skewers, veal T-bone steaks, slow-cooked pork, and, of course, plenty of gyros.
I also loved exploring the vegetarian options — things like stuffed peppers and eggplant with couscous, chickpea fritters, and flaky savory pies stuffed with cheese and spinach.
23.Not all the beaches are sandy.
I expected lots of wide and sandy beaches everywhere you look in Greece, but the reality was totally different. Sure, there were some crescent-shaped beaches with velvety sand, but I also saw plenty of pebbly shores, black sand, and even some beaches (like the famous Sarakiniko Beach in Milos) made up of ashen-white volcanic rock. The variety of the landscapes made beach-hopping all the more interesting.
24.And they're often clothing-optional.
They say Americans are more prude than Europeans when it comes to nudity, and Greece certainly hammered that point home. There were some beaches that had "no nudity" signs, but there were plenty of others where pretty much all the sunbathers were fully naked.
25.Greek tavernas give oceanfront dining a new meaning.
There's oceanfront dining...and then there's Greek dining. On pretty much every beach you could find a taverna or two with tables and chairs sitting right on the sand, so close to the ocean you could pretty much dip your toes into the crystal clear Aegean sea. Lunch by the sea was part of my daily routine, and I can promise you it never got old.
