GREECE

By:  Jennifer Milano, traveled June 2012

I opened the door to greet my friend, Elizabeth, who had just returned home from a 2011 summer vacation to Greece with her husband, two young girls and some Greek family friends.  She had picked up a piece of pink chalk that one of my children had discarded earlier that day, and was writing "Naxos Summer 2012" on my driveway.  With a big smile, she told me how much she had loved the Greek island of Naxos, and how we "all have to go there together next summer!""Okay," I responded.  Elizabeth knew me well enough to know I meant it.  Whenever the talk turned to travel plans, I was serious!

Well, the next summer Elizabeth and her family decided to cruise the Galápagos Islands, while I headed with my family to Naxos.  Investing my usual dozens of hours of research into a trip, I focused our Greece itinerary on Crete, Naxos and Santorini.  Staring at world maps being one of my favorite past times since childhood, I had always wanted to explore Crete, and from my reading it appeared that the western side of Crete was the most family-friendly.  Then I started looking at internal flights and ferries, and had to choose - split up my eight days between Crete and Naxos, and tack on two days in Santorini and two days in Athens, or choose between Crete and Naxos and really settle in for a full week?  It is the classic battle my travel-planning mind wages, see more or immerse in one place?  Since we would have my 5-year-old son, 8-year-old daughter, and 68-year-old mother along, we opted for fewer travel days and more swimming days. 

To maximize our time on Naxos, we landed in Athens in the morning and connected to an afternoon same-day flight to the island.  A ferry was an option, but I've never been able to rid myself of the memories of ferry schedule changes and strikes from my Greek island-hopping days in the 1990's - being stranded on Kos for two days when we had pre-paid hotel reservations on Mykonos, and spending hours in ferry and airline offices trying to arrange transport - so we opted to fly and minimize the ferry trips to just one this time.  We descended the stairs of our small plane, and were greeted by Barbara, the manager of our hotel, Kavos Naxos.  She directed us to a taxi, where the five of us squeezed in with about three working seat belts - but I've learned long ago that once I land in a new country, I have to let my Type A tendencies go (for the most part) and relax. 

We arrived at Kavos Naxos, which had been my "compromise" hotel choice.  I had wanted a hotel on the beach, with a pool and within walking distance to a town.  I couldn't find one I liked.  So here we were, up on a hill with lovely views of the sea, with a gorgeous pool, and not really walking distance to much of anything.  As I sat by the edge of the pool taking in my surroundings, I admit that my first thought was, "well, it's pretty, but it's not Italy."  I was already worried that eight days on this somewhat off-the-beaten-path island were going to be too many.

We checked into our lovely, three-bedroom white-washed villa, with a rooftop terrace that had a hammock and a gorgeous view.  Then, we did what we always do when we arrive at a European hotel on our first day - we slid underneath crisp, white sheets, laid our heads on fluffy pillows, and appreciated being horizontal after 20 hours of travel. 

For the next eight days, we leisurely explored Naxos.  We settled into the Greek schedule of waking up at 11:00 am, enjoying a delicious breakfast of fresh-squeezed orange juice and pastries at Kavos Naxos, and then setting out for the day.  We found our favorite beach, the Plaka.  We loved that we could rent lounge chairs and an umbrella there for ten Euros (about a fourth the price of a Tuscan beach).  The water was that crystal clear turquoise blue that makes your whole body relax as soon as you step in.  We could order cool drinks and delicious food from the taverna across the road.  We took our daughter on her first banana boat ride, just down the beach.  And we had the beach nearly to ourselves - not your typical European beach with loungers set up one against the other, we Americans frantically waving away the cigarette smoke drifting over from our neighbors. 

We drove our rented car to the pretty village of Chalki, and to Damalas, which has an old olive press and a pottery studio.  When the potter saw our car approaching, he picked fresh apricots from his tree and placed them in a bowl for us to enjoy while we watched him work his wheel.  We crossed the island to explore some of the island's ruins, passing goats and miniature churches in the dry, scrubby countryside on our way.  When we arrived at Demeter's Sanctuary, a structure from 530 B.C. for the Goddess Demeter, we had the whole site to ourselves.  We also hiked from the Chora (the main town), across a spit of land where the waves crashed on one side, and a group of children had a swim lesson on the calm side, arriving at Apollo's Arch.  Most days, we would enjoy a late lunch out, finding that ordering mezze (lots of appetizers), along with french fries made from the island's homegrown potatoes, made a delicious meal where we could sample lots of local dishes.  Like lots of Mediterranean places, Naxos served food that was in season.  And lucky for us, it was eggplant and tomato season! 

One day, we indulged my daughter's obsession with horses and took a family ride to the beach, and then actually IN the sea as the horses carried us and our wet legs to a small island.  Another day, we hit Aquafun, Naxos's only water park, consisting of about four slides that were perfectly sized for our young kids.  It cost about ten Euros, every lounge chair was available and in view of the slides, and there were no lines.  I'll take that over Disney or Six Flags any day.

Returning to Kavos Naxos in the afternoon, we would swim in the large, gorgeous pool, sipping drinks made for us by the lovely Sarah at the hotel bar, and watching our kids play with other children they met at the hotel.  Some nights we would eat al fresco at the hotel, watching all of the kids from various families put on spontaneous performances poolside.  Other evenings, we would drive into Chora, wandering the streets and eating gyros on a bench on the seaside promenade.  It took us a few nights to find Naxos's best ice-cream, and once we did, we topped off each dinner with "Waffle House" ice-cream. 

My rash judgment of Naxos on arrival changed over the course of our week there.  As each day passed, I fell in love with the island a little bit more, until by the end, I was smitten.  It is a rustic, laid-back island with few tourists, beautiful beaches, friendly people, perfect weather and delicious food.  Having eight days on this island meant that we could really relax and feel like we were not just traveling, we were on vacation.  I was glad we followed the travel plan chalked by Elizabeth on our driveway and chose to spend the majority of our time on beautiful Naxos (although yes, when I stare at my world map, I still wonder what Crete is like).

Logistics on Naxos:

How to Get Here:

• You can fly or take a ferry from Athens.  We took Olympic Air, which was quick and easy.  Barbara at Hotel Kavos Naxos arranged our car rental.

Where to Stay:

• Hotel Kavos Naxos offers a variety of room types and villas, which have kitchenettes, making it a good choice for families.  Downside is you need a car.

• Iria Beach Art Hotel is where Elizabeth stayed in Agia Anna.  The pros are that it's on the beach and right in the heart of Agia Anna, so you can walk to restaurants and shops.  The con is that there is no swimming pool.

Where to Eat:

• Taverna Vassilis in the Chora is tucked away in a little alley in the old part of town, and has delicious food.  The kids loved the saganaki (fried cheese).  A good choice for dinner.

• Johnny's in Ano Sagri has a blah setting, but delicious home-cooked eggplant salad, tzatziki, tomato fritters, and the best french fries ever!.  A good spot for lunch if you are exploring the villages or sites nearby.

• Faros in Agia Anna was so good we ate there three times.  We loved the mussels, octopus and salads.  Faros made the best spinach pies (spanakopita) we ate in Greece, and boasts friendly service and ocean side tables.  There are two rudimentary swings in back for the kids to play on while waiting for their food.

• Waffle House in the Chora had the best ice-cream on the island.

• Ubiquitous gyros - grab a gyro to go from one of the stands you see in the Chora (they put the french fries inside the wrap!)

• The restaurant below was our BEST meal in Greece.  Some Greeks told us about this Greek/Turkish taverna set on an organic farm that was well worth the drive. We atefor three hours during lunchtime on the outdoor patio, overlooking the peach trees - beet salad, stuffed tomatoes, eggplant, hummus and pita, beef and lamb dishes - until we couldn't fit in another bite.

What to Do:

• Hit the beach - we liked Agio Prokopios, which is closest to Kavos Naxos, but Plaka was our favorite beach. 

• Explore villages - strolling through the old town in the Chora or along the seaside promenade after dinner was a hit with the kids, who would often stumble upon a kids' pick-up soccer game to join.  Chalki is a cute village, although a bit touristy by Naxos standards.  We loved the pottery shop in Damalas because the owner was so friendly and his apricots were the best we ate!

• Walk the ruins - despite the kids' complaints, we were in Greece and had to see some ruins.  Demeter's Sanctuary was interesting, although not so much for the kids.  The walk to Apollo's Arch, ruins from a temple to Apollo that was never completed, was a better bet for them.  A brief visit to the Venetian Museum was interesting.

• Kids' favorites - Aquafun water park, playing with the multitude of cats who inhabit Greek islands, swimming in the pool, a horseback ride to an island with ruins of forts built to watch for pirates (organized by Barbara at Hotel Kavos Naxos).

Logistics on Santorini:

How to Get Here:

• The Blue Star ferry takes about two hours to get to Santorini.  You can take the "fast ferry" that is a bit quicker, but everyone told us to take the Blue Star so we could better enjoy the views of Santorini from the water.  The kids LOVED the ferry (much improved from the ferries in the 1990's), which felt like a mini-cruise ship with its escalators, restaurants, arcade, shop and airline-style seats.

Where to Stay:

• We chose to stay in Ia (Oia), a breathtakingly beautiful village famous for its sunsets.  There are many beautiful hotels on Santorini, but we needed someplace reasonably-priced and chose Aris Caves. The rooms were built into the side of the mountain and were really unique.  There was no pool, which we wished we had given the heat and exhaustion that set in at the end of the day.  The owner (the hotel has since changed hands) was very nice, and when I asked her about a restaurant that featured live music that I had seen on The Travel Channel (see below), she said she was going there that evening and offered to drive us!  And she secured us a table in front!  We loved Ia, but the downsides are that it is really crowded with cruise-ship daytrippers, and you really need to hold the kids' hands every step they take due to the sheer drop-offs.  Most hotels won't take kids under 12 years old.

Where to Eat:

• We found the food to be three times as expensive as Naxos and not locally grown.  However, our lunch in Ammoudi Harbor featured fresh fish, and Santorini's famous tomato and fava fritters that were devine.

• Santorini Mou was featured on The Travel Channel, and our meal was delicious.  We went for dinner, and had the best moussaka of our trip.  We loved listening to the local band, which went out of their way to sing to our kids and give them a free CD.  The staff was so friendly that even Grandma felt she couldn't turn down the free ouzo.  And one of our favorite cultural experiences happened here - a woman was dancing to the band and all of a sudden a waiter started smashing dinner plates on the tile floor by her feet!  We learned (later) that this tradition means the waiter liked her dancing! 

• Skiza was our favorite pastry shop in Ia, and the balcony out back facing the caldera made a lovely spot to enjoy breakfast.

What to Do:

• Take a boat ride on the caldera to Nea Kameni, an active volcano.  You can join the group tours, or pay Captain George for a private ride (arranged by Aris Caves).  George will drop you on the island so you can hike and explore.  Our kids complained the whole way up (it was very hot), but thought it was cool to be on an active volcano.  On the way back to Ammoudi Harbor in Ia, George let the kids drive and handed the adults plastic cups containing the white wine his wife's family makes on a neighboring island.  We can't say for sure the experience didn't taint our judgment, but we swear that was the best white wine we've ever tasted.

• Watch the sunset in Ia.

• Rent a car and drive to the village of Pyrgos, stop at a vineyard, or visit the ruins (but not on a Monday, when the ruins are closed - we learned this the hard way).

• Kids' Favorites-playing with the cats on our hotel terrace, and watching the band at Santorini Mou.  Santorini was so beautiful and unique, I am glad we went there.  But I'm glad we spent only two days of our trip in Santorini - it is not the most kid-friendly island, in my opinion.

Logistics on Athens:

How to Get Here:

• We flew Aegean Air from Santorini to Athens.  You can take a ferry if you wish.  There are many flights per day, and it's quick and affordable.  When we landed in Athens, a driver from Interdynamic met us for a very comfortable and air-conditioned transfer to our hotel.  A friend had used this company for all of her transfers in Greece, and found them to be extremely reliable.  We reserved the transfers in advance from home, but didnot have to pay until after service.

Where to Stay:

• AVA Hotel & Suites was rated #1 on Tripadvisor at the time we planned our trip.  It is a clean, modern, reasonably-priced hotel with friendly service, and well-located for exploring the sites.  We loved it and would stay here again.

Where to Eat:

• Psara's - our friends, Keith and Laura, recommended this restaurant from their trip to Athens, and it was our favorite restaurant in the city.  Psara's is in the Plaka, but on a quiet, non-touristy side street with delicious food and a relaxing atmosphere.  The owners also run the restaurant across the street, with rooftop seating.  We went there our second night, and it was also a great meal!

What to Do:

• Elizabeth had suggested we first visit the New Acropolis Museum (air-conditioned!) to learn about the Acropolis, and then make the climb up to see the Parthenon and other temples. 

• Olympic Stadium (Panathenaic Stadium) - there is a good audio tour, a naturally cool tunnel where the athletes used to enter the stadium with a modern Olympic exhibit at the end, and the track where we could run and pretend we were Olympians.  The kids perked up from their heat-exhausted state when I read from the guidebook that nude male runners were the first Olympic athletes in 330 B.C.

• Kids' Favorites - We had read some Greek myths prior to our trip, which gave them some context for experiencing Greece.  They liked hearing the story of how Athens got its name - that Athena and Poseidon had a contest to see after whom the city would be named, how Athena won after she created the first olive tree from the spring of water produced by Poseidon when he plunged his trident into the rock - and that they could see that legendary olive tree at the Acropolis.  They loved racing around the Olympic stadium and standing on the podium.  They liked copying poses of the various statues around the city.  And as usual, they liked all of the tacky souvenir shops.  They didn't care much about the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament building at Syntagma Saquare (nor did we).

Next time I'm in Greece:

What's next for Greece?  I would still like to explore Crete, as well as some more of the lesser-known islands such as Paros.  Click here for a 2015 article on exploring Greek islands that most Americans have not yet discovered. Also, I would look into exploring some of mainland Greece.  It would be very tempting, though, to simply return to our cherished Naxos!