I can't believe it's been 25 years since Lisa and I were last in Greece on our honeymoon. An increasingly popular destination for our members (especially due to the troubles in neighboring Turkey), we decided to return in April. We went with New York-based Heritage Tours, the travel company best known for designing authentic custom-made itineraries to Spain, Morocco, and Turkey. Now they have their sights set on Greece and they invited a small group of travel consultants including ActiveTravels to experience the new product. Lisa and I were highly impressed. You can always book a Greek hotel on your own, but then you'll miss out on the genuine Greek experience. Heritage has always been known for their unparalleled guiding and Greece was no exception. All the guides we met on this trip, especially to the ancient Greek sites at the Acropolis in Athens, the island of Delos, and Akrotiri on the island of Santorini were exceptional. We were introduced to stellar properties like the family-owned Poseidonion Grand Hotel on a gem of an island called Spetses and the Canaves Oia Suites built into the hillside of Santorini, already beloved by a number of our clients.

 

Yet, it w as the slice of local flavor that created memories we won't soon forget-dining in the courtyard of a home down the block from the Parthenon, a farm-to-table lunch at an actual farm in Mykonos, wine-tasting at sunset overlooking the caldera in Santorini, 

biking along the shoreline of Spetses, and dining on tasty Greek salads, fresh octopus and fish at far too many wonderful restaurants. 

These were the highlights from the trip:

 

A Stop in Spetses

The ferry ride from Piraeus to Spetses island is a little under 3 hours or you can take the long drive we did through the Peloponnese peninsula on our second day to reach the town of Kosta, then take a 10-minute boat ride over to the island. Either way, it's worth your effort. On Spetses, time stands still, especially when we ran into a large group of bikers circling the island in Victorian garb for the annual Tweed Day celebration. A 26-kilometer loop circles the island past beaches and the rugged shoreline, ideal for bikers since Spetses is a car-free island. Soon we were back at the main square in town, dominated by the classic façade of the Poseidonion Grand Hotel. Kids were running while parents were buying fresh baked bread for a picnic. We dined on Greek salad, octopus, fish, and lamb, as the owner of the hotel explained why this low-key island is a favorite for folks looking for an authentic Greek experience that cherishes community and family. We would have happily spent the next 3 days here, but we were on a day tour of the Peloponnese and were off to the charming town of Nafplio next.

 

Boating to Delos and Paros

The main town in Mykonos can be swarming with people in the daytime when thousands of passengers from cruise ships disembark. This is the reason we recommend that clients who stay on the island visit the town at night for dinner and shopping.

All the stores are open late and the cruise ship passengers have departed. It's best to hit one of the majestic Mykonos beaches during the day or take a private boat like we did to the neighboring islands of Delos and Paros. The birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, Delos was a thriving community in ancient Greece. You can still walk the narrow cobblestone passageways (not unlike Mykonos today) and see the remnants of homes, temples of worship, even a synagogue.

 

From Delos, we continued on by boat to the island of Paros. Unlike Mykonos and Santorini, which can be swarming with travelers due to its justified popularity , Paros has no cruise ships descendin g on the island and retains that authentic Greek charm. Fishermen return from their morning at sea to dry their octopus and fish on the docks. We tasted their wares at a restaurant near the docks for lunch before roaming around the towns of Naoussa and Parikia to look at the artisanal shops and whitewashed homes. Parakia is also home to a wonderful church, the monastery

of Panagia Ekatontapiliani, first built by Constantine in 4th century AD before being updated by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It has a similar dome to Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which was built during the same time period. Evidently Constantine's mother was shipwrecked in Paros on her way to Israel so her devoted son decided to build her mother a church in her name. We'd like to be shipwrecked in Paros for several weeks, preferably in a villa with our extended family. These are the Greek islands you dream about.

 

Hiking from Oia to Imerovigli at Sunrise

Santorini exceeds all expectations, with s tunning vistas of the caldera and its volcanic islands rising from the Aegean waters wherever you look. To take advantage of this breathtaking scenery without the crowds, we ventured off on the hiking trail atop the bluff that connects Oia with the towns of Imerovigli and Fira. We wandered off at 7 am from our room at Mystique with our incredible guide Eugenia, striding atop this sliver of land above the whitewashed buildings. To the right was the caldera, to the left more majestic islands that make up the Cyclades. We stopped at several picturesque family-run churches atop the bluffs, bordered by red poppies and blue wildflowers in bloom, an ideal place to get married. The entire walk from Oia to Fira is 9.5 kilo-

meters, approximately 3 hours, but we got sidetracked by donkeys and a snack bar selling damn good lattes and never made it past Imerovigli.

 

A Sunset Cruise on the Santorini Caldera

All trips to Greece should end with a sunset cruise aboard a private boat in the sublime Santorini caldera, a mesmerizing mix of aquamarine waters, jagged volcanic islands, and the whitewashed houses on the island clinging precariously to the cliffs. Add the reddish/orange/pink orb of a sun melting into the sea, shading this scene with the full spectrum of color, paired with a glass of crisp Santorini wine, and you have a fitting ending to a memorable trip.