**Please double check Covid requirements before your trip and be sure to follow all local guidelines to keep yourself and others safe!**
Island hopping in Greece is one of Europe’s unmissable adventures and a time-honored tradition since the1960’s. And has attracted privacy-seeking royals, mega-rich tycoons and international A-listers. But hopping over 200 islands can be overwhelming where do you start? Here’s where we come in, we can help you plan the perfect Greece island hopping vacation. The best adventures of our travel life have been island-hopping. Imagine sitting on the deck of a yacht- in the sunshine, sipping on a drink, listening to the waves and wondering what stories await at the next island. The anticipation as the alarm sounds and the doors draw down – providing the first glimpse of your chosen destination.
The Greece Essential Packing List
In Greece you can wear pretty much whatever you like. The locals always go out well dressed, you’ll see everything from jeans and shorts to float-y skirts and maxi dresses when walking around. But you want to be comfortable, so we recommend the following:
- LOOSE, LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHES – The weather in Greece can get hot and sticky, this will help you stay cool.
- LAYERS – Loose, lightweight layers that can be mixed and matched, the evenings can get chilly – especially on or by the water.
- SWIMSUIT & COVERUP – With beautiful beaches and hot weather you will definitely want to take a dip in the ocean.
- SUNGLASSES AND SUN HAT – Protect the eyes and face from the sun.
- COMFORTABLE SANDALS – The Greek Islands aren’t particularly flat, so expect to climb a few cobbled stairs.
- EUROPEAN ADAPTERS
- INSECT REPELLENT
- CAMERA BATTERIES AND CHARGER
- INSURANCE
The Islands
Santorini
Best for Honeymooners & First-timers
Santorini is the supermodel of the Greek islands, a head-turner – whose images are instantly recognizable, whether you have visited or not. Multicolored vertiginous cliffs soar out of a sea-drowned volcanic crater, topped by whitewashed buildings. Dazzling panoramas, romantic sunsets and volcanic-sand beaches take your breath away. A volcanic explosion blew out Santorini’s heart 3,500 years ago, but preserved the ancient city of Akrotiri under layers of ash and created fertile ground for exceptional Assyrtiko grapes and Vinsanto wines. (sample wine at the local winery).
Visit Nea Kameni and hot springs at Palia Kameni, a gorgeous open-air cinema, a cool microbrewery, wine caverns adorned with artworks, and take in a cooking demonstration that celebrate Santorini’s foodie culture. But do not forget to walk the caldera edge and admire the views.
Corfu
Best for: Character & Lush Escapes
Ancient armies fought to possess it, while in the early days of modern Greece it was a beacon of learning. Corfu – a proud island with intellectual and art roots, is the cosmopolitan capital with a charming clash of Venetian, British and French colonial influences. Today away from the tourist centers Corfu is still cypress-studded hills, olive groves, vertiginous villages with grand manors, and sandy coves lapped by cobalt-blue waters awaits.
Rent a boat and putter to a cove: perhaps Nissaki, Agios Stefanos or Kerasia. These idyllic bays still resemble the ‘delectable landscape’ that Lawrence Durrell fell for in the 1930s. While North Corfu is intellectual and artistic, South Corfu is parties and wet t-shirt contests.
Mykonos
Best for: Decadent Parties & Five-Star Hotels
Mykonos is the party animal of the Cycladic islands; bronzed men swarm the beaches during the day and pulsating drum and music keep the clubs alive all night. But look a little closer and you will discover the quiet charm of the Cycladic maze of Hora, where the enchanting warren of narrow pedestrian streets bedecked with bougainvillea and lined with picture-perfect, tiny churches, restaurants and boutiques captures your heart, the pleasure of traveling the backcountry roads and a dining scene rivaling any European country.
Mykonos has 25 beaches and we can find the perfect beach for you. Besides beaches you can go diving, visit historical sites, go mountain biking, watch amazing sunsets, swim and participate in plenty of water activities. If shopping is your style, then Mykonos will not disappoint you from art and designer wear to casual fashion jewelry and tacky souvenirs Mykonos has it all.
Crete
Best for: Antiquities, Active Adventures & Sunshine
Greece’s largest island, the birthplace of Zeus. Crete is a mosaic of splendid beaches, ancient treasures and spellbinding landscapes, weaving in vibrant cities and dreamy villages. The Cretan landscape starts with sun-drenched beaches in the north to the rugged canyons in the south. In between, valleys cradle sleepy villages and lofty mountains with snowcapped peaks. Take it all in on a driving or trekking tour.
Visit an authentic village surrounded by olive and orange groves or take some time and visit a beach. If you like to hike the visit the cave where Zeus was born or cycle among orchards on the Lasithi Plateau. The choice is yours. Alternatively, take a back-to-nature break and visit a 17th-century hamlet powered entirely by solar energy.
Rhodes
Best for: Travelling Back in Time
Rhodes is a paradise for culture – vultures. The largest and historically the most important of the Dodecanese islands and can be divided in two distinct towns. The Old Town lies within but yet completely apart from the New Town, sealed like a medieval time capsule. The atmospheric Old Town is a maze of cobbled streets that will take you back to the days of the Byzantine Empire. Rhodes has architectural history from the period of the Ottoman Empire and the Italian era.
Visit the medieval citadel, Byzantine churches, Roman ruins, synagogues and minarets. Seek out Marco Polo a 15th century guest house decorated as the Pasha’s harem. Visit the ancient Acropolis surrounded by slate cliffs and emerald coves. Spend an afternoon on the golden beach. Go inland and you’ll find alpine forests, hilltop castles, faded frescoes and ancient ruins.
