Santorini Nighlife

I know that I have promised to post things about the nightlife, but after a lot of discussions with several friends I concluded that nightlife is different for each person. It depends if you are single or in a relationship, if you are are depressed or happy and many other factors. The good news is that Santorini and especially Fira have bars and clubs for everyone. Just go and discover them!!!! Santorini nightlife is waiting for you!

Santorini Excursions

Excursions

There are excursions to the volcano in a daily basis. I have never been, because all my friends have told me that it is nothing special, but you don’t lose anything if you try it. Especially, if you like hiking go for it!

Also there is an excursion with a boat called Atlantis which will get you in 30 meters depth. You can see how does the volcano look underwater and also some ship wrecks.
Another very nice thing you can do is to follow the “wine path”. Santorini is very famous for its wineries, which you can visit and taste the different wines of each winery. There are signs everywhere in the road. If you are bored just try the Sigalas winery, it will be enough. Also, if you want to buy some Vinsanto (sweet wine), buy from Sigalas or Argyrou (they are the best).

There are other types of excursions (ancient sites, etc.), so ask the hotel for further recommendations!

Santorini Sunset

Sunset

Santorini is famous for its sunsets. The villages of the island are really high and this makes sunset really picturesque. You will see hundreds of couples standing and waiting for the sunset and that is why probably Santorini has the fame of the "couple island" (many people choose Santorini for their honeymoons). However, although I agree that is nice to go with your boyfriend/girlfriend, I would say that singles have a great time as well! So do not get discouraged by the romantic character of the island!!

Oia is considered the best place to watch the sunset. Imerovigli is also a very nice place to view the sunset, but there are not many bars to sit. Fira is nice as well. Now, some famous places that people enjoy their cocktails, watching the sunset is Franco’s (Fira), Aspa of Palea Orihia (Oia) and Cafe΄ del Mar e Sol. Generally, you should better walk and choose the one you prefer best.

Santorini Food

Food

Food is something that Santorini is really famous for. Many restaurants there have won prizes. The problem though is that it is very touristic and if you don’t know where to eat you will find a lot of crappy and expensive food, so be careful.

You should definitely taste fava (or plates with fava) and tomato balls. In addition try plates with eggplants (and especially the white eggplant which is a Santorini specialty) etc. Also Santorini is very famous for its wines, so try Vinsanto and definitely go visit some wineries (I will write about it later).

Koukoumavlos: It is an award winner restaurant. It is in Fira, in an old manor house. Not so traditional plates, mostly creative plates, that use traditional Greek ingredients. View of the old Fira city and the volcano.

Saltsa: It is in Fira. The design of the place is cool and the food is very good. The prices are decent. I think they have a nice plate with codfish and one with white eggplant. Also the ice-cream was good. It has not good view.

Selini: Nice view to the sunset and the caldera. The chef there is crazy about using Greek products in a creative way, so you will taste Greek cuisine. I do not remember where it is, you should ask.

Metaxy mas: It is very difficult to find it (it is in a village called Exo Gonia, just under the village Pyrgos). As you go to Exo Gonia you will meet a church. You should ask where the school is and I think it is close to the school, but not very sure. The interior is very picturesque and they normally light the fire. The food is super good. It is a tavern, but a very very good one. It is one of my favorites.

218o: It’s in Oia, it is a new one, so I’ve only heard about it. It is an all day resto and it is named like that because of the view of 218o. Some people say it is the best view of the sunset, but it maybe only rumors. The food is good.

1800: It is one of the most famous ones, but I am not sure if it changed to 218o or not. For sure the people that own 218o, own also 1800. Try to find it, it is in Oia.

Fish Taverns

Do not expect any great environment, but the fish you will have will be very good. There are mostly traditional taverns like the ones you see on the movies (most of them on the beach). If you like fish and seafood, try octopus, calamari, marida, gavro, etc.

Dichtya: From many it is considered the best fish tavern of the island. They have a special way to cook the fish.

Kyra-Katina : It is the tavern in Ammoudi (under Oia). It has traditional Greek food and fish. It is a good choice if you decide to eat after swimming there.

Skaramangas: Also nice fish but the environment is worse than the others and not the best for a honeymoon!

Santorini Beaches

Beaches

Santorini, because of the volcano has not the classic blue and green color of the Greek islands in its sea. The waters are very deep and black, but there are some beaches that might worth it to visit. Personally, I like Santorini because of the beauty it has, the food and the lifestyle and not because of the beaches (this is something it lacks).

Vlychada : The rocks will remind you of sculptures and are made of pumice. The sea is a bid wild (because of the wind and the waves) and do not expect too much sand into the sea. However the view of the rocks is nice.

Red Beach: Not very easy to access (maybe better to take the small boat from Perissa or Kamari). What is nice there is the red color of the beach and its rocks. Normally, it’s full of people so it’s not that nice, but right now it is a good period to try it.

Ammoudi / Armeni: A very small cove (is this the right word?), but very picturesque. It’s my best choice, but this is really objective. The best place to go is the rocks behind the lighthouse where the waters are blue. Then you can eat to Katerina’s ( or Katina) tavern which is very good and famous. The other taverns are not bad though. Fish is good there. You can either go by car or go down on a donkey (it will be fun!).

White Beach: Again difficult to access (it’s next to the red one). You either have to walk from the red to the white one or to take a small boat again. It has a big whte rock and it is full of pumice and pebbles. The water is very clean there and in case you take the boat you will pass next to a very big and nice rock. Also swimming towards the red one will lead you to meet many small caves.

Perivolos: The most cosmopolitan beach of all, with beach bars, sports, etc. Long, with clean and cold waters. It deepens very quickly (after 3-4 steps I think).

Perissa: Cosmopolitan beach, well organized, with lots of bars on the beach (which will be closed, so calmer). It deepens really quickly, it’s fun to see that. Long beach , with sand and very easy to access (I think there are signs everywhere).

Santorini (1)

Hi again! I am really sorry for not being very quick with new posts, but lack of time is killing me!!

So, this time, the new hidden treasure has to do with a not hidden island at all, Santorini! Santorini, along with Mykonos may be the most famous island of Greece. However, this post will talk about hidden treasures within Santorini. Santorini is beautiful, but it is also very touristic, so I will try to indicate some hidden places that will make your stay there far more enjoyable!

In general Santorini for me it is one of the most beautiful Greek islands. Fira, Oia and secondarily Imerovigli (the view there is amazing, but there are mainly residences and hotels) are the places that you should visit and walk for sure.

There are plenty of things to do from wine tasting to volcano sightseeing (and of course watching the romantic sunset). In addition, Santorini is a centre of gastronomy. Many of the restaurants there possess the "Chrisous Skoufous" award, which are the Greek "Michelin Stars" (ok, I may be exaggerating a bit!). In any case you can definitely find a series of great and very creative restaurants.

This time, I will split my post in different sub-sposts, as I have to write to many things!

Paxos and Anti-Paxos: Hidden Greek Treasure Island

Hi again!

I am back with the first Greek island (which in this case is islands), which is Paxos and Anti-Paxos.

Although the Greeks know how beautiful these two little islands of Ionion Pelagos are, most of the foreign people ignore them, except for Italians, which are only 6-7 hours away by speed boat!

So, Paxos is the main island (where you can stay) and Anti-Paxos is the smaller one just across wher it is more preferable to visit within a day by renting a boat. Both Paxos and Anti-Paxos have amazing and crystal clear water. In addition, Paxos have also quite nice lifestyle (in terms of things you can do there). But... Too much information, so let's categorize the treasures of these islands in order to help you avoid any unpleasant (and "touristy" ) surprises:

Paxos

Main villages: Gaios,Lakka, Loggos. Those are the three main villages in Paxos. Gaios is the main marina and port (if u could call it so, as it is super small!) where all the sail and luxury boats are. You will see really big and luxurious boats there, but it is very tough too find a spot, so if you are intending going by boat, you should better plan beforehand.

Gaios is very picturesque place and it is highly recommended for a walk, for breakfast and for some drinks during the night.

Loggos : Loggos for me it is the best village of Paxos, but it is quite calm. A very picturesque place again, with nice places to stay in, so it is highly recommended to search a room somewhere around there. It has several nice taverns and one or two bars just next to the sea. Also recommended for an afternoon drink.

Lakka: Lakka is nice in pictures and has nice options for food (there is a famous Italian restaurant which is quite expensive though). I would not recommend Lakka as the best place to stay, so if you find accommodation in Loggos or Gaios go there.

Accommodation : Generally, as Paxos is a very small island, you have to book in advance. There are two options : 1) Book a house over a beach or close to nice landscapes and 2) book a room in Gaios, Lakka or Loggos. The second option might be cheaper but it is also very tricky as you can pay more than the room deserves. So in that case, try to go for a studio. A price of 100 -120 euros per day is the price for a normal quality (and clean studio). In any case, as the island has very limited rooms, try to book in advance, especially if you are going there in August (try to book the latest in May)

Food:

Just some great places to go and eat (mostly taverns). ?Unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact location)

1) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΝΤΟΛΟΣ (Ntolos tavern). Great Greek food! Definitely, try the keftedes (tomatokeftedes and all the others)

2) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΛΙΛΑΣ ( Lilas Tavern): Good for meat. Tzatziki is good as well but really strong!

3) ΤΑΒΕΡΝΑ Ο ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ( Vassilis) : It is located in Loggos and it is a nice place for pasta with lobster or other seafood. However, when I was there and it was very busy, the quality was bad. You have to be very lucky, although my experience was some years ago.

Things you should definitely do :

1) Watch the sunset with a cocktail in Erimitis (it is a cliff where you can see the sun setting in the open sea). You will find a nice bar with great cocktails.

2) Rent a small boat. In Paxos, you can rent a small boat (no license is needed) and go around the islands best beaches. Also, if the weather is really good, you could go to Anti-Paxos as well.

3) Go with the tourist guide boats on the other side of the island to the caves and to Galazio. It's worth it to go early there, it is amazing

4) Definitely, go to Antipaxos (again there are sea taxis). The last picture is from there. The problem is that the sea taxis only go to two beaches, which become crowded. If you already have a boat or a sail boat you will be able to see more of the magic...

Beaches:

In Paxos you won't find sandy beaches. Most of them have small rocks. But you will definitely find beautiful green and crystal clear waters.

1) Lost of blue waters in Anti-Paxos

2) Go to Kipiadi and Kipos for sure

3) Spilies is a nice place to swim

Anti-Paxos

In Anti-Paxos there are not many things apart from nice beaches and places to swim. The island has no houses (although I think there is one hotel). It also has two taverns, which might not be the best, but they are quite good. Especially the one on the top of the cliff has great view, but you have to walk a lot of stairs to go up, so take a deep breath!

How to get there: 1) You can go by car to the port of Igoumenitsa and from there pass across to Paxoi (There are only two ferries per day and that depends year by year)

2) You can go to Corfu and from there take a boat (1 hour)

3) You can go to the Marina Zeas (next to Pireas ) and take a sea plane (this must be fun!!)

Video: Here is a youtube video with some images fro the islands. Have fun!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEZSvSnWJaw

That is my first post, so excuse me if I am a bit confusing! I promise my next posts will be far more structured and helpful! I am waiting for your questions.

Ta leme!!

Greek......of the month

Another aspect of this blog will be the Greek ...... of the Month announcement! You can replace .... with sports team, island, personality, talent, site, word, habit and any other feature that might be interesting.

In the beginning the feature of the Greek ............ of the Month will be chosen in an " authoritarian" way, as we don't have enough people visiting this blog :) yet. After a certain point when MILLIONS of people ALL OVER THE WORLD start visiting it we will start voting...

Of course, today it is the first day of the blog, so the decision will be democratic... I am the only person that can vote, so I will decide !!!

What is this site?

This site is definitely about Greece. And most of all is about the treasures that are hidden in Greece...I know that most of you will think that I am talking about tourism and the beautiful islands and I have to admit that you are partly right...

However, this blog will be about hidden "treasure" islands that foreign people don't know, about the hidden "treasure" way of Greek life and lot more hidden "treasure" aspects of the Greek landscape, Greek literature, Greek lifestyle, Greek people, Greek businesses, Greek..., Greek..., Greek...

I hope you will enjoy it!!!!