Somehow some of my friends, having learned what I want go to Greece, began to dissuade me from visiting this country. Like, they have never met a more boring place, it's very expensive there, it's better to go to Turkey to the hotelwhere everything is included, and not to bathe. But I'm not the kind of person who goes on about other people's opinions. Therefore, saying the phrase Barney Stinson from the series "How I Met your mother": "Challenge accepted!", I decided to see for myself: is Greece really the way it is drawn by avid users of travel services.
In order to avoid a very long article, I will skip the moment of finding a direction, preparing for the trip, solving the problems that arose on our way even before the trip, and will immediately move on to the most interesting part. The direction was chosen island (no, do not be alarmed, we could not ignore the mainland Athens and, of course, included them in our route).
Start our journey we decided in ascending order: from the cheapest place in terms of recreation to the top resort in Europe. So, island of Kos. What's this? Where is he? And is it worth going there at all?
Kos - an island in the Aegean Sea, small but very cozy. It’s definitely worth going there if you decide to take a break from the bustle of the city, enjoy insanely beautiful sunrises, swim in the cleanest sea with a natural jacuzzi (volcanic gas bubbles that rise from the water column to the surface), and just love how we discover new places. And from the island you can easily go to neighboring Bodrum (visa-free for Belarusians), to the island of Rhodes (I will talk about it a little later), the island-volcano Nisyros and the island of Kalymnos, famous for the extraction of sea sponges.
LifeFac: ДFriends, if you are planning to visit the volcano, do not try to save money and do it yourself without a local travel agency. Since the locals are not one of those people who will be ready to drop everything and take you to the volcano at any time, although it is very close to island of Kos.
We did not intend to stop only on one island, so we went straight to Rhodes. The island is widely known thanks to one of 7 Wonders of the World. The Colossus of Rhodes - a giant statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. However, the island is rich in natural wonders: bay in the shape of a heart, "kiss of two seas".
Separately, I would like to say a few words about the place, popularly called “kiss of two seas“. A place with a special atmosphere, where two seas try to merge in a passionate kiss - Aegean и Mediterranean, violent one and calm another. This place is called Prasonisi and is located in the south of the island of Rhodes.
LifeFac: if you are going to admire the place where two seas meet, keep in mind that the wind is quite strong there, so hold your things tight and enjoy the beauty of nature and the passing kitesurfers and windsurfers.
Athens! A majestic city with a long history, striking in its beauty. Yes, there are ruins all around, but what! The spirit captures from the incredible feeling of the power of the city. You feel like a small piece of history. Unforgettably!
And what great views! Viewing platforms are literally at every step and, most importantly, absolutely free (mostly). Well, the view from there, you know, is mesmerizing.
LifeFac: if the trip to Athens is not tied to a specific date, I advise you to turn to Google for help, because in Greece there are days of free admission to museums. For Athens - this is a very relevant topic, because there are many worthwhile museums, and the price for them can decently hit the traveler's budget.
White and blue island of Santorini - a dream island that pleases the eye of any person. Incredibly, how could such a relatively small island fit so many beautiful places that are simply breathtaking?
Incredible sunsets in And I, the cosmic nature of the red beach, where red rocks, black volcanic sand and emerald-colored water form an incredible riot of bright colors, the capital Fira Islands with its snow-white buildings and the center of the island is an underwater volcano (by the way, active).
According to one of the legends (and the Greeks are very fond of legends), it is Santorini volcano activity and destroyed the well-known Atlantis. According to another version, an incredible explosion (a pillar of fire is a plume of the Santorini volcano eruption) was seen by Moses, leading the Jews out of Egypt, and the “parted” sea is the result of an incredible tsunami caused by this explosion (a well-known phenomenon when, during the arrival of a tsunami, sea water first quickly leaves the coast, and then returns again).
What is true here, and what is the speculation of the enterprising Greeks, you and I cannot understand. You can only believe in beautiful legends or be a skeptic.
Lifehacks:
1. Guys, do not trust the navigation on the islands, it has not been fully developed and you can get to God knows where instead of the destination you need. Once, having thus trusted the navigator, we went into such a jungle that we then had to leave from there on hitches.
2. Volcano Santorini - a popular place! But we remember the island of Kos and run to a local company to buy a day tour in order to admire the volcano without any problems.
3. Sunsets in Oia, indeed, of insane beauty, but be prepared for the fact that you will not be the only person who decides to appreciate them. Crowds of tourists, noise and din, hustle and queues to a tidbit of the city, from where an incredible view opens. Personally, this did not stop us from enjoying the beauty, but if you don’t like enjoying a city of this kind, I think it’s better to come to Oia at dawn, when the majority of tourists are still sleeping.
Finally, Mykonos Island. Perhaps the most expensive and party place, if not in Europe, then in Greece for sure. Many people call this place the "Greek Olympus" for luxury lovers, and believe me, this name justifies itself.
The resort attracts more golden youth and representatives of high society, among which there are such celebrities as Sophia Loren, Madonna, Elizabeth Taylor (unfortunately, we did not see them, but we readily believe that this island is rightfully their favorite place ). Mykonos is a place that never sleeps, and the local parties are in no way inferior in scope and grandeur. Ibiza.
But besides all this social life, luxury and parties, the island is rich in natural beauty.
Friends, so that you understand how much during our trip the price grew exponentially, I will give an example with a linen tablecloth, which we very successfully acquired on the island of Kos.
So there's the price tablecloths = 9€;
same price tablecloths in Mykonos = 45€. Growth by 400% (!!!!).
Summary: never listen to other people, because each person has his own tastes, preferences and a bunch of other factors. If you want to know something, check it out yourself, don't be afraid to take risks, always move towards your dream and don't be afraid of anything! And everything will work out for you, I just have no doubt about it!
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Very interesting and easy to read blog. Beautiful photos, and pulls after viewing them to get into these beautiful places. And for life hacks - special thanks, very useful tips. I live with the hope to get to Greece at least once in my life and see everything with my own eyes.