GREECE - one beautiful week

First up, check into this beautiful hostel and dump your bags! My friend and I shared a private room, but you could easily bunk in a dorm if travelling solo. The hostel has a lovely free breakfast, and is super clean (also felt very authentic Greek).

Okay this place was fantastic for a first meal. Make your way into town and treat yourself to some authentic fresh Greek lunch! And yes, they have a complimentary delicious dessert at the end to satisfy your tastebuds (this won’t be your last free dessert).

To digest, continue getting lost in Athens’ gorgeous town square. Look at the remarkable archeological buildings and admire any street music you might pass.

Continue strolling through the little hidden streets in Plaka, where you’ll find local cats & gorgeous front gardens. Here, you’ll start making your way up to the Acropolis.

Just in time for sunset! After this little hill hike, you can either go into the Acropolis for a small entry fee (note, this closes around 8pm or earlier if during the summer on a very hot day) or watch the sunset with a 360 degree view of the Acropolis & entire Athens town (this was my personal favourite thing to do)! It is truly magical. This view top is on the way up to the Acropolis, and usually has a small crowd around sunset time.

On the way back into town, stop by for dinner and a drink! We went to a restaurant called En Iordani, however there are plenty of options to choose from on this busy street!

Start your morning by visiting the beautiful Acropolis museum (especially if you miss out on the actual Pantheon)!

Okay hands down still one of my favourite meals in Greece!!! Cheap, delicious, authentic!!

Catch an afternoon ferry from Athens to Milos! We stayed in a cute, adorable AirBnB called Dioni Lux inn right by the Pachaina beach. We did a grocery shop and cooked up some fresh salad for lunch! Also you’ll need a quick dip at this point and the beach is 5 mins away!

This beach is to die for!!! Go cliff jumping and swimming in this turquoise blue waters. Also the caves are insanely cool.

Drive or bus into the main town, and walk around Adamas & Klima - gorgeous little towns of the fishing village. Watch the sunset and have dinner by the ocean.

Go to Sarakiniko in the morning! Best to get there by car or ATV (if you decide to hire one), we hired a little car and drove there (10 mins from the accomodation). Otherwise bus or foot is also an option. Now, time for cliff jumping!!

After our 1 night in Milos, we jumped on a ferry to Crete (about 5 hours)! You’ll arrive in Heraklion, simply jump on a bus straight to Chania (about 1.5-2 hours away). We arrived around evening, so we walked around the old town & grabbed some dinner. We stayed at a little B&B guesthouse called Diana’s Apartments in the town centre (right next to the bus stop!

Pretty decent dinner with a gorgeous outdoors atmosphere!!

Day trip day!! Okay, now hire your car for a full day of driving to the best beaches around the Chania area! First stop, this gorgeous beach full of friendly goats and blue water hidden in a gorge!

Drive to Stavros then Marathi and check out those beaches too! All of these spots are around 20-30 minutes apart in the same area. Grab some lunch by the sea here too!

Now for the most beautiful ending to the road trip, Falassarna beach (about 1.5 hrs drive). Get here with enough time to spare for the sunset. This spot is simply magical.

Have one more day of freedom to fall in love with Chania’s old town and city, and to swim at the town beaches. We watched our last sunset here from a viewpoint (about 50 mins walk up the back hills of the city), and had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Secret Tastes. This was probably our favourite meal in Greece yet.

Did you know there is a secret Bali in Crete, that is exactly like a mini Amalfi Coast except so hidden from tourism?! Well look no further, you’re getting a bus there from Chania! We stayed at Dimitris Apartments, and man this was one of the best hosts we had! Also one of the best views!

There are about four beaches in this little fishing village, but the one closest to the accomodation was the best! We spent pretty much all afternoon here.

Just explore and get lost here. Every single view is insanely breathtaking! We got groceries for dinner but there are restaurants everywhere (most are a little $$)

As our Greece trip was coming to an end, we decided to do one last sneaky night in Crete, and went to Malia! This is a great place for some nightlife, but my favourite part was renting an ATV (only 40 euro) and burning around at sunset. Would highly recommend. We stayed at Vergina Apartments.

After watching the sunset by the beach, take a stroll to Mezes Garden Restaurant and treat yourself with a fresh Sea Bream Fish! This topped every other dinner we had on the trip! Also the vegetables are grown in the restaurant’s garden.

You’re likely going to fly out of Heraklion! This is a sad goodbye to Greece, but the adventure was unforgettable. The most beautiful week covering Athens, Milos & Crete! Join us on our continued journey to Naples, where we take on Italy (see my next itinerary)! 🍋🌱❤️