Vibrant Guide: Greece (Milos, Santorini, Folegandros, Mykonos)

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Last August, I went to Greece for my honeymoon and it was truly magical. I went to four islands in just a little over two weeks. Some might argue that this is too many islands to visit in that amount of time, and part of me agrees— BUT, I am a person who doesn’t mind being on the move and changing my surroundings every few days while on a trip, so I honestly found it very doable. I’m going to keep this as concise as possible and just get to the point đŸ™‚ I will break down the itinerary + travel details, and let you know my favorites from each island (it’s mostly all about the food tbh)

HOW I GOT THERE:

I flew direct from Miami to London (Norwegian air has super affordable flights to Europe), stayed over one night in London, then got a super cheap flight direct to Mykonos the next day. To get from island to island we took the ferry- I booked them all way ahead of time, and there were no issues, very seamless.

MYKONOS

WHERE I STAYED: San Giorgio Mykonos

I booked my trip SUPER far in advance, so I was able to find some amazing deals on hotels. I feel so lucky that I was able to snag a 3 night reservation at San Giorgio Mykonos for an affordable price. (I think they have since changed their name to Soho Roc House- they are a Soho House property)

This hotel was truly outstanding– I’m so happy this is where we began our honeymoon (besides the london gatwick airport hotel of course.) The property is beautiful and it’s a refuge from the Mykonos party scene. They have two decks coming out from the rocks the hotel is built on, where you can jump directly into the sea.

The breakfast buffet honestly made every penny spent worth it. My husband and I talk about the breakfast and the perfect ripe figs almost every day. Figs + freddo espresso and almond milk was the most heavenly combo.

WHERE TO EAT:

We didn’t eat out too much, as we would have a huge breakfast at the hotel’s buffet — and sometimes take some bread + hummus + cucumber + spicy feta sandwiches to go for lunch đŸ™‚ Mykonos can be very touristy and overpriced, but these places we ate were reasonably priced and very good.

Nikolas Taverna– this was near our hotel and on the beach. Classic greek taverna, we ate here twice.

Souvlaki Story – We tried this + saki’s— souvlaki story was definitely the winner. Not something I eat often, but when in Greece đŸ™‚

Bon Bon- in town– has vegan ice cream. I got the passionfruit, so good.

 

 

 

 

 

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SANTORINI

Ah, Santorini, perhaps the most instagrammed location…ever? On that note– these are my thoughts on Santorini. I’m glad I went because I would’ve always wondered about it and wished I had seen it…BUT… it is so insanely touristy, it almost felt like I was at Disney world. All anyone is doing is taking photos and you can barely move through the streets. We stayed for two nights and that was plenty for me. Maybe it was because I stayed in/only explored Oia— if I go back I will check out other parts of the island. Our airbnb was truly amazing. It is in the best spot to see the sunset, you can watch the sun setting from your own balcony— for this reason we just made our own spritzes and got takeout souvlaki, then hung out at our cave house.

 

WHERE I STAYED: This airbnb. It was the most expensive place I’ve probably ever stayed, but it wasn’t too different in price from any other hotel in Santorini and it was SO worth it.

 

WHERE TO EAT:

 

Ammoudi Fish Tavern- After the very intense hike down the steps to Ammoudi Bay (and dodging copious amounts of donkey droppings), we were delighted to have dinner here. Very classic greek food- fresh seafood- loved it.

Kyprida- We had lunch here, it was really good! We got the fava, grilled halloumi, tomatokefedes, and greek salad (we pretty much ordered all these things everywhere).

Pitogyros- SO good

Melenio Cafe- The photo of me sitting in front of a blue dome was taken here. You can get a coffee + pastry and check out the views. Someone got engaged while we were sitting here (this happens a lot in Oia)

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FOLEGANDROS

Folegandros is a super small lesser known island that is the opposite of touristy. In fact, after talking to people in town, I get the vibe they might be mad at me for putting it on the map right now. This island was absolutely amazing. It ridiculously beautiful and charming and it just had such a calm energy about it. Everyone there is enjoying life and taking things slowly— it was infectious. The town looks like mykonos town but is filled with affordable restaurants with authentic fresh food. Our hotel was on the beach, which was about a 10 minute drive into Chora, the town.

WHERE I STAYED:

Blue Sand Boutique Hotel & Suites

Such a gorgeous property right on the beach. Our room was designed beautifully and the view was ridiculous. The beach is filled with locals and there are a few AMAZING restaurants at the beach right next to the hotel.

 

WHERE TO EAT:

O Psaromiligkas- on the beach where we were staying (Agkali beach) so affordable and delicious.

Chic Taverne- In town, we ate here two nights in a row. They have a focus on fresh quality ingredients and have such an interesting menu– very vegetable forward while still having plenty of classic greek options.

Pounta- apparently they have amazing food but they weren’t serving dinner while we were there. We still got a drink and enjoyed the amazing scenery.

Anemomilos Hotel- you MUST come here for a drink to watch the sunset. It’s set right on a cliff. If you prefer to stay in town, definitely stay here.

 

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MILOS:

We absolutely loved Milos. Milos + Folegandros were definitely our favorite islands. Milos is huge with so much to do– if you’re into adventure, this is the island for you. We rented a car and went to so many different beaches. We stayed here for the longest, 5 nights, and I’m so glad we did.

WHERE I STAYED:

I stayed at a hotel called Milos Cove. It was fine— but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it and I wouldn’t stay there again. It is EXTREMELY remote. Truly in the middle of nowhere. It’s 15 minutes down an unpaved bumpy dirt road that isn’t even on google maps. We didn’t realize we would need to rent a car in order to do anything. Luckily, we were able to rent a car fairly easily, but, it was very limiting because we always had to be sure we could get home before the sun set, otherwise we would have no idea where we were going as the road that leads to the resort has no lights. I also feel that for a resort that is in the middle of nowhere, it should have better food options on site, and have a little more going on if you’re expected to never leave the property. The rooms are nice and modern, but everything looks a lot nicer on the website.

About 15 minutes from our hotel was a town called Pollonia, we came here for happy hour or dinner almost every night, I loved it. There is a cute boutique hotel here called Milos Breeze— I didn’t see inside or experience but if I came back I would probably choose to stay here based on location.

Where to Eat:

Gialos– In Pollonia. Fantastic food, we ate here for lunch and dinner. The seafood pasta and fava are divine.

O! Hamos– You absolutely have to eat here. Everything is outstanding. Always a wait, and it’s worth it. This feels like you’re at a family home.

Medusa- In Mandrakia, we came here after exploring Sarakiniko beach. It was super fresh and delicious with amazing views.

Sirocco- We came here for lunch, the location is so cool. It’s on Paliochori beach and you can hang out there before you eat. The sand was SO hot and apparently they cook the food in the ‘volcanic sand’. The food wasn’t absolutely mind blowing, but the location was worth it and we made a day of it.

Beaches to see:

Paliochori

Tsigrado

Sarakiniko

Firopotamos

Mandrakia

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