What is a Cruise to the Greek Islands really like?
Cruising is a wonderful way to see multiple destinations in one trip with all of the logistics taken care of for you. Sounds pretty nice, right? Well, it is and the Greek Islands or the Eastern Mediterranean is a perfect location for this type of exploration. Because we are travel agents, we tend to favor itinerary rich cruises which means fewer at sea days and more ports of call. However, many of our clients prefer a more laid back itinerary that gives them more downtime but still has all the ports of call they desire. Many of the premium and luxury lines are perfectly designed for this type of travel and have many benefits already included in their fare. Here is a taste of our experience in the Greek Islands.
Mykonos
After departing Civitavecchia, the port that services Rome, we headed to our first stop, Mykonos, Greece. Like most popular places, if you want a better experience and you are not driven by weather, I suggest you travel during the shoulder seasons. We arrived in Mykonos in mid-October and it was a quiet and relaxing visit. We did not have the island to ourselves but we were the only ship in port and the atmosphere was very relaxed. For more information about Mykonos and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here.
Athens
Our next stop was Athens. I think you could spend a lot of time here exploring so many different things. The best part of cruising is you get a taste of a variety of places and then you can decide if you want to visit a second time and explore more deeply. Of course, we hit the major points of interest and one that I had not heard much about. The ancient city of Agora at the foot of the Acropolis. This was a fun place to explore especially when everyone else was crowding into the Acropolis. From Agora you are just steps away from an open-air market that is also a great place to explore. For more information about Athens and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here.
Rhodes
Rhodes is just 20 miles from the coast of Turkey. I got a good chuckle when my cell phone sent me a text “welcome to Turkey” as I disembarked the ship. Close but not quite. We could see Turkey off in the distance. One of the fun sights to visit here is the Acropolis in Lindos. This Acropolis is not as well known and it was surprising to me to learn that there are several Acropolis’ in the Mediterranean. The small village of Lindos that you have to wind your way through to get to the top of the Acropolis is actually more interesting than the top, but you have to get to the top. It is beautiful and the views are amazing. You should also be sure to take some time to roam the streets of the old walled city. The walls are still there as well as the castle and it is sure to delight. For more information about Rhodes and our time spent there, check out or blog by clicking here.
Santorini
Nothing really prepares you for your first glimpse of Santorini. You can read, study, and look at pictures all you want but until you are on the water looking up the caldera wall at the buildings piled like frosting on the top, you just can’t get a true feel for it. I haven’t experienced anything like it. We arrived just as the sun was starting to rise over the top of the caldera and the white buildings just sparkled and the morning mist was just beginning to evaporate. It was breathtaking. We had the privilege of taking a private tour on Santorini and I highly encourage you to try and work this into your schedule. We were able to customize our experience slightly but best of all we beat everyone to the best views. For more information about Santorini and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here. For more information about our private tour click here.
Crete
Our time here was a little too short. We only had time to take the shuttle into Chania and roam the old town streets for a little while. The natural Bay that the old town surrounds is beautiful and has a bit of Turkish feel to some of its older buildings. There is a beautiful fountain there as well as some great places to shop. More than anything else, I loved just wandering down the pedestrian-only streets and soaking in the feel of the place and its culture. For more information about Crete and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here.
Malta
Much like Santorini, Malta captured my heart and imagination from my first glimpse. I highly recommend sailing into this harbor. The experience is breathtaking. After enduring a summer-long siege the Knights Templar decided they never wanted to experience that again and took to fortifying the bay. Everywhere you look there are 30-foot walls and stunning rock buildings. The water crashing against the rock and the magnitude of this bay was love at first sight for me. But it got even better when we visited the walled city of Mdina. While we were there most people stuck to the front entrance area. I took some time and wandered more towards the back and another entrance. I almost had that section of Mdina to myself. It was beautiful and peaceful. I love how plants would find a place to grow even surrounded by all the rock. Beautiful and completely unique. For more information about Malta and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here.
Sicily
Okay, Sicily and Malta are not really part of the Greek Islands; however, they were on our itinerary and so I have included them here. My expectations for Sicily were quite low and so I was pleasantly surprised. We hired a taxi driver to take us to a few places that we wanted to go and he did not disappoint. We made it to the two little towns used while filming the “Godfather” movies and then on to Taormina. The island of Sicily was so much more than I was expecting. The coastline is stunning the mountains are lush and dotted with these picture-perfect little towns and Taormina was a gem of a place where I spent most of my time exploring the old Greek amphitheater. Besides being a beautiful representation of a Greek amphitheater, it had some of the most stunning views of the towns and coastline below it. I could have used a little more time to explore Taormina but all in all, Sicily was an unexpected pleasure. For more information about Sicily and our time spent there, check out our blog by clicking here.
Naples/Pompeii/Amalfi Coast
Naples was our final port of call before returning to Civitavecchia (Rome) and we took this opportunity to visit Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Again we took a private tour and it was well worth it. We were traveling with friends and it was such a fun way to explore these two amazing sights. The Amalfi Coast is made up of several villages that cling to the mountains before they dive into the sea. If I could use only one word to describe them it would be “verticle”. Everything is verticle. This section of Italy is famous for a very good reason and if you have the opportunity, you really need to go for a visit. Pompeii was another eye-opener. Even though its story is well known the magnitude of the site is what really took my breath away. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was definitely much smaller in my head. We had the privilege of having an amazing guide who knew and understood its history. A good guide is a must when visiting Pompeii. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to visit this amazing site. For more information about our time spent in Pompeii, check out our blog by clicking here. For our time spent on the Amalfi Coast, click here.
We did all of this in eleven days. It was a bit fast-paced but there are cruises with our premium and luxury cruise lines that take a little more time and slow the pace down a bit. The Greek islands are each unique in their beauty as well as their history. Each island had its own personality and feel. Not one of them disappointed me and most of them left me wanting more. If the Greek Islands are part of your lifetime travel goals, contact us, your premiere Boise Travel Agency and Greek Island experts and we can help you put together your perfect trip to Greece and her many islands.
Phone: 208-996-3269 or Email: cal.lindsay@cruiseplanners.com
