travels in greece

At this point in the semester, I have been able to travel and see so much in Greece! It was my goal to see as much as I could within the country, and I'm so happy to have seen and experienced so much of Greece these past few months. Here are the destinations I've visited and some highlights in each:

Athens

• Hike up Mt. Lycabettus and see the sunset and overview of all of Athens

• Take the tram to Edem Beach and Kalamaki Beach (both sandy and decent beaches)

• Walk around Plakka, the area with lots of Greek souvenir stores

• Shop in Syntagma Square/Monastiraki, a tourist area with lots of shopping and restuarants

• Visit ancient sites such as the Panthanaic Stadium, Acropolis, Arch of Hadrian, and the Roman Forum

• Explore Pagratti (my neighborhood)

• Walk/jog through the National Garden

• Overall, super easy to get around with public transportation and

• Favorite Cafes: Kekkos and Fixers

• Favorite Restaurants: Elysium (rooftop overlooking Acropolis), Meat and Roses (gyros), Oh My Pinsa (flatbread pizza), Falafel tou Pysirri (Middle Eastern)

Mt. Lycabettus, Elysium, Acropolis

Agkristi

• Day trip once with my roommates, then again with my mom and Nis

• Small island close to Athens, few hours on a boat from Pireaus port

• Visited on a boat cruise

• Beautiful clear waters and beach

Aegina

• Day trip once with my roommates, then again with my mom and Nis

• Small island close to Athens, few hours on a boat from Pireaus port

• Visited on a boat cruise

• Fun area to walk around

• Known for pistachios

Olympia

• 2 day trip for a mandatory school field study

• Central Greece, few hours on a bus from Athens

• Location of the very first Olympic games!

On the first Olympic track, First Olympic throwing area

Delphi

• 2 day trip for a mandatory school field study

• Central Greece, few hours on a bus from Athens

• Beautiful mountain landscape

Paros

• Weekend trip with my roommates and a few other girls from the program

• Southwest of Greece, 5ish hours on a ferry

• Piperi Beach - sandy beach with pretty big rocks nearby

• Cute downtown area with shops

• Aesthetic white buildings

• Gorgeous sunsets

Crete

• 4 day trip for a mandatory school field study

• South of Greece and closer to Africa, overnight trip on a ferry

• Hike through Lissos Gorge and Sougia Beach

• Swim and lay out at Starvos Beach

• Boat ride from Plakias to Preveli

• Walk through the Palm Forest in Preveli

• Matala Beach - pebble beach

Sougia Beach, Palm Forest, Preveli Beach

Hydra

• Day trip with Kristen and Sarah

• Small island close to Athens, one hour ferry ride from Piraeus

• One strip of shopping/restaurants near port, very accessible

• No nearby sandy beaches but really pretty rocks right on the water

Naxos

• Weekend trip with one of my roommates, Maddie

• Southwest of Greece, 4ish hours on a ferry

• Reminded me of Florida

• Nice beaches, lots of sand

Santorini

• 4 day trip with Cole

• Southwest of Greece, 1 hour flight

• Ride around on the ATV to explore the entire island!

• Immerovigil - in between Oia and Fira, beautiful water/volcano views from where we stayed

• Oia - beautiful sunset, shops, aesthetic white buildings, blue domes

• Fira - three bells, blue domes

• Ammoudi Bay - no sand beach but really pretty waterfront along volcano

• Perissa Beach - pebble beach

• Kamari Beach - pebble beach with lots of restaurants, pretty walk along beach

View from Immerovigil, Sunset in Oia, Blue Dome In Oia

Peloponesse

• 4 day trip for a mandatory school field study

• Western Greece, few hours bus ride

• Visited ancient cities/sites: Mystras Byzantine Site, Palace of Nestor, Messene, Mycanae

• Spent time in Sparta, Pylos, Kalamata, and Nafplio

• Cute lunch spots near the waterfront in Pylos