 | The charming port city of Hydra, a short ferry ride from Athens | | | | | There aren't many places on earth as breathtaking as Greece – the azure blue water, the ancient architecture and all those bananas-beautiful beaches. Exploring the Ionian and Aegean seas is a must-do experience for most of us, whether you're visiting the Acropolis in Athens, the Byzantine churches of Thessaloniki or Metéora's mountain-top monasteries. And while Santorini's whitewashed towns and Mykonos's nightlife scene are well-known favorites, there are seemingly countless farflung, lesser-trafficked Greek islands to discover. | Like Hydra (pronounced ee-drah, sorry MCU fans), which is where Lonely Planet writer Alexis Averbuck has lived off and on for about 15 years and where she's currently hard at work reporting and researching our next Greece guidebook. Alexis's love of her adopted home and the insights she shared with me have basically made my decision for where I'll be traveling in 2023. Let's all go, shall we? | | | | | Director, Newsletter Content | | | | | | | With a little planning, one can easily bounce from one Greek isle to the other. | | | Experience the best of the best wherever you go in Greece with these expert tips and insights | | | Sarakiniko on the island of Milos in the Cyclades | | | | | | | Dive deep into the Peloponnese. The historical significance of places like Mystras, Mycenae, Epidavros and Olympia (site of the old Olympics) cannot be overstated. | | | | | Hit the beach(es). There is no shortage of pristine coastline in Greece. Kefalonia in the Ionian is particularly gorgeous with lots of wild beaches – Xi beach is pinkish-red. | | | | | Master the ferry system. Speedboats, overnight voyages, slower crossings – planning ahead and keeping tabs on the ferry schedule is essential. | | | | | Find a chill paradise. Check out Milos, a small volcanic island not far from Santorini. It's a cool alternative because it's so chill, gorgeous and approachable. Lefkada's west coast is another less-trafficked favorite. | | | | | Drink in local flavor. Xinomavro, a red wine from Naoussa, is delicious and uses only Greek grapes. Visit Nissos, a microbrewery on the island of Tinos and try their Greek Island Pilsner. | | | | | Walk the Cyclades. Islands like Andros have a whole network of walking paths that connect different villages. | | | Greece is waiting for you | Whittling down where to go in Greece is a tough assignment, so why not work with a local? Let the experts at Lonely Planet's travel-planning company Elsewhere help you plan the best trip ever. | | | The best places to go in Greece | From the Cyclades in the south to Halkidiki in the north, here are Greece's top spots, whether you're a beach bum or a history buff (or both). | | | Monasteries of Meteora, Melissani Cave in Kefalonia, Agios Pavlos in Thessaloniki | | | | | Lonely Planet writer Alexis Averbuck is your go-to guide for getting to know Greece. | | | | | Eat like a Greek by sampling manouri cheese and taramasalata | | | | | How did you end up in Greece? | I'm a painter as well as a writer. My friend knew I had a dream to paint in southern Europe, and his mother had a home in Hydra that needed to be renovated. (I renovated homes in New Orleans for about eight years.) So I went sight unseen, having never been. I didn't even Google it. I don't know why. It's somehow when life conspires, and you just know the answer is yes. | | | What is it like, making a home in a new country? | It is a continually wonderful experience, the way of assimilating into life on the island, where you show up as a foreigner with a mysterious provenance. The locals are like, "Why are you here and why aren't you leaving? It's winter!" As time progresses, I'm getting to know people, starting to learn Greek, moving through different layers of life on the island. I taught middle school level English, I met all the families. And it's home. | | | | | Try to visit two or three islands on your trip – Palos, Miros, Amogros are a good sample and combination of flavors. | | | When do you recommend people come? | Avoid July and August. September is a golden month, it has all the benefits of summer without all the stressors. Also, though I love April, May and the beginning of June, because I think people don't realize how verdant Greece is. Spring is exquisite with wild flowers kind of up to your shoulders. | | | What's the difference among the islands? | One of the things that people don't fully realize is the true individuality of each island. How different the way of life on the island is and even the terrain and the architecture, everything can be surprisingly different from island to island. | | | | | "People ask, 'Did you fall in love with a guy?' No, I fell in love with Greece. There's something about that island and me that clicked." | | | Is there anything about the Greek language that is helpful to know? | The names of islands are not pronounced the same in Greek as they are in English. It's the trap of actually naming the place in Greece, like do you actually call it what it's called or do you deliberately mispronounce it to make it something that is easily recognizable to non-Greek speakers? For example, Thessaloniki is Salonika. Ithaca is pronounced Ithaki. Odysseus is pronounced Odis-ay-us. And don't get me started on the names of the planets. | | | What's the best thing to eat in Greece? | Everything, but particularly anything that is made locally. You could write a whole article about Greek cheese. Cheeses like manouri, which is a creamy, soft cheese you drizzle with honey. One of my favorite dishes is taramasalata, a fish roe dip, it's something you can't get at the same caliber anywhere else. Also if it's calamari season, get calamari! | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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