GO GREECE: Treated 'exceptionally well' on the Cycladic islands and in Athens, JOHN HOLDENwas impressed with discounted accommodation and the overall friendliness in Greece
THE DECISION TO GO to Greece this year on holidays had nothing to do with any morbid interest in taking advantage of a nation in a (somewhat) less fortunate state than our own. Island hopping had always been on my bucket list as were visiting the many ancient wonders of Athens.
It was only when we arrived that it became clear how things were going to work. With tourist numbers reported (anecdotally) down 50 per cent on recent years, everyone was vying for our attention and our euros.
We arrived in Athens with nothing booked for a two-week holiday except our very first night’s accommodation in a basic two-star hotel. For the next fortnight, impulse would be king. It was our intention to go with the flow in every possible way and travel the Cycladic islands whenever, wherever and however way we felt.
This was easier than expected. Using a combination of Trip Advisor and Booking.comwe were able to identify places to stay (for every budget) everywhere we wanted to visit and plenty of ferries to get us there.
Before embarking for the Cyclades, we visited the main Athenian sites – the Acropolis, Olympic Stadium etc – which are busy at any time of the year. Choosing somewhere for lunch in Athens can be interesting as restaurant staff will do their darndest to get passing custom into their establishment. When staff at two restaurants beside each other simultaneously tried to convince us of the merits of each, one maitre’d said he would give us a 10 per cent discount on our meal if we chose his eatery.
You could tell that some local traders in Athens were disappointed to hear we were heading off island hopping as this is an all-too common occurrence. When Irish tourists mention visiting Greece, they’re usually referring to some island or another. For many, the mainland seems little more than a means to getting elsewhere.
In all honesty, our main aim was like everyone elses: to get to the beach and that famous Aegean blue water. We left the mainland from the port of Piraeus and our first stop was the island of Santorini. Known for its sunsets, black sand and beautiful cliff-side architecture, it is one of the more expensive Cycladic islands but still had a sizeable number of tourists.
We stayed in the very nice three-star Hotel Leta for €30 a night. The best way to get around any of the islands is by moped or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).
Again, competition is the name of the game, so you should be able to rent something for €10-€15 per day.
Santorini is very popular with American and Asian tourists in particular. It has some excellent beaches but those in search of white sand will be disappointed as the volcanic landscape means most beaches are a mixture of black coral and stone (the upside of this, of course, is that you won’t find sand in every crevice for weeks afterwards).
As Santorini was quite an expensive and – in parts – exclusive place, I got great pleasure out of asking locals to tell the difference between the €5 Ray-Bans I bought in Athens and the real pair my partner was sporting. Rarely could anyone tell the difference.
Our next destination was the beautiful island of Paros. A little rougher around the edges, Paros felt like a more authentic Greek experience.
We were greeted at the port by dozens of hoteliers looking for our custom and we chose one we had already looked at on Trip Advisor called Hotel Pelagos.
Despite the sale already having been agreed for a basic double, the manager bumped us up to a suite. The logic, one assumes, is that it would have been easy for us to shop around, spend one night there and swiftly move on the next day if we got a better offer.
The main old town of Parikia in Paros has some beautiful winding streets, all whitewashed and Escher-esque in their design. Getting lost is all part of the fun, and with a few rakis under your belt (local moonshine), it can take longer than expected to find your way out. Paros is also home to Molos beach, complete with volcanic rocks and mud. Enthusiasts can rub themselves in the mineral-rich mud nearby and then wash it off in the warm sea.
After a brief visit to the very worthwhile cave on the island of Antiparos (a five-minute ferry service can take you and your vehicle from Paros for under €5), we travelled to our next destination, Mykonos.
Mykonos is well known among European holidaymakers and Mykonos town/city is a fast-paced, bustling place where you can enjoy yourself at any time, day or night.
We shopped around the higher end hotels on the island and made each one well aware we were doing so.
In the end we went for the five-star Bill and Coo Suites, just outside the main town on the Megali Ammos beach. The suite was reduced from €500 to €310 per night. Bill Coo Suites is one of the most luxurious hotels the island has to offer and now swimming in an infinity pool is also off my bucket list.
The ferry services in Greece are fast and there are daily departures between islands and back to Athens. The price, however, isn’t really up for negotiation. We had a romantic idea that we might be able to hitch rides from local fishermen to take us to other nearby islands on wooden boats filled with grouper and sea bass. But when we did ask it usually turned out more expensive than using the main ferry service. Those with decent Greek-speaking skills, however, should still give it a go.
Anyone who has any moral dilemmas about holidaying in a country in economic turmoil take note: they would much rather you came and spent any money than not come at all. In every place we stayed we were treated exceptionally well and the Greek people seemed very self-conscious about having the rest of the world’s media talking about them.
One hotel barman asked if we would take one message back home: “The rest of the world are calling us lazy, but I work seven days a week!”
How to...
Get there:Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Athens three times a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. See aerlingus.com
Where to stay:Budget – €20-€40 per room. Hotel Diros, Agiou Konstantinou 21, Athens 10431, Greece, tel: 0030-21-0524 8112, €20-€40 per room.Ž Don't expect too much from this hotel. It gets the basics right; it's both clean and air-conditioned. The real value lies in its location. Right in the centre of the city, it's just a five-minute walk away from many of the main tourist attractions in Athens. Mid-range – €30-€70 per room. Hotel Pelagos, Parikia Paros, tel: 0030-22840-22725, pelagosstudios.com. This family-owned hotel is slightly off the main Paros thoroughfare but is very nice and bright and has a lovely garden. Luxury – Bill Coo Suites and Lounge, Megali Ammos, Mykonos 84600, Greece, tel: 0030-22890-26292, bill-coo-hotel.com. Your bank manager won't be impressed but this really is a beautiful hotel with an infinity pool which looks out onto the Aegean Sea. Need I say more?
Go eat:Joanna's Nikos Place Taverna, Megali Ammos Beach, Mykonos, Greece Many of the local taverns in the Cyclades offer the same range of Greek delicacies. So the best thing to do is pick one you like and keep going back. Joanna's has barbecued fish every night of the week and is nicely placed right on the beachfront.
Where to visit:Antiparos Cave, tel: 0030-228-40-61570. This very impressive cave reaches depths of about 100m and lies 13km south of Antiparos village. It was reportedly discovered 2,000 years ago and people have been visiting it since. Graffiti from the 1800s is particularly amusing. Hammam Baths, Athens, Greece, hammam.gr/en. A visit to the Hammam Baths in Athens is an excellent way to start or end your holiday. Guests enjoy the healing effects of the steamroom while massages and various other treatments are also available.
