Greek islands
No sleep. Bus, club, beach, boat, another club, another beach, ferry, next place.
Months of saving scraps of my paycheck, digging for budget-friendly airbnbs, booking ferries in advance, and researching the spots led my friend and I to what would become an iconic trip to the Greek islands.
My friend and I had a deal – she wanted to party, I wanted the beach. We obliged to each other’s demands and created the perfect blend of both.
Plane
We flew from Paris to Mykonos, our plane landing just as the sun enveloped the island in gold on its way down. After haggling with our taxi driver, dropping our stuff of at our hotel, and getting ready in record time, we caught a bus to the main town to explore the blue and white streets of Mykonos.
Bus – Ferry
After a broken down bus and an hour long walk with suitcases through the mountains of Mykonos in blazing heat, a very sweaty pair of friends arrived (just barely) at their ferry. We boarded and headed to our first official destination – Paros. Our lovely airbnb host met us at our bus stop and welcomed us. We were met with THE most idyllic Greek village you could imagine. Set in the mountains of Paros, the little village, free from cars and modern buildings, featured white winding streets, blue wood, an abundance of cats and dazzling pink flowers. We made quick friends of the lady who owned the local bakery and took some ice cream and goodies down to the beach for an absolutely necessary cool down. Our host explained that the village was getting ready for a local festival that celebrated their village saint and invited us to the festivities. After a quick shower, we grabbed dinner and some obligatory ouzo from a neighboring restaurant, dazed from the lights, language and licorice liquor.
We made our way to the village center and watched as heads tossed in laughter, hips swayed to the music, feet danced in circles, and ‘Opa’s’ were cheered into the warm night air. The village priest made his way to every table, cracking jokes, flicking his ponytail and shotgunning beers. We had somehow cheated our way out of the tourist traps and peered into a true Greek summer. It was a perfect evening.
Boat – Bus
The next day, after an early wake up call and some good luck, we were able to snag a boat tour with Rofos. Turquoise blue waters, dolphins, a pirate’s cove, and sunshine – our inner kiddies came out as we jumped, swam, and made friends with the fishes. I floated with my eyes closed and a grin on my face – perfection.
That night, tanned and glowy, we set off to the coastal town of Naoussa for some sunset dinner and were floored to arrive at THE most gorgeous seaside town. Waves lapped at toes as people ate and watched the sun go down, bathing everyone and everything in sight in an ethereal glow.
Another ferry – Club
After a rest day (if you consider doctor’s offices, a beach session, and Survivor restful), we were herded on the ferry to Ios. We arrived at Villa Mata, our gorgeous Airbnb, which was situated just steps from the beach and buzzed with youthful energy. We made friends with a sweet waitress at what quickly became our staple restaurant and then head to the beach for another necessary session. After the ever-dreamy post-beach getting ready session, we left to Far Out, a famed beach club at what we realized was the party island for young Europeans. A few drinks, dances, and introductions later, we spent the rest of the evening with new friends under the neon lights of the club that said, “You are exactly where you need to be” and knew it was true.
Another Boat
The next day we went on another boat tour with Meltemi Watersports . Now, my family is from the Caribbean, so it’s not incredibly easy to impress me with beaches but (forgive me Puerto Rico), I believe we went to some of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen in my life. We sped through the ocean from beach to beach, squeals and laughter erupting from the group, music in our ears and the sun on our faces. We swam in ocean caves, climbed over rocks and tanned on the beach, the group becoming closer with each new stop.
Another Club – Bar
Skin warmed and tanned from the sun, we went straight from the boat to Far Out one last time and then to the Greek bars of Ios; reuniting with new friends and dancing our hearts out.
4-Wheeler – Plane
Our last official day in Greece was mission driven. We made our way into town and rented a 4-wheeler. We were determined to go back to Tripiti beach, a spot that had left us speechless the day before. My travel buddy – a slight control freak, was given the role of driver. Our wheels trudged along the mountains, navigating the steep and not incredibly developed road. My friend expertly steered us through rough terrain at some gut-dropping heights, the remoteness of the island becoming increasingly clear with each new turn. We ended up at a sweet little beach, laden with Greek history, after learning that our envisioned beach was impossible to get to by land (I suppose I’m the one who wanted remote right?). We set up on the beach and spent a lazy afternoon swimming, tanning and exploring before heading back to our place, the journey full of wrong turns and Italians. After an episode or two of Survivor, we got ready and headed up the mountain for our last dinner. We took in the sights, smells, food, people and atmosphere for the last time. Greece had been good to us.
Greece
So despite a couple of colds, sweltering heat, rough transportation systems, and a student-budget, we managed to do everything we wanted to and more. We were adventurers, we were explorers, we were fun and charming, we were social, we were one with nature, we were immersed, we were together… we were everything we wanted to be and we were reminded that “You are exactly where you need to be”.
damnmaris.com 