Greece is a great holiday destination for families, friends and couples. Only a short flight from Dublin airport with Ryanair operating daily flights in the summer months, it’s a great excuse to go island hopping without travelling outside Europe.
I used skyscanner and set alerts for the cheapest time to fly and researched the best way to travel to each island. Booking.com was my best friend when searching for accommodation and most places I stayed in provided a free transfer from the port/airport.
My first stop on my island hopping adventure was Mykonos. Located at the heart of the Cyclades island group, known for its exciting nightlife and celeb spotting, an exciting first stop on our trip. I flew from Dublin-Athens and organised a transfer for my friends and I to Rafina port to get our ferry to Mykonos. It was 35 degrees when we arrived and the 4 hour ferry didn’t seem like a bad idea when we booked it but if I was planning to go to Mykonos again, I’d fly into Mykonos airport which is serviced by Ryanair from Italy and Volotea from Athens. There are regular flights to Mykonos airport and it’s a better option than flying to Athens and getting the ferry from Rafina!
When we arrived in Mykonos, we were greeted by our free transfer which brought us to our accommodation. We reserved a villa for 5 days which had 3 bedrooms and a view of the sunset. Our neighbours were all Italian (direct flights from Italy!) and they recommended that we rent a car to travel around the island as taxis are scarce and expensive. The roads in Mykonos are like old country roads with potholes and no road markings so it was a scary experience but it was the best way to get around the island. We rented a small Nissan Micra for €90 for 3 days and that was definitely the cheapest thing about Mykonos!
We found Mykonos to be expensive especially at night time. One of my friends paid €8 for a drink in a nightclub, more expensive than Dublin! The main nightlife was located at club Tropicana and Paradise beach club. During the day we were expected to pay €30 for a sun lounger at Tropicana! Mykonos is known to be a celebrity hot spot so it turned out to be more expensive than we anticipated. We stocked up in the supermarket and cooked most of our meals in the villa which was better than spending €30 for a main course each night.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Mykonos but were looking forward to moving onto our next island…. Paros.
Don’t be fooled by the clouds in Greece, you can still get severely sunburned without sunscreen! While waiting on the ferry in Mykonos, the winds were approx. 60km/h with no sun and I got 2nd degree burns…. Never forget the factor 50!
When we arrived in Paros, I was looking to buy aftersun and aloe vera while my friends explored the seafront. A very different atmosphere to Mykonos with a relaxed feeling. The port was quite close to our accommodation so we could walk to our hotel. We had 2 rooms booked, one with a sea view and the other with no view. Breakfast was included in our stay and for 4 nights it cost us €120pp. Our time in Paros was relaxed where we enjoyed eating out with cocktails in the evenings. Renting a sunlounger on the beach only cost €10 so we had more money in our pockets than in Mykonos!
Next stop was Ios where our group began to get bigger with my friend joining us from her family holiday in Crete. Ios is known for its nightlife and countless churches on every hill and after a relaxing 5 days in Paros, we were ready to enjoy Ios. We stayed at the Sunrise Hotel which is located on a hill (which was horrible to walk up) with a large swimming pool and bar. We had the biggest room in the hotel which held 7 of us which was great being altogether.
During the day we went to Erego beach club where we could relax and enjoy the views of the island.
We also enjoyed the sunset at Pathos beach club which offers the best view of the sunset I’ve ever seen!
There is a place for everyone in Ios, we even went to a live music bar with Irish singers so whatever you’re looking for on a night out, Ios has it.
Our last stop on our adventure was Santorini. Another of the Cyclades islands known for its dramatic views and sunset in Oia town, we saved the best for last.
We stayed in Fira, south of the island and rented a car to travel around the island. One of the most beautiful places I’ve visited and will definitely be returning in the future.
Driving around the island was an incredible experience from driving on roads carved into a mountain to driving through small vineyards. Everywhere you go, there’s breathtaking views and the sunset in Oia is the most incredible sight to see.
For a day trip, we visited the Ancient Akrotiri which resembles ancient Pompeii. It is a preserved ancient city which was covered in volcanic ash. The guided tour was €30 and was a different way to spend a day on the island.
The centre of Fira is full of small shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek clothing. It’s easy to spend all your money in these shops as there’s so many things you could bring home as souvenirs. It was nice to wander around the small Greek streets and stumble upon different shops and we even found a cable car which brought us down the side of a mountain to the port.
When I’m on holiday I like to eat local cuisine and the Greek food didn’t disappoint! There’s so much choice when in restaurants but I usually ate the Greek salad, (where the tomatoes were so sweet and the same size as apples) Moussaka, (like a lamb lasagne) Souvlaki (grilled meat on skewers) and Gyros for a quick meal!
After my 3 weeks island hopping around the Cyclades islands, it was time to make my way back to Athens and return home to Dublin. A trip I won’t forget and somewhere that I’ll be returning to in the near future!
Top tip: Go in June - prices increase for tourists in July and August so you’ll get more value going in early summer.
Book everything in advance, greek people try to increase prices when booking last minute at the port.