I set up Greece Travel Guide in 2016 to share my passion for this beautiful country. Its climate, culture, variety and relaxed attitude make it a truly unforgettable holiday destination, and each year I look forward to at least one trip back to what has become a very special place for me. Although I am not Greek myself, I do feel a strong sense of belonging whenever I am visiting - I must have been Greek in my previous life!
Through this channel, I hope to share with you my past experiences; things to do and see, when to visit and what to expect from the islands I have come to cherish over the last 3 decades. Please consider following me on Instagram (@greece_travel_guide) and subscribing to my channel, and if you have any feedback on my content, either leave a comment on the relevant video or contact me directly.
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I thought it was 171, not 78? Λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφοφαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερυγών.
Excellent tour of the different islands and a genuine suggestion in order to safe time, money and not be disappointed in an island like Milos if one has only 7 days of vacation to enjoy sun, sea and great food and historical/cultural sites. Thank you so much. Note: which of the many islands that have been visited by you have white sand beaches and/or 5 star hotels?
Thanks, glad you found it helpful. I don't know many islands with properly white sand and most of the smaller islands I enjoy tend not to have large 5-star resort hotels. That said, you could look at Paros which has some great beaches and will definitely have some luxury boutique hotels. Naxos as well. You could also try Crete which will have the bigger 5-star hotels and does have some famous beaches like Elafonissos - I've got a video showing that beach somewhere on my channel, it's quite famous
Milos has a couple of 5-star hotels, a couple of 4-star hotels, and several excellent boutique hotels. There are more than 70+ beaches on Milos, more than any other island in the Cyclades, several of them sandy. The author totally missed the mark on the pristine, remote beaches on the west coast, BTW. They are a true hidden gem, and thanks to this video, they will remain that way. :). Crete, as the largest island in Greece, has a lot to offer, except the small island vibe.
Not really, no. The stops on each island are very brief, just long enough for departing passengers and vehicles to disembark and new passengers and vehicles to board. Typically this is about 15-minutes, sometimes even less. There's not enough time to get off safely and get back on board and you may be challenged to show a ticket for the port of departure that you may not have. I wouldn't risk it.
Yes, there's no limit to how many QR codes you can have on one phone, you just need to have each code scanned as you board. It can be easier to have the codes on different phones so that you don't have to swipe between the codes when scanning them but it isn't a requirement.
10 x que nous avons ete a sifnos ,les meilleure vacance de notre vie ,a la pension MORPHEAS !!!! Chez l' Ami costa, et son epouse Maria !!! Des gens inoubliable !!!!❤❤❤❤
Both are nice resorts. I prefer Kamares as I think the beach is nicer. Platis Gialos does have some excellent restaurants (To Steki, Yialos, Omega3) so it's a tough choice and hard to go wrong really.
Brilliant video thanks! I’m organizing a trip for the start of October (Milos, Sifnos, Paros) and this has helped heaps! Would you say it’s more expensive to book accommodation last minute? Or cheaper?
October is quite late in the season so you should find plenty of choice and good prices. Personally, I would book as early as possible as prices tend to go up rather than down, but if you can find places with free cancellation you can always change accommodation if something better/cheaper shows up nearer the time. Just be aware that free cancellation usually has a cut off date a week or two before arrival so I would check for alternatives just before the cut off. Sounds like a great trip, enjoy!
Great video, thank you for uploading this. Planning a four island trip in May next year (Kos-Astypalea-Naxos-Santorini) so I've been working my way through your videos, amazing 👏🏼
Do you think you will need a car? or do they have taxi? or is the bus just very easy? We will be going on May so not sure if the bus will be on the high season schedule. I am really looking forward to the food here.
You shouldn't need a car. The bus network is excellent and even in May it should be frequent enough to get you around. The timetable is here: sifnos.gr/en/transportation-bus-timetable/ although it only shows the current schedule, it gives you an idea of the coverage. How many days are you staying? The only time I'd recommend a car is if you have a very short stay (2-3 days) and want to see the island quickly. Otherwise the bus should be fine.
Hi, from where do you recommend buying tickets for blue star ferry? From their website or from ferry Hopper? Is there any price difference between the two? Do they both issue e-tickets? Thanks
I tend to use ferry hopper as I often book multiple tickets from different companies when island-hopping and it's convenient to have all my bookings in a single app. That said, FerryHopper do charge a small commission on tickets (I think it's around €1-4 per booking) so it is slightly cheaper to book direct via the ferry company website. Both will issue e-tickets. If you book direct I think you'll get the e-ticket via email, FerryHopper you can get it direct in their app.
I would suggest at least 4 nights as a minimum. How many days do you plan to visit Santorini and Milos? Have you already booked accommodation there or is your itinerary flexible? I would say 3-4 nights is plenty in Santorini and similar for Milos, so I would spend any remaining time on Sifnos as I think it's the best island.
Thanks. Do you mean the moped cost? I believe I paid €25 for two days, but I would expect it has gone up since then so maybe €30-35 would be a good price.
Hi i wanted to ask what would u advice me for a plan.cause me and my family are thinking of coming to greece for 1 august to 7 aufust and id love to ho island hopping but preferably to beaches with private beach seats.Can u reccommend me a plan(islands such as Zakynthos and other uniques island near that.We are traveling from Tirana,Albania btw
Hi, for island-hopping one week isn't much time. I would only visit 2 islands or it will feel very rushed. Do you want to visit Zakynthos specifically? The only island nearby is Kefalonia or maybe Lefkada further north. You could split your time evenly between them 3/4 nights each.
Great, comprehensive guide that echoed my own thoughts. I wished we had stayed in Pollonia rather than Adamantas. I loved visiting Kimolos and the relaxed vibe there and didn't research my rather too central hotel location, which suffered from a lot of nighttime ferry noise! Keep them coming!
Opinions vary widely. I operate a couple of Airbnbs with elevated view to the seaport of Adamas. There is some ferry noise, of course, but guests consistently give us very high marks especially for our convenient location, with elevated seaview, proximity to Lagada beach and the Adamas waterfront. Ferry noice never seems to be of concern.
Another spectacular video. One thing (among many) that we love about your videos is that you have a written label identifying different locations that you’re speaking about. Super helpful. Also, what drone are you using to film? Seems to handle the winds pretty well. Any issues bringing it into Greece? Thanks and keep up the wonderful videos!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I try to put the locations on each clip as I've found it frustrating in other travel videos when you see somewhere that looks interesting but it doesn't tell you the place name. The drone is a DJI Mavic Air (first generation). Never had a problem using it in Greece although I only fly in quiet areas. You aren't allowed to fly them at archaeological sites anymore (most have signs up saying no drones). Some of the aerial shots in this video aren't mine though, they're stock footage that I pay to use. I took the ones at Prassa Beach on kimolos. It's pretty good in the wind, sometimes a warning appears on the display but it's never crashed even on quite windy days.
I would essentially agree. Having been to Milos once for about 5 days in 2014 (wow, ten years!). I personally thought that was the perfect amount of time (but I am a really big beach person). And the variety of beaches in Milos are great but agreed, it's overhyped. I can only surmise that is largely because of Instagram, bc it's very "Insta-worthy." I think Instagram is largely responsible for Greece hosting literally 3x as many tourists as it did 10-15 years ago. The numbers have skyrocketed with no end in sight. Alas. It is maybe the world's most postcard-perfect country and I know the economy needs it but I hate to see it just swallowed up by tourism. Greeks of average means have been priced out of many of the islands and now they cannot afford to visit...not good. Luckily, there are a lot of islands. I go every year, and no matter the island, I notice rapid development of high-end boutique hotels. I'll be in Kefalonia, Crete and Karpathos coming up in 2 weeks, all of which I have visited before, so it'll be interesting to see the changes since last I went. I guess that's going to be the future for Greece, so go while you can.
Thanks for your comment. You're right about tourism in Greece, it's a double-edged sword for the locals. They need the money and it's such a big part of the Greek economy, but it's slowly eroding a lot of what makes Greece special. Although I've been visiting Greece since childhood, I only started island-hopping in 2017 and even in that relatively short time I've witnessed how much busier and more expensive everything has become. I'm meant to be in Greece again next month but even so-called budget flights are coming up £300+ and accommodation is also expensive. Ferry tickets are ridiculous, particularly Seajets. I don't know how they can justify €70+ for some tickets where the journey is only an hour. Supply and demand I guess 🤷. Enjoy your trip, as you say make the most of Greece while you can!
I think the smaller section of beach near the harbour is more sandy. I might not have been clear enough in the video, but it's specifically the larger triangle of sand north of the church that I found quite rough.
Sifnos is our go to Greek island. Consider renting a scooter to get around the island on your own timetable to explore. Two people on one scooter is no problem. We have been visiting here for 15+ years. The secret is getting out.
Yes, we love it too and I'm sure it won't be undiscovered much longer. I just hope the island can resist the temptation to exploit itself for tourism and says no to big fancy hotels. It's best off as a traditional island.
A superbly produced and very informative video, even for those for whom their next visit is not their first. We will be staying in Imerovigli later this month (June 2024). Many thanks!
Just was asking a few Greeks I know about if Santorini is still worth going to because it’s become so touristy. They said to go and just manage expectations. Your video shows so much of Santorini that’s not been over run and confirms that it’s still very much worth the visit. Thank you again for your wonderful attention to detail. Also that you provide so many little details about getting around and places to go explore that books don’t bother with. I could go on about all the aspects of your videos that we love…
Thanks, I'm glad you found it helpful. You're right that it's not so bad outside of Fira and Oia. Most of the problem I think stems from cruise passengers who have to arrive in Fira and due to limited time tend to want to see Fira and Oia so those get most crowded. The beach resorts and inland villages aren't world's apart from a lot of other Greek islands and their prices aren't unreasonable either. If you can go outside peak season and/or limit your time in Fira and Oia then I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time.
I love Santorini.. Its my go island but in the off season.. Over the years due to its popularity the island has become a tourist trap in my opinion. The charm, The Flare it just doesn't seem to be there.. Besides that this is a gorgeous peice of rock with breathtaking views.
Yes, I wish we could have visited 20 years ago, I'm sure it was a lot different then. I've enjoyed all my trips but I do much prefer the quieter and more traditional islands that have retained their Greek charm and hospitality. The views are stunning though and definitely worth seeing, if only once, in a lifetime.
Agree 💯 Percent. If you love Greek islands check Karpathos non touristy island its laid back with old greek tradition and sandy beaches.. I have been here few times and love it..
I visited Karpathos in 2021 and did really enjoy it. Wasn't sure what to expect as I used it as a stepping-stone to get from Crete to Rhodes on the ferry, but it's a lovely island. Spent five nights there and loved exploring it and enjoying the beaches. Need to go again really but so many new islands to see!
Thanks for the great intro to Paros! Have been to 4 other islands over the years and Patmos twice which I love, but I'd like to find one that is closer to the mainland for travel convenience. Paros ticks several of the boxes I'm looking for --- especially that you hiked across the island in one day!!! And a good number of beaches that are not too rocky. I'll be going in late Sept/Oct hoping to avoid the crowds and find less expensive accomodations. Can you recommend any?? Thanks for the great 2 videos on Paros -- good info, less blah blah, look at me --- which too many RU-vid videos seem to focus on!!! Efaristo poli!!
Glad you enjoyed the video. Paros is lovely and should be relatively quiet late September. I've only stayed in the port town of Parikia but found it a very convenient base. Hotel Oasis is lovely and right by the port but doesn't have a pool if that's something you care about. It didn't bother me as there's a good beach in Parikia to the north. The bus station is also nearby where you can get to most resorts on the island for just a couple of euro.
