Mykonos is the high end party island for Greece – like Ibiza for the central Mediterranean or Seminyak in Bali – its oozing class, glam and lash … and with the prices to match. Definitely include it as a highlight for the Cyclades islands – the Little Venice Old Town is worth it alone. But … don’t prioritise it over Santorini, which is the 🌟🌟🌟 of these islands (see Santorini entry for the details).
In a nutshell:
- If passing through as part of an island hopping trip, 1-2 nights is enough. Obviously justified longer if you’re flying in and out, and if thirsty for the high end lash.
- It’s expensive – price-wise Little Venice is up there with Ibiza, Santorini and Sorrento for high end Mediterranean spots for accommodation and restaurants.
- Little Venice is lovely – not just for the high end restaurants but as a wonderful Old Town in its own right. We enjoyed it in the day, for sunset and walking later in the evening.
- Stay in Ornos – its a short taxi / drive away (or 15min walk), gorgeous beach, way more chilled and with beautiful restaurants … fraction of the price. Would recommend.
- The east side of the island is nice and way quieter – only takes 15mins or so and you’re in a different world. Ftelia Beach only half way along felt like a different country. But . . . if you’re looking for gobsmaking views, go with Santorini. If big expansive, quiet island Naxos or Crete.
- What is Mykonos like in October – weather was perfect (if a couple of days of rain), prices way down on peak season and crowds minimum without being on shutdown. Recommend.
- To see how Mykonos fits into a one or two week Greece itinerary – see the 2 week Greece Itinerary post full of the route, things to prioritise and general tips for the trip.
- Santorini Dave is a great source of info for Mykonos and the Greek Islands – https://santorinidave.com/mykonos
The Acropolis is undeniably wow – one of the world’s great historical sites, set on a spectacular hilltop overlooking Athens. But it is RAMMED with fellow tourists. Potentially even busier than the likes of Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower etc. with 20,000 people a day crammed into what is quite a tight series of walkways. Honestly, they sort of ruined the experience for me and I found myself thinking how nice the likes of Delphi (Walking through Delphi for more tips) and Ancient Olympia (see Ancient Olympia) further inland, and Agrigento in Sicily (see Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples), were in comparison. Athens and the Acropolis are spectacular but crowded — 3 tips for how to see Athens’ ancient ruins, best viewpoints, and walking routes without the chaos.
But, the reality is that if you’re visiting Greece, you’re most likely doing so via Athens and so it makes sense to carve out half a day to go check it out. On the plus side, the views of the Acropolis from either of the Areopagus Hill (much closer, smaller and busy at sunset) or the Filopappou Hill (much bigger, less crowded and with sites of its own) are wonderful; and there are so many other attractions within Athens itself (the Panathenaic Stadium, Temple of Hephaestus and the Agora to name a few) that make the visit Worth it . . . just didn’t meet the “wow” criteria for me.
Thermopylae is a site of huge significance to western society (although the Persians may argue it wasn’t that big a deal!) and of course more recently made famous by the movie 300, Thermopylae is something that naturally will come to mind for some when passing through mainland Greece.
It has a couple of issues though. The first one is that the landscape has dramatically changed since 2,500 years go – the sea is now 4.5km / 3 miles further away and the cliff / mountain side has smoothened, so it’s hard to see how this would have been such a choke point that made the Persians pour troops into it to try and break through the 50m / 150ft gap (contrary to the movie, the gap was between a cliff and the sea). The second is that, in comparison to several other Greek sites, the Greeks don’t put much effort into bringing it to life. There is a statue of Lionidas and a small visitor centre (with actually not a bad 3D movie), but it’s hard to see the site other than just another spot on the road.
The one benefit though is that it’s only a 5min detour from the road that takes you between Delphi / Athens and Meteora, so it’s worth the mini detour to have a poke about and get your cape and helmet out. To see how it fits into a one or two week Greece itinerary – see the 2 week Greece Itinerary post full of the route, things to prioritise and general tips for the trip.
I can see what all the fuss is about walking through Delphi. It’s not just the historical and cultural significance – proclaimed by Zeus as the centre of the world, home of the oracle and temple of Apollo – but the gorgeous setting. I found myself thinking I was in that old video game Myst (if you’re old enough to remember) or Zelda Breathe of the Wild (if you’re not), or just a dream (if you’re even older!). You can see why the ancient Greeks chose it – a bit like why the Inca chose Machu Picchu or the Nabataeans Petra – the setting on the slopes of Mt Parnassos is beautiful, and it must have been magnificent in its former glory.
I won’t write a long review as its a fairly straightforward experience and route, but I will give three main tips:
1. Try to catch the end of the day. It was magical being one of the last people walking from the Stadium back down to the entrance with the place largely to myself.
But you need to be careful on the timings – last entry time kicks in for the main entrance but also for various parts within the site. What this means is that you want to be up to the Stadium (end of the site walk, highest up the hill) before that last entry is called otherwise you may be restricted from accessing. In late October when I went, 17:40 was last entry, with a closing time of 18:00 (times change through the year — Nov–Mar: 15:30, Apr–Aug: 20:00, 1–15 Sept: 19:30, 16–30 Sept: 19:00, 1–15 Oct: 18:30, 16–31 Oct: 18:00). I arrived at the site at 16:30 and reached the Stadium at 17:20 — that’s the sort of timing you should aim for. You can see the official times here Delphi official opening times
2. It’s uphill. The walk is simple, but bear in mind its and up and down . . . and one glorious trophy built after another 🤣
3. Unless you’re a mega Ancient Greek history nerd, you don’t really need more than two hours. I’m a history geek and I was happy with two.
4. To see how it fits into a one or two week Greece itinerary – see the 2 week Greece Itinerary post full of the route, things to prioritise and general tips for the trip.
If Italy was a family, Puglia is a bit like the barefoot cousin who doesn’t quite care about the sophisticated fancy of the likes of Rome or Florence, and unapologetically just wants to chill in his vast olive groves, sea cliffs, and quiet towns that still feel lived in. Raw, rustic, quiet, charming, Puglia doesn’t quite have the mega wow wow wow factor of the likes of the rest of Italy’s Como, Sorrento, or the Dolomites, but Matera is sensational (unquestionably one of Italy’s top 10s and a wow wow) and the Valley d’Itria’s white-washed towns, even by Italian standards, are at the gorgeous end of the spectrum.
A week in Puglia is probably well suited for your 3rd / 4th / 5th visit to Italy. You won’t be disappointed – in a country that has no rivals for beauty, it’s still a wow.
Matera is a must if you’re in southern Italy. I’d heard plenty before coming — Bond’s No Time to Die, The Passion of the Christ, and all the talk about it being Europe’s oldest inhabited city — but Matera still surprised me as to just how cool and well done it all was. Apartments, restaurants, communities built into the rock (it is known as “The City of Stones” in Italian), and just generally a feeling of wow wow at every turn.
We had just such a magical time exploring / getting lost / eating in the Sassos, as well as hiking over to the Sant’Agnese area. I can though see how it could be a very different, busy and tick box tourist exercise if you don’t do it right. So I’ve included some tips below for how to get the best out of Matera.
Wedged between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, the Valle d’Itria is famed for its trulli — cone-shaped, dry-stone houses made from local limestone. While Alberobello draws the crowds, the smaller towns of Locorotondo, Ostuni, and Martina Franca are the true stars: bright white, full of charm, and blissfully less touristy. Even by Italian standards, these towns are at the gorgeous end of the spectrum and the highlight of Puglia . . . wow
The Lonely Planet has Lecce as one of the 3 highlights of Puglia and labels it the “Florence of the South”. It’s nice, for sure – the pastry tour can be fun and there are some nice spots to eat – but it’s a far distant second to the nearby white-washed hill towns in the Valle d’Itria of Alberabello, Locorotondo, Ostuni and Martina Franca (see the travel entry Puglia’s Valle d’Itria – trullis and perfect white stoned villages – wow) or the sensational Matera (Matera – wow wow) which is only 1.5hr away. It’s also less appealing than the old town of Bari (see Bari Vecchia – wow) which has the added advantage of being the spot most visitors will be flying into.
Lecce is nothing particularly special in what is the most beautiful country in the world, and not particularly special for Puglia either . . . Meh. See A week in Puglia in early October for an itinerary and what your priorities should be.
Bari Vecchia gets missed in most Puglia itineraries other than a stop off for the airport. For sure it’s not up there in wow factor with the likes of the nearby white-washed hill towns in the Valle d’Itria of Alberabello, Locorotondo, Ostuni and Martina Franca, or the sensational and Matera. But Baris’ old town (Bari Vecchia) is really cool to wander round and definitely worth half a day.
For a full list of the highlights of Puglia and to see a recommended week-long itinerary, see A week in Puglia.
