Athen, Greece Our cruise ship docked in Piraeus which is 20 minutes from Athens. We opted for a DIY tour and booked the Hop On Hop Off Bus. The bus dropped us right off at the base of the Acropolis where we were able to buy our tickets and start our journey up the stairs to the Acropolis to see the amazing views of Athens. I recommend getting there as soon as you can to avoid the lines and the heat.
(The Acropolis and views of Athens from the top of the Acropolis)
Mykonos, Greece
In Mykonos we opted to do one of the cruise excursions to swim in the Mediterranean sea and go to the beach. We took an old sail boat to one of the beaches and enjoyed some time there. If I went back to Mykonos I would look into a beach hopping tour as all the beaches looked amazing and the water was crystal clear. I found a lot of Mediterranean sea glass and even a cool shell! At the end of the tour, we enjoyed walking around the town of Mykonos and looking at all the shops.
(One of the beaches in Mykonos and the amazing colors/buildings in the town of Mykonos)
Santorini, Greece
We opted for a tour of Santorini as the island is quite large and would be difficult to see on a cruise without a tour.
Rumor has it that Atlantis is under the island of Santorini. Santorini is shaped like a crescent moon because years ago (2000 BC) the volcano erupted and caused an earthquake which made the entire middle of the island collapse into the sea (aka Atlantis). All that's left of the island is the high mountain top crescent island with beautiful views in every direction which we got to see on our guided tour.
Our tour took us to Oia, which is the popular town where all the "famous" photos of Greece come from. The town is very small and built on the top of the mountain with amazing views. We then went wine tasting at Santo Wines where we had more beautiful views of the island. The tour then ended in the town of Fira which is a great town for shopping and souvenirs. You can get to Fira from the cruise ship by donkey, walking the steps up/down the steep mountain, taking the gondola or driving around the island in a vehicle. We loved Santorini and would definitely go back again to explore more of the island and swim in their crystal clear waters.
(The village of Oia, Santo Wines and Fira)
If you have questions about visiting Greece and want to book your next vacation, you can visit www.thegypseatraveller.com and click on "Schedule Consult" to choose a date/time to zoom with Libbi, The Gypsea Traveller
