If you're interested in going to Greece, love trips filled with the best food spots and photo ops, but you're not sure where to begin with planning, then this post is for you.
My husband, Michael, and I went on our honeymoon to Greece and we experienced our perfect balance of exploration and relaxation in Athens, Crete, and Santorini.
If you’re contemplating which stops to visit in Greece, here are the reasons for our destination choices. Michael has never been to Greece, so we chose to spend one full day (2 nights) in Athens so he could explore some of the ruins in the city.
When I visited Greece a few years ago, several locals informed me that Crete was a hidden gem that many tourists overlook. Because it is such a large island, there is an abundance of places to see/things to do. They also mentioned September was the best time to visit since most people are back in school and it is still 'in season' so everything is still open in Greece. We had a pretty full itinerary for our 4 days on Crete, yet we easily could’ve stayed longer without running out of things to do.
Last time I went to Santorini I learned the best way to enjoy the island was by sitting back and basking in the view, so I really felt it would make a great honeymoon destination. Although there aren't a ton of things to do, our 3 nights felt like they went by quickly because we were enjoying our hotel so much.
LEARN SOME GREEK
It seemed that everyone we connected with spoke English, but I personally still enjoy learning a few basic phrases:
Hi – Ya-sas
Good morning – Ka-li-mier-uh
Good afternoon – Ka-li-spare-uh
Good night – Ka-li-meek-duh
Bye – Ah-tee-oh
Thank you – Ef-ka-li-stoh
Thank you so much – Ef-ka-li-stoh pa-ra-poh-li
You’re welcome – Pa-ra-ka-loh
I was ecstatic every time a local would speak to me in Greek because they assumed I spoke Greek from the way I said hi!
A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Not all the water from the tap is safe to drink so make sure you check!
Some areas also don’t have the strongest plumbing so you may have to remember to throw toilet paper in the trash can and not in the toilet!
Athens
For our one full day in Athens, we went to visit the Acropolis and Hadrian’s Library. We purchased tickets online in advance at https://etickets.tap.gr/ for €30/person and it allowed us to cut the line.
Clothing Tip: Although pictures may look nice with a flowy dress, keep in mind it can be very windy up at the top! I was pretty happy I wore pants so I didn’t have to worry about flashing anyone.
We then went to visit the Olympic Stadium, which was €10/person. There is a small museum under the stadium that displays posters and torches from past games.
Since we only had one day in Athens, we chose to have dinner at a nice rooftop restaurant with the view of the Acropolis. Although there are quite a few places that offer a similar view, we chose GB Roof Garden Restaurant & Bar. We made reservations for 7:30 because we wanted to enjoy the view both during the daylight and after sundown. I enjoyed the clam sauce spaghetti (no actual clams) and Michael enjoyed the cheese ravioli. Although the portions were a bit small for us Americans, we still had a lovely experience with the beautiful view and great service.
Before leaving Athens we stumbled upon a small cafe, Fillo Food & Coffee, near our Airbnb where we indulged in crispy spanakopitas (spinach and cheese pastry) and cappuccinos. If we were staying in Athens longer, we definitely would’ve been back to this place!
Crete (pronounced kreet)
Crete is the largest island in Greece and there is so much to see/do across the island so we highly recommend renting a car. The most popular area to stay is in Chania (pronounced ha-nya), which is on the West side of the island. Although we would’ve loved to stay there longer, we only stayed two nights since we wanted to explore other sides of the island without wasting too much time driving back and forth. For the other two nights, we stayed in Heraklion (pronounced hair-rah-klee-on), which is more towards the center of the island and is also where our ferry departed from.
SITES TO SEE / ACTIVITIES TO DO IN CRETE
Balos Lagoon Beach/Trail - This is a popular hiking trail that leads to a beautiful beach with white sand and clear turquoise waters. It costs €1/person to enter and €3/car to park. It’s recommended to get there early since parking is limited. You will have to drive through a very rocky and narrow dirt road along the cliffs for about 9 km to get to the parking lot, so drive very carefully. Then it is about a 1.7 mi hike down a red rock/dirt path to the beach so we recommend wearing tennis shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. It happened to rain the day we went so the mud stained my shoes permanently.
There is a lookout point during the trail, which has a stunning view of the beach where you can clearly see the division between the two sides surrounded by gorgeous turquoise waters. Once you reach the beach, there are chairs and umbrellas that seem to be first come first serve (it was raining when we went so I’m not sure if it runs differently on a normal, sunny day). We loved how clear and shallow the waters were. Although the rain wasn’t ideal, it was still such a cool experience and we would consider it one of our favorite beaches.
Seitan Limania Beach - This is a lovely little beach that’s great for photos because it sits like a valley between large cliffs. This one is also recommended to get there early because of the limited parking and the fact that the beach itself has pretty limited space. I wore tennis shoes in preparation for the rocky path down to get to the beach, but it was definitely more intense than I expected! It’s quite rocky and narrow with no railing or anything to keep you from falling over the cliff, so go with caution. If you prefer sandier beaches like us, you’ll be disappointed to learn that this beach is all pebbles. Also, be prepared to be bombarded by many goats!
Knossos Palace - An ancient archaeological site close to the city of Heraklion. It was the largest and most important palace of the Minoan civilization. It costs €18/person to enter. It is mostly ruins, but there is one picture-worthy spot at a rebuilt section.
Spinalonga Island - A small island with history as a Venetian fortress and then a leper colony. It is reachable by boat from Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, or Plaka. We chose to embark from Plaka because it is the shortest route (~10 minute boat ride) with free parking near the docks. It was €12/person for the roundtrip boat ride and €8/person for the entrance fee. Michael really enjoyed the drive down into Plaka and we had a pretty nice view on the way. When we got to the island, we strolled all the way to the top to get an awesome view that was almost 360.
Chania Old Town - This nice little downtown area is filled with restaurants and shops. It was really pleasant to just roam around the streets and do some souvenir shopping. Parking was tough as it is with most downtown areas, so we parked near Hotel Irida and walked along the water to get to the old town.
Rethymno Old Town - Also a nice little downtown area with restaurants and shops. It actually felt pretty similar to Chania Old Town so you probably only need to see one!
Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) Tzagaroli Monastery - A beautiful Greek Orthodox monastery close to Chania that costs €3/person to enter. Unfortunately the specific picture spot I planned for was under construction, however it was still a lovely monastery to visit and we still got some great photos.
Arkadi Monastery - Another beautiful Orthodox monastery that costs €4/person to enter. There was more to see here than we expected so it was a delightful surprise!
Cave of Agia Sofia (Wisdom of God) - 257 steps up the side of a mountain for a cool cave/lookout point. The view is gorgeous as you are surrounded by mountains, and the cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites.
FOODS TO EAT IN CRETE
Peskesi - Located in downtown Heraklion, this was probably our favorite meal of the entire trip! A lot of sites recommended this in our research, and it definitely lived up to the hype! Not only was the ambiance of the restaurant immaculate, the food was amazing too! They incorporate Cretan dishes with the ‘farm to table’ mantra. I had the syglino (hanging, smoked pork chops) which is perfect for any meat lover like myself! I was surprised at how much pork chop meat they gave, I would’ve expected half the amount! Michael had a special that we can’t remember the name of but it was basically like a pork stew. The flavors of the stew were so strong and delicious! We highly recommend both dishes and this restaurant in general! It’s a pretty poppin’ restaurant so you’ll want to make reservations for this place. The only issue we had was that we were bit by mosquitoes during our time there, so spritz yourself with some bug repellent before you go!
Gioma Meze - Located in Agios Nikolaos, this is a lovely seafood restaurant overlooking the water. We had the saganaki (fried graviera cheese) wrapped in phyllo with thyme honey and nuts. The cheese was deliciously gooey and the honey made it a perfect balance of sweet and savory. We also ordered the ceviche, which was some of the best ceviche we’ve ever had! Finally, we had the risotto kakavia, which is made from a traditional fish soup. Although this was also good, it was a bit fisher than we would prefer.
Tamam Restaurant - Located in Old Town Chania, this restaurant was recommended to us by our Airbnb host. We had lamb chops that were very tasty! We weren’t very hungry so we split one order, but after tasting the lamb chops I kind of wished I had gotten my own order because I wanted more haha! This was a pretty poppin’ restaurant so it may be a good idea to book a reservation.
The Well of the Turk - Located in Old Town Chania, is this mix of Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine. I had the slow cooked lamb with couscous which was not quite as juicy as I would like but I still enjoyed it and would get it again. Michael had lahmajun (Turkish lamb pizza) and he enjoyed the spices in the lamb meat. The restaurant is a little chaotic because there’s multiple different servers standing around so we weren’t not sure if we had a designated server, but at least it’s pretty easy to get their attention.
Zefyros Family Fish Taverna - Located in Old Town Rethymno, this is a waterfront seafood restaurant. Although there are many restaurants along the water here, this one definitely gave more mom-and-pop vibes compared to the neighboring restaurants. I had the prawns “Zefyros” and Michael had the seafood pasta, both of which we really enjoyed the flavors of. My prawns came with basmati rice and whipped cream sauce, which was similar to a risotto. I love a good cream sauce so it was totally my kind of dish!
Psito Magevmata Gyros - We were looking for a quick spot to pick up some gyros to bring back to our Airbnb and we were pretty happy we found this place! The gyros were only €2-4 and they were huge! Although I would’ve preferred a bit more veggies in it, these gyros were packed with meat and we loved it! We definitely would’ve been back if we were in the area longer!
Salis - Located in Old Town Chania, this waterfront restaurant was recommended on multiple sites from our research. We had every intention of eating here but we unfortunately ran out of time. We did pass by the restaurant and it certainly was a beautiful spot! We were surprised at how reasonable the prices were considering it looked like a fancier waterfront restaurant.
Santorini
Part of the appeal for Santorini is just relaxing with the view, so we didn’t plan many activities with the intention of simply enjoying the view from our hotel as much as possible.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN SANTORINI
Although there is no shortage of hotels with a gorgeous view on the island, I was very particular in my research. I specifically wanted a cave-style hot tub that was both sun exposed and shaded. Many hotels offer one or the other, but rarely is the tub large enough to offer both. I like having the option to soak in the sun and the option to get in the shade when I’ve had enough. I also noticed some hotels where the tub takes up a majority of the outdoor space, however I wanted a comfortable amount of space for us to hangout outside of the tub as well. We chose to stay in Oia so we would have quick and easy access to all the different food and shops, and have the ability to bring food back to our hotel to enjoy on our balcony. Also to get the Santorini charm, I wanted the indoor space to have the cave-style as well.
We ended up at the Superior Cave Suite at Sophia Oia View and we absolutely loved every minute of it!! How many people get to say that their private balcony is the view of the famous blue domes?? The private, empty space to take all the photos you want with the famous view. Keep in mind, there are some angles that the public could see us on our balcony, but we actually thought it was fun and tried to photobomb them as much as we could haha! We took delight in the idea that everyone was trying to take photos of the same view we had for our private balcony! We truly tried to soak up every minute we could! If you’re looking to splurge for the perfect hotel in Santorini, this really might be it!
SITES TO SEE / ACTIVITIES TO DO IN SANTORINI
The only activity we scheduled was a Standard Sunset Catamaran Cruise through Spiridakos, which comes with free transfer from/to your hotel (or close by considering the limited roads). Instead of fighting the crowds in Oia to see the sunset, you can enjoy it on the water with food and drinks included! Along with the multiple opportunities to swim, they provide snorkeling equipment and towels. The meal is cooked on board right in front of you and I must say, we really enjoyed the fried fish! It is a pretty neat way to experience Santorini that we would totally recommend!
During one afternoon, we took the local bus to Fira which is less than €2 one way. It is super easy as there is a spot on Google Maps literally named Bus Stop to Fira. Most of the buses have a sign in the front naming which area they are going to, but you could also just quickly confirm with the bus driver. Make sure to have your euros ready! There is a chance you might have to wait for the next bus if the line is really long, but they leave every half hour.
FOODS TO EAT IN SANTORINI
Nikos Place - Although this place is not one of the most popular spots in Oia, this was one of our favorite joints! The mix grill for 2 people was the best way for us to enjoy a huge variety of meats - another perfect option for meat lovers like myself! Although it says for 2 people, there was so much meat we actually couldn’t finish it all in one sitting (and Michael is a big eater)! We brought it back to enjoy on our hotel balcony with the view. We also went back the next day for gyros and we do feel they gave more meat in the gyros than some of the other spots in Santorini.
Pitogyros - This is supposedly the best gyros in Oia according to our research. It was definitely delicious, but I tend to prefer a little more meat in my gyros.
Lolita's Gelato - This is a highly recommended gelato spot in Oia and I felt like it was worth the hype! This was probably the creamiest gelato I had in this whole trip, which is what made it my favorite. The only downside to this place was that the server gave a weird attitude when we asked what the most popular flavor was.
Thalami - This restaurant in Oia was recommended to me by a friend and I’m glad we tried it out! Since I had made the reservation pretty far in advance, we were able to snag a table along the edge with the stunning view as the sun went down! My friend said we had to try the fried feta and we were not disappointed! I had the veal steak and Michael had the traditional musaka (casserole) and we were both very happy with our dishes! Michael especially liked the mustard-like sauce that came with my steak. He said if they sold it in a bottle he would’ve considered buying it.
Lucky's Souvlakis - Another popular gyro spot according to research, but this one is located in Fira. This hole in the wall was another yummy gyro spot that we would’ve happily returned to if we stayed in the area! The cashier noticed my card didn’t go through but we had already started eating our food. He was so sweet to tell us to enjoy our food and that we would worry about the payment afterwards. Good customer service really goes a long way for us!
Zotos Family Pastry - Another popular gelato spot according to research, but this one is located in Fira. Still good gelato but not quite as creamy as Lolita’s.
Feredini Restaurant - While we were waiting for our hotel room to be ready, we had freddo (iced) cappuccinos at this spot in Oia and we loved it! Not only did we have a beautiful view in the shade, but it was probably my favorite freddo cappuccino we had in Santorini since the other ones were a bit more bitter or burnt. Although it was a little pricey at €5-6/each.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Crete was our favorite stop in Greece because it felt more authentic/less touristy compared to Athens and Santorini. It was still very tourist friendly, but everything was much more calm and affordable. We often had delicious double cappuccinos for €1.80 which is dirt cheap compared to the €4-6 cappuccinos in Athens and Santorini! It’s not a common island people think of when they think of going to Greece, but we would really recommend it!
If you’re going to go to Santorini, just be prepared for the crowds and don’t let it affect you from enjoying the island. And if you can afford it, this is the place to splurge for a beautiful, private hotel room with the view of the caldera! Although Crete was our favorite, our time at our hotel in Santorini definitely made it a dream honeymoon!
We felt that it was perfect to start with more exploration in Athens and Crete and then ending our time in Greece relaxing with the stunning views in Santorini. This truly was the honeymoon of our dreams!