ISLANDS – Nonstoptravellers

ISLAND HOPPING IN THE AEGEAN SEA

Olga — Sun, 05 May 2019 13:00:24 +0000

Greek islands, summer, holidays… Three little words, that bring spontaneously to our minds sweet memories! A whitewashed alley, a colourful flowerpot, a blooming flower corner, a local old man telling you a story, blue tablecloths on modest tables in the middle of a square and endless blue scenery, are just a few of those characteristic images that we all love and can’t wait to see more in summer months!

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Aegean Islands are characterized by incredible diversity, able to satisfy all types of travelers! There are islands like the romantic Santorini, which is now one of the top destinations in the whole world! Along with Santorini, there are plenty of islands to discover such as scenic Folegandros and Milos the island with the unique natural beauty. There are islands such as Crete which is a real travel gem for Greece and Greek tourism, with natural landscapes under the protection of UNESCO, seas, gorges and warm people, Crete is one of the blessed places for sure! For more cosmopolitan vibes, islands like Mykonos and Ios are amongst travellers’ top choices! Islands such as those of the Eastern Aegean, like Limnos or Chios, are perfect mainly for family vacations as they are still quite and pure enough! The list goes on with some more alternative islands like Samothrace, Anafi, Ikaria, Kalymnos, Koufonisia and Nisyros, all being little travel surprises waiting to be unrevealed! Last but not least the nearby islets of both Argosaronic gulf and Cyclades, due to the proximity to the port of Piraeus are ideal for fast track escapes and not only!

Islands with incredible beaches, natural wealth, hiking trails, diving spots, rich history, traditional Greek food and anything else one can ask for a complete experience and travel adventure! This is the first reason why you should visit Greece, travellers!

Despite the many many differences amongst those islands mentioned above its hard to visit only one single island to satisfy sumer vibes, and thats why we recommend island hopping in the Aegean islands! So get yourself together, pack a few light clothes and explore the different options regarding island hopping, depending on your mood and time.

Mini Island hopping

The easiest and cheapest choice especially for those of you who don’t have a lot of time is to join a mini cruise to our beloved one, Gulf of Argosaronic. Visit even in a day both Aegina, Hydra and Poros. There are several travel agencies now offering a one day excursion at a very good price. For those of you who have three-days at your disposal we suggest that you leave at least one night on each island and include in your travel path Agkistri! Each Islet has its own unique beauty and particularity, colourful alleys, roads without cars, unique varieties of nuts and ice-cream flavors, hiking trails, tavernas, historical monuments, organized camping and of course theres no reason to envy the blue waters of the Aegean sea!

Mainstream Island hopping

Theres actually no enough words to describe the beautiness of the mainland of the Aegean sea… talking about Cyclades can last for about forever… Finally travellers now have the chance to choose between several ferry connections and can enjoy many islands on a single trip! Choose between Cyclades and Dodecanese, while for those of you who want more adventurous scens you will find itineraries that combine a mainstream island with Crete, for example! You can find plenty of itineraries and cruises that can be ideal options for those of you that you do not have the time to organize the trip by their own. There are options that acan also take you to the coast of Turkey. Try various combinations, from cosmopolitan Mykonos and romantic Santorini to authentic Crete and islands of eastern Aegean, all in one trip! Actually, there is no rule just indulge yourself to the magic!

Alternative island hopping

Board on a ship at the port of Piraeus and plan your trip onboard. Does that sound crazy? It might be a little crazy, but you can dare it! Starting from Athens and having a station at one of the Cyclades islands, such as the beautiful Folegandros or Sikinos you will find yourself in the romantic Santorini for a stroll in the sunset and the next day leave your senses to the most alternative Anafi, the Gibraltar of the Aegean! Continue the journey to the particular island of Ikaria and find yourself in the Dodecanese. Leros, Kalymnos and Nisyros should not be missing from your list since they combine natural and cultural beauty, activities such as climbing and diving and unique landscapes such as the volcano crater in Nisyros! For the most powerful travelers, an intresting choice would be the route Piraeus-Limnos-Samothrace. The itineraries are changing every year, but there are certainly so many different options that allow you to plan routes beyond the classics. Besides, Greece has more than 110 inhabited islands waiting to be discovered!

Fun fact: Did You know that Greece has over 6000 islands and rocky islets?

As featured in Visitgreece.gr

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ATHENS 1 DAY CRUISE TO HYDRA, POROS AEGINA BY SIGNATURE TRAVEL

Olga — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 07:30:57 +0000

Are you travelling in Greece and staying for a few days in Athens? If the answer is yes, then we have the best proposal for a short one day getaway from Athens, while exploring three wonderful islands of Saronic gulf without having to pay a fortune!!

Our proposal? One day cruise to Saronic Gulf (Hydra, Poros, Aegina islands)! We chose the travel agency Signature travel for the tickets and we can say with absolute certainty that it is the best value for money gateaway from Athens! We have written about our love for the islands of Argosaronikos Gulf in a previous post and there’s no doubt that this one-day cruise to three of these picteresque islands is something we seek to do every year!

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The one-day program includes:

Check in until 8.00 in the morning at Marina Flisvos (before departuring take a photo of the battleship Averof)!
3 Stops at three islands of the Saronic Gulf, Hydra (2 hours), Poros (1 hour) and Aegina (2 hours)!
Food on board at an amazing buffet!
Aboard entertainment with music and dancing depending on each day’s program!
Return until 20.00 in the afternoon at Flisvos Marina!
Tickets from Signature travel agency

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First stop: Hydra island

Hydra is the island of captains, history and artists while it is considered to be more cosmopolitan than the other ones, personally speaking it is our favorite island! We love it for its picturesqueness and its trademark the beautiful cute little donkeys that welcome you at the port! How did we pass our time there? In the two hours we had at our disposal we started our tour at Hydroneta! Favorite spot for diving into the blue sea and take some unique photos! We had a cup coffee at the cafe Papagalosa and then we headed to the colourful port and got lost in the beautiful narrow valleys of the island. Somewhere between the straits we met some more donkeys, the historical pharmacy that has its origins in 1890 and the bakery of the port where you can find great pastries! In the port we do not missed to visit the shop of Elena Votsi, who designed the Olympic medal of 2004, from where we bought some souvenirs! Finally, we passed a quick visit to the Historic Museum of Hydra and we relaxed to enjoy the view from the monument of Andreas Miaoulis!

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Second stop: Poros

Poros is a quiet island, peaceful, without strange exaggerations, ideal for the most romantic ones! We love it for its neoclassical clock that dominates the rock at Chora and stands out from the very first moment the boat enters the bay and of course for its green color as it is an island full of pines and trees. How did we pass our time there? In about one hour we had the opportunity to take a romantic walk through the beautiful narrow streets of Chora, to take some photos at the squares of Iroon (Heroes), Karamanou and Koryzi and to enjoy greek mezes with tsipouro (trust us and order these!) in front of the incredible sea view!

ΥΔΡΑ discovergreece.com

Third stop: Aegina

Aegina island, was the first capital of Greece (after the Revolution of 1821) and we love it for its history, the fresh fish and of course the “fruit” of the island which are the yummy pistachios. How did we pass our time there? In Aegina we were able to stay for two hours so as the boat arrived, we disembarked and ran for a swim in Avra beach (the closest one)! Then we started a walk in the beloved narrow valleys! Colorful streets, blooming flowers, hospitable locals are just a few of the elements of the beautiful Aegina that make us visit it every year! Arriving at the Metropolis church of the island we returned from the port side this time so that we could enjoy both the boats from the one side of the street and the horse wagons as well on the other! Before our final departure we did not missed to try ice cream with flavor of what else? Pistachios! Wonderful and refreshing!

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At around 20.00 in the afternoon…

The one-day getaway to the Saronic Gulf has comes to an end, the staff of the ship greeted us with smiles and kindness and we returned home from a day full of dreamy images with a feeling that we had just returned from a whole week excursion! We highly recommend the one-day cruise with Signature travel, and even though we travel as a couple, we have to admit that this excursion is very family friendly, i.e. ideal for families who travel with children!

For more information about the excursion program and the price you can visit the site of Signature Travel at the following links:

*this post is not sponsored

**Post photo autotriti.gr

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