Greece 2025

Crete

Heading to the island of Crete in Greece we were very excited because our two sons and their wives would be joining us in just a few days in the town of Chania and then traveling on with us to Athens. We stayed the first few days before they arrived in a hotel in the city area of Chania - not our favorite hotel we stayed in but it served our needs as we got out and explored the town. Chania is an old port city with a large harbor that was built by the Venetians around 1200 AD. Walking along the sea wall and harbor area you could see lots of residents enjoying the beach area and several fishing, tour and pleasure boats in the harbor. The harbor was connected into the main old town area of Chania which had many restaurants and shops.

After the first few nights in the hotel we checked into a larger Airbnb located on the main square of the old town area in order to accommodate our sons and their wives who would arrive the next day. It was a beautiful place with lots of space and views overlooking the harbor and the old town area. The balcony was a perfect place to have a drink and people watch!

Our first task was to do laundry, as it had been 10 days since we had access to laundry. We also picked up our rental car - a small size van - to get us around the island. Two gentlemen from the rental agency met us with the van in a parking lot not far from our apartment - we signed the documents and were off! Parking in Chania can be challenging but our apartment included a parking space which was essentially our hosts driveway so we would leave them with the keys and they would park it - it was especially great because the van was a manual so parking it was a bit of a hassle. When we needed it, they saw us coming up the hill and would get the van out of whatever crazy parking situation it was in and we hopped in and off we went. It was valet with a twist!

We have to shout out this Airbnb, as it was truly one of the best....an elegant residence, with parking and laundry, in the perfect location and a host that was our personal concierge!!! We highly recommend La Torre Imperial Residence (Airbnb) in Chania, Crete!!!

After our family arrived the next day we spent some more time checking out the old town area before grabbing dinner at Tamam located in one of the alleys of the old port town - delicious food and great atmosphere! We enjoyed breakfasts at Pallas every morning - these were included with our stay and included lots of options from more traditional Greek food to American/English options. From lunches at the beach to a local bakery called Red Jane that our daughters-in-law learned about through IG/TikTok - they had delicious pastries and breads, the food in Crete was excellent! Maybe the best food we had in Chania was the meal that we had made by a chef that we hired to come to our apartment on the last night - lamb, potatoes, risotto with chicken and Cretan pies with honey for dessert.

During a few of our days on Crete we explored some of the amazing beaches on the island. Our first beach day was a bit windy so our host recommended that we visit Marathi Beach which is located relatively close to Chania, because of the direction of the wind. Although it was still breezy it was great to relax in sunbeds and have a few drinks while we enjoyed the atmosphere. The following day we went a bit further to Falasarna Beach where our host had reserved us front row spaces at a beach club. It was a beautiful beach that extended along the shore. After a few hours in the sun we enjoyed a few drinks and some food before the kids decided to go tubing! It was lots of fun to watch them from the boat as the skipper pulled them along, but also terrifying when he deliberately flipped them. Thankfully they were all ok! They would definitely skip this the next time. We finished the day out spending time together drinking wine while standing out in the sea feeling the waves lap against us and having time to connect with the kids. Amazing!

We spent a lot of time wandering the cobblestone streets of the Chania old harbor, shopping through the maze, while being surprised around the corners with archaeological excavation sites uncovering structures from the Minoan, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman periods. Somehow we didn't capture any of the sites in photos, it weirdly became normal as we walked by them everyday. As we ventured to the beaches, we were mesmerized by the groves of olive trees and enchanted by the White Mountains and stunning coastline. We only explored a tiny corner of Crete but we will be back to explore the history and beauty of this diverse island.

Athens

After our relaxing visit to the beautiful island of Crete we flew to Athens to experience the history and culture of this ancient city together. As we made our way from the airport to the Airbnb it began to rain - luckily our host was there to help us get from the taxi to the apartment where we dropped off our bags but we were still soaked! Checking into our Airbnb in the Plaka, historic old town, we were reminded of the age of the city when we saw the mosaics on the floor from 200 AD that had been uncovered and preserved during the construction of the apartment. Walking over the glass covered mosaics and reading about the decor pieces, just archaeological pieces from the 4th-1st century, was very surreal. It is definitely another Airbnb (En Plaka - Athens Elegant Estate) with an amazing host that we highly recommend!!!

We spent the afternoon walking through the Monastiraki and Plaka areas, all the way around Acropolis hill, taking in the old ruins including the ancient Agora and Hadrian’s Library which were blended into the town with the small shops and restaurants throughout Plaka. Later that evening we headed to dinner at a local taverna where we enjoyed delicious traditional Greek food, talked over our day and watched the crowds pass by.

The next day we headed out for a tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. We chose to hire a tour guide to help us get the most out of the experience. Ours ended up having a major in Greek history so he was able to shared lots of details on the background of the Acropolis and answer all of our questions! As we walked up the hill to the Acropolis we took our time stopping to visit and learn about the many structures that are found along the way on the foothills of the Acropolis including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Sanctuary of Asclepius. Arriving at the Propylaea or gates to the Acropolis you start to get a real sense of how amazing it was that this was built in an era before modern machinery when you see the entrance along with the Temple of Nike, one of the most striking structures on the Acropolis. After walking through the gates you come to the Parthenon - the main structure on the Acropolis. We were spoiled to see it without any scaffolding for the first time in 200 years! In addition, the Erechtheion also stands on the Acropolis as a temple to Athena and Poseidon-Erechtheus. Learning about the Acropolis and its history from our guide was amazing - one of our favorite stories related to the pride Athenians have in the Acropolis was about a pair of Greek men who replaced the nazi flag on the Acropolis during the German occupation with the Greek flag. The two evaded the Nazis and were never caught and eventually became heroes and symbols of Greek pride.

After our tour through the Acropolis we headed to the Acropolis Museum, built over the top of the ruins of an ancient Athenian neighborhood, which houses the many artifacts from the Acropolis. It is an amazing museum that incorporates many features of the Acropolis such as a sloping floor on the first floor to resemble the walk up the hill of the Acropolis, windows in the floor of the first floor that allow you to look down into the ruins that the museum is built on and the design of the top floor which is askew from the rest of the building and is set to align with the orientation of the Parthenon.

Our evening was topped off by our dinner at the Grand Bretagne Hotel with an open air dining room on the top floor of the hotel that looks over the city and provides amazing views of the Acropolis as well as the many other sites in the city. It was a great way to finish our day!

Our final morning in Athens was spent touring the Ancient Agora before we all headed to the airport to depart. The area was originally used as a place for people to gather together for commerce and for discussion. As we walked through the area you could imagine this being a place where the townspeople would come to talk, trade and discuss life. Some of the main structures of the Agora were the Stoas which were large halls that would house stalls for various trades or services - one of these has been reconstructed to show what it may have looked like when the Agora was in use. Another large structure found in the Agora is the Temple of Hephaestus (the god of blacksmithing). The structure is huge and despite being built around 500BC it still has its original roof and column structure!

As the birthplace of democracy, Athens and it’s 5,000 year history is a sight to behold. We are so grateful we could share this Grecian adventure with our sons and their wives.

Our Top 7

Family
Beach clubs
Scaffolding-free Parthenon
Greek food
Stunning landscapes: mountains, beaches, olive groves
Living among the archaelogical relics
Airbnb hosts

The Details

Lodging

Chania, Crete: Hyperion City & Hotel

Chania, Crete: Airbnb (La Torre Imperial Residence)

Athens: Airbnb (En Plaka - Athens Elegant Estate)

Transportation

AutoRentals Crete (van picked up in old town, dropped at airport)

Athens: airport transfer: private van setup by Airbnb host

Chania, Crete Restaurants

Pallas: breakfast, included with Airbnb

Tamam

Palazzo al mare

Albi

private chef in Airbnb, recommended by Airbnb host

Red Jane Bakery

Athen Restaurants

Restaurant Scholarhio

GB Roof Garden at Grand Bretagne hotel

Kosmikon

o Gyros Pou Gyrevis

Excursions:

Crete Beach Club: Macaya Beach Club (don't tube!!!)

Acropolis & Museum Tour (booked through Airbnb with Athens Walks)

Greece 2022

Athens

Everywhere you look in Athens you are reminded of its rich history. It is built among the ruins of the city that dates back thousands of years so wherever you go you find different examples that are all amazing to take in.

We bought the multi-ticket allowing us to visit the Acropolis, Roman Agora, Ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library and more over the two days we were there. Just being able to pop into these sites was surreal.

The most notable of these was the Acropolis which was visible from nearly everywhere in the city (and our hotel had a fantastic view of it lit up at night). Touring the Acropolis left you wondering how it could still be standing after more than 2500 years. We loved our tour through Airbnb Experiences! We originally booked just the Acropolis tour and our tour guide and group was continuing on to the Acropolis Museum and they let us add it on. The Acropolis and museum were definitely more interesting with a guide!

Milos

Milos was a little off the traditional path of tourists to Greece but that was part of what made it great. It is an island with diverse beaches that are all amazing, every beach seems like a new destination. Sarakiniko Beach is among the most popular with a moonlike look where you can dive off low cliffs into the sea, which of course we did, Firiplaka beach had gorgeous rock formations and calm waters and was a great place to chill. Tsigrado beach was an expedition to get to, only accessible by ladder or boat! These are just a few of our favorites, and we have many more left to discover in the future.

We explored the Kleftiko caves on a private speedboat - it was one of our favorite days EVER!! We highly recommend Salty Rides for a day to remember, lunch and a beer on the boat at a private beach, at least it was to us, until the crowded tour boat showed up!

Probably the best food we ate on the entire trip was at O! Hamos! tavern at Papikinou Beach near Adamas almost immediately after we arrived - it was delicious!

Milos definitely was the adventurous part of our trip and left us looking forward to coming back for more. We are excited to go back and explore more of Milos!!!

Santorini

We splurged on our trip to Santorini and enjoyed an incredible hotel where we had our own swimming pool and sunning area. It was amazing to enjoy the views of the Aegean Sea from our room, especially during the sunsets! We enjoyed hiking throughout the island and experiencing the wonderful Greek cuisine - one of our favorites was the gyros at Lucky's - I think we ate there almost everyday!

We hiked from Fira to Oia and we highly recommend getting an early start! It was a hot one but we enjoyed amazing views hiking the edge of the caldera. We planned on eating in Oia and taking the bus back, but it was crowded and hot, so we jumped in a taxi back to Fira, straight to Lucky's for a gyro and beer and then back to our private pool! Changing plans sometimes ends up making a day perfect!

Another highlight from Santorini was our boat tour which took off from the northern part of the island in Oia and cruised along the coastline. All in Santorini was a wonderful and relaxing location.