Nashville Luxury Travel Goes to Greece

We raised our glasses and shouted “Yamas” multiple times a day to celebrate being in the beautiful Greek Isles. We were filled with wine, after dinner liquors such as Mastica (liqueur made of multi spices including anise), olive oil, cheese, fresh caught fish, cheese pies (our fav), and the best Greek and Cretan salads we have ever tasted!

We started in Athens and did not have enough time to see it all, mostly we did not have time to shop! The neighborhoods of Plaka, and Monastiraki, are the most lively areas of Athens, filled with charming shops, cafes and social gatherings. We highly recommend the Grand Bretagne with its roof top pool and views of the Acropolis or the King George, next door, with its beautiful boutique feel and fabulous service.

We then ventured over to the island of Paros by plane for 2 nights. While the hotel was not on the beach, it is a short walk to a protected beach or a short drive to a beach club. The Parillio has superb service, beautifully appointed rooms, fantastic food and peaceful feel. You will fall in love with the neighboring towns of Parikia and Naoussa with their labyrinth like streets full of boutique shops,  fantastic restaurants, and lively bars.  In fact, rumor has it Paros is going to be the new Mykonos!

We transferred to Santorini by ferry and enjoyed a beautiful ride on the Aegean Sea. It is a bit of a cattle drive to get on and off this vessel,  so we  recommend hiring a private transfer service to help with your bags.  Relax in first class, which is not that expensive and relax while you take in the panoramic view of the Greek Isles.

Santorini will take your breath away with its caldera views and cave like hotels.  We have yet to find anything more relaxing than taking in this majestic view from your private plunge pool.  We must have toured 12 resorts here, we refer to it as the Santorini Stairmaster tour, which we needed after all the yummy food and wine.   The shopping, food, views and resorts live up to this island’s stellar reputation, and if you are a history buff, you won’t want to miss the ancient area of Akrotiri, that is under excavation.

Off to Crete!! What an incredible surprise and so happy we chose to spend 5 nights here because there is so much to see and do.

We visited Chania first and stayed at the Domes Noruz, on the beach, which is about 15 minutes from the historical town center. This was one of our favorite villages and offers some of the best remaining Venetian and Turkish architecture.

We visited several charming boutique hotels in this historic city and think it would be equally fun to stay here or on the beach.

We then began our move to Elounda with at stop at Knossos Palace after one night outside Heraklion. Knossos palace is a must see, don’t even think about missing this historical monument. It is known to be the “the oldest city in Western civilization”. Ιn Greek mythology, the Palace of Knossos was the residence of the mythical King Minos, and the site of the famous Greek myth of the minotaur. Oh the stories you hear with a great private guide!! It made us want to study up on our mythology! 

On to Elounda! I can’t express enough how much I loved this area.

The towns of Elounda, Plaka and Agios Nikolas are towns you want to visit.

We toured many beautiful 5 star properties and can help you select the perfect one for you.  We happen to think that we were lucky to have stayed in the very best one- Elounda Gulf Villas. WOW WOW WOW!! The service, food, accommodations, views, and the attention to detail were PERFECT.

You will certainly be greeted by the owners, Anna and Tini, an amazing mother/daughter duo.

We also visited Spinalonga island, an abandoned Greek Island immersed in history and only a stone’s throw from Plaka.

It served as a military base during Venetian and Turkish rule until 1904.  In 1913 Crete became part of Greece and the island was transformed into a leper colony.  At its peak, the colony had almost 400 inhabitants.  Such a sad, sad, story but this is a must see!! The minute you walk through the tunnel entrance, you can feel that there is something special about this small island.

We highly recommend the novel, The Island, written by Victoria Hislop, that will take you back in time and allow you to visualize what life was like for lepers on this island.  

In summary, Crete has it all,  fresh food, history, warm people, mountainous sea views and sheer beauty.

This was more than just another beautiful trip. The Greek Isles set the bar high for epic island adventures and deserves a place on everyone’s bucket list!

Nashville Luxury Travel would love the opportunity to help you plan your trip to Greece, we promise you will make memories that last a lifetime!