THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Where is my favorite, what is the best, name the most perfect. When you work in the travel industry, you hear these questions often.
Let me ask you a question. What is the best food in the world? Who is your most perfect friend?
Can you answer either one in one word? Really? Is Greek/Chinese/Italian the best food in all the world? What about that Spanish dish you had a few months ago or that Bavarian strudel?
Is Bob the perfect guy? He’s always late. And he still wants to go to beer breweries. You like a cocktail.
And Carol is fun at a party, but did you see what she chose to wear?
Let Me Ask That a Different Way.
What if we ask, “Where is best for surfing?” Who is the friend that makes the best carrot cake? What is your favorite dim sum?
O.K., now we can focus a little more.
But this is still too broad.
What is the best beach in America? O.K., we have it down to one continent, but best for what? Are you looking for shells or glass? Swimming or surfing? Getting the perfect tan line, or do you want no tan line? Your ideal beach and mine may be worlds apart.
Maybe a better question is, Do you like something and why? Or why not?
But do not ask either question if you do not want to know the answer.
Many times people ask these questions for validation. All they want is for me to agree that Brussel sprouts are perfect. That’s not going to happen.
The Perfect Greek Island.
So if you want to know which island is perfect, and why, I will tell you the answer.
None of them are perfect. WHAT?
Perfect is a hard label to fill, unless, you’re a higher power.
Naoussa on the island of Paros.
Greece includes 6,000 islands and islets throughout the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
One is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranian. Others are not big enough for a goat.
Two hundred twenty-seven islands have at least a few people on them.
Every single one of them has some incredible things to offer. And they all have this or that which is not so “perfect.”
And here is the kicker. That is my impression. Yours may be completely different.
The Cycladic Islands.
Everyone knows these; they are the poster children of the Perfect Greek island. Whitewash buildings with Aegean blue domes.
The superstars are Santorini and Mykonos.
Both have some great things about them. And like everywhere else, they have some things that are not so great.
Santorini.
Santorini has incredible views from the clifftop of its Caldera. The white villages clinging to the cliffside are picturesque. The narrow pedestrian-only streets are a fun maze for losing yourself. Akrotiri, the Minoan ruins, is fascinating, as is the museum that houses frescos from the site. And then there is the Santorini wine. Santorini has its Greek wine region.
The flip side, Santorini, is famous for all the above reasons. On some days, cruise ships dump 12,000+ people into those narrow streets, wineries, and sites. If you are one of those passengers, you have three ways to get from sea level up to Fira. Take a ship tour that ends there. Walk the approximately 585 steps. Or wait for hours for a cable car that can handle 600 people in each direction per hour. That can add stress if you are already on a tight schedule.
Would I recommend Santorini? Absolutely. But not in August, and not from a cruise ship.
Mykonos.
Mykonos is famous because of? You know the name. You have to go there. Mick Jagger, Bianca, Keith, and Jackie O were regulars… forty years ago. Talk about great marketing. It is still for jet setters and the young European crowd who sun all day and drink all night. There are over-the-top beach clubs complete with D-jays. And, there are beaches where you can be by yourself and hear the waves. There are trendy International restaurants, and there are Greek tavernas.
If you like crowds, go between June – August. If you want things a little more “calm,” go in the late spring or early fall. By mid-October, all the clubs and shopkeepers are back in Athens. There is little Greek history on the island, although the UNESCO site of Delos is a short boat ride away. Is Mykonos your perfect Greek island?
Naxos.
Naxos is more my style because if I am going all the way to Greece, I want some Greek in my destination. Sure it gets the overflow of beach and club crowds from nearby Mykonos. But it also gets more Greeks than Mykonos or Santorini. That means the restaurants have to bring their A-game. You will still find the tourist ones with the menus in seven languages, but not as many.
Naxos has a few archeological sites and some high small villages where you can escape the crowds. Local cheeses and sausages are lovely, and anything on the grill.
Perfect Greek Runner Ups.
Other Cycladic Islands that have some perfect points are Paros, within sight of Naxos, and with many of the same offerings.
Ios, Folegandros, Milos, Sifnos, and Serifos have fewer American guests. This ratio makes you feel even more like you are somewhere other than home.
Although you can find some late-night clubbing, the most popular entertainment is a sunset. Then a slow traditional Greek dinner usually in an outdoor setting, weather permitting.
The Dodecanese.
A little further south in the Aegean is the Dodecanese. There are 15 large, and around 150 smaller islands making up this group. Many of them are within sight of the Turkish Aegean coast.
They include Kos, dating back to the Mycenaean Era, and Patmos, and its connection with the Book of Revelation.
Rhodes.
Perhaps the best known is the island of Rhodes. Not as many cruise ships call there due to its location at the far southeast corner of the Greek Islands. But plenty of planes arrive every day.
It has a little of everything, from Doric Greek temples to modern-day casinos and nightlife. For fans of knights, there are remarkable remains from the Knights of Malta. The whole medieval city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is excellent cuisine, and they have their wine.
Like any Greek town more than 1000 years old (I think that’s all of them), Rhodes has small tight streets. June through August, there are a lot of people trying to push their way through.
A Perfect Greek Island all By Itself.
Crete does not belong to any group of islands. As the fourth largest island in the Mediterranian, maybe it doesn’t have to. Its Minoan sites, dating back to 2800 B.C., are close to becoming UNESCO sites. It has the Venetian castles and the cave of Zeus. Cretan cuisine is in a league of its own, and the island has its wine region.
The vacation towns along the north shore, set up as tourist destinations, are great for the weekly charter groups arriving. They have plenty of sun lotion and beer.
My problem with Crete is that you need several days (a week) to do it justice. It’s that big.
Every week guests would complain there wasn’t much to it. Upon further questioning, they never left the commercial port area. But even that has fantastic Venetian fortifications.
The North Aegean’s Perfect Greek Islands.
There are nine islands in the northeast corner of the Aegean, and very few Americans know about them. Unless a cruise is sailing to or from Istanbul, these islands are not on the map.
Lesvos.
Lesvos is probably the best known of the islands. It has an airport, daily ferry service most of the year, but still, the non-Europeans do not come. The island has ancient Greek history, Byzantine castles, and even a petrified forest. There are numerous small villages where you can feel like you are in a different time. The cuisine is Greek with a twist.
Lesvos, like many of the islands along the Asia-Minor coast, is still dealing with thousands of refugees and immigrants. Fleeing the war-torn middle east, passing through Greece to reach Europe is a shorter route. Like any migration, some drop out along the way for various reasons. Although the influx is much lower now, there are refugees in Greece. Begging, especially around the main town, is unavoidable. It is not a reason to skip Lesvos or Greece, but knowing ahead of time avoids surprises.
The Perfect Greek Islands of the Ionian Sea.
These islands suffer the same fate as the North Aegean Islands. Unless a cruise ship is passing through, most Americans do not visit.
Some smaller ships will call on Cephalonia, lucky them. But the majority only stop at Corfu heading towards Venice.
Corfu.
Corfu has been on the trading routes since the days of the Phoenicians. It is a Venetian stronghold but also has the French and British as temporary landlords. The cuisine has many tweaks.
There are no stunning ancient Greek ruins and only a trace of a Roman bath. But the Venetians leave their mark. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Corfu town has two separate fortifications with Venetian ties.
The island has natural beauty, either from the mountain top or swimming through a cave at sea level.
The Perfect Greek Island For You.
If you were counting, this is only a small handful of the islands waiting for you.
So is there a “perfect” Greek Island?
A place that can score a ten across every category: history, architecture, few crowds, cuisine, wine, etc.? Probably not.
And of course, you may rate it on a completely different set of requirements, such as beaches, nightlife, and shopping.
So I probably cannot tell you what the “best” or “perfect” Greek island is for you.
In my destinations section, I try to present a majority of things to see, taste, touch, smell, or feel.
When I can immerse someone in a destination, they seem to come away with a higher appreciation.
In my Greek section, you will not find the best chop suey in Athens, or where the golden arches are. Not my idea of local immersion.
I will point out several places that have French, Spanish, Italian, or Turkish influences on the Greek dishes.
Then it is up to you to decide your perfect Greek Island.
Still not sure? Do what I am doing. Visit them all.
Read more on Greek Destinations.
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“Why would you want to visit a Greek Island? Do any sound like they might be “perfect” for you?”
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.