Greece! After three packed days exploring Ireland, I was more than ready for some rest and relaxation with eleven of my sorority sisters for four nights on Paros, with most of us aiming to arrive in Athens over a 2-day period. I landed in Athens super early Sunday morning, bleary-eyed and grumpy from a too-short overnight flight.
Athens, Greece
My travel buddy’s plane landed several hours late, and it was much too early to check into our hotel. I walked across the passenger pickup area to the Sofitel hotel, conveniently situated within sight of baggage claim. The staff was gracious enough to let me hang out in their espresso bar area while I waited, and it was here that I first encountered the frothy gloriousness that is the Freddo Espresso. If you do nothing else in life, experience this.
Crowne Plaza
Once my soror landed, we took the metro into the city and made our way to the Crowne Plaza, an IHG hotel that I chose mainly because it has rooms with two double beds and four-person occupancy – notable for its rarity in Europe. A week or two before, IHG had announced a really timely status match and challenge, so I was luckily upgraded to Spire status just a few days before check-in! This meant having fresh fruit waiting in the room, and access to the property’s club lounge – a perk that included complimentary drinks and small bites throughout the day.
welcome snacks! 
The lounge also boasted a balcony with a fantastic view of the city, so we freshened up and spent some time relaxing outside while enjoying free wine, yummy desserts, and a beautiful view.
Athens Sightseeing
In Athens, we wandered around the Plaka and surrounding area. We hiked the long way to the Acropolis, later realizing there was a much easier back way. We found a lovely rooftop cafe for midday wine, and ate tons of amazing food. This was actually my second time in Athens, but my first trip was 12 years ago, and it was nice to revisit some of the places that had faded a bit from memory.
Every food and coffee experience in Athens was top notch. I honestly don’t see how you could go wrong. Everything was fresh, seafood was abundant, prices were more than reasonable, and house wine was unbelievably cheap. On average, our food bills came to about 100€ per 5 people, inclusive of appetizers, wine, water, and often desserts.
I think one of the coolest things about Greece and particularly Athens is the way ancient buildings sit right next to modern structures. There was even an excavation site in one of the metro stations. How cool is that??
Heading to Paros, Greece
Once everyone arrived, we went to Rafina port to catch our “fast” ferry to Paros. Piraeus is situated on the metro line and is a way more convenient port to get to if you’re coming from central Athens, but we chose Rafina for timing reasons and hired a private minibus to transport everyone. The ferry was fine, and I’m glad I got the experience, but it was LONG and delayed. If you’re planning ahead and have flexibility with time,, flights to Paros were similar to the ~$50 ferry prices.
Having rented three cars to accommodate the group, we designated 4 drivers to get their International Driving Permit, which has to be the most bootleg requirement ever – literally a paper booklet with handwritten information and a photo taped inside – but alas, the rental companies wanted to see it. After a harrowing drive across the island in the dark, we arrived at our beautiful villa booked through Airbnb, complete with incomparable views and Aunt Katerina, our equally incomparable host.
Paros Favorites
Paros is a great choice for a laid back, low cost vacation in Greece – it’s not super touristy, prices are beyond reasonable, and it was uncrowded enough to show up to restaurants with 11 people and be seated without a reservation. It’s a beautiful island with extensive beaches and copious amounts of charm.
Antiparos
For a little more than 1€ you can take a 7-minute ferry ride to Antiparos, a tiny island full of breathtaking beaches, adorable cafes, and winding pedestrian streets sporting that picturesque blue and white Cycladic architecture. This was one of my favorite days of the trip, and I’m almost scared to share it. It really was the most adorable island.
Notable Beaches
Throughout our time in Greece, we visited several beaches and each one was completely different. Monastiri was my favorite beach experience. The water is quite clear, very shallow, calm, and a reasonable temperature. It was pretty crowded when we went, but that didn’t detract from the appeal.
We spend a lovely afternoon relaxing with drinks and snacks underneath Rebel Beach Bar’s umbrellas at Golden Beach.
On Antiparos, we were looking for a different beach and ended up at this one. It was gorgeous, though very rocky close to the shore. Once we found a sandy stretch to navigate farther out into the water, the waves were gentle and the water temperature just right for a super hot day.
Restaurants
Greece is a fantastic place for foodies. The food is delicious and and affordable, and every day brought a wonderful new dining experience. I made sure to order things with feta cheese whenever possible – one restaurant served giant slabs of feta over their salads. We had made a reservation for a group dinner at Markakis Restaurant in Piso Livadi as part of our planning, and I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Between the ambiance, excellent service, delicious food, and great prices, this was easily one of the most memorable meals of the trip. Despite my sad failure to photograph any of it. Below are some of the meals from Anna & Giorgos Taverna, Soirée, and To Kyma Drios Beach.
Moraitis Winery
Another pre-planned activity was an afternoon visit to Moraitis, a local winery on the island. They were ready for us and had set up a semiprivate area for our tasting! I considered it an incredible value – about $35 per person covered an extensive lunch and 9 tastings. I spend a fair amount of time doing wine tastings, and I think this was one of the top experiences I’ve had so far. In addition to the excellent wines, the winery is beautiful and guests are encouraged to peruse the building without an escort or guided tour.
Naoussa
Located in the northeast part of the island, Naoussa is a small, picturesque fishing village that morphs into a lively center of nightlife after dark. When we went, finding parking was an adventure in itself, but once there, we found lots of restaurant options, bars, nightclubs, and shops open late.
Even though we traveled during busy season, we managed to pull off a fun group trip to Greece that wasn’t too outrageously priced. The cost per person for the Athens hotel, minibus, ferry, Paros house, rental cars, groceries, incidentals (basically excluding airfare & food) was about $700 for 6 days. We managed to fit quite a lot into a week, but I still felt like it was a relaxing a rejuvenating vacation. Greece and its amazing food, beaches, and views definitely did not disappoint!
Next up, I was the first to depart on Saturday, leaving early in the morning to catch the short 40-minute Olympic Air flight that got me to Athens in enough time to catch my flight to Lyon, France for the FIFA Women’s World Cup! Stay tuned for the recap!
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