I finallllllllly made it to Greece - literally YEARS in the making. Like it was one of the only places I did not get to go to when I studied abroad *cough* ten years ago. AND when I was supposed to go for my *cough* 30th birthday, I couldn't since as I was checking in (my birthday is in July) - my passport was expiring in October, and to go to many countries, you need at least 6 months before you passport will expire - who knew! What a dumb rule....July 4th weekend, there was no way that passport was getting expedited. I digress, fun times.
So here we are, a mere two years later and Greece is finally happening. Thank God. They say patience is a virtue, right? Whatever that means. I pack my new Away luggage with all my new Zara pieces for an epic trip. I drop my Frenchie Duke off at my parents' in NY and off I go - my second solo trip, and this time I was not nervous at all, I was excited.
First stop....
DAY 1: Milos
Yeah, I didn't hear of Milos much before either but honestly, it's amazing. I flew into Athens had about a 2-hour layover (talk about cutting it close - give I'd give yourself another hour) and took a flight to Milos. The quick tea: it's beautiful and quiet. I checked into my hotel, Santa Maria Village, which I loved. The staff was so friendly, the room was clean and large, and it has a great pool with a view, it's walkable to the town.
Obvi I had a drink by the pool while I waited for my room to be ready and the staff told me about the bus (a few minute walk away) to take to the moon beach AKA Sarakiniko Beach. Fun fact: Yes, having a rental in Greece is nice - FOR SURE. But as a solo traveler, I want to have fun and not worry about driving, everywhere I went there was public transit, which was nice, not like the US. We are talking coach buses. So off I went, on the bus, to the beach (about a 10-minute drive, if that).
And can you just LOOK at this beach, I mean BEAUTIFUL! And for all you dumb bitches, it's called the moon beach since it's not sandy, it's hard and like...looks like the moon (if we even really know what that looks like - that's a different post altogether).
I chose to walk home and be a healthy bitch, it was about 30 minutes but by this time the sun was down and it wasn't too hot. It was peaceful. Milos is a quiet, rural island. It was time for my first dinner in Greece and wow - it lived up to all the hype. The restaurant was suggested by the hotel, I had a reservation made and walked 10 minutes to town. It's called Mikros Apoplous and it is right on the water. My view was of the water, I mean this is dumb bitch living 101.
Clearly I want to try everything so I order a bunch. By the time I get to the main entree - fish duh- the waiter suggests I go for something smaller, not on the menu. He brings me to the front, to a showcase of all the catches of the day. He explains each to me. I act like I understand, I say white? And pick one. Literally had a catch of the day for dinner. It was to die for. All of the food was amazing.
One thing about Milos is everything closes pretty early...which for me was fine, I was ready for bed.
DAY 2: Milos
Up early and ready for the Full-Day Cruise with Lunch and Snorkeling: Drinks, beautiful stops, caves, cliff jumping, snorkeling, lunch, a beautiful day in the sun. It's a small group which is really nice and the pickup spot was a quick walk from the hotel. This was one of the most beautiful, full days of the trip - the water is CRYSTAL blue.
PS I also met this amazing couple on their honeymoon from New Orleans we got dinner later that night at one of the most popular restaurants on the island, O! Hamos! Tavern (also walkable). After a 45-minute wait (no reservations), you can order drinks across the way on the beach which is cute; While it was good - we all wouldn't recommend it.
Next stop: Santorini. I took the bus to the ferry which was super easy (and cheap) and booked all of my ferries through Seajets. Dumb bitch tip: check ferry times before booking everything - certain islands like Milos might only have 1 direct ferry a day.
Day 3: Santorini
I arrived at my hotel, Loizos Stylish Residences, which was cute and in the perfect location - next time, I'd get a Villa facing the caldera though. It was a bit gloomy so I talked to the front desk and they suggested checking out Pyrgos, a cute town not too far away. The bus stop was a 2-minute walk away from the hotel and off I went.
Pyrgos has a lot of shopping, restaurants, very chill vibe compared to Fira. It was cute, but I wouldn't say it's a must-see. I explored, grabbed the dumb bitch Greek diet: a Greek salad, tzatziki, and an Aperol spritz, and hopped on the bus back.
After a quick dip in the pool, I got ready and walked up the hill to the iconic Santorini Caldera, and boy - is it gorgeous.s. I got drinks at PK Cocktail and read my book as I sat right ON the view and watched the sunset. Seriously, look at the photos - you need to go. After I had another incredible dinner across the road at Ouzeri - the food was SO good. I've never had fish like this...and the mussels - YUM. After I tried to walk around and burn the calories of the carafe of wine I got by getting some gelato and calling it a night.
Day 4: Santorini
Wow - looking back at these photos gets me excited. Santorini is just gorgeous - saying this now, it is the place any dumb bitch goes with a romantic partner. It's the opposite of being unique but there are reasons everyone does it. You can take it slow and enjoy the beauty....anyway, that is not what I did. I woke up early, walked to a local cafe for a strong coffee, and got ready for the hike from Fira to Oia - you have to do this early before it gets hot.
Keep in mind, this is about a 6.5-mile hike and can take ~3 hours depending on how fast you are going - it is worth it,. You get stunning views and get to really see a lot of the different places to stay, restaurants, and shops, a great way to scope things out.
And yes, for all. you dumb bitches, it's a straight path, you can't get lost. It is kinda intense though, not gonna lie.
Oia is a small village that is a must-see. It is exactly how you would picture Santorini, with the blue domes, white pathways, shops, and restaurants. I had a nice brunch while I admired the view and people-watched. Also, I took the bus back to Fira, super easy.
I went back to my room and got ready for the Santorini Luxury Caldera Cruise with Full Greek Meal and Sunset. Everyone who goes to Santorini does a sunset cruise, it's like not an option. This was the only part of my trip I didn't meet anyone since it was mostly families and couples, but I still really enjoyed it.
The sunset was incredible and you get to see all the main spots in Santorini including the hot springs (not that hot) and Red Beach. PS This tour picks you up at your hotel and drops you off - a huge plus.
Day 5: Goodbye Santorini, hello Mykonos!
As bittersweet as it was to leave the beautiful Santorini, I could not wait to finallllly get to Mykonos. I took the bus to the port, and after about a 2-hour ferry ride, I arrived (like I said before, plan this all out with dates and times).
The hotel I stayed at, Damianos Mykonos Hotel, included shuttle service from the ferry - so that was clutch and it is also a quick 10-minute walk into town. It has a gorgeous pool, friendly staff, and a great breakfast.
For my first day, I kept it chill, relaxed at the pool, and walked around the town while doing some shopping, duh. Mykonos is like Vegas. It has a completely different energy than the other islands. We are talking late-night, stilettos, booty shorts, and shots.
DAY 6: MYKONOS
My first full day in Mykonos, and as your typical LA Gay - I have to go to Jackie O beach club. Luckily there is a bus that is a 10-minute walk away that takes you right to Paradise Beach, where all these day clubs are. I seriously was so nervous after everyone was like you need a car or a moped blah blah..you'll be fine, the transportation is nice and on time too.
So this is June and as I found out, high season is July and August. The pool party wasn't popping but it was still beautiful and yes, there were gays to mingle with. The beach is gorgeous and calm. You rent a chair and have food & drink service. I loved going for a dip in the ocean, ordering a drink to my chair, and mingling.
I met a few guys during the day who invited me out to the gay bars that night. I danced the night away. Mykonos is fun. Mykonos is where a dumb bitch thrives.
DAY 7: MYKONOS
Next on the Gay Agenda is Elias Beach AKA the nude beach. As you might be gathering, here I am team no sleep or barely sleep. I get my ass up to the breakfast, the staff is already aware of all my plans, and they keep egging me on to do more. I have some eggs and quickly get ready to catch the bus to Elias beach (yes there is a bus! Different bus stop).
Same vibe where you rent a chair, have drink & food service, and here you can be naked. I'll just leave it at that. The beach is pretty too but if I had to pick I liked the beach at Jackie O better (your wallet will be happier here though).
