Greece Travel Diary

Last week I traveled to Athens and Santorini and absolutely fell in love with Greece. Santorini is truly one of the most beautiful places I have been to and am already planning another trip back to visit other islands. I traveled on off-season, which has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of traveling to Greece during low season is that you avoid the crowds of tourists and you can really take in all of the beauty. Also, it’s less likely that random people will be in the background of all of your pictures.

I spent a total of four days in Greece. Two days in Athens, and two in Santorini. It was the perfect amount of time to get a feel for the country and now I’m even more excited return.

Day 1:

I arrived in Athens around 8 P.M. and checked into my Airbnb located in Monastiraki. This was one of the best Airbnb apartments I have stayed in. The location was phenomenal. It was within walking distance of many gyro (litetrally all I ate) and other restaurants, bars, transportation, and Ermou (the main shopping street of Athens). The room itself was comfortable, affordable, and had everything I would need for a short stay. The host was friendly and gave us a short guide to the best restaurants and bars in the area. If you’re staying in Monastiraki for a short period of time, I highly recommend this Airbnb apartment.

After checking-in we went downstairs and grabbed a sandwich from Oven Sesame and took it back upstairs to enjoy it with views of the Acropolis and Monastiraki. We called it an early night so that we were well-rested for a day of sight-seeing.

Day 2:

First things first, we were in search of a good cup of coffee. I did a little research and stumbled upon this little coffee shop/ restaurant called Just Made 33. I’m not kidding, this is the best coffee I have had, EVER! I typically order an almond milk latte or americano, but I opted for their black coffee since they had raving reviews. If you are in Athens and are a coffee lover like me, make sure to visit this place.

After we were sufficiently caffeinated, we headed over to the Acropolis. We spent about 2 hours exploring the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The intricate details of the ancient buildings and incredible architecture was mind-blowing.

Next, we headed to Hadrians Arch and the Panathenaic Stadium.

Our last stop was Mount Lycabettus. From the top of the hill there are panoramic views of Athens, and I can only imagine how beautiful it is up there at night. Our legs were tired, so we took a break for coffee at the Cafe Lycabettus, while taking in the views of Athens.

We went to Oroscopo for dinner. The restaurant offers an array of authentic greek food to choose from. I had the Moussaka, and it was delicious!

Day 3:

On day 3, we packed up our things and headed off to Santorini. After arriving, we checked into our hotel and explored the city of Fira.

Obviously, I researched where to get the best gyros in Santorini and the consensus was Yogi Gyro. Seriously, if you are ever in Fira you need to try this place. The tzatziki was SO good. We ended the night with drinks at a wine bar on the cliffs.

Day 4:

On our last day in Santorini, we visited Akrotiri and Oia. The beaches are too cold to swim in at this time of year (IMO) so we just drove past them and admired their beauty from afar.

We planned to visit Oia about an hour before sunset so that we could see the city during the day and experience a Santorini sunset. The blue-domed and white buildings are stunning and the sunset was absolutely beautiful. Already dreaming about this place a week after my trip.