If you want to explore the Greek islands away from the crowds then this Cyclades Greek island hopping itinerary may be right up your street!
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Long-term readers of this blog will know that it’s become a bit of a tradition of mine to book a trip away for my birthday every year (and, in fact, every other month I can afford the annual leave to do so!), and 2023’s adventure was inspired simply by the fact that I was well overdue a visit to one of my favourite European countries — Greece.
Whilst my last trip in 2015 had been based on the Greek mainland (with the exception of a couple of days on the island of Hydra), I wanted this trip to be all about discovering a few of the country’s lesser-known islands.
I clearly like to set the bar high when I plan my trips, because there are over 160 inhabited Greek islands! And I’ve previously visited just eight of them. How was I ever going to decide which ones to explore this time around? 🤷♀️
Stunning natural beauty, an abundance of hiking trails, attractive towns and villages, and affordable accommodation and dining options were our main priorities, but we also needed to be able to easily travel between our chosen islands, so we needed to pay attention to ferry routes and schedules, too.
Ultimately, we decided upon three of the Cyclades islands — Andros, Naxos and Amorgos. We’d fly to Athens, catch the ferry to Andros from Athens’ Rafina port, and then spend three or four days exploring each of the three islands, before making the seven-hour journey back from Amorgos to Athens’ Piraeus port. We factored in a day in Athens at the end, just in case of any ferry delays, which was actually really nice because I loved the three days I spent there back in 2015 much more than I’d ever expected to.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. All this means is that if you make a purchase through one of the links I have provided, I will earn a small commission as a result but the cost to you will remain exactly the same.
Greek Island Hopping Itinerary | Useful Resources
- I booked all of our ferries on the Direct Ferries website, which I accessed via Top Cashback, in order to get cashback on all of our bookings.
- I booked our accommodation via either Booking or Airbnb. I’ll link to each individual place we stayed at in the relevant parts of this post.
- If you’d like to hike some of the fantastic trails that criss-cross the island of Andros, head on over to the official Andros Routes website.
- The official Amorgos website will tell you everything you need to know about the island, including beaches, archaeological sites, churches and monasteries, island culture and events, food and drink, and activities (incl. hiking trails). There are also maps, bus timetables and a few useful Greek words and phrases on there.
- Regarding bus timetable info, head to the appropriate links: Andros bus timetable; Naxos bus timetable; Amorgos bus timetable.
- Whilst it doesn’t have huge sections on the individual islands we visited, we still found the Lonely Planet Greek Islands guidebook to be a useful resource with regards to travel planning both in the lead up to our trip and during the trip itself.
So, without further ado, here is my two-week Greek island hopping itinerary, including some useful logistical information, to help you plan your own trip.
Greek Island Hopping Itinerary | Daily Breakdown
Day 1 | Fly to Athens
We booked our return flights from Birmingham to Athens through Skyscanner (my go-to flight comparison website). As usual, I took my my spacious Cabin Zero 28-litre backpack because it’s accepted by all budget airlines (including Ryanair!) as an under-the-seat carry-on bag, which means zero additional charges on top of your standard flight price.
We’d touched down in the city and made it to our Athens apartment by late afternoon. We were staying in the heart of Monastiraki, so we didn’t have far to walk to Psirri — our favourite part of Athens for dinner and drinks.
When we were last in Athens eight years ago, Mavros Gatos (‘The Black Cat’) was my favourite restaurant of those we visited, following a recommendation from our host. So, we were overjoyed to find that not only was it still open and as popular as ever (mainly with locals), but that the food was also as tasty and affordable as I remember it to be.
Pictured above is my beluga lentil salad with smoked mackerel and a portion of saganaki 😋
Day 2 | Catch the ferry across to Andros
We were up super early on day two of our Greek island hopping itinerary, to catch the ferry from Athens to Andros. We figured that, as we had a full day in Athens upon our return, there was zero point in hanging around at the start of the trip, and we were also keen to maximise our time on Andros.
It’s important to note that you cannot get a ferry from Athens’ central Piraeus Port to Andros; you’ll need to head to the city’s Rafina Port, just over 30 kilometres east of central Athens. Although there is a bus service to Rafina Port, we couldn’t find any reliable enough information online regarding early morning timetables on a Saturday, and we didn’t want to risk missing the ferry, so we opted to take a taxi. The journey takes between 35 minutes and one hour, depending on traffic. The staff at our Athens apartment kindly arranged this all for us.
We arrived just before 7 a.m. for our 7:50 departure, so we had time to grab a coffee and a spanakopita (spinach and feta filo pie) for breakfast at a cute little cafe next to the Port.
Athens airport is actually closer to Rafina Port than it is to central Athens, so if your flight arrives late in the evening, you might want to look at staying in one of the Rafina Port hotels overnight, rather than heading into central Athens and having to make the journey back out again in the morning.
The Athens to Andros ferry docks at Gávrio, on the northwest coast of the island, however, the majority of the island’s accommodation is located in either Batsi (further down the west coast) or Chora (the island’s capital, located on the east coast). Although there are a few car rental outfits in Gávrio, if you want to hire a motorbike or scooter, you’ll need to head to Batsi or Chora.
Don’t make the same mistake we did and stop for a coffee somewhere as soon as the ferry docks, because the buses out of Gávrio are timed with the ferry arrivals. So, once we’d finished our coffee, we’d missed the 10 a.m. bus to Batsi and had to wait over two hours for the next one!
Although, on the plus side, this did mean that I was able to have a lovely wander around Gávrio. I found a pretty church, some wise words, a cactus with ears, and a cat. So, all in all, a fortuitous mistake.😉
Once in Batsi, we headed to Dino’s Rent a Bike. It was the only scooter rental outfit mentioned in our Lonely Planet guidebook and also happened to be the one that our Andros accommodation host recommended too.
We found the quality of the scooters and standard of the helmets provided to be pretty similar on all three islands. However, I did struggle to find a helmet that fitted me properly (even the extra small ones were too big for my child-sized head). So, if you also have a small head, my advice would be to pack a cap and to wear it underneath your helmet, to ensure that the helmet stays in place and offers you a sufficient level of protection.
One of the first places that we added to the Andros part of our Greek island hopping itinerary was the Panachrantou Monastery, and as it was (kind of) en route to Chora, this was absolutely somewhere we couldn’t miss.
Located on the north side of Mount Gerakones, Panachrantou is said to be the most beautiful Byzantine monastery on the island.
It’s a bit of a hairy journey along a series of hilly switchbacks to reach the monastery (which, when you’re carrying a full 28-litre cabin bag on your back, is most definitely not an easy ride!), but as soon as you arrive, the views alone will convince you that the journey was 100% worthwhile.
Keep your eyes peeled for peacocks as you enter the grounds.
We arrived into Chora around 4 p.m. We were staying in a beautiful, traditional home in a quieter part of Chora, close to the town’s Open Air Theatre, but only a few minutes’ walk from the old town.
We had everything we could possibly need in this little house, including a washing machine, washing powder, and our own private parking space. This was my favourite of all the places we stayed during our Greek island hopping itinerary!
Book your stay at House Moscha here.
In the evening, we enjoyed a lovely relaxing wander around the old town, followed by dinner in one of Chora’s prettiest squares.
Day 3 | Circular hiking route 8 between Gialia beach and Apikia
Against all odds (Stu is not a fan of hiking, especially in the heat), I managed to talk Stu into joining me on today’s hike. Route 8 is only 3.8 kilometres on its own, but it can be combined with route 8a, which is a detour to Empirikos watermill, making it 5.7 kilometres in total.
It was the watermill that sold it to Stu. He’s a fan of all things engineering, so an abandoned watermill that’s reportedly the best preserved of all 240 found on the island piqued his interest. And, the fact that it can only be reached on foot sealed the deal for him.
Andros’ hiking route 8 is a beautiful trail that initially follows some shaded pathways alongside the river Pythara, before climbing upwards, along walled footpaths, towards the village of Stenies and Empirikos watermill.
As you re-join the main trail, the path continues to head uphill and passes a pretty stone bridge before arriving into the picturesque village of Apikia. Apikia marks the half-way point along the route, and there’s a lovely little cafe here with some stunning views across the Pythara Valley and out to sea.
After taking a break and fueling up on a delicious Greek salad and some local beer, we joined hiking route 2a, in order to make a small diversion to the Pytharas waterfalls — which was 100% worthwhile.
When we arrived back into Chora, we decided to make the short walk out to its Venetian Castle.
Dating back to 1207, the castle was completely destroyed by the Germans in 1943. However, the views alone make visiting Chora’s Venetian Castle a deserving addition to your Greek island hopping itinerary.
To get there, head down Chora’s ‘main street,’ passing the Archaeological Museum on your right and the Palahtiani Monastery and Catholic Cathedral of St. Andrew on your left. When you arrive into a large square containing a Monument to the Unknown Sailor, you’re almost there.
However, the last section of your journey is not an easy one — and not one to attempt if you have mobility issues. It’s difficult to tell from the photograph below, but crossing the ‘bridge’ to get to the castle involves a fair bit of climbing! It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted!
Once you’re across, you’ll be treated to some fabulous views back towards Chora, and of Tourlitis Lighthouse in the opposite direction.
Day 4 | Hiking route 3 from Chora to Ormos Korthiou
Considering how much I’d enjoyed yesterday’s hike, today I decided to walk the second of Andros’ 20 well-signposted hiking trails. However, I did this one solo due to the fact that Stu was having trouble walking after the previous day’s exertion!
Where yesterday was shaded and close to water, today was exposed and dramatic.
I chose hiking route number 3, which saw me walking through the stunning Dipotamata Valley, as well as taking a diversion to Faneromenis Castle. The whole route is 11.5 kilometres, or 9.8 if you don’t follow the diversion (although I recommend that you do).
At the end of the trail, I met Stu in Ormos Korthiou for a nice cold drink overlooking the harbour. We then hopped back on to our scooter to check out a couple of beaches (one of which we had all to ourselves) and finished up with dinner with a view at Gevsis me Thea in Livadia.
We actually stumbled upon this beautiful restaurant on our way back towards Chora. It was the setting that stopped us in our tracks (literally! I spontaneously shouted, “can we stop here?” to Stu as we rode past), and, after enjoying a drink and admiring the view, we decided to take a chance on the food. Luckily, it paid off. If you’re visiting Andros, I can 100% recommend that you add ‘dining at Gevsis me Thea while watching the sun go down’ to your Greek island hopping itinerary.
Day 5 | Menites Circular hiking route and a ferry across to Naxos
Knowing that we only had half a day left on the beautiful island of Andros, we got up early and headed over to the village of Menites to start the 3-kilometre Menites Circular hiking route. We’d read about a lovely little cafe there called Droisa, and arrived just as they were opening their doors for breakfast.
Although the Menites Circular is a very short route, it takes you through some beautiful wooded areas, and rewards you with some incredible views across the fertile Menites Valley.
You’ll start and end at the famous Dionysus Springs, where natural mineral water (said to have therapeutic properties) runs through the mouths of decorative stone lion heads.
As you continue along the trail, you’ll be serenaded by the calming sounds of running water. Water channels run along the edge of the ravine and the route either follows these or crosses them as it winds its way around the valley.
Seeing as though we had to drop the bike back at Dino’s in Batsi, we decided to have a quick look around Batsi before walking up to the town’s bus stop to catch a bus back to the Port.
We arrived at the bus stop around 15 minutes before the bus was scheduled to leave, so we weren’t surprised to find that we were the only two people there. However, as the time rolled on and no-one else joined us, we did start to worry a little. And, when the departure time had passed and there was still no sign of the bus, we actually started to get rather concerned that we’d miss our ferry over to Naxos.
As luck would have it, a couple of Albanian guys in a beat-up old banger, who’d just pulled up to grab something from the supermarket behind us, asked if we were heading to the Port. Yep, you’ve guessed it — we subsequently secured ourselves a lift! I don’t know whether that bus ever did turn up, but I’m very happy we didn’t wait around to find out.
We arrived into Naxos Town just before 6 p.m. As we disembarked, we were surrounded by crowds we hadn’t seen since Athens. Crowds were something we wanted to avoid on this Greek island hopping trip, however, when researching ferry schedules, we realised that we couldn’t travel directly from Andros to Amorgos; we’d have to make a stop-off en-route. Firstly, there were only a limited number of islands that we could get to from Andros and secondly, there were only certain islands that we could get to Amorgos from.
And, so it was that we ended up on Naxos.
I was aware that it was going to be a lot more touristy than the other two islands, but I’d also heard really positive reviews from other travel bloggers — specifically from Caroline at Pack the Suitcases.
I can now confidently say that she was right about Naxos. Yes, it is touristy, but not overwhelmingly so, and not in such a way that it detracts from the island’s appeal. I actually ended up really enjoying our time on Naxos.
We checked into our beautiful little apartment (on a quiet street within a few minutes’ walk of the Old Town), bagged the last available table at Metaxi Mas for dinner, and then wiled the remainder of the evening away at Naxos Cafe — a relaxed, bohemian-style drinking haunt that plays some of the best tunes in town.
Day 6 | A relaxing wander around Naxos Town
We ended up having a bit of a lazy start this morning following a later-than-planned night at Naxos Cafe!
Fortunately, the only thing we had on our Greek island hopping itinerary today was a relaxing wander around Naxos Town.
We started the day by heading over to the islet of Palatia, close to the Port. Here you’ll find the iconic Portara Gate, which is the only remaining feature of the unfinished marble ruins of a temple dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. The gate is a little underwhelming, if I’m honest, but the scenic views back towards Naxos Town more than make up for that. Aim to get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
Next up on our itinerary was the Venetian Castle of Naxos (known as ‘Castro’). Built in the 13th century by a Venetian duke, Naxos’ castle is situated high above its capital town, and access is via an inviting maze of steps and alleyways, leading to tranquil little squares, monasteries and museums, and dotted with shops, art studios, cafés and restaurants. It’s a wonderful area to get lost in.
Several hours later, having explored every corner of Naxos’ Old Town and fussed countless felines in the process, we decided we had better sort a scooter for our island adventure the following day. So we headed off in the direction of Tony’s — a scooter, quad, and car rental outfit that we’d heard good things about from a number of different sources. Tony’s is located on the opposite side of the historic quarter to our apartment, in the direction of the town’s beaches.
Whilst not as quaint and quirky as the Old Town streets, this part of town is still a lovely area to explore. After arranging to collect our scooter at 9 a.m. the following morning, we went in search of some liquid refreshment.
We found a lovely little craft beer bar called Funky Hops, where we scored seats in a prime people-watching location at the front of the bar, overlooking the busy street in front of us. Much as we would’ve loved to have worked our way through the entire craft beer menu, we had a dinner reservation at Doukato, which we didn’t want to miss.
Formerly a monastery, church, and school, Doukato is now a top-rated restaurant that’s set in a beautiful courtyard with a large tree at its centre. Owner Dimitris grows much of the produce himself or sources it locally.
I always like to sample some of the local specialities when I travel, so, in spite of my aversion to eating whole fish (there’s something about my dinner looking back up at me that I find a little disturbing!), I decided to stick my neck out and order a traditional Naxian Gouna (sun-dried mackerel). When it arrived, it was almost as big as my head! Suffice to say, I couldn’t finish it, but I gave it a damn good go!
Day 7 | A tour of Naxos island by scooter
We arrived at Tony’s just as they opened their doors this morning, and picked up the scooter we’d reserved last night. We had six items on our Greek island hopping itinerary today:
- Temple of Demeter, Sangri.
- The mountain village of Halki and the Vallindras Distillery.
- The ‘marble’ village of Apiranthos.
- Panagia Drosiani, one of the oldest Byzantine churches in the Mediterranean.
- Kouros of Flerio (marble statues from the 6th and 7th centuries).
- The Olive Press Museum at Eggares.
Having visited Sicily the year beforehand, I think we were expecting the Temple of Demeter to be built on a similar scale to the temples of Segesta or Selinunte. So, we were rather disappointed to discover that what you see below is all that remains of this particular temple. We could have paid €4 each to have a look at some of the artifacts uncovered on-site, but seeing as though neither Stu nor I would consider ourselves history buffs, we decided to simply snap a few photos and continue on our journey.
Our next stop on the Naxos part of our Greek island hopping itinerary was a very different story — we loved pretty little Halki and our visit to the Vallindras Distillery.
Established in 1896, the family-run Vallindras Distillery is the oldest distillery on Naxos and, to this day, still produces the island’s signature liqueur, kitron — made from the leaves of the citron tree. It also functions as a museum and offers free guided tours and tastings.
We managed to (unintentionally!) time our visit perfectly with the start of one of these tours, and got to sample each of the three types of kitron produced here. The strongest and driest version of the liqueur is yellow (the same colour as the citron fruit); the medium strength, medium sweetness version is clear; and the mildest and sweetest is green. You can purchase various-sized bottles of all three in the small on-site shop.
After our distillery tour, we had a quick wander around the village, popping into the Mamairo art gallery (where you can find some beautiful sculptures and jewellery made out of marble) and a couple of local shops, before stopping for a refreshing frappé at a lovely little cafe where this (photo below) was our view.
Next up on our Greek island hopping itinerary was the picturesque village of Apiranthos.
Built on the slopes of Mount Fanari and with spectacular views of the Naxian mountain ranges, Apiranthos is famous for its traditional houses built with locally quarried marble, well preserved Venetian towers, and the fact that its residents have retained their own distinct Cretan dialect.
Upon leaving Apirathos, we continued on to Panagia Drosiani, one of the oldest Byzantine churches in the Mediterranean, and the oldest Christian church on Naxos. It dates back to the 6th century and is filled with ancient frescoes that are considered to be among the oldest in the Balkans.
Photos are permitted inside without flash and you’ll be asked for a small donation to enter.
Our penultimate stop was, unfortunately, an underwhelming one and one I wouldn’t recommend adding to your Greek island hopping itinerary, unless you’re really into your Greek history. The two marble statues at Flerio were incredibly difficult to find (one is on a hillside around 500 metres away from the other) and are almost unidentifiable in their damaged state.
I did take photos, but I don’t even think they’re worth sharing on here (you’ll need a good imagination to see more than a bunch of broken stones!), so I’m going to move on to the last item on our little Naxos road trip — the Olive Press Museum at Eggares.
Although the museum itself is pretty small, we loved having the opportunity to sample some tasty Greek snacks, lots of olives, several delicious tapenades, and a plethora of olive oils infused with ingredients such as basil, orange, and….chocolate!
Day 8 | A morning in Naxos town followed by a ferry across to Amorgos
Our ferry across to Amorgos wasn’t until lunchtime, so we spent our last morning on the island enjoying a leisurely breakfast and doing a bit of souvenir and gift shopping in Naxos Town.
There were noticeably fewer people on this ferry compared to the Athens-Andros and Andros-Naxos legs of our Greek island hopping itinerary, and we had the pick of seats on board. Not many people got off at Amorgos either. And, that was exactly as I’d hoped it would be.
We were staying in Katapola, on the opposite site of the bay to where the ferry docks (an area called Xilokeratidi), in a lovely little apartment with stunning sea and mountain views. It left me itching to get out and explore the island the following day.
We spent the remainder of our afternoon acquainting ourselves with Katapola, making friends with a few furry felines, and enjoying a nice cold beer overlooking the harbour. 
Day 9 | A wander around Chora, a hike back to Katapola and a walk out to the Church of St. Panteleimon
On our second day on Amorgos, we decided to catch the local bus up to the island’s capital town, Chora — reportedly one of the most picturesque villages in the Cyclades.
If you’d like to make the same journey, you’ll find Katapola’s bus station the other side of the playground (if you’re coming from the direction of Xilokeratidi, as we were). I won’t make a note of the timetable here because it actually changed whilst we were staying in Katapola, and will, therefore, probably have changed again since we left, but you can use my links at the beginning of this post to find up-to-date information regarding bus departures.
The first thing we did, upon arrival into Chora, was grab a breakfast omelette with a view at Jazzmin. Their tiny terrace is a lovely little sun trap in the morning, and the resident cats were taking full advantage of this.
After breakfast, we headed up to the Troulos neighbourhood at the very top of the village to visit the windmills of Amorgos. 11 of the original 18 windmills remain, and whilst some are missing their sails, the structures themselves are still very much intact, over 50 years since they ceased operation.
A few of the better preserved ones even contain the the mechanisms used by the millers to process the flour.
Even on a sunny day, it’s extremely breezy up here (there’s a reason the windmills were built up on this exposed ridge!), so we lingered just long enough to visit all 11 structures before wandering back down to the village to find what remains of Chora’s 13th century Venetian Castle.
We then walked along stone-paved alleys, through pretty little squares, and past whitewashed houses and domed churches to reach the start of hiking trail number 2 — a 3.5 kilometre route that would take us back down to Katapola.
Whilst not the most interesting hiking route I’ve ever walked (especially when compared to the stunning ones I’d completed on Andros), I was very pleased to be walking it in a downhill direction. And so, I’m sure, was Stu!
When we arrived back in Katapola, we stopped for an ice cold frappé at one of the village’s attractive seafront cafés, and then went in search of a quiet swimming spot away from the Port.
We wandered along the coastline in the direction of the Church of St. Panteleimon — a landmark that’s marked on Google Maps and is visible from Katapola.
Just after you pass the Church of Three Hierarchs (pictured below), the road starts to head inland, and shortly after this it comes to a dead end. However, if you’re on foot, there is an official footpath that crosses a small beach and then subsequently leads to the Church of St. Panteleimon. It continues on to another beach —Maltesi.
We’re not huge fans of sandy beaches, so we found a space on the rocks just in front of the church, and — in between a few cooling dips in the sea — that is precisely where we spent the rest of our afternoon. We immediately declared it our favourite swimming and sunbathing spot on Amorgos.
We finished the day with dinner at Fata Morgana Amorgos. It’s one of Katapola’s pricier restaurants, but in my opinion, it was worth every penny. The location is stunning, right on the seafront, and the food was a little different to your traditional Greek fare, but equally delicious.
If you can find it on their current menu, I can 100% recommend the quinoa with smoked trout, mango vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes and marinated fennel.
Day 10 | Thwarted plans and a very wet and windy hike across the centre of the island
Today, the plan was to pick up a scooter, drive to Chora, grab breakfast with a view, and leave Stu to pootle around the island, stopping off at a few isolated coves for a bit of snorkelling while I followed hiking route number 1 to Aegali. Stu would then pick me up and we’d drive to Agia Anna (famous for being featured in French Film, The Big Blue) and chill out there for a while before returning to Katapola.
However, we woke up to rain.
It was still raining an hour later.
So, we ran to the closest place open for breakfast in Katapola (Café le Grand Bleu) and sheltered from the rain. Over breakfast, we decided that hiring a scooter probably wasn’t a particularly safe option in the rain, so I decided instead to jump on the 11:45 bus to Chora to chance the hike, and then catch the 18:00 bus back from Aegali.
Except that, when I got to the bus stop, I realised that I’d been looking at the bus timetable that started on the 19th of June, and today was the 18th. So, there was no 11:45 bus.
My only option was to walk to the start of the hiking trail in Chora, 3.5 kilometres uphill, which was meant to take an hour and five minutes, leaving me five hours and 10 minutes to complete the ‘4-5hr’ hike AND find the bus stop.
I made it to Chora in 40 minutes, arrived at Panagia Hozoviotissa (a monastery built into the cliff face and THE most important site on Amorgos) four minutes AFTER it closed, and then battled strong winds, rain and poor visibility for the next few hours until my descent into Aegali — which I made it to just three hours and 45 minutes after I left Chora.
The route is meant to be one of the most scenic hiking trails on the island and I couldn’t see more than a few metres ahead of me for 90% of the time.
But, I’d have been kicking myself if I’d stayed in Katapola and hadn’t given it a go…
Day 11 | Pangia Hozoviotissa Monastery, Agia Anna, The Shipwrek of Olympia and Kalotaritissa Beach
When we woke up this morning, the clouds had cleared and the rain had stopped. So, we picked up a scooter and headed off towards the north of the island to walk route 4: a two-hour loop from Aegali, taking in the villages of Langada and Tholaria.
However, we got as far as Chora and the cross wind was so strong that it was starting to unsteady the bike, so it simply wasn’t safe to continue any further up into the mountains on the only road that connects the north and the south of the island.
Instead, we went back to the monastery that I passed by yesterday to get some photos in the sunshine and to have a peek inside.
The Panagia Hozoviotissa Monastery is built into the side of a cliff face, 300 metres above the Aegean Sea, with breathtaking views to the east. It was constructed in 1017 in honour of Panagia (Virgin Mary), the patron saint of the island, and is believed to be one of the oldest Greek Orthodox monasteries in the whole of the country.
Its design and setting is reminiscent of the equally stunning Ostrog Monastery in Montenegro.
There are quite a few steps to climb to reach the monastery, but the resident monks offered us shots of rakomelo (raki with honey) and loukoumi (Turkish Delight) to help us recharge after the ascent.
It’s just a short two-kilometre drive from the monastery down to Agia Anna. This stunning beach was used as a filming location for the famous 1989 film, ‘The Big Blue’ by Luc Besson.
There’s a cafe not far uphill from the beach, with a few parking spaces outside.
Next up on our Greek island hopping itinerary was the Shipwreck of Olympia.
The commercial ship sank in February 1980, after a failed attempt to drop anchor close to the shore during bad weather conditions meant that it was driven onto the rocks in the bay of Liverio. Fortunately, all the crew were rescued, but the abandoned and now very rusty hull has remained there ever since.
The shipwreck features in numerous scenes of the movie ‘The Big Blue’ and is also a popular diving spot on the island.
To access the wreck, you’ll need to park up on the road above Liverio Bay. From there, it’s an easy 15-minute walk downhill.
The last item on today’s itinerary was Kalotaritissa Beach, purely as a result of its proximity to the Shipwreck of Olympia; you simply need to continue two kilometres further along the coast, towards the westernmost tip of the island.
Kalotaritissa Beach is located in a protected bay where colourful fishing boats bob gently upon the water. Whilst the setting isn’t as stunning as Agia Anna, the water is shallow and beautifully clear, so it’s much safer for those less confident swimmers (like me!).
We arrived back into Katapola just in time to catch an incredible sunset over the bay, and to enjoy a veritable feast of Greek mezze at Anemi.
Day 12 | A very long ferry journey back to Athens
Although our flight back to the UK wasn’t until day 14 of our Greek island hopping itinerary, we decided to travel to Athens on day 12 in order to give us a bit of leeway in case our ferry was delayed or, worse still, cancelled — which can (and does) happen in bad weather conditions.
The journey is almost eight hours long. Eight hours when you’re confined to your allocated aeroplane-style seat (aside from visiting the toilet or the café-bar on board) and the TV screens are playing Mr. Bean on repeat is painful — especially when you’ve been treated to comfortable armchairs, sea views, and free reign of the ship’s deck on both of your shorter crossings.
Whilst it’s much easier (and quicker) to get to central Athens from Piraeus Port than it is from Rafina (where we caught the ferry over to Andros from), by the time we’d arrived and checked into our apartment, it was almost 10 p.m.
So, the only item we had on our itinerary today was grabbing some food and a beer and getting a relatively early night in preparation for a full day of exploring Athens the following morning.
Day 13 | Re-visiting a few of our favourite sights and discovering some new ones in Athens
We started the day with breakfast at Ergon House, a deli/cafe/fresh produce market en route to our first destination of the day — Lycabettus Hill. Although we’d covered a lot of ground on our first trip to Athens in 2015, we hadn’t managed to squeeze Lycabettus Hill into our itinerary, so we were looking forward to including it this time around.
Standing 277 metres above sea level, Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens and affords stunning views across the city and out towards the Aegean Sea.
It’s around two kilometres northeast from Monastiraki Square to the foot of Lycabettus Hill, and from there it’s a pretty easy (less than half a mile and a pretty shallow incline all the way) walk to the top. Alternatively, you can take the funicular, which costs €7 one way or €10 return.
We timed our walk back into central Athens perfectly with the changing of the guards in Syntagma Square. I’ve spoken more in detail about this spectacle in this post, but of all the things to do in Athens, this should definitely be one that makes it on to your itinerary. It’s quite unlike anything you’ll see anywhere else in the world!
The changing of the guards in Syntagma Square happens on the hour every day of the week. However, to see the the full-length official ceremony, you’ll need to show up on a Sunday at 11 a.m.
After leaving Syntagma Square, we stopped for some liquid refreshments in the touristy but charming Plaka neighbourhood, where Stu decided he’d done enough walking for the day (he doesn’t deal well with the heat), and I decided I hadn’t done enough! So, I continued on, through the maze of ancient streets that make up the Anafiotika quarter, towards the Acropolis.
Anafiotika is actually part of Plaka but its narrow alleys, whitewashed houses, colourful doorways, vibrant Bougainvillea, and abundance of adorable felines, is reminiscent of a Greek Island much more so than the back streets of Greece’s capital city. It’s one of my favourite parts of Athens.
I’d paid to visit the Acropolis on my last trip, so this time around I was just content with catching glimpses of it from elsewhere in the city, and one of the best places to do that is Areopagus Hill.
I then wandered back towards Psirri via the Holy Church of the Holy Apostles of Solakis, the Roman Forum of Athens, and the Horologion of Andronikos Cyrrhestes (an octagonal tower used as a weather station).
If you’re a fan of street art, Psirri is definitely the best place to find it in Athens. It’s the city’s edgy, alternative district, whose streets are lined with artisan shops, exotic spice bazaars, vintage emporiums, art galleries, and bohemian café-bars.
Re-united with Stu, we stopped by Tapfield for a couple of craft beers before returning to Mavros Gatos (‘The Black Cat’) for dinner. Yet again, the food did not disappoint, and neither did the bill at the end. In spite of the significant gentrification Psirri has undergone in recent years, the owners of Mavros Gatos have kept their prices consistent and affordable.
And, rather fittingly, we were joined by the friendliest little black cat just as we were finishing our desserts.
Our apartment was down one of Psirri’s side streets, above a little coffee and cocktail bar called Norman.
So, that’s exactly where we headed for a nightcap (shortly after nearly being decapitated by a zombie; see photo below!) to celebrate an almost (save for the wind and rain on Amorgos) perfect Greek island hopping adventure together.
If you’ve got this far, congratulations and thanks for sticking with me. I really hope you’ve found this post useful in planning your own Greek island hopping itinerary. And, if you’ve got any questions, please drop them in the comments below — I will do my very best to answer them as soon as I can 😀
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