Let's travel with me

During 9 months, I caught as many opportunities as I could to discover Greece, Athens, and its surroundings. 

Greece and the seasons

Greece is mainly a tourist country during the summer, so not everything is open all year. As Athens is the capital, the city always remains dynamic, but for other places, such as the islands, most of them are quite empty during winter, and shops, restaurants, or tourist attractions are closed. 

In Greece, we talk about "low" and "high" seasons. The low season is from mid-November until mid-April. It is the period during which most of the tourist areas are closed for renovation during the high seasons. The high season is the period when all the tourists start to arrive, and everything opens again. It does not mean that you cannot travel during the low season; sometimes destinations like Santorini are places that are better during that period, as it is not overcrowded. 

Mainland Greece

Athens and its surroundings: If you want to visit the surroundings of Athens, I recommend Sounion and Corinth. Both of those places are approximately 2 hours from Athens by car. A day trip by rental car to Cape Sounion with some friends is perfect. The drive along the coastal road is already part of the experience, with sea views and small beaches along the way. The attraction of Sunion is the Temple of Poseidon standing above the cliffs, especially beautiful at sunset. It was a relaxed trip where we could stop whenever we wanted. 

The other place around Athens is Corinth. It is a city in both ancient and modern Greece. The ancient city is quite beautiful and worth having a look. The most famous thing in Corinth is the Canal, an impressive man-made waterway that connects the Aegean Sea to the Ionian Sea, cutting through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth in Greece. 

The Peloponnese: I visited the Peloponnese at different moments because it is really huge. The first city I visited was Nafplio, and this is actually my favorite city of all the cities I visited in the Peloponnese. It was a day trip organized by the ESN. So, Nafplio is 3 hours by bus from Athens. On the road, we stopped at the famous ancient theater of Aklepieion of Epidaurus. Then, we took the bus again to the Palamidi Fortress of Nafplio. It was incredible! We had a view of Nafplio, it was sunny and warm, and the fortress is beautiful even though it is ruined. This fortress is especially famous because Theodoros Kolokotronis, one of the most famous Greek warriors, was imprisoned there. Once we had visited all, we were free to walk through the city. To go from the fortress to the city, we had to go down the famous 999 stairs of that fortress. 

Fortress of Nafplio

My second time in the Peloponnese was during the carnival period in Patras - end of February. For 3 days, my friends and I rented a car from Athens and travelled together to Patras, where the most famous carnival in Greece is, full of colourful costumes, parades, music, and a very lively atmosphere. That was amazing, we were watching people all disguised with handmade costumes and were dancing with us. And, at night were fireworks and concerts. After spending time in Patras, we started a road trip across the Peloponnese. We drove through beautiful landscapes and made several stops along the way. We visited the archaeological site of Olympia, where the Olympic Games were born, which was very impressive and rich in history. We also stopped one night near Nafplio, and then visited the city because I told my friends it was really worth going.

Carnival of Patras 

 A char of the carnival

Olympia

Another trip I did was in Porto Cheli, in the south of the Peloponnese. Porto Cheli had always been a city that attracted me for no reason, so I went. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed about the city because there is nothing to do except visit the main church, and the city is expensive for what it is. However, with 3 other friends, we went during the celebration of the Orthodox Easter; therefore, it made the trip memorable. We met locals who explained to us the celebration, the symbols behind it, and we even participated in some traditions. For instance, at midnight, there is the tradition of hitting two red cooked eggs together, and the one that does not break means that the person is gonna be the luckiest. I am supposed to be the luckiest in 2026! We also had the chance to dance sirtaki in the middle of Porto Cheli with a random family. They were a dozen, and I really liked local dances, so I gathered my courage and went to dance with them. The atmosphere was so lovely, everyone was smilling and singing together. 

Porto Cheli

You will find more information about how Orthodox Easter is celebrated if you follow the next section:

The Meteoras: I went to the Meteoras with my parents when they visited me. As the place is more than 4 hours from Athens, we stopped at the thermal baths of Thermopylae. The thermal bath is a free place,  surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. That was an amazing experience. By the time we reached Meteora, with those massive rocks rising out of nowhere and monasteries perched impossibly on the top, we felt so small. We stayed there for 2 nights, which was enough. We took our time visiting monasteries on all the rocks. To reach the top, we could go either by car or on foot.

The Meteoras

The Saronic Islands

The Saronic Islands are the closest to Athens and the most accessible. There are islands that you usually go to for a one-day trip. 

Here are the Saronic Islands I advise:

Aegina: I went to Aegina three times because it is the easiest one to go to when someone visits you or when you do not have anything planned and want to do something for a day. Moreover, as you are considered a Greek student, you have the way to go and back for only 10 euros. Now, speaking about the island itself, it is necessary to rent a vehicle to go throughout the island. The first time I did not rent anything, and I just stayed in the main city of the island, which is a nice city, but there are not a lot of things to do. The second time, I was with my sister, and we rented bikes which enable us to go a bit farther away. We would have liked to rent a scooter, but as none of us knew how to control it, we gave up. So, for the third time, I went with a friend, and that time we rented a scooter because he knew how to drive. And this time, I could visit the island more and go to places that I had never been to. 

Agios Nektarios Monastery, Aegina

The city of Poros

Poros: The island of Poros is in front of the Peloponnese, which makes the landscape a bit unique. With some friends, we planned to stay 1 night in Poros because the next day we took a boat to Hydra to join 2 other friends. Then, we stayed in Poros for around a day and a half. We quickly noticed we would need a vehicle to go through the island, so we took bikes. We wanted a car, but locals told us it is not necessary because the island is not that big. Indeed, in around 5 hours of biking and stopping at some spots, we had covered the entire island. Visiting by bike was so nice because we went at our own pace. Moreover, it was mid-march, and we were with short-sleeves tee-shirt for the day. 

Hydra: Hydra is my favorite island of the Saronic ones. First, when you arrive at the port of Hydra, it is incredible. It’s a mountainous island, and the houses are white and built on the slopes; they blend in with the mountains. We took our boat to Poros and joined 2 friends. As Hydra is around 2 and a half hours from Athens, we also slept one night there. One thing about Hydra is that cars are prohibited; the only way to move throughout the island is on foot or with a donkey! So, we basically walked alongside the coast and went to a monastery at the top of a mountain. It is really worth it to go there. 

Hydra

Spetses: I visited Spetses when I went for Easter in Porto Cheli. It is at 10 minutes by boat from Porto Cheli, and almost 3 hours from Athens. It was a day trip, and we stayed in the main city. Spetses is kind of similar to Hydra in terms of houses, but instead of being built on slopes, the town is more spread out. An anecdote about that island is that one scene of the movie Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was filmed at the port of Spetses. 

The Cyclades: Paros, Santorini, Milos

There are loads of Cyclades, so here are the 3 Cyclades I went to:

Paros: Paros was my first trip of the Erasmus. It was a 3-day trip organized by the ESN of the Engineering School of Athens (NTUA) from the 17th of October until the 19th. Paros is an island of the Cyclades, not far from Santorini. We were a group of about 120 students; we went by the ferry, which took a bit less than 5 hours. That trip was really cool. I didn’t regret anything except the fact that we only stayed on the southern part of the Island without visiting the Northern part. Otherwise, going on a trip with people you know for 3 weeks is the best way to meet new people. During three days, we went to the beach, played beach games, partied, went to a karaoke, visited... One thing I really liked visiting was the most famous city of Paros, called Naoussa, famous for the port and the white square houses along the sea.

Naoussa, Paros

Fira, Santorini

Oia, Santorini

Santorini: With one of my friends, we went to Santorini for 3 days in November. That was a nice trip since it was sunny and pretty warm for the beginning of November. We stayed in Fira, the main city of Santorini. In Fira, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life. The view of the volcano was incredible. The volcano is an island in itself, and it is really impressive because it is dark even in daylight. We took a quad to go to Oia, which is the second biggest city on Santorini. Actually, there are only two main cities to visit in Santorini – Fira and Oia. We also went to Akrotiri and the famous Red Beach by bus. On the bus, we met two random American people with whom we spent our day. Honestly, I was a bit upset about Santorini. The landscapes are really nice as it is an island, but it is not as impressive as people say. Once you have visited Fira and Oia, the rest of the island is quite “empty” actually. 

Milos: The island of Milos had always been my dream destination, a place I had imagined long before my Erasmus began. When I finally got the chance to visit, it felt almost unreal. With two other friends, we decided to go in April as the island would still not be overcrowded by tourists. After around 4 hours on the ferry, we finally reached Milos for 3 nights and 4 days. We took a rental car and started our visits. Arriving in Milos was exactly what I expected. The landscapes were unique, with colorful rocks and clear water that made the island stand out. We spent time in Klima, with its small houses by the sea, and in Sarakiniko, which looked almost like the moon. Watching the sunset from Kastro was one of the best moments. That was incredible, we went swimming, we tanned, and we had such a good time. 

Klima, Milos

Sarakiniko, Milos

 Milos

Navagio Beach, Zakynthos

The Ionian Islands: Zakynthos

The Ionian Islands are on the Western part of Greece, next to the Peloponnese. There are 4 famous Ionian Islands, and I just visited Zakynthos. 

Arriving in Zakynthos was a special moment for me because I went with my parents, right after visiting Meteora. We still had the rental car and drove all the way to the Peloponnese to catch a boat to the island, which made the journey feel like a real road trip. We stayed there for 3 nights. The island felt lively and full of contrasts, with green landscapes and bright blue water. One of the highlights was a one-day trip to Navagio Beach, also known as the shipwreck. Seeing it in real life was impressive—the white sand, the cliffs, and the famous wreck made it feel very unique. For me, sharing this trip with my parents made it even more special because I knew it was the dream island of my father and that my mom is in love with white sand and blue water. I would really recommend renting a car if you can, because it gives you the freedom to explore the island at your own pace. 

Crete

With my four closest friends, we went to Crete for one week during the Easter holidays. We took a night boat that crossing lasted 8:30 hours, then we arrived at 10 AM at the port of Chania, in the West of the island. As we stayed one entire week, we took a car to spend the first three nights in the eastern part of Crete. On the East of Crete, there are several caves and gorges, and the landscape is generally quieter, more rugged, and less touristy. Then we moved to the West side of the island, where the scenery is very different. The western beaches are much more famous and easier to access, with wide sandy areas and turquoise lagoons such as Elafonissi and Balos. This part of Crete is more developed and tourist-oriented, offering more facilities, beach bars, and organized activities. 

The Cretan people are really friendly and welcoming. For example, during the week was the Christian Easter, and the host from the accommodation we stayed cooked us a Greek sweet dessert tradition to wish us a Happy Christian Easter. We also met another Cretan while buying our souvenirs. He was asking us where we came from and started to explain things about Crete. Then, I saw a huge bottle of Cretan alcohol and asked him what it was. Directly, he made us try. They loved tourists being curious about their culture, and our curiosity made us spend lovely moments with locals. 

Elafonisos Islet, Crete

Kera, Crete

Mouzouras, Crete

Matala, Crete

Albania

With a group of friends, we went to the South of Albania from the 4th of December until the 7th. Albania is 1 hour by plane from Athens, and around 8 hours by bus. 

We chose to go to Albania since one of our friends is Greek-Albanian. We were a group of 15 people in total, composed of a mix of German and French people, and the Greek-Albanian friend. The first two nights, we slept in Tirana in a hostel. It felt like we were in a vacation colony. As we had rented cars for 2 days, we visited some cities around Tirana. One is called Belsh, which is a city that closely resembles the typical Disney princess movies of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. It was really charming. We ate Albanian food and walked around the streets. Then, we went to the Castle of Belsh. It was dark, obscure, and there was a lot of fog, so we didn’t see a lot of the castle. The following days, we returned the cars, and we took the bus for 5 hours to Sarande. We stayed in Sarande for 2 nights. Honestly, there are not a lot of things to do there, so we basically walked through the streets. We also went for a panoramic view to catch a spot to see the sea and the mountains. It was pretty hot for the beginning of December. On the 7th of December, we took a night bus in Sarande to go back to Athens. It took us 8 hours. That was long, but since we were together, the time spent really fast.

Albania is a beautiful country, but the place we went to is better for the summer season. Also, the money is not euros but lek, so we needed to withdraw a lot of money. However, we were a lot who didn’t withdraw enough, so we almost tried all the Albanian cash machines.