Island hopping in Greece - Crete, Naxos, Mykonos

Crete

My first stop was to Crete - the biggest island in Greece. I was told I’d need 1 month if I wanted to see the whole island, but sadly I only had 4 days so I made the most of it.

Old town Heraklion - the main city on the island is Heraklion. I took a bus from where I was staying in Gazi and started by walking through the old Venetian walls. Next I stopped into Agios Minas Cathedral, which is Greek Orthodox and so the Byzantine style was present in the icons. I continued to the Morisini fountain, which was built in 1629. Right behind it was the city hall and a few streets away Church of Agios Titos, now a Greek Orthodox Church but built in a former mosque. While walking past shops I saw lots of loofahs hanging, made naturally from sea sponges and corals. This was very popular all over Greece and in Croatia as well.

Koules Fortress - at the port of Heraklion I spotted the fortress, which was used to protect the city from pirates and dates back to the Byzantine era of 300 AD. Around it was the marina, with boats constantly coming in and out.

Lokomadras - fried dough with honey, roasted sesame seeds and cinamon, or other tasty toppings. Just outside the city I found a small local cafe where I watched a woman make lokomadras. She grabbed the dough with her hands, made a ball and threw it into the hot oil. They came out light and fluffy and the honey on top wasn’t too sweet.

Agapi Beach - there are many beaches along the shore of the island. Since I stayed in Gazi I explored Agapi Beach. The beaches in Greece are different from the ones in Croatia, as they are sandy and not covered in rocks. The water was the perfect temperature to cool down from the 30+ degree heat.

East Crete - I decided to do a day trip and see the eastern side of Crete. The first stop was to the town of Ierapetra, meaning holy rock. The town is located along the southern coast of Crete, on the Libyan sea. This is also where Napoleon stopped for one night before declaring war on Egypt. The beach is covered in flat rock formations.

Monastery Toplou - the second stop, close to the town of Sitia was to the monastery, where the name translates to monastery of cannons. Built in the 15th century the monastery was a fortress surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. It was used as a shelter during wars, from the Ottoman Empire to WW2. It was also the secret base of British radio intelligence and inside I found the listening radio, which was labelled "Made in Canada".

Via beach - the third stop was to the famous palm tree forest beach. The area is covered in date palm trees and is located on the east side of Crete overlooking the Libyan sea. After enjoying a Cretan lunch - dolmadas (stuffed vine leaves) and grilled octopus - I was served a digestive shot, which was a combination of Raki with cinnamon, a Cretan classic.

Town of Sitia - the final stop was to a port city on the north east part of Crete. Sitia is known as the home of olive oil and fun fact, 75% of Crete is covered in olive trees.

Crete was a beautiful island with genuine people. It does not look like your “typical postcard Greek island” with white and blue painted buildings, but instead has its own character with some Venetian influence. While on my day trip to east Crete I found out that Venetians used Crete as a passing route to Africa, and stopped in before heading south to Egypt and further.

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Naxos

My next stop was to the island of Naxos. It is the largest of the Cyclades island group in the South Aegean. Covered in olive trees, mountains and many villages, this quiet island was the perfect spot to reunite with my friends from Toronto - Alla, Anya, Alexa, Alyssa, Nika and Lily. We spent a couple of days taking in the beautiful views and exploring the town.

Old town market - narrow streets with plenty of shops selling clothes, jewelry, accessories. There was one food market selling Greek fruits, moósmoolo, or also known as loquat. You peel the skin and enjoy. It’s not too sweet, and not tart, super refreshing!

Temple of Apollo - right by the shore, up on a hill sit the remains from the unfinished temple from 530BC. It overlooks the main town and surrounding Greek islands.

Labyrinth restaurant - tucked away off an alley in the old town market sits a delicious restaurant. As the sun was setting we got dressed up and walked down to the town and enjoyed some dinner on our last evening in Naxos.

*Garlic bread

*Seafood risotto with Greek saffron

*Swordfish with rice

*Pork with mustard and roasted potatoes

*Pork with fennel and mashed potatoes

Naxos views - we were lucky to stay in a place looking over the villages, mountains and sea. We took a day to rest and enjoy the pool while reading, journaling and relaxing. Greek salad also became a daily staple while in Greece. If we didn't make one then we bought one at a restaurant.

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Mykonos

The last island I visited in Greece was Mykonos. Together with my friends from Toronto we took a ferry from Naxos and arrived at the New Port and then took another ferry to the Old Port. Mykonos was covered in the classic white stone buildings with blue trim and lots of flowers.

Sailing trip - we explored the coast around Mykonos by boat. Starting on the south side of the island we sailed past Nammos beach, the most expensive beach in Mykonos, covered in prestige yachts and filled with rich businessmen through the summer months. We went swimming in the waters off of Paraga beach and stopped to have lunch along the coast of Paradise beach. We enjoyed a great meal onboard prepared by our skipper and captain.

Old port - covered in white buildings with blue trim. We stayed in the old town and had lots of time to explore the streets. The Town Hall, Saint Nikolaos of Kadena Holy Orthodox Church and Manto Mavrogenous Statue are found along the water. The streets within the old town have a variety of shops, from luxury brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton to kitschy souvenir shops. The old town also has a vibrant nightlife. We checked out Coya Bar and Scandinavian Disco Bar.

Ruin castle - located in the old town is a white structure with stone ruins surrounding it. The white structure is a 17th century Church of Panagia Paraportiani, while the ruins are from the Castle of Mykonos.

Scorpios Mykonos - on the south coast of the island, this boho chic beach club and restaurant couldn’t be missed. We enjoyed a tasty dinner and later headed to the beach to watch the sun go down.

Paradise Beach - also along the south coast, we saw the beach from the water while on our sailing trip and decided to check it out the next day. A sandy beach with clear blue waters. The bar had tasty cocktails and turned into a beach club in the afternoon, playing great music, making us want to stay all night.

Greek classics - Ekmek kataifi, a sweet dessert, layered with baklava dough, custard and honey. Gyro, sliced pork or chicken in a pita with tzatziki, lettuce, tomato and red onion. Olives, feta cheese and fried zucchini were also enjoyed daily.

Little Venice - an area just south of the old town with plenty of restaurants and bars. The perfect spot to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset, we stopped into Caprice bar. Above the waterfront restaurants sit the iconic windmills, built by Venetians back in the 16th century to mill wheat.

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#StandWithUkraine - the support for Ukraine wasn’t in your face obvious, but instead Greeks support Ukraine in more subtle ways. I saw a few posters and paintings in the city and even blue and yellow ribbon inside a car. During the last few days I also spotted a Ukrainian flag and F**k Putin messages written along city walls.

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All three islands were very different but special in their own way. I’m so grateful to have travelled for a week with my friends from Toronto and that we got to experience Greece’s beauty together. The islands were the last stop of my European adventure and I’m happy to have ended it so memorably. The last few months flew by, but I know this trip is only the start of my solo travels.

Thankful for the opportunity to explore Europe alone and for every new skill I learned. Proud of myself for facing various challenges and grateful to have met so many incredible people along the way.

Ready for my next chapter!