Did you know that Greece has more than 6,000 islands, of which 227 are inhabited? Each island has it's own unique flavor, culture and landscape. Prior to moving here in January, I had visited the usual Mykonos and Santorini on various trips over the past 40 years. While both of these islands are beautiful and unique in their own right, there's so much more variety to be experienced. One of the things I love about living in Greece for the next five years is that there's so much to discover within this beautiful country. This past weekend I caught a 30-minute flight westward to the Ionian island of Zakynthos. It was such an interesting contrast to the arid Cycladic islands. The Ionian islands (Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Corfu, etc.) all display heavy Italian influence, from the architecture to the cuisine and the regional dialects. These islands are much more green and lush compared to the islands in the Aegean sea as they get much higher rainfall on an annual basis.
My personal goal is to have visited at least one island in each of Greece's six island regions: Ionian, North Aegean, Northern Sporades, Saronic, Cyclades and Dodecanese. Below is a map of these regions:
In early July, I plan to take Schatzie on a daytrip to the island of Hydra (Saronic), involving a one-hour speed ferry ride from Piraeus. In late July I'm flying over to Lesbos (North Aegean) to have lunch with a friend who will be there on a day stopover on a cruise. In mid-August, I'll be on a one-week cruise myself that includes a stop in Rhodes (Dodecanese) and in early September I've planned a planespotting visit to the island of Skiathos, with its own Maho Beach (St. Maarten) syle landing approach.
Athens is great for its archeological, cultural and culinary offerings (albeit a city with extremely poor urban planning/layout!). However, if you really want to experience the heart and soul of Greece, you need to head to the islands!
So if you're planning a trip to Greece, think outside the box and do your research. Do a bit of island hopping that doesn't include the usual suspects. I'm excited to see what I'll discover over the next few years on additional domestic adventures here in beautiful Greece.
Happy Travels!
p.s. below are some pics from the weekend in Zakynthos:
