Summer in Greece, 2023

San Francisco Airport

Our journey began at SFO, whee we arrived with far too much time to spare. Jacob and I had both turned 18 just a few months prior, so this was our first time traveling abroad without our parents. We were perhaps overly cautious, but better safe than sorry. After finding our terminal, I noticed a familiar face in line beside me. To my surprise, it was Jake, a longtime family friend I hadn’t seen in years. Coincidentally, he was on the exact same flight to Greece. After exchanging contact information, we agreed to meet up once we were settled in Athens.

The Flight

Our flight with Condor, a budget European airline, was far from luxurious. Limited overhead storage meant we had to stow our large backpacking packs under our seats, severely cramping our legroom. The seat chargers didn’t work, and I nearly vomited from the airplane food—though that was less Condor’s fault and more due to my upset stomach from turbulence.

After a short layover in Frankfurt, we finally arrived in Athens at around 9 PM on June 6th. Our long journey wasn’t quite over, though. Navigating the train system to reach the city center proved confusing, but we eventually took a chance on a line that, thankfully, was the right one.

Although the airport is only about an hour from Athens, the train ride felt like an eternity. Frequent stops and jostling didn’t help matters, but we eventually made it.

After disembarking, we walked several miles through the city, passing government buildings, groups of rowdy British tourists, a beggar with open wounds all over his arms, and some sights I’d rather not remember. Our accommodation turned out to be in Athens’ Chinatown—a interesting contrast to other parts of the city. Many of the buildings were covered in graffiti, and the mix of bright lights and signs created a cyberpunk vibe.

Our room on the top floor offered an excellent view of the city skyline.

June 7th - Athens

We woke up late the next morning to the sounds of a busy city. After grabbing breakfast—a ham and cheese croissant from a small bakery across the street—we met up with Jake at a plaza near the base of the Acropolis.

The line to visit the Acropolis was quite long, and the tickets were expensive, so we decided to admire it from a distance and climb as far up the hill as we could. Seeing the ruins of the ancient Agora along the way was incredible. At the top, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the sprawling city below.

Later in the day, we visited the Acropolis Museum, which offered additional insights into the ruins we had just seen.

We ended our day with our first proper Greek meal: chicken gyros, simple but delicious.

June 8th - Mykonos

I didn’t sleep at all that next night, thanks to jet lag, but it didn’t matter much since we had a 6:30 AM flight to Mykonos. We left our hotel at 2:30 AM, retracing our steps back to the airport just as we had done two days prior. It was amusing to see people still out in pavilions enjoying late-night (or early morning?) meals while we were just starting our day.

The flight was short, and by 7:30 AM, we had landed in Mykonos. Since check-in at our hotel wasn’t until 3 PM, we had to carry our heavy bags with us everywhere. Despite having diligently obtained international driver’s licenses, we quickly learned that most places wouldn’t rent mopeds to 18-year olds-I wonder why?? That left us with spotty public transit or walking. We chose to walk.

As we were in Greece, visiting a beach felt obligatory. So began our 5-mile trek to the nearest beach. With no sidewalks, we were constantly dodging cars zooming past. The heat was oppressive, making the walk feel even longer.

After a long and arduous trek, we finally reached the beach. And to be honest, it was underwhelming. The wind scattered trash bags across the sand, and our high expectations—set by idyllic online photos of Greece’s beaches—weren’t met.

After a short rest, it was time to check in. We walked to our hotel, pleasantly surprised by its charm. The quintessential Greek architecture—whitewashed limestone walls—was stunning, and the swimming pool was heavenly after walking nearly 10 miles that day.

We sent Jake the address of our hotel, as he planned to arrive later that night. Exhausted from the day's walk, I soon feel asleep.

Hours later, I woke up to several missed calls and frantic voicemails from Jake. It turned out that the "address" we sent him was actually the island’s postal code. His taxi had dropped him off at a grass field somewhere in the center of the island.

Thinking we'd abandoned him, Jake booked a return flight to Athens. Fortunately, he managed to reach us from a payphone at the airport right before his scheduled departure, and we clarified the mix-up. By midnight, he arrived at the hotel, ending a long and stressful day for all of us.

June 9th - e-bikes

Tired of walking and unable to understand the irregular bus schedule, we decided the next best thing to mopeds was electric bicycles.

We found the cheapest rental company we could and followed our navigation to what appeared to be someone’s house. It turned out this was the rental company—just one guy renting e-bikes out of his garage. The whole operation felt sketchy, and I worried he might charge us for damages we didn’t cause, especially after reading similar horror stories in reviews of other companies. To cover ourselves, we meticulously photographed the bikes before heading out.

Despite the initial unease, the e-bikes were incredible, allowing us to cover far more ground than we could have on foot. We rode to a port city, enjoyed gyros for lunch, and browsed the overpriced tourist shops.

Later that afternoon, following the advice of our hotel host, we biked to a secluded beach on the western peninsula of the island. On the way, disaster struck: Jacob’s bag burst open, sending Greek currency flying across the highway and into the ocean. We managed to salvage most of the money but not without causing a minor traffic jam.

The beach itself was stunning—a massive upgrade from the one we visited the day before. The turquoise water sparkled under the sun, and we sunbathed on smooth rocks along the shore. After swimming along the coast, I stumbled upon the stone ruins of an old house. It likely had no historical significance, but it was a cool discovery nonetheless.

On the ride back, we stopped at a local market to buy some meat. Jake, who turned out to be a surprisingly skilled chef, whipped up delicious kebabs for dinner—a great way to end such an eventful day.

June 10th - Beach Club

We had a lazy morning, lounging by the pool. After several days of nonstop travel, it was nice to finally relax.

Our peace was interrupted by a group of loud British girls recounting their clubbing adventures from the night before. Apparently inspired, Jake contacted our hotel host to ask about the best clubs on the island. The host recommended a spot and mentioned he had a friend who could provide chauffeured transport. Since the club was too far to walk and we had no other options, we reluctantly paid the overpriced fee for the ride.

At 6 PM, a black Mercedes SUV arrived at the hotel to take us to the club. While I’m not especially drawn to clubbing, it turned out to be a cool experience. We met a ton of British and American tourists, and to our surprise, the club let us skip both the line and the entry fee.

Unwilling to pay the high taxi fare for the return trip, we opted to take a bus back into the city. From there, we walked several miles back to our hotel.

When we arrived late that night, we were suprised to find that bugs—beetles, specifically—had infested our room. They were everywhere: in the bedsheets, our bags, and even crawling on the walls. We realized this had likely happened because someone had left the window open, which our host had explicitly warned us against. Now we understood why.

After cleaning as best we could, we called it a night. Still, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about the state of the room we’d be leaving behind the next morning.

June 11th - Naxos

That morning, we walked several miles from our hotel to the port, passing some questionable road repairs along the way.

Around noon, we boarded the ferry to the island of Naxos. It was immediately clear that Naxos was far less crowded with tourists compared to Mykonos, lacking the party reputation of its neighbor. This quieter, more relaxed atmosphere was a welcome change, as we were growing tired of Mykonos’ crowds and inflated prices.

After checking into our Airbnb, we discovered the air conditioning was broken. The afternoon heat was oppressive, but thankfully our host quickly transferred us to another accommodation with functioning amenities.

Following a quick meal of gyros, we set out to explore the city. Unlike Mykonos, Naxos seemed steeped in history, with landmarks like the Venetian Castle perched atop a hill in the city center and the Temple of Apollo nearby

Later that evening, Jake and Jacob decided they wanted to visit Ios, a popular party island known for its younger crowd and nightlife.

Not feeling particularly drawn to more partying and hesitant to spend extra money on last-minute transportation and accommodations, I chose to stay behind in Naxos.

June 12

That morning, we bid farewell, planning to reconnect the following day.

Now on my own, I had more freedom to explore at my own pace. My first stop was an old bookstore, where I hoped to find a unique souvenir from Greece. Although most of the books were in Greek, I left with an English copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Next, I rented an e-bike for quick transportation around the island. While not especially powerful, the bike had an impressive range of around 20 miles, if I recall correctly. Without a specific destination in mind, I left the city and began riding along the coastline.

The views were breathtaking, and for the first time, I felt like this was the Greece I had imagined. I passed through quiet towns, where horses and other animals grazed peacefully in the fields along the road. Along the way, I bought a snorkel, anticipating some time in the water later.

Eventually, I stumbled upon the ruins of a massive structure. I later learned it was an abandoned hotel, left unfinished after construction began illegally in a protected area. Over the years, street artists had transformed it into a sprawling canvas for graffiti and art. Surprisingly, there were no barriers or security, so I explored much of the site. Though captivating, the place had an eerie atmosphere.

Nearby, I found a quiet beach with rocks to sit on and enjoyed my lunch. I couldn’t get over how vividly turquoise the water was. With my new snorkel and mask, I swam along the coast, observing a variety of fish and marine life.

Sitting on the rocks later, reading my book as the waves lapped against the shore in the late afternoon sun, was an incredibly peaceful experience. If I ever return to Naxos, I’d love to revisit this spot—it was one of my favorite moments of the trip.

On the ride back, I got lost a few times before eventually finding the main road to the city. Along the way, I discovered a fig tree heavy with ripe fruit. Fresh figs had been on my Greece bucket list, so I picked a few and enjoyed them on the spot.

The road back was surrounded by wildflowers, making the journey feel almost idyllic. After dinner, I ended the day sitting on the pier, watching the sunset.

June 13th

The day began with a breakfast of rich, chocolate pancakes before I set out to continue exploring the city. My wanderings took me to what appeared to be the local school, and later, I climbed a nearby mountain for a breathtaking view of the city and its surroundings.

Later that afternoon, Jake and Jacob returned from Ios. They recounted their travel adventures, and we spent a calm and relaxing final evening together on Naxos.

June 14th - Naxos

That morning, we said goodbye to Jake as he returned to Athens.

Jacob and I made our way to the port to catch our ferry but had a close call, barely making it onboard as they were raising the bridge.

We arrived in Naxos later that afternoon.

Tired from the day’s travel, we checked into our hotel, enjoying a quiet evening and calling it an early night.

June 15th

We thought it would be fun to rent a boat to explore, but every rental company was either fully booked or prohibitively expensive.

Instead, we decided to try windsurfing.

The beach was on the other side of the island, so we endured a long ride on the public bus to get there.

Upon arriving, we discovered the windsurfing rental only accepted cash. The owner offered to take Jacob on his moped to the nearest ATM to withdraw money. Being on such a remote beach, the thought briefly crossed my mind that we could easily be extorted with little consequence.

Thankfully, the owner was incredibly kind and even gave us a discount due to the less-than-ideal weather conditions.

Though we didn’t manage to take any photos, windsurfing was a blast. It took some time to get the hang of it, but once we did, we were able to cruise up and down the beach, feeling the wind propel us forward.

Getting back to the hotel proved tricky, but a friendly older man helped us out by giving us directions to the nearest bus stop and even providing a pamphlet with the bus schedule.

We ended the day with a quick dinner of gyros before calling it a night.

June 16th

For our final day on Naxos, we decided to go snorkeling.

We took the bus to a nearby beach and shared Jacob’s snorkel, taking turns exploring underwater. We had to be careful of the sea urchins scattered across the rocky seabed.

Once again, I was struck by how vividly blue the water was.

June 17th

The next morning, we walked to the port and boarded our final ferry to Santorini.

Upon arriving at the port of Santorini, a bus carried us up the steep cliffs to the top of the island, as the city is perched on the rim of a massive volcanic caldera.

From there, we walked about an hour to our hotel. Food options nearby were limited, but we managed to find a small shop serving chicken kebabs.

After settling in, we spent the afternoon relaxing by the hotel pool. Exhausted from days of traveling and walking, we called it an early night. In hindsight, visiting fewer islands and spending more time on each might have been a better plan.

June 18th

We started the day late, but being in Santorini, we knew we had to visit the island’s famous whitewashed cliffs.

After walking back into the city, we were greeted with stunning views. Photos simply couldn’t capture the breathtaking scale and beauty of the landscape.

We spent some time browsing the tourist shops, where I picked up a hat to commemorate the visit.

Returning to the hotel, we called it an early night, knowing we had an early flight the next morning.

June 19th

We departed at 5 AM, beginning the long walk to the Santorini airport. Despite being exhausted, we were treated to an incredible sunrise along the way.

While waiting at the airport, we realized it was Father’s Day. We both took a moment to call our dads and wish them well.

The flight back to Athens was short, and we arrived in the city by late morning.


Although check-in wasn’t until later, our hotel kindly let us drop off our heavy bags at the front desk. Staying in the same hotel as before, we felt a bit more familiar with the area.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the city. Interestingly, there were far more tourists this time than when we first arrived nearly two weeks ago, leading to more lines and crowds.

By this point, we were both ready to go home. After enjoying our final Greek dinner, we called it a night, bringing our journey close to its end.

June 20th

With an 8 AM international flight to catch, we woke up at 4 AM, packed our bags, and headed to the airport.

It was a bit stressful navigating in the early morning, as only Jacob’s phone had cell reception, and the maps app was glitching. Relying on memory, we eventually found our way to the metro and made it to the airport in time.

Before boarding, Jacob bought a bottle of Ouzo as a gift for his parents, ensuring it would be cleared through security.

The first leg of our return flight went smoothly. While my meal wasn’t the healthiest, I was grateful not to feel sick this time around.

However, what was supposed to be a one-hour layover in New York turned into a grueling six-hour delay due to changes made by Condor. Jet-lagged and exhausted, we waited in JFK for what felt like an eternity before finally boarding the flight home.

And so concluded our eventful, unforgettable trip to Greece.