Carissa Does Get Outta Here to Island Hop in Greece July 2018!

Life is too short to say "No, I can't," when someone notifies you a discounted, last-minute cabin spot opened up on an AMAZING 10 DAY 5-STAR YACHT TOUR TO 7 GREEK ISLANDS & ATHENS starting on your birthday!

Although my bank account said, "no," I said, "yes," then figured out the details and utilized Facebook marketplace to compensate some of the damage I planned to do on the pocketbook.

Thus, I had the best travel experience of my life so far.

WHERE: The Cycladic Islands of Hydra, Folegandros, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Delos, Mykonos & Athens!

I had the opportunity to explore Unique, “Off the Beaten Path” Greek Islands- including Hydra, Folegandros, Naxos, and Paros; that tourists rarely see and cruise ships don’t visit. In addition, we will also visit Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos- as these are a "Must Visit" when traveling to Greece!

aboard the 180’ Mega Yacht M/YHarmony V, a sleek modern 5-star yacht with 25 outside cabins

My home for 10 days! Harmony V on the Aegean Sea!

DAY 1 WED JULY 25TH: ARRIVAL IN ATHENS! This hotel is amazing! Breakfast was delicious. We walked to everything we wanted to see. I highly recommend

Divani Palace Acropolis

Day 2 THUR JULY 26TH: Our Day includes a guided Athens Panoramic City Tour and Guided tour of the Acropolis and a unique culinary walking tour of the Plaka neighborhood, tasting local foods in many stops for lunch. Free Last afternoon for rest or exploring Athens. All the food was fantastic. I was not a huge fan of the sausage but I suggest everyone try it while in town. It was breathtaking to walk The Acropolis which rises 490 feet into the sky above the city of Athens and has an area of approximately 7 acres. This is an exhausting day but worth it. So much beauty. 

Visiting the Parthenon! (Not the Nashville one this time!) 

Acropolis view is amazing. Totally worth the walk up the hill! 

Day 3 FRI JULY 27TH: Morning Transfer from Athens to Marina Zeas in Piraeus to embark on the M/Y Harmony V for our 7 Night / 8 Day Yacht Tour of the Cycladic Greek Islands. Enjoyed a super Relaxing afternoon on our 3-hour cruise to Hydra. The evening was spent exploring the charming Island of Hydra!
Thoughts:
Hydra is adorable. 
People love to shop in Greece.
A Greek salad doesn't have lettuce greens here. 

Yes. Yes. Yes! 

Hydra Island

Day 4 SAT JULY 28TH: Morning arrival to Poliegos, a very small island known for its amazing beaches. Morning swim stop followed by a BBQ Lunch on deck. Afternoon sailing to Folegandros, one of the most amazing and most undiscovered islands in the Aegean Sea. Walked the amazing Upper city and dined at one of the traditional Greek taverna's. The evening was at my leisure so I explored Folegandros on my own. 
Thoughts:
Swim was chilly and current strong. I didn't last long out there.
Tour of Folegangros was interesting. Food great. Nightlife not so much. 
Beaches are all awesome, rather rocky. Nudity is common. 

Missing Zumba at the Y for a swim in the Aegean. 

Swim Stop!

Poliegos Beach. Pure beauty!

Morning at Poliegos beach. 

Morning at Poliegos beach. 

Exploring Folegandros!

Exploring Folegandros. This living area used to be a Fort!

Day 5 SUN JULY 29TH: An early morning to Santorini to view the magnificent sunrise and enjoy an early morning hike to the top of Santorini's Caldera Volcano. After breakfast, we enjoyed a circle island tour of Santorini visiting the ancient ruins of Akrotiri, traditional village Pyrgos, a cliff-side winery for a Greek wine tasting and ending in the breathtaking charming village of Oia, where we had the remainder of the afternoon and evening to explore Santorini. 
Thoughts:
Volcano hike was cool, amazing views, but the excitment wore off after the first 20 minutes. Then it became a workout in the beating sun so prep. The boat taxi to the volcano can make people sick quick so motion sick types might need to go medicated. 
The Winery was one of my favorite stops during the entire trip. Oia was a chance to see native living as opposed to a vacation spot. Very neat. 
History buffs, you would love visiting the ancient ruins of Akrotiri!
Santorini= overcrowded but a must must see!

Capturing video testimonials about our awesome Travel Planner Michael Gableman with FunHappenings! 

Arriving to the Santorini Port. We will ride the cliff-side cars up to the city. 

Dinner in Santorini! 

Day 6 MON JULY 30TH: Early morning arrival to Naxos. Free morning to explore Naxos town on our own. After lunch on the yacht, Our local guide Antonis took us on of Naxos town visiting the marble gate of Apollo temple and the medieval castle. We then continued on a private coach tour, circling the island, visiting beautiful panoramic viewpoints, postcard-perfect beaches and seeing how the rural villagers live in Naxos. 
Thoughts:
Something about Naxos is super romantic. It feels cozy, and less populated compared to the other islands (well Hydra was cozy but less romantic feel, more small town feel). 

Naxos Sunset

Day 7 TUE JULY 31ST: Free morning to sleep in or explore Naxos town some more, before our short 1-hour cruise to the island of Paros- 1 hour away. After lunch, Antonis (guide) take us on a unique tour of Paros' two towns- Lefkes and Parikia, where we visit the area's unique sites and visit a local winery for a wine tasting. Our Fun "Greek Night" on board our yacht with authentic Greek cuisine and live music and dancing... was rescheduled due to rough seas! We checked out the lively nightlife in Paros then set sail earlier than planned.  

Day 8 WED AUG. 1ST: 7:00am arrival to the Sacred Island of Delos and birthplace of Zeus. Our guide, Antonis took us on a morning tour of this historically significant island. 
Then we headed to Mykonos. Spent the afternoon exploring Mykonos Town (aka went shopping) then wore a new outfit on the Food, Wine & History Culinary tour of Mykonos that evening. After dinner we bounced around this beautiful town and its famous shops and nightlife. [You'll want an overnight in Mykonos! The nightlife is thriving]


Day 9 THUR AUG. 2ND: After breakfast on our yacht, we had another Free Day to explore one of the most beautiful islands in Greece... More shopping, then a nap on one of the beautiful beaches. Our Farewell to Greece Dinner was at 8:00pm, as we headed back to Athens. 

Day 10 FRI AUG. 3RD: Today, we arrived early into Marina Zeas, outside of Athens. Time to go home.