steventilly's VirtualTourist Home Page

We're just back from island hopping around the Cyclades. Having had our appetite for this group of islands whetted by our trip to Santorini a couple of years back we decided to visit a few more of them this year. We visited Mykonos, Delos, Paros, Antiparos, Naxos and Tinos.
The biggest "find" for us was Tinos, we fell in love with that place in an instant. Not on the mainstream tourist map it is quieter and more authentically Greek than its more popular neighbours. The first sign that we were onto something was when there was only us got off the ferry there! It did make me wonder what I was letting myself in for, but what I was letting myself in for was a beautiful island, largely unspoiled and populated by some of the friendliest people I've met. Oh and the food was fantastic too. It was everything that that the Greek idyll encompasses, something that probably left many Greek islands 10 or 20 years ago.
Naxos and Paros were lovely too, both quiet and laid back but with lots to offer the visitor (attractive main town, scenic countryside & villages, great eating, drinking & shopping and good beaches). I could visit any of them again, and probably will soon.
And then there was Mykonos - initially I hated it, but I think this was as a result of a depression brought on as a side effect of some travel pills. As the pills wore off I grew to love Mykonos more and more to the point where it's now up there amongst my favourite destinations. Crowded, bustling, boisterous, flamboyant and a tad expensive, it still has plenty to offer. Mykonos town is a delightful maze of narrow whitewashed streets punctuated by squares and churches (churches galore, in fact) in which you will get lost from the day you arrive to the day you leave. Shopping, eating and drinking is well catered for, much of it in delightful settings like Little Venice or by the harbour. The beaches are great for sunbathing, swimming or just posing and you can still find somewhere quiet and scenic away from the crowds (at least you can in June).
Our trip totalled (I think) 10 ferry rides, 2 hotels and 2 apartments with 2 day trips thrown in, flying to and from Mykonos. It was the most wonderful fortnight and felt more like a month. That made returning home to our grotty weather and, even moreso, back to work, very difficult!

We love islands, most particularly hot, sunny islands with nice scenery and a bit of history (preferably both in abundance). We've been to a few of the Greek Islands (Santorini, Kos, Crete, Rhodes, Symi), Malta, Gozo, Menorca, Cyprus, Tenerife, Jersey, Guernsey and The Maldives.
It's hard to pick a favourite - probably Santorini, Malta/Gozo & Rhodes/Symi in equal measure, I could go to any of those again and again. Having said that, I suppose that if it was cheaper and easier to get to The Maldives would figure in there too.
In the future we're looking to visit a lot more Greek islands, starting with Mykonos, Paros, Antiparos, Tinos, Naxos and Delos.
How many islands are there? How long will it take to "collect" them all? It'll be fun trying.

...The Cyclades, a diverse set of islands with hedonistic spots like Mykonos & Ios, unspoiled and largely unvisited (by tourists at least) places like Tinos and Andros and spectacularly beautiful & unique places like Santorini.

...Cyprus, a place full of history.

...Menorca, a true little gem of an island.

...Santorini, one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.

Malta - One of our very favourite destinations, somewhere we can return to again and again. There are also pages on some Maltese cities,
...Valletta, Vittoriosa, Senglea, Mdina, St. Julians

Gozo - Malta's little brother, a lovely quiet island said by some to be "how Malta used to be". No trip to Malta is complete without a visit to Gozo.

Rhodes (Island) - An island that has everything. Some great beaches, loads of history and fascinating things to see, along with a vast selection of places to eat and drink. See also some Rhodian destinations:
...Rhodes (City), Lindos, Ixia

Symi - A short ferry ride from Rhodes is the beautiful island of Symi. No sandy beaches, but loads of lovely coves for swimming and sunbathing and the most attractive harbour town you could imagine. Also some Symi destinations:
...Panormitis, Seskli, Agia Marina

Crete - The first Greek island that we visited. So big it could be a country in its own right, filled with the most fascinating archealogical sites, lovely beaches, lush inland scenery and picturesque cities. Crete really has it all. There are also these Crete sub-pages:
...Elounda/Spinalonga

Kos - Another beautiful Dodecanese island (along with Rhodes & Symi that we have visited). Not quite so much history as Rhodes but still brimming with sites, some good beaches and the best nightlife and food of anywhere we've been.

Tenerife - Great winter-sun destination. There's so much more to it than the brash neon strip of Las Americas. Also see:
...Santa Cruz (Tenerife)
...La Gomera, A small Canary Island that is just a stone's throw from Tenerife.

Maldives - A dream destination, maybe a "once in a lifetime place" and we've been there just the once, as our first ever trip on a plane. It's a constant dream to go back again.

Jersey - Before we flew this was as good as it got. Jersey is a lovely island with a lot to offer those who like a quiet relaxed holiday with great beaches, great scenery and interesting history. Tourism is low-key on Jersey.

September 2006 - Menorca: For some reason I'm looking forward to this holiday more than any other at the moment. Menorca looks really beautiful, especially some of the more secluded beautiful coves and the historic towns.

June 2007 - Back to Menorca. We loved it so much we're going back just a year later.

August 2007 - Malta! At last, a return to Malta. It seems so long since we were last there.

June 2008 - Mykonos, Paros, Antiparos, Delos, Tinos, Naxos. A bit of a Greek Island-hopping trip.

Sardinia
Kalymnos
Patmos
Leros
Samos
Sicily
Grand Canaria
Dalmation Islands
.
.
.