Greece: My Experience

TRIP TO CRETE & SANTROINI, GREECE

After my recent visit to the islands of Crete and Santorini, Greece has easily become on of my favourite travel destinations I have ever visited. Nestled in the south-eastern corner of Europe, it offers a mesmerizing blend of both breath-taking landscapes and vibrant culture. From the sun-kissed beaches of the Aegean Sea to the rugged mountains of the mainland, Greece’s natural beauty is as diverse as it is stunning, and that's why I find myself dreaming of the day I will return. 

GETTING THERE + ACCOMADATION

My visit to the Greek island of Crete took place in July 2023 where myself and two friends embarked on a week long trip to the sun-drenched paradise. The flight time from Belfast was just four hours and we arrived into Heraklion at 00:45 that night. Our holiday was booked through TUI which conveniently included a bus transfer to our accommodation. We stayed in the iCandy Fanourakis Apartments located in Malia. Famous for its extraordinary nightlife thanks to the long strip of bars and beachfront restaurants, I found that Malia seamlessly blended the exciting nightlife offerings with the relaxing elements of the nearby Malia beach which featured white sand and crystal-clear water. The accommodation, while basic and small, provided everything we needed and was in a good location in relation to the centre of Malia. Our apartment was spotlessly clean and there was a pool on the property which was a nice amenity.  

FOOD + RESTAURANT OFFERINGS

The selection of restaurants within Malia was very surprising as admittedly, I was not expecting to find much other than a few takeaways. My favourite meal of the week was from an Asian restaurant called Wasabe. The restaurant was very modern and the food was amazing. As someone who doesn't usually opt for Asian cuisine, I really enjoyed the meal, as did my friends. As well as having a wide selection of dishes, the prices were very reasonable and the staff were extremely friendly; I would highly suggest paying a visit to Wasabe when in Malia. As well as Asian cuisine, there where many other styles of food on offer along the strip. We also ate in an Italian (Fratelli), Greek (Drossia Restaurant) and a British burger restaurant (The Red Lion Bar) during our stay and each restaurant was enjoyable. When it comes to the prices of food and drink in Malia, it is notably cheaper than other destinations in Spain or Portugal for example. We typically paid between 15-20 Euro each night which was very reasonable considering that the food was good. 

TRIPS AND ACTIVITES

While in Crete we embarked on a few excursions during our trip. My favourite was a day-trip to Santorini. As someone who has always wanted to visit the island, I was very excited when our travel rep told us about the opportunity. We paid about 150 Euro for the trip which included coach transfers on either end, a return ferry ticket and a tour guide. The ferry from Crete took about 2 hours each way and offered amazing views of the clear blue sea. During our visit to Santorini, we visited the towns of Thiras and Oia, both of which were breathtakingly beautiful. Oia is the most popular part of the island for tourists as it is home to the famous white washed buildings. While it was very crowded, it didn't take away from the experience and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The tour guide was great to have and we learned a lot about the island in the short space of time we were there. Overall, I'd say a day-trip from Crete is the best way to experience Santorini as we got to see everything we wanted in the time we were there. I feel as though a week would be too long to spend on the island as it was more expensive than Crete and had a lot less to do. 

We also went on another day trip to a island of the coast of Crete called Spinalonga. This trip included a tour guide and was more so focused on learning about the history of the island. As someone who doesn't really care for that kind of thing, I did find the trip a little boring. One thing I would recommend on any excursion in Greece is to be prepared for the heat. When we travelled the temperature was at least 35 degrees during the day which made it uncomfortably hot. There was little to no breeze or shade on Spinalonga island so bringing enough water is necessary. This excursion also included a tour guide who was very nice and informative. The trip was very long though and we were away for most the day as it was dropping us off a different towns to have a look around on the way home. 

We made a visit to the Water City Water Park in Crete during our stay which was also very fun. The park had a lot of slides and pools and we spent a good few hours of the day there. It was located on top of a mountain which made the views over the water spectacular. The excursion cost just 20 Euro including a return coach journey to our hotel. I'd say it was one of the highlights of the trip as we had a great time there.

WEATHER

As mentioned previously, the temperature during our stay was in the mid 30's. While this was far too hot during the excursions, we found it to be just nice when relaxing on Malia beach thanks to the breeze. The temperature at night was in the 20's also so no warm clothes were needed for walking along the strip. There was nothing but sun and pure blue skies for the entire week which is one of the reasons I loved Crete so much. I would advise to bring plenty of sun-cream if visiting the Greek islands and to always have water on hand. 

COST

As I touched on previously, the prices of things in Malia and Greece as a whole shocked me as I was not expecting it to be as reasonable as it was. Things such as a big 1.5L bottle of water cost around 30 cent, while a beer costed no more than 2 Euro in the supermarket. Meals cost around 15-20 Euro in Malia, but were a little more expensive in the touristy parts of Santorini. Sunbeds at Malia beach were cheap at just 5 Euro per bed, however, it did cost more if you wanted an umbrella. Overall, I'd say that Malia is very affordable and suitable for any travellers on a budget. 

To conclude, my trip to Greece has to be one of my all time favourite and most memorable holidays. The weather did not disappoint, and the islands of Crete and Santorini were just as beautiful in person as they were in pictures. Whether its the rich history the country offers or the white sandy beaches, I do believe that Greece does have something for everyone and is an amazing place to holiday in for anyone.