Legend has it that giants as soon as battled within the waters of the Aegean, forsaking splintered rocks which grew to become the Cyclades. One other fable tells that those self same giants now lie buried beneath Mykonos after being defeated by Hercules – whereas one other story reveals that Zeus fashioned the round archipelago to cover his twins Apollo and Artemis.
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The tales of historic Greece had been what first fascinated me in regards to the nation, and my first island hop after college solely whetted that urge for food additional. After backpacking across the Cyclades and Crete with my finest good friend, I went on to go to two extra of the island group on a cruise with my husband, stopping at Mykonos and Chios. However with round 6,000 islands, greater than 200 of them inhabited, I had barely scratched the floor.
So after years of desiring to take my daughter to this splendidly family-friendly nation, I lastly organized hop quantity three, this time heading to the Dodecanese and the islands of Kos and Symi with my daughte alongside for the journey. As a result of with regards to household holidays, there are causes galore to decide on Greek island hopping with youngsters – these are my high 13.
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The seashores
Select tiny quiet coves which you’ll solely attain by boat, or by a scramble over the rocks by way of to sweeping powdery golden sand; seashores with loungers, umbrellas and little tavernas, or others the place you unfold your towel underneath a shady pine tree.
We visited about half a dozen in a single week throughout two islands and didn’t come near exhausting the chances.
The ocean
From turquoise to azure, the blues of the Aegean look as in the event that they’ve been photoshopped (I promise they haven’t) – in keeping with legend, there are 36 completely different shades.
In some locations, particularly on Symi, the water was so clear we might see deep to the underside, recognizing little fish which swam across the harbour and seashores.
The meals
It grew to become a standing joke that our lengthy lavish lunches, a number of programs normally involving contemporary seafood and wine (and ice-cream for Minnie) had been all the time lower than £50 for 3. And the meals itself? Fabulous.
Recent fish at a fairly seaview taverna in Limionas on Kos, tiny Symi shrimp at two little seaside tavernas, calamari and the catch of the day, completely grilled halloumi, large squashy olives, juicy souvlaki – plus a speciality of Kos constructed from pork and couscous, which we tried within the little village of Zia, way more scrumptious than its easy look prompt.
The family-friendly locations to remain
Desire a extra luxurious lodge with youngsters membership, pool, restaurant? No drawback – we stayed at Lagas Aegean Village close to Kardamena on Kos, which was designed like the standard white Greek villages that tumble down the hillsides.
This one tumbled all the way down to a stunning pool, just a few bars, restaurant and small stretch of seaside – in addition to having maybe the friendliest lodge employees I’ve encountered.
Desire one thing easier, extra particular person? Straightforward. Our base on Symi, Iapetos Village, was a B&B made up of a lot of vibrant little self-contained homes with some primary self-catering, all set round a courtyard, only a brief stroll from the harbour.
The colors
Blue and white, white and blue – it’s the traditional picture of Greece. And there’s one thing endlessly satisfying in regards to the white glinting within the sunshine, deep blue sea beneath, blue domes above and maybe a splash of vibrant bougainvillea for distinction.
However that’s solely the beginning: Symi was a joyful explosion of shades, from muted ochres to pastel yellow and dusky pink together with a deep cornflower, the homes rising up from the harbour the place equally vibrant boats bobbed on the waves – vibrant yellow nets, splashes of inexperienced and sky blue on the boats.
The structure
Greeks and Romans, Phoenicians and Venetians, Byzantines, Ottomans, Italians… the variety of influences on the Greek islands goes on and on, particularly the easternmost Dodecanese. Empires rose and fell, civilisations dominated and vanished, knights constructed castles, rulers commanded temples, church buildings, monasteries.
In Kos alone, one 10-minute stroll takes you from a medieval fortress to a mosque, nonetheless utilized by the island’s Muslim inhabitants – in contrast to most Greek islands, whose Muslim inhabitants had been despatched to Turkey after the tip of the Greco-Turkish battle, Kos was underneath Italian management on the time.
Alongside the best way you’ll discover Italian fascist structure, the stays of Greek and Roman temples, even a small synagogue tucked away. And Symi, in fact, is known for its uncommon Italianate buildings.
One bonus of Greek island hopping with youngsters is the prospect to identify what units the islands aside like this.
The welcome
I’ve been visiting Greece for round 30 years – these first recollections could be a bit hazy however all through, the welcome has all the time been heat, whether or not it’s pleasant greetings or an surprising glass of raki, ouzo or masticha on the finish of a meal.
After the nation’s struggles with financial issues and the inflow of refugees, tourism appears effectively and actually again to regular – and in a rustic which adores youngsters, whenever you add a small blonde woman to the combo, the heat is turned as much as 11.
Take a look at my full information to Greece with youngsters right here
Greek traditions
There’s one thing so fascinating about stepping again in time to see how life was lived lower than a century in the past – and Kos, particularly, is a good place to try this. In a number of locations you possibly can go searching conventional homes (for a nominal price), seeing the massive previous beds that dominated the one room, loom in a nook.
Windmills nonetheless grind flour, albeit to make spiced biscuits lately slightly than on a regular basis bread, whilst you can uncover native honey manufacturing and vineyards too.
Greek island villages
Little twisting lanes, viewpoints showing round a nook, previous males and canine resting within the shade and watching the world go by. We explored tiny hilltop Zia on Kos, half hidden in a financial institution of cloud on the day we visited, and Kefalos within the south-west, the island’s unique capital earlier than a long-ago earthquake.
However wherever you go to, you’ll discover one thing related – I’ve blissful recollections of wandering the streets in Chios too, discovering the weird geometric ornament on the homes and a spectacular basilica earlier than stumbling throughout a restaurant in a shady sq..
Centuries of Greek historical past
Legends lie round each nook in Greece, whether or not it’s the story of how Kos’s tiny neighbour, volcanic Nisyros, was created – thrown by Poseidon to cease the enormous Polybotes escaping – or an island story of forbidden love between a Muslim woman and Greek boy at Zipari.
In Kos city, you’ll discover Hippocrates’ airplane tree: though the island’s most well-known son did educate college students underneath the leaves, it’s unlikely to be the unique tree.
Outdoors the city lies the Asklepion, one of many world’s oldest hospitals – roughly contemporaneous with Hippocrates, some accounts say his instructing impressed it, others counsel he realized his personal abilities there.
Both means, you possibly can nonetheless discover and uncover how desires had been used to diagnose maladies in addition to see temples the place choices had been made to the gods as fee for saving the human lives.
On Symi, the island was as soon as residence to a thriving sponge diving commerce. You’ll uncover extra varieties of sponges than you knew existed on sale within the outlets by the harbour.
The actions
Between exploring, island hopping and hitting the pool, our time was full – however in the event you’ve bought longer or are visiting with older youngsters, Kos has a waterpark which opens from June whereas there are numerous watersports together with parascending and windsurfing.
It’s additionally a terrific island for biking – flat and simple to get round – or you possibly can go strolling within the pines at Plaka, residence to peacocks.
The low-stress exploring
Taxis are unexpectedly pricy on Kos – a 25-minute journey from our lodge into Kefalos would have set us again 35 Euros a method (the identical as a day tour of the entire island) – and whereas there are buses, they’re rare. The reply? Rent a automotive.
I’m not an enormous fan of driving abroad, however at 30 Euros to get a compact automotive for the day, it made sense – and allow us to slot in journeys to Plaka, a cease at Paradise Seashore, lunch by the ocean at Limionas and exploring Kefalos for lower than a single journey.
The roads are quiet, the pace restrict and angle to life means you received’t get queues in your tail, and slightly Kia Picanto can park just about anyplace (attempt to get one which doesn’t have a dodgy handbrake like ours although!) They even threw in a baby seat at no cost…
Can’t face that? There are excursions galore that will help you get round.
The variability
We noticed simply two islands on this journey, however they may hardly have been extra completely different – one with greater motels, extra vacationers, a captivating historical past, extra sights and lengthy sandy seashores; the opposite smaller, slower, quieter however with a really particular environment which means you possibly can’t assist however calm down. Symi, particularly, is looking me again.
Enterprise additional and also you’ll discover loads of different contrasts – my final journey included fashionable Mykonos (plus the traditional websites at Delos) and fewer visited Chios with its quiet coves and mastic bushes.
The journey earlier than took in Paros and Naxos (whose native wine can supposedly remedy a damaged coronary heart) – neither essentially the most well-known of the Cyclades, however each with lots to suggest, alongside peaceable Antiparos.
We’ve additionally visited Corfu and Kefalonia – not on the identical journey, however you possibly can simply hop between the 2, discovering Venetian historical past in Corfu City and the Melissani cave on Kefalonia – in addition to later visiting Rhodes, which is simple to mix with Kos and Symi.
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Additional south, there’s Folegandros – let this excellent publish by Suitcases and Sandcastles tempt you – and beautiful Santorini.
We’ve since gone on to go to Skiathos, together with a ship journey to Skopelos as effectively. From the smallest to the largest island, Crete, you possibly can spend a lifetime Greek island-hopping with youngsters, with out becoming bored.
Even now, I nonetheless really feel like I’ve hardly begun exploring the Greek islands with youngsters.
*First printed 2017, up to date 2024*
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Disclosure: My journey was courtesy of Olympic Holidays. All opinions on Greek island hopping with youngsters and outdated recollections of Greek ferries are my very own.
Photos copyright MummyTravels
