Oia, Santorini, Greece by BluEyedA73

Head to Santorini for the first part of your trip, and search out some of the beautiful beaches to relax on. Santorini is known as one of the more glamorous Greek islands, and it is indeed extremely pretty – find the black volcanic beaches at Kamari for picturesque coastal towns and unusual ruins, or the famous Red Beach near Akrotiri if you’re looking for a photogenic place to sun worship for a few hours. If you’re visiting in the summer, and indulging in some sunbathing, a word of advice: pay for a sunbed. The black sand gets extremely hot! As with most tourist beaches, there is no shortage of ‘Looky Looky’ men and women plying their wares, but a polite “No thanks” is usually sufficient if you’re not interested in their goodies.

For a real feel of the island, Akrotiri is where you’ll find remnants of an ancient culture that survived only because of advanced architectural techniques. The island was decimated by a volcanic eruption of the same ferocity as Pompeii around 3,500 years ago, but there are fascinating remains and some amazing art and pottery still in existence that show how sophisticated the island was even back then.

Goulas (medieval castle) of Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece by Klearchos Kapoutsis

If you’re visiting Perissa, the food and hospitality at the Magic Bus is highly recommended. At the end of Perissa beach, the bar/restaurant is famous for its friendly staff, gorgeous décor and delicious food.

The main city, Fira, looks exactly like a Greek island should look – fantastic sea views, beautiful, pristine whitewashed buildings, and for archaeology enthusiasts there’s the Museum of Prehistoric Thera which is full of fascinating Minoan artefacts. There is no shortage of shops and cafes to explore at your leisure, and Fira is best explored at a leisurely pace in the afternoon, while avoiding the daily influx of cruise ship visitors. For one of the best views on the island, try the Palia Kameni Cocktail Bar, which is situated on the Caldera next to Archipelagos Restaurant.

Fira sunset, Greece by hozinja

There is a plethora of nice places to stay in Santorini. In Perissa the Zorzis Hotel is a favourite, rated highly for its friendly owners and winner of a Traveller’s Choice award for service from Trip Advisor in 2013. The Enigma apartments in Fira are also highly rated, and boast lovely accommodation in a fantastic central location.

Once you’ve chilled out and enjoyed the delicious calm of Santorini, you can hop over to Mykonos to liven things up a little. The ferries run twice-weekly and cost around €14 for a six hour trip, or you can take the fast boat, which runs daily; it costs €28 and allows you to shave up to three hours off your travelling time. Ready-made tours are also on offer from tour operators.

Mykonos, Greece by Ion Androutsopoulos / License: Creative Commons

Mykonos’ reputation as a gay party island has faded in recent years, possibly due to a concerted effort by the island’s tourism department to reposition Mykonos as a family destination. That said, the island, and especially its nightlife, is still lively and gay-friendly.

The atmosphere of Mykonos is glamorous and ever-so slightly Bohemian. You might find the beaches eerily empty before midday due to many of the island’s visitors sleeping off the night before, so if you’re an early bird, you have the perfect opportunity to bag a decent space on the sand before lunch.

There’s plenty to see in Hóra, including the pretty Matoyianni Street and two museums, Maritime and Folklore, although the Folklore museum’s opening times can be hit and miss. Little Venice is another picturesque spot, which looks as it sounds and is the ideal place to wander with your camera on a balmy day. The water’s edge restaurants and bars are gorgeous, but be prepared to part with a fair number of your Euros if you eat at any of them. However, the amazing sunsets are worth every penny.

Elias Beach on Mykonos, Greece by Squirmy2000

For slightly less expensive eating options, you could try M-eating in the town centre for contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, or Karavaki Restaurant at Agios Eleftherios, which boasts some spectacular views of the Aegean Sea and fantastic Greek food.

For retail therapy, you’ll find a lovely selection of fashion and jewellery, as well as the ubiquitous tourist shops. Like Santorini, though, Mykonos is a haven for cruise ships and Hóra can become extremely busy between 10am and 5pm.

The Carbonaki Hotel is highly recommended for its family feel and well-developed eco-policies, but it’s also clean, well-placed and very comfortable.

The nightlife of Mykonos deserves a special mention – Paradise Beach is the island’s main party beach, and is also great for water sports during the day. Little Venice, while pricey, is a popular place to start off an evening’s entertainment, and then if you’re up for a night of clubbing, you can expect to find a lively atmosphere at Cavo Paradiso (close to Paradise Beach) or Space in Hóra. For a more laid back evening’s entertainment, there’s also the Piano Bar in Little Venice.

Little Venice, Mykonos, Greece by Zitumassin

For a more gay-centric night out, the drag acts at Pierros are legendary. Lola Bar near Little Venice is a chic bar complete with rather plush furniture, and down on the harbour front you’ll find Jacky O and Babylon, both great party venues, with Jacky O having a reputation as being quite ‘hands-on’.  There’s also an annual gay festival, XLsior in Santorini and also Mykonos in August, which takes place around the indoor bars and beach venues and features top international DJs, cabaret and more!

Island-hopping between Santorini and Mykonos is the perfect combination of lively and laid back, and promises a holiday that offers culture, scenery and a fabulous selection of cocktails on the beach…

Written by Katharina Kraetzer, a blogger who loves to travel in Europe. This summer she will visit Italy and Slovenia.

The post Spotlight On Mykonos And Santorini | Greece appeared first on Europe Explored.