Dave Nagel from helloworld Milford experienced the sights and cuisine of some beautiful Greek Islands last month.  Here are his tips for this fabulous European holiday destination:

Athens

First stop was Athens, staying in Athinas, which was perfectly located for shopping, restaurants and the Acropolis by foot.

Aegina

We caught the ferry from Athens to the island of Aegina which took about 90 minutes.  Aegina was beautiful. It’s a small island that has a main area with all the shops and restaurants. There’s plenty to do on this island: day trips to other islands, cycling tours, fishing trips and of course the mopeds and quads you can hire. We did a two hour cycle tour to a pistachio farm and back.

Poros

The next island we visited was Poros, one hour 45 minutes by ferry from Aegina. This is a bigger island than Aegina but once again, absolutely stunning. Locals are very friendly and every restaurant we ate at, we always felt the personal touch. As with Aegina, the beaches are beautiful, the food is delicious and there’s a little bit more history to this island.  We could easily spend 4 – 5 days on this island relaxing and exploring.

Hydra

We did a day trip out to Hydra Island which is a quintessential Greek getaway. Hydra is truly the gem of the Saronic Gulf and stands alone among Greek islands as the one free of wheeled vehicles. No cars. No scooters. Just tiny marble-cobbled lanes, donkeys, rocks and sea. There are no land vehicles here.

Nafplio

The charming seaside town of Nafplio, considered one of the most beautiful in the eastern Peloponnese, reflects the legacy of Frankish, Venetian and Turkish conquerors in its culture and architecture. We visited Epidaurus, one of the best-preserved theatres of ancient Greece. The site was built to celebrate the power of the healing gods of the Hellenic and Roman worlds, with some structures dating back as far as the 6th-century BC.

Nafplio was like a place I’d never seen before; down every cobbled alleyway were restaurants and/or shops. Along the waterfront are just dozens and dozens of restaurants and bars and then there’s the beautiful beaches. This was the perfect place to end the trip, and of course the food was delicious. 

Dave’s summary:

Greece was simply amazing and definitely, a place I’ll be going back to. This trip was an itinerary out of the Intrepid brochure and as a product, I’d have no hesitation in recommending Intrepid to anyone. All their tours are small groups and they offer different levels of accommodation to suit everyone. The local Intrepid guides are with you for the duration of the tour and the one we had was simply outstanding.

Contact Dave and the helloworld Milford team to book your next adventure.

helloworld Milford, corner Kitchener Road & Milford Road, Milford 09 489 2597 www.helloworld.co.nz/milford