Yes, the European auditors are there going over the figures, groups
occasionally take to the streets in the capital and everyone is
discussing the crisis, using that word, nothing less dire. But outside
of the main cities on the mainland , Greece is still open for tourism
and as beautiful, serene and worth visiting as always. Plus, it’s always
better to go in the fall. The crowds, which were out in force this
summer despite the talk of economic doom, are thinner, the weather is
less scorching, and in the Cyclades, still the most famous and most
visited island group, the meltemi winds have stopped whipping, making
flying, sailing, and having breakfast on your terrace easier.
Santorini remains uniquely stunning with its dramatic cliff top
caldera and Aegean views, the views that draw honeymooners year after
year. And even though hoteliers complain that business is down and
whisper about some hotels being on the block, when I was there in July,
most in the top tier were sold out. There are more vacancies in the
fall and the usually lofty prices recede.
A relative newcomer to the island, the
Grace Santorini
brings an edgy urban vibe (think “W” Hotel perched on a cliff) to the
northern village of Imerovigli with its contemporary furniture, white on
white accented with pewter interiors and moody purple and blue lights
in the bar. For maximum privacy, a two bedroom 4305 square foot villa
opened this year. But all rooms have the jaw dropping view of jagged
Skaros rock straight ahead and due to the curve of the island, of the famous sunset, which guests can see without leaving their decks.
North of Imerovigli, Oia, the highest village on the island is the
most romantic and the busiest with its cluster of restaurants and shops.
Just outside of the entrance to the village and linked by a caldera
hugging footpath, Perivolas is a longtime favorite, featuring peaceful
(no TVs), gleaming white rounded stone cave houses terraced down the
caldera, a much photographed infinity pool and guests who look like
cover models. And for those who need more privacy, the hotel has
recently opened a four bedroom villa, the Hideaway, a five minute
private launch ride away on the island of Therasia, with the same cool,
white stone interiors punctuated by lavender woven fabrics as the cave
houses up above along with a dedicated staff.
Perivolas, the Hideaway, contact
Ileana Von Hirsch at Five Star Greece. While there, do a
sail on one of Ted Stathis’ catamarans and have dinner in the most romantic caldera edge restaurant
Ambrosia.
Spetses. On the other end of the fame scale from Santorini, the
island of Spetses, an island in the Saronic Gulf, is known mostly as a
haven to ship owners who have houses here and less to the general
public who flock to neighboring Hydra instead. That lack of mass
tourism only adds to the beauty of the place: an island where horse
drawn carriages still take visitors past neoclassical houses edged with
bougainvillea, harbors with fishing boats, deserted beaches and cobbled
streets. The harbor is dominated by the patrician
Poseidonion Grand Hotel,
built in 1914, modeled on the hotel palaces The Carlton and Negresco
of the Cote d’Azur, and brought back to elegant life with a painstaking
five year renovation by shipping executive/local part time resident
Emmanuel Vordonis. It once again feels like the gathering place it has
been for royalty, world leaders and business titans. But it also feels
current, with the addition of an Asian spa, a restaurant featuring the
clever fusion of cuisines devised by star chef Christoforos Peskias of
P-Box restaurant and events such as the annual yacht race in June and
channel swimming/
mini-marathon due to be held on October 12-14.
Naxos/Schinousa Greek food isn’t generally thought of as one of the
world’s great cuisines but you might change your mind while eating your
way around Naxos. This island, the largest in the Cyclades, has a varied
landscape—the long sandy beaches contrasted with inland mountains—is
known for good cooks and each village within it specializes in a
different dish.
Up in the mountains, in the northeast section of the island, an
essential stop is the village of Koronos for Taverna Platsa more
commonly known as Matina, after the maternal owner who brings dish after
dish to your table—lamb and tomatoes, zucchini pie, greens from her
husband’s garden, , fried zucchini flowers—and then, after you think
you’re done, more that she thinks you should try. You’ll be surrounded
by locals, not tourists and feel like you’re out for lunch with the
family, a feeling you’ll get all around Naxos, a more down to earth,
real life island than its more glamorous Cyclades neighbors. The best
place to stay is the
Naxian Collection,
a selection of white villas with private pools owned by Ioannis
Margaritis and his wife Maria, a cooking teacher, who’ll point you in
the direction of the best food on the island or take you there
themselves, teach you how to prepare the island’s dishes and present
delectable examples of Greek classics such as spinach pie for breakfast.
From Naxos, it’s a short ferry or chartered motorboat ride to a very
different type of island, Schinousa, a tiny island of 100 residents
that is totally untouched by tourism with the exception of a few small
guesthouses and restaurants. What you notice first are the superyachts
docked in the main marina, most belonging to tycoons who own estates on
the island. What you notice next are the secluded beaches with no one on
them…and the total laissez faire attitude, extending to the total lack
of police: none of the island’s residents will rent land for a police
station. But since everyone knows everyone, there is no crime. (To stay
on the island: the simple, beachfront
Livadi.)
Ithaca Getting to this island in the western Ionian group isn’t as
complicated as it was for Odysseus but it isn’t the easiest which partly
accounts for being somewhat off the main tourist track. That means that
the villages retain their local character and there are few others
sharing the turquoise water in its secluded bays, among the most
beautiful in Greece. Hilly and dotted with cypress and olive trees,
it’s an absolute beauty, worth the long ferry ride from Patras on the
mainland, or the flight to Cephalonia and then ferry over to the
island. The main town of Vathy is lively but not touristy and has a
sharp, contemporary hotel
Perantzada with harbor views.
Costa Navarino After
spending time on secluded islands, I wondered how much I’d like this
resort, a large development with multi restaurants, golf courses, pools,
etc. in the southwest Peloponnese. Looking out on the golf course from
my room (a breezily handsome one, admittedly) at
Romanos, a Luxury
Collection Resort in the first development, Navarino Dunes, I thought
that I could just as easily have been in Scottsdale. But over the course
of three days, it really grew on me. The beach is gorgeous and fronts
the same enticing Ionian Sea that is such a draw in
Ithaca.
The restaurants span the globe, apart from Greek—Italian, an American
steakhouse and diner among them—and they were all top quality. Families
flock here because there are so many dedicated activities for kids and
so many for adults as well including snorkeling trips and sightseeing
the ruins in the area, such as the city of ancient Messene and the 13
th century B.C. Palace of Nestor. Scottsdale has nothing like that.
One caveat: travel arrangements in Greece can sometimes be a little,
to put it charitably, chaotic. It’s best to have someone firmly in
control handle it. The organizers at
Magna Travel in
Athens are sensational.
ΠΗΓΗ: forbes.com
