Our first stop was Santorini. We chose to sail the caldera starting in Fira, past Thirasia, Oia, and back to Fira. A caldera is a large divot in the earth formed when a volcano erupts and collapses. We sailed for several hours, stopping to enjoy the view of all the small cliffside towns. We dropped anchor below Oia and swam in the crystal-clear sea looking up at the town. We had never been in water so clear you can see the bottom in the deep sea. The white washed buildings and blue domes above the deep blue water were gorgeous. By far one of our favorite moments on the trip.
Sailing the Caldera
Next, we docked in Kusadasi, Turkey, a short drive to ancient Ephesus. We began at the Basilica of Saint John. Said to be the grave site of John the Apostle, the Basilica was built over the tomb. We walked the ruins with towering archways, intricate carvings, and the original baptismal font.
Next, we made our way to the top of Ancient Ephesus. Walking down the hill on the marble roads we entered the Terrace Houses opposite the Hadrian Temple, another highlight of the trip. The Terrace Houses are ruins of 6 homes built into the earth where wealthy families lived. There are fully intact mosaic floors, frescoes, and marble wall panels. The marble panels were made by cutting blocks of marble with silk rope creating a book match pattern wrapping the room. The floors were heated using clay pipes beneath the floors that carried hot air throughout the home. The amount of detail in these homes and their construction was impressive to say the least.
After the Terrance Houses, we continued towards the Library of Celsus. Once holding 12,000 scrolls, the details in the stone carvings are breathtaking. Directly next to the library was the open-air market where merchants would gather to trade. Across is the ancient Greek theatre holding 25,000 seats and a three-story stage building. Ephesus is a stunning ancient city that should be on your must-see list.
Basilica of Saint John
Terrace Houses
Ancient Ephesus
Rhodes was another favorite stop on the trip and could have spent a week exploring. We spent the first half of the day on the beach enjoying more crystal-clear waters and the second half walking the Old Town and New Market. We started our time in the town at the New Market and had our first Gyro of the trip. Yum! The New Market is a seven-sided building with a central courtyard and shops along the perimeter. The Old Town is a short walk away and features the medieval Grand Masters Palace. We walked the moat of the Palace and made our way inside featuring artifacts from the original palace that was destroyed and rebuilt. Outside of the palace is the Street of the Knights. It is one of the most intact medieval streets in the world. Walking through the palace onto the stone street was a step back in time.
Rhodes, Greece
The first half of our day in Mykonos was spent on the nearby island of Delos. Delos is a short boat ride from the island of Mykonos, you can see it from the coast! It is said that Greek gods Apollo and Artemis were born on the island making it one of the most sacred in Greek culture. Delos is very close to the center of the Cyclades leading it to becoming the Mediterranean hub for trading in 162BC. This brought merchants, bankers, ship owners, and other wealthy people to settle on the island. Large homes and temples with beautiful columns and mosaic floors were built for the rich dwellers by artisans on the island. The island was very prosperous and attracted the jealousy of surrounding nations. This led to its destruction in 88BC and 69BC. These attacks left the island abandoned and turned into a quarry where they burned the limestone columns and left the homes in ruins.
After its destruction, the island was never developed leaving the ruins that remained on the island intact. A team of French archaeologists started excavating the site in the late 1800s and is still underway. The entire island is an archaeological site, making it one of the largest open-air museums. While on the island, we got to walk the old trade pathways. The narrow paths used to have buildings several stories high making it almost difficult to see the sky. Doorways lined the road with merchants selling goods. There are remains of homes with central cisterns. Beautiful columns at the perimeter and mosaics lining the basin. They used these to cool the home. We walked past rows and rows of column ruins organized by the archaeologists to hopefully piece together some day. The sad part is lots of them were stolen off the island to limewash homes in the area. Today the island remains uninhabited or developed. There are a few small homes along the coast for the archelogy team when they are working and for the care takers of the island who live there year around. We saw a fraction of what has been uncovered. It is estimated to take a week to see the entire island. Definitely a Mykonos highlight!
After our time on Delos, we explored just a small portion of Mykonos. We got to walk the harbor to the windmills, discover a handful of hundreds of small churches on the island, and make our way to little Venice. There are dozens of restaurants along the water, shops to explore, and famous limewashed buildings to see. Even the roads are limewashed around the stones! We loved getting lost amongst the colorful doorways while discovering all Mykonos has to offer.
Delos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Hydra was our favorite island, although how can you choose just one? The island does not allow cars or bikes. Your options to explore the island are to walk or hop on one of the many donkeys on the island. We felt like this island was the closest we got to traditional Greek life. We sat in the harbor and watched delivery boats bringing goods for the small markets. Donkeys and carts would be loaded to deliver these goods. We got to explore hardware stores, pet stores, markets, bakeries, and pottery shops to get a taste of places visited by the residents of the island. While other islands like Mykonos are heavily catered for tourists, Hydra offered a quainter experience. There is a trail along the coastline to get to rocky beaches. Wandering up the hill from the coast we stumbled on a lemon tree filled park and a beautiful monastery. Hydra truly captured our hearts with its slow pace of life and endless corners to turn and discover something new. A must visit on our list and a great final day of our Greek expedition.
Hydra, Greece