Lessons Learned

This was a great trip, ideal for a grandmother/granddaughter, as we have similar ideas of what makes for a good travel adventure. We both enjoy shopping, hiking and seeing ancient sites. Jordan’s favourite part of the trip was seeing all the ruins. She is like her grandfather in enjoying history, and takes her time looking at each thing and reading the signs that are posted at the ruins.

My favourite part of the trip was appreciating the natural surroundings, as Greece is such a beautiful country. Being on the water is such a treat, particularly when it is hot out. I also appreciated the way that the people of Santorini have built their homes on the caldera (inside rim) of the volcano, as this is a real architectural feat! It is also an act of faith, since this is an area that is at high risk of another earthquake!

We both agreed that if we were to do it again, we would have probably only stayed in Naxos for three nights. We enjoyed Naxos for all the ruins, as there is a lot more to see than there is in Santorini. It is also much quieter, as all the tourists seem to prefer Santorini. The beaches in Naxos, in our opinions, were much nicer, and definitely much quieter! However, Santorini offers a much more touristy atmosphere, with lots of beachside restaurants and a lovely boardwalk along the beach. There are also more people, which made it a little more fun for Jordan.

We would also have flown directly into Santorini, as the ferry is just so painfully long, especially after such a long flight.

We were sorry that we missed out on seeing the volcano or seeing the sunset, as the weather just didn’t cooperate with us. If we were to do this again, we would book the boat tour to do this as soon as we arrived rather than waiting until the last few days.