Island Hopping in Greece is something Henry and I have done by yacht, which was a divine experience, cruising the Aegean Sea with a crew of seven, outnumbering the six guests aboard the Dos Venus in 1990. This year, we decided to be in the Greek islands during summer, transporting ourselves by ferry, catamaran, and Flying Dolphin as we made up our itinerary wave by wave, one step at a time. There are 1,400 islands in the archipelago of Greek islands of which 227 are inhabited. Our life list of islands had already included: (in alphabetical order) Chios, Corfu, Crete, Delos, Hydra, Kea, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Patmos, and Santorini. On the cruise, we also visited the lower peninsula of the Greek mainland, the Peloponnseus, to see Epidaurus and Navplion en route to the Athenian port of Piraeus. This year, we began this adventure by making our plans for the first island from our hotel in Athens. Henry had  already done his research through the Eyewitness guidebook of the Greek Islands published by DK Publishing in London. Even though we had descriptions of several dozen islands, the two of us visited a local travel agent, just to get an expert opinion.

1. •LESSON ONE: Don’t expect to get professional help unless you are willing to book five star hotels through a travel agent. Nothing is free!  The trip to meet with a professional was fraught with pitfalls, including the absence of the man we needed to meet. He finally rode up on his motorcycle, then refused to give us any help other than recommend one hotel on Mykonos where he would have earned a healthy commission. Profit is the bottom line in Greece; so, apprised of that reality, Henry and I headed back to our computers and the internet, deciding to book something ourselves on the island of Kos.
   

2. •LESSON TWO: High season means BIG competition in every direction, from hotels/guest rooms to transportation and restaurants. Booking after August 20th means more space and time to maneuver.  August 10th, our arrival date, was at the height of the European vacation season, and the Greek islands, being quite affordable, are foremost on the list of the youth, especially those from neighboring countries, namely Italy. All worked out well there with only one small glitch. Our forward transportation to the Leipsi islands meant that we needed accommodations for one more night on Kos. Henry and I were lucky. The family hotel where we were staying had no available rooms, but the owner, being very kind, placed a phone call to a friend, who made space for us in her family hotel. We think she turned away other guests to accommodate us, but we asked no questions. One day later than planned, we were on a fast catamaran to our next island, Leipsos.
   

3. •LESSON THREE: A priority in moving from island to island is the ability to get there. Not every island is accessible by ferry, and the schedules are apt to change because of the Greek austerity program. It is important to be flexible, and to confirm the ability to cancel the hotel at the next destination, if necessary.  Also, as soon as you have a solid next move with transportation that fits your date of arrival, buy the ticket on the boat to lock it in. That will provide you peace of mind. Moving around the islands, we were in search of one very rare commodity: PEACE. During the high season, joyous, rambunctious fun seems to be the energy of many of the Greek islands. We wanted a less commercial, laid back, peaceful ambience that we had not yet found. Being in the main port city of the island was definitely not the place to be. Finding something just out of the mainstream was our next target.
   

4. •LESSON FOUR: Get off the tourist track and stay outside the port of entry. Henry booked us a hotel on Patmos, one of the smaller islands with a reputation of being off the beaten tourist track. He also avoided Skala, the main port, but found the perfect place to stay in Grikos, only 3.5 kilometers/2 miles away from our ferry destination. We were not on the beach, but the beaches were accessible within a ten or fifteen minute downhill walk. And, being high on the hill, our room was deliciously cooled by the breezes, and the views were spectacular.
   

5. •LESSON FIVE: Book only one island at a time, be flexible, stay open, and be ready for unexpected surprises, both positive and negative. If you like a place, you can extend, sometimes for a better rate. If you don’t like a place, you can move on. Leave yourself open for happy surprises, but also leave if the place you have booked doesn’t suit you.
   

6. •LESSON SIX: Try to pay by credit card, but carry plenty of cash; or better still, have the ability to withdraw cash at ATM machines, when necessary. Be prepared to be in touch with your banker by telephone or e-mail.  During these strange economic times in Greece, Henry and I found that very few restaurants or hotels would accept plastic. That meant that every transaction needed to be in cash. Be prepared. The Greeks don’t want to report their income to the government; after all, the excuse is that the government is corrupt, so why pay taxes!
   

7. •ONE LAST NOTE: If you don’t have an International Driver’s License or an EU credit card, you probably won’t be able to rent a car or a motor bike. Greek insurance companies won’t cover anyone outside the European Union. This seems to be a Greek island eccentricity.
   

The islands we visited appear on the map, colored  to match their names:

KOS    •  LEIPSOS    •   PATMOS    •   SAMOS    •   SYMI    •   NYSSIROS

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE