A Greek Island Adventure

Some years ago, the family and I spent part of the Summer holidays, Greek-style! Having already been to Athens and toured the Peleponnese region – much more interesting than the capital itself, in my very humble and merely touristy opinion - there was definitely a twitch of eagerness about getting to know a few of those Greek islands.

That time we didn’t go for a hire car in Greece but we quickly regretted that decision; spending the week straddled behind one of those group tours didn’t do much for us, four people who utterly enjoy having time fitted to their own schedule and not someone else’s.

The island I recall best was Santorini and if you have ever been there or have seen pictures of it, you’ll understand what I mean; those Mediterranean-blue domes that seem rather like a reflection of the sea below, the white houses peeking from its hills and cliffs… If there is a dream island for me to be at, Santorini won hands-down!

We weren’t able to venture around the Ionan archipelago and get the chance of discovering Corfu but it seems like a good destination in the future and we’ll be hiring a car in Corfu for sure! It is the second largest island of the bunch and it is even possible to hop into a ferry boat and discover the remaining islands.

Corfu is an island deeply rooted in Greece’s history, going far back till the beginning of the country’s mythology. If you want a holiday deserving of the gods, this should be a great place to go to. You can relax on its sandy beaches or immerse yourself on its historical culture, as this was once the place of many battles and sieges – the castles are a good reminder of that.

Speaking of which, why not include Crete on your travels? It is the centre of the Minoan civilisation, which is the first known civilisation in Europe, and includes plenty of archaeological sites for you to explore, the most famous one being Knossos. The weather is mostly pleasant but in the peak of Summer, you will be thankful for the bonus of air conditioning in your Heraklion hire car – trust me on that.

No need to break a sweat, though… Crete has also very charming beaches that will make you want to spend your days under that hot sun just so there is an excuse to dive into that warm and pristine water or head to one of its surrounding islands!
Do you want to know another great thing about Crete? It’s only about 4 hours away – by ferry boat, obviously – from...yes, you’ve guessed it: Santorini! So, you know...Just go. Really. You have to go.

Whatever your island destination may be, keep nothing from us, our Auto Europe team wants to know all about it!