Themis is a family man, so holidays means a mix of accessible beach fun, typical Greek cuisine and… a bit of mountain because Greece mainland is worth visiting all year round! This year, Themis chose the Peloponnese since it was one of the safest options as opposed to the crowded Greek islands. Katakolo, or as he prefers calling it “The Mykonos of the Ionian”, is a seaside town situated on the western Peloponnese overlooking the Ionian Sea. It is the land of origin of the famous shipowner Giannis Latsis.  Katakolo is the ideal destination for relaxed family vacations.

On the way back to Athens, he visited Kalavryta, a town in the mountainous east-central part of Peloponnese. There, he visited the Municipal Museum of the Kalavrita Holocaust as the educational and historical aspect is always part of Themis’ way of fun!

Efi is a romantic and loves to discover small islands that are not visited by many people as she is always on the lookout of her own personal haven. Her first and longest in duration stop was her favorite place in the world: Schinousa! Schinousa is a small island, part of the Small Cyclades, located opposite Naxos and is her heaven on Earth! It is an island with amazing beaches with crystal clear waters, amazing food and a vibe that if it suites you, will definitely enchant you…The highlight of her serenity is reading her book laying on the sand of Tsiggouri beach!

Her next stop was Naxos, an entirely different island situated close to Scinoussa, with long distances and long beaches but with many hidden gems! The beaches, when not crowded, are some of the best in Cyclades without any shadow of doubt. The food is maybe the best you will taste in Cyclades as Naxos is famous for its numerous and very tasty local products. And finally, you should not miss visiting the villages of Naxos; you may need quite a long drive from the port of Naxos, but they are definitely worth it!

If luxury is what you are looking for then keep reading and you will have your vacation plan for next summer, ready! Vassia spent almost 40 days in the island of Crete, the biggest island of south Europe, Crete, know for its varied terrain, which ranges from fine-sand beaches to wild, rocky mountains. According to Mythology it is the birthplace of Zeus and hosted the 1^st advanced civilization, the Minoans. In later ages, Crete was overruled by Romans, then successively by Byzantine empire, Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic and last by the Ottoman Empire. So, it is clear that in Crete there is a mix of cultures which creates the character of the island, that means, the perfect!

Vassia had the opportunity to stay in amazing 5* properties such as Megaron hotel, in Heraklion, Elounda blue Palace & Elounda beach. What you shouldn’t miss is a tour at Spinaloga islet, scuba diving, visit Elafonisi beach in South Crete, spend a couple of days at isolated Loutro village & eat each and every local flavor! If this is not a bless, then what?

Thanassis has been everywhere but he is still amazed by the so many and different experiences each land of Greece has to offer! This summer, Thanassis was looking for a complex of islands that offer serenity, relaxation, isolation and inviting waters! Therefore, he visited Sporades islands and more specifically Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. The combination of the intense greenery, the turquoise crystal-clear waters, the innumerable small harbors, and fish villages are what make this part of Greece unique. What Thanassis mostly distinguished from each island were the north-western beautiful beaches in Skiathos, the amazing food in Skopelos and the breathtaking nature waters of Alonissos! He also sailed the smaller islands of Sporades and enjoyed an amazing snorkeling experience at the  shipwreck of the largest ancient ship of the 4^th century while he claims that the night sky you will enjoy at “Kyra Panagia” can only be compared to the one of Atacama desert in Chile!

This summer, Nasos decided to take advantage of the situation and the “work from home” status and explored the majestic Magnesia. There he spent almost 30 days in areas that combine sea and mountain within less than 30 minutes-drive, he swam in the turquoise waters of the Aegean, went to eastern Pelion and Agios Ioannis.

His overall impression is that when you explore each corner of Greece, no matter where you are, you discover so many gems and live exciting experiences. For example, he discovered that the beaches and low in altitude villages of eastern Pelion, are linked with picturesque pathways. Pelion has numerous paths and all you have to do is chose how adventurous and energized you feel and pick the one for you. The paths start from 1-1,5h distance and can reach up to 6 hours. One of the most famous paths is the one starting from the ski center of Pelion and ends up at Agios Ioannis (~6 hours). This path goes on through Damouchari beach where scenes from “Mama Mia” movie have been shot at.

The area also offers the possibility to rent small boats and explore caves and non-accessible beaches from the sea!

Stamatis needed a more serene and isolated island of the Aegean in order to escape for a week from the anxiety and traffic of the city! Anafi was the best choice for him. He realized it from the moment he entered the elevated town of the island upon his arrival at 9am. The town was awakening and the three coffee shops offering breakfast were starting to slowly fill up with people. However, everything seemed so quiet… No one seemed to want to “spoil” the serenity of this land. This is where he realized that we should appreciate the small things, moments that older generations are trying to keep.

During his week in Anafi, Stamatis walked a lot (as always!) and reached the island’s highest tops and its most beautiful sandy beaches! At the south side of the island he enjoyed the peaceful blue waters and wonderful beaches. The north side offered more rocky sceneries with the northern winds creating small bays with pebbles.

Anafi is an island for all tastes, offering fresh fish from local fishermen, an intense nightlife, a day on the beach away from everything or live Greek music in places that take you back in time and beautiful paths for the most adventurous ones. What he loved more about the island though is the locals and their lives, the fact that they want to entertain the visitors as well as their own selves, that there is no schedule, no planning and sometimes the time stops, the beautiful community you feel part of!

Stamatina also selected a small island this year to relax! Donoussa for her is a place to liv e and love! A small and isolated island of the Cyclades, between Naxos and Amorgos, and the ideal destination for total relaxation, chilling, swimming, hiking and spending quality time with friends and family.

She visited the beautiful beaches of Stavros, Kedros, Livadi and Kalotaritissa and hiked from on beach to the other. She was amazed by the paths that lead you to the hilltops where you enjoy the breathtaking view of the Aegean sea. She visited the small villages of Mersini and Messaria and explored by boat the magnificent caves of Tichou (Cave of the Wall) and Fokospilia (Seal Cave).  She tasted fresh fish, xynomyzithra (whey cheese) and hand-made beef by Mitsos (tavern in Kalotaritissa). She relaxed and enjoyed!

Constantina and her friends chose the Peloponnese this summer as it has many hidden corners to be explored. Her first stop was Sparti, a city almost 2 and a half hours from Athens with many beautiful traditional towns around. To start her day she went for a swim at “Tigania beach”, half hour distance from the historic town of Monemvasia which of course was in her plan right after the beach!  The town of Monemvasia is located between walls on a small island off the east coast of Peloponnese. She had lunch at Matoula’s tavern the location of which offers amazing sea view combined with traditional local cuisine. After lunch, she walked around the narrow alleys of the town to take some pictures and made a stop at “Enetiko Café & Cocktail bar” where she enjoyed a glass of wine under the sunset.

Limeni is another treasure of the wider area of Sparti. This small village offers many rocks for dives into the clear turquoise water of the sea. After she swam, right above the rocks, “Theodora’s place” was her next stop for an amazing lunch.

Constantina also visited Aeropoli, where she loved the neighborhood with many small tapas restaurants whereas on top there is the pastry shop “Paradosiako” (meaning: Traditional), which offers unique and extraordinary flavours of homemade ice – cream, made from local ingredients like honey and banana.  

All the difficulties we were faced with this year, affected Lois’ vacation plans which had to be constricted to a long weekend in the majestic island of Andros.

Once travelling was permitted she almost immediately hopped on the first ferry for a change of scenery. She was fortunate to travel in July, so the boats were not filled with people and they felt relatively safe on board. Albeit not ideal, travelling with a mask was part of a unique ‘2020’ experience which made it entertaining.

It was the first-time visiting Andros foe Lois and what struck her was the size of the island which made transport between places too time consuming. Thus, she and her company chose to remain near their hotel in Batsi.

There is something serene in waking up late but still finding a sunbed next to the sea and relaxing on a beach which it is usually packed with tourists. It was as if the place were waiting for her and who would want to move from such a setting? Especially when all the necessary sanitary precautions were taken by the hotel staff. Lois preferred to spend most of her time in Andros in the same place drinking a freddo cappuccino, eating a cheese-pie, laughing with her friends, and enjoying being in an external space stress free.

Learning to enjoy solitude, to living in the moment and to not having to make plans has been some of the lessons that 2020 has taught her. And that would be her advice: do not make plans, enjoy the present.