Memorable experiences in Greece that will make you want to stay

Once the tan has faded, it is your memorable experiences in Greece that you will fondly recall and continue to tell stories about to friends for years after. While relaxing on a beach is wonderful, it is the typical Greek experiences that charm us into returning again and again. In time we realise that there is no other place we would rather be.

Buying a property in Greece gives you a base from which to explore beyond the tourist resorts and discover natural wonders, historic sites, adorable animals and Greek cuisine to write home about.

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Memorable experiences in Greece

Memorable experiences in Greece can be as simple as watching the little fish in the clear waters around the fishing boats to visiting an ancient site that has seen people come and go for thousands of years. Anything that gives you a sense of wonder is good for you.

More travellers are seeking new experiences these days, which results in incredible opportunities for small businesses to pop up, such as Greek cooking classes, farm experiences, sailing trips and guided tours.

Once you have found the perfect place to buy a property, you can then use it as a base to enjoy fun days out, island hopping, exploring historic locations and experiencing the local cuisine. Here are some of the memorable experiences you could add to your bucket list.

Santorini’s volcanic crater

Santorini’s caldera is a submerged volcanic crater formed around 3,600 years ago. These days it has the appearance of a large lagoon, with pretty villages around it. The views are spectacular, especially at sunset. People come from all around the world to see the famous Santorini sunsets.

Each village has special viewpoints and walking trails to other great spots where you can appreciate panoramic views of the sun reflected in the water. The most unforgettable experience is to actually sail on the caldera, snorkel in the bay and watch the sunset. You can even go on a trip to see the smoking craters and swim in its volcanic hot springs.

Hike the Samaria Gorge, Crete

The Samaria Gorge on Crete is the longest in Europe. The 16-kilometre (10 mile) trail starts at the White Mountains, winds through forests and towering walls of rock and ends at the Libyan Sea.

Memorable highlights include spotting a Cretan wild goat (Kri-kri) or a vulture circling above you. Around halfway along the trail you’ll also discover an abandoned village, an experience that feels like life has become frozen in time.

Thermal spas in beautiful locations

In the region of Almopia, Northern Greece, natural hot springs, waterfalls and a breathtaking mountain landscape add a feeling of tranquillity to the Pozar Thermal Baths. Thermal Spas with beautiful sea views also offer that extra special Greek Spa experience. Good examples are the healing waters of Agia Paraskevi, Halkidiki, the Aegeo Spas on Crete and Ciel Mykonos Spa.

Unique places to swim

Swimming in sea caves is a memorable experience you can enjoy on Milos Island. The white cliffs of volcanic rock and white sea bottom make the waters a transparent shade of light blue. The sea has eroded the rock into unusual shapes that resemble a lunar landscape. As you swim through the sea caves, the water begins to sparkle as the sun shines through an opening in the roof of the cave.  

Other unique locations to swim include:

• A rock pool in the cliff at Giola Lagoon on Thassos.
• A lightening bolt shaped inlet at Seitan Limania, Crete.
• A circular bay at Voidokilia beach, Messinia, Peloponnese.

Meteora monasteries

Since the 14^th century, Meteora monasteries have been perched high on sandstone cliffs in Thessaly. No photograph can convey how it feels to actually be there looking up at those towering sandstone pillars. The scale of it makes you feel so small and so far away from modern life. It almost feels like you have entered a fantasy world, seen only in films. Indeed, they have featured in a James Bond film and on Game of Thrones.

But this isn’t fantasy or a ruin; there are actually six active monasteries you can visit. Each is perched high on a rock with incredible views. Places where you can experience the combination of great peace and awe at the same time. Even in the surrounding landscape there are hidden hermit caves and wonderful viewpoints to discover.

Greek Orthodox Easter

The holy week leading up to Greek Orthodox Easter is the most important festival on the Greek calendar. Villages, towns and cities come alive with candlelit processions on Good Friday. There are fireworks, lamb roasts and traditional dancing. On Easter Sunday they crack red eggs together and in ports you might see an evening procession of fishing boats with coloured smoke flares. 

Run in Olympia

Another historical site is the place where the first ever Olympics were held. Ancient Olympia hosted the games from 776 BCE to 394 CE. The ruins of the stadium and other buildings where the athletes lived and practiced their sports are amazing to visit. In the spring, the site is particularly beautiful when the Judas trees are in blossom.

Visitors are usually allowed to experience a gentle run on the track. Although, keen runners may prefer to enter the annual marathon, which starts and finishes in Ancient Olympia.

Watch a play in an ancient amphitheatre

Athens Epidaurus Festival (29 May –31 October) is Greece’s premier cultural event. You can experience classical ancient Greek drama, opera and ballet inside the ancient theatre of Epidaurus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens.

Visit the Acropolis to see the Parthenon

A place you must see at least once is the Parthenon in Athens. To look up at those 2,500-year-old marble columns, perched high above the city, is an unforgettable experience. Built between 447 and 438 BCE under Pericles, the Parthenon is an amazing example of classical Greek art and architecture. From the top of the hill, you can see 360-degree views across Athens and to the Aegean Sea.

Cats of the Acropolis

Over 500 stray cats live around the historic Acropolis in Athens. You will see them on the paths leading up to the Acropolis and in the Plaka district. These “Guardians of the Acropolis” are very friendly and look pretty healthy. They are well fed and looked after by local animal welfare groups and tourists. You can be introduced to them by joining a guided tour or follow a self-guided audio tour.

Spot a monk seal

The monk seal colony in the Alonissos Marine National Park in the Northern Sporades, is highly protected. Their breeding zone is off-limits, but if you are very lucky, on rare occasions, they might be spotted from a public boat tour. The fact that they are so infrequently seen makes it all the more exciting if you do spot one.

See the sea turtles

Most sightings of sea turtles (Caretta Caretta) occur from May to October. Females lay their eggs in the sand and then roughly seven to ten weeks later the baby sea turtles make their way down the beach to the sea. For those lucky enough to see them, it is up among the most memorable experience of their lives.

Major nesting sites are monitored and protected, and there are rules to keep humans a safe distance away. For the best chance of spotting them, take a boat trip around Marathonisi (Turtle island) and Laganas Bay on Zakynthos. You might also see them at Argostoli harbour, Kefalonia, and Rethymno and Chania on Crete.   

Taste a Greek speciality

Greek coffee

Try starting the day with a strong Greek coffee and pastry dripping with honey. Typically, coffee is made in a narrow, long-handled copper or brass pot called a briki, and is gently boiled until thick and foamy.

The first one I tasted was certainly a memorable experience as it was extremely strong and the taste stayed on my tongue all day. Tip: Don’t stir it, let the grounds settle on the bottom.

Someone may even offer to read your fortune in the coffee grounds. For example, a bird shape can mean good news or travel, and a square or rectangle might indicate a house purchase. If it is near the rim, it will happen soon.

Mezedes

Greek mezedes (singular: meze) is a memorable experience not to be missed. The selection of savoury dishes are a good introduction to local flavours. A traditional mezedes usually includes olives, stuffed grape leaves (dolamades), fried cheese (saganaki) meatballs (keftedes) and a dip, such as a tzakziki. It’s also a very social experience to share mezedes.

Seafood

Alternatively, you could enjoy that days catch from the sea at a taverna on the water’s edge. And I do mean right on the water’s edge. Time your meal for sunset and you have a very romantic memorable experience.

Try a local speciality

Rather than always ordering what you know, ask to try a local speciality. The waiter may even take you into the kitchen to see what is cooking. On Crete, for example you might be offered Dakos, which is twice baked bread, topped with olive oil, chopped tomatoes, cheese, olives and herbs. 

Not your usual food shop

Market

Food shopping in Greece can be an experience in itself. Markets are incredible. I’ve never seen such a large and colourful array of fruit and vegetables before. Tables are piled high with tomatoes and oranges.

You can also find some unusual produce that you may not have seen before. Such as a long eggplant from Leonidio which is striped in lavender and white. Or, small muddy looking wild hyacinth bulbs, called Volvoi, which are pickled and served as a meze.    

Feta from the barrel

Your local grocery store might have a barrel with feta soaking in it. When you want to buy some, they’ll just pull it out and cut a piece off for you. 

Mastic

Greek mastic is a rare, aromatic resin that comes from the mastic trees on the Greek island of Chios. It dries into brittle droplets called “mastic tears”. When chewed, it goes white and releases a fresh pine forest flavour.

We buy it as a thick white paste (Ypovrichio). Try getting a spoonful, keep dunking it in ice-cold water, and licking it on the spoon. You may also recognise the pine scent in some ice creams and baked goods. Tasting it for the first time is a very memorable experience unique to Greece.

Tasting tours

There are various food and drink tours you can go on. A wine tasting tour on Mykonos, includes a tour of the vineyard and the wine press. Then you get to taste the wine while listening to traditional music.

There are also tours to see olive groves, beekeeping, cheese-making etc. Paying to go on a farm tour experience of any kind helps your local farmer.  You may also want to get involved in picking.

Time to experience Greece

Once you have your own place in Greece, you will be able to spend more time immersing yourself in the local culture, history and natural landscape. And at the end of the day, a delicious meal will be waiting for you at your favourite taverna.

As you eat a fish caught that day, the sun sparkles on the sea and a cat brushes by your chair waiting for a treat. The sunset turns the sky shades of pink and red before disappearing into the sea. And as the sky gets darker more and more stars appear in the sky. In the stillness, all feels well in the world.