A honeymoon is the long exhale following months of meticulous planning and wedding stress, a chance to take a deep breath and enjoy some hard-earned sunshine and relaxation. While some couples may opt for a more dialed back honeymoon, my wife, Em, and I knew we wanted our honeymoon to be the trip of a lifetime. We sought something that we would always look back on and immediately be filled with memories of feeling the sun on our skin, the beautiful landscapes, and the taste of the amazing fresh food. When it was time for us to decide on a location that could live up to the hype, there was no clearer option than the Greek Isles.
Greece is a popular travel destination, in part due to its beautiful landscapes, and amazing food, but also because of its historical and cultural significance. The Cyclades, located southeast of the Greek mainland in the Aegean Sea, are home to international travel icons such as Mykonos and Santorini. Meaning “encircling islands,” for the rough shape the islands find themselves in around the sacred island of Delos, the Cyclades offered the perfect opportunity to enjoy a variety of locales in one trip.
Given the proximity of the islands, we knew that we would be island hopping. Each location is incredibly varied, so deciding which islands we would hit was no easy choice. For our honeymoon, we decided to do a 9-day trip that included three days in Santorini, three days in Ios, and three days in Naxos before our friends joined us in Mykonos. By far the easiest way to get around is to book a ferry between the islands. Most of our trips ended up taking less than an hour! Our travel plan was to fly into Santorini, take a ferry to Ios on day four, take a ferry to Naxos on day seven, and a ferry to Mykonos on day nine.
Santorini Sunsets Sunsets Sunsets
Santorini is probably the most famous of all the Greek islands. Known for its incomparable sunsets and natural beauty, the island’s traditional villages are all seemingly precariously perched on the edge of the Caldera, offering incredible views of the deep blue hues of the Mediterranean from all angles. If you’ve ever seen pictures of blue-domed churches, whitewashed buildings with vibrant purple bougainvillea flowers overhanging paved marble alleys, there is a good chance it was Santorini! It was the perfect place to start the honeymoon, soak in the unparalleled beauty and relax.
When deciding where to stay on the island, we were between three good options: Oia to the north, the capital of Fira, centrally located, or Imerovigli, located north of Fira. Oia is the busiest and most expensive of the three but boasts the best sunset views. Fira is the travel and entertainment hub, offering easy transportation to the rest of the island as well as the most shops, restaurants, and clubs. Imerovigli is located at the highest point on the caldera and is quieter than the other two locations. Imerovigli offers a more intimate and private experience, but within walking distance to Fira. Any option would have been amazing, but in the end, having some privacy while still having everything close to us whilst being on the high point of the island made Imerovigili the winner.
Imerovigli is known for having some of the best hotels on the island, and we were lucky to stay at the Abyssanto Suites. A classic boutique hotel, Abyssanto Suites offers private plunge pools, insane Caldera views, and an amazing homemade Greek breakfast delivered to our private suite each morning. The Abyssanto staff made sure to help us to answer all inquiries about the island, and although we decided to keep the focus of Santorini on relaxing, offered great recommendations on how to best experience the island. Such experiences included a popular catamaran tour of the island’s best beaches which concluded with a boat barbecue while watching the sunset.
Over the course of the three days on the island, in-between drinking Santorini Crazy Donkey beers and getting some sun, we spent our time hanging out in Imerovigli, exploring the beautiful village of Fira, watching the sunset in Oia, and searching for the best gyro and Greek salad that Greece had to offer. Imerovigli was everything we were promised. Tucked away at the peak of the island, the view from our hotel was insane. Images of the sunset are still burned into my memory.
Having the village so close to Fira was a huge benefit because it allowed us to venture out for some excitement but come home to some tranquility. A walking route connects all the major villages on the island, and the trip from Imerovigli to Fira only took about 20 minutes. Once in Fira, you can eat and drink, and shop to your heart’s desire. Just please don’t ride the donkeys.
While some people walk to Oia from Fira, the trip can take a few hours, and the temperatures when we were in Greece were consistently in the high nineties, which did not meet the vibe for this part of the trip. This meant when it came time to head to Oia for dinner and to watch the sunset, we used our hotel’s transportation. Oia is a sight to behold and the sunset is incredible, but be prepared to share the experience with thousands of other people. We were glad we went to visit Oia but also glad we didn’t stay in the village for our honeymoon.
When it came time to leave, we took a short trip to the port and hopped on a ferry. Next up, beautiful Ios.
Sunshine, Sand, and Ancient Tombs
Ios may be an unfamiliar name for most, but it is visited by thousands of European vacationers each year and should not be overlooked. This island has everything you could ask for – from incredible beaches and historical sights to fantastic restaurants and a very lively nightlife. Ios is very similar to another popular Cyclades island, Mykonos, sharing many of the same key characteristics. This comparison isn’t wrong, aside from the key difference that Ios is significantly more affordable. Coming from the Santorini, we knew we’d be ready to hit the beach and float in the Med, and Ios was the perfect next stop on our journey north.
When deciding where to stay in Ios for our honeymoon, it was between the Chora (Greek for “town”, often used as the name of the island’s main town) or on Mylopotas Beach. The Chora is the island’s hub, where we could find all the best bars, clubs, and shops, with easy access to the various beaches and attractions. Mylopotas Beach is probably Ios’ best beach, boasting over half a mile of gorgeous sandy views and crystal-clear waters. The beach is largely organized, and offers access to scuba and windsurfing, in addition to amazing swimming and snorkeling. Located a short 20 min walk from Chora, it harbors some of the best hotels on the island and provides many amazing restaurants and beach bars to compete with Chora’s nightlife. After seeing some pictures of the beach, it was a no-brainer.
We ended up staying at the Ios Palace Hotel and could not have been happier with our stay. A 4-star luxury hotel Ios Palace is perched on the northern edge of the beach. The hotel offers a gorgeous view overlooking the aquamarine Mylopotas inlet, boasts two lovely saltwater pools, and of course, provides an amazing homemade Greek breakfast each morning. The hotel restaurant and bar served us some of the best food we had all trip, including my wife’s favorite greek salad. It was the perfect spot for our honeymoon.
For this leg of the honeymoon, our first day was spent laying in the sun, drinking frozen daiquiris from a man who spoke over ten languages, swimming in the impossibly clear sea, and wondering why so many of the other vacationers who were staying at the hostel down the beach were repping NBA jerseys. The night was spent having a romantic authentic Greek dinner and walking the beach under the pale light of the moon.
The second day continued where the first left off until it was time to walk to the Chora. We first detoured to the local amphitheater, which was built recently but in the traditional Greek style. From there, we walked the narrowed marble streets of the village, venturing down the beautiful alleys and bopping into the quaint little shops. While exploring the town, we quickly understood that the rash of NBA fans were actually visitors to the Chora’s nightclubs, which offered the promise of jerseys for the small price of downing seven shots in an hour. We quickly came to realize the reputation of Ios being an incredible party destination was well deserved!
On the third day, with ambitions of exploring the island more thoroughly, we needed some wheels. While many visitors use the island’s public transit to get around, we opted for something a little more fun and fitting for a honeymoon: an ATV! What would go on to be a staple of our Greek travel, the ATV offered us the flexibility to go and do as we please. We set off to explore and passed through olive groves as well as bronze age ruins as we ventured to the northern tip of the island. Out final destination was the tomb of the legendary Homer.
Homer, known for writing both the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems considered to be the foundational works of ancient Greek literature, was buried on Ios, which is said to be the home of his mother.
After paying our respects to the literary titan, we hit the secluded Plakoto beach, interrupting a nude yiayia on her morning swim in the process. We spent a few minutes to cool off and admire the beautiful, pebbly beach, before we traveled back to Chora to eat one of my favorite gyros at Yummy. Once full, we finally headed home to enjoy our final hours on the island. Like most islands, Ios is fairly hilly, which made for a lovely ride. The drive was an adventure of its own. As a disclaimer, I grew up riding quads, so if you’re new to driving, use precaution and only do what you’re comfortable with. That said, if you’re looking to add a little more adventure to your trip, we recommend getting your own set of wheels to explore at your pace. What’s a honeymoon without some adventure?
The next day, we hopped another ferry toward our next island paradise, the largest island in the Cyclades, Naxos
The Most Underrated Honeymoon Island Ever? Ask Zeus
When we were researching our potential island destinations, we saw that Naxos was perfectly located between Ios and Mykonos, where we’d be meeting our friends, which made it the ideal last stop on our honeymoon. Nothing more was known about this island. It almost seemed to exist in obscurity, hidden in the shadow of its neighboring Greek islands. After a little more digging, we quickly realized this could potentially be the favorite island of the three!
Naxos is the largest island in all the Cyclades and arguably the most beautiful, due in part to its size, which allows for greener flora to take root. While all the islands boast gorgeous beaches and beautiful craggy rock landscapes, Naxos can honestly be called lush. Nestled between imposing mountains are fertile green valleys, with picturesque rural villages. Heavily influence by Venetian and Byzantine culture, these traditional white villages are sprinkled across the otherwise green landscape. Needless to say, we were excited to explore this underrated island.
We decided to stay near the Chora at Hotel Grotta, one of the top-rated hotels on the island. This unassuming family-owned hotel was perfect for our stay, offering unparalleled views of the ocean and the famous Portara, the remaining gate of an ancient Greek temple meant to honor Apollo. The staff was beyond friendly and truly amplified the experience. Like all our stays, breakfast was included, but this homemade Mama’s breakfast was beyond comparison and our favorite of the trip. When we inevitably return to Naxos, we will be staying at Hotel Grotta once again.
As the ferry approached Naxos, we were immediately greeted with views of the Portara, before docking in the port. Chora is much larger than the other towns we had seen thus far, with the imposing Venetian castle located at the top of the town. Located directly on the water, Naxos town has a beautiful waterscape, with amazing restaurants, shops, and bars located directly on the harbor’s edge. From there the town expands upward. The now-familiar tight alleys and paths connected to form a beautiful labyrinth.
Before we explored the town, we met our hotel transport at the marina and then walked out to the Portara to take some incredible photos, just as the sun was retreating into the sea. The ancient doorway acts as a standing frame and lends itself to the most picturesque sunsets, there is no better time to visit. Given the size of the island, we knew we’d want an ATV for the duration of our stay and secured a ride our first day. We generally used paper maps when getting around the various islands, but it should be noted that for Naxos we used our phones, largely because the island is so large! We ended the night at the water’s edge, feasting on a sun-dried octopus.
The next morning, we left early heading to the heart of the island, Mt. Zas. Located about a 30-minute drive away, Mt. Zas, named for the Olympia Zeus who is said to have grown up in a cave on its slope, is the highest point on the island as well as the entire Cyclades. The trek is a popular excursion, with multiple starting points. We began from the Saint Marina Holy Chapel, driving through several local villages along the way. The hike is a moderate difficulty, littered with rock cairns to guide the way to the summit.
After a small elevation change, the trail largely melts into the mountainside, with the peak being the guidepost for much of the hike. Once we summited, we were welcomed with views of the entire island and were able to truly understand the beauty of the countryside. Beyond the land, we had a full view of the other islands, floating before the blue horizon. It’s said that on a clear day you could even see Turkey!
After the hike, we continued north to Apiranthos, known as the marble village. While many of the villages on the island are beautiful, Apiranthos is especially favored for its strong Venetian influences and marble stonework. The village, built on the foothill of a small mountain, owes much of its design to the natural Naxian marble that has long been quarried from the island, which the streets and buildings happily adorned. We explored the village, eating the local fare and perusing the local shops, all while taking in the sights before heading home back to Chora for the evening.
On our final full day in Naxos, we wanted to explore some of the beaches and began by heading south to Alyko beach. Alyko is special for being a protected national park, adorned with a unique cedar forest among soft white dunes. All of this stretches into the typical crystal blue water, creating an exotic contrasting backdrop. The exotic landscape is largely unorganized, so be prepared to bring your beach supplies. The uniqueness of Alyko beach made it one of our favorites of the trip.
After spending most of the day at Alyko, we left for another popular beach, the expansive Plaka Beach, detouring quickly to stop at the temple of Demeter first. Once at Plaka, we understood why it was one of the favorites on the island. Extended as far as you can see, the beach was perfect for swimming and relaxing. We grabbed a few beach chairs, and waded into the sea, enjoying the water without any waves to speak of. It was a fitting last stop on our honeymoon. We ended the day with a nightcap in Chora before packing up for our next leg of the trip, where we’d meet our friends in Mykonos.
Looking back at our honeymoon, I can honestly say it was the trip of a lifetime. Each island was unique and offered different attributes that contributed to making our trip so extraordinary. Santorini was the perfect starting location and truly set the tone for the rest of the trip. Ios elevated the vibe and amplified the relaxation, while Naxos was beyond anything we had hoped for, offering a variety of experiences that could cater to any and all desires. Of all the trips we’ve been on – no trip comes close to being as special, memorable, or impactful as our trip to Greece was for us. No matter what type of honeymoon you decide to undertake, strive for a trip that will leave an impression, where simply looking at photos transports you back to that moment in time. You won’t regret it.
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