10 Reasons To Visit The Greek Islands, Like Now.

The Greek Islands are just the jackpot of Instagrammable destinations really, with their beautiful white buildings and snazzy pops of colour. And they’re everything you dream about when you picture going away on holiday, from the infinity pools to the exquisite food. So really, it’s no surprise that I completely adored my time there back in June.

I was on a cruise so although I didn’t get to spend a lot of time exploring, I did get to visit Santorini and Mykonos which are both ridiculously dreamy. And because I really enjoyed my time there, I decided to convince you to visit this gorgeous part of world too. Although honestly I’m kinda thinking it’s not going to be all that difficult…

10 Reasons To Visit The Greek Islands

1) The Insanely Good Food

Oh sweet baby cheesus, the food. Of course this was going to be the first thing I tell you about, the greedy little gremlin that I am. I had two lunches in Greece, and both were incredible. The first was in Santorini at a cute little kebab shop where Josh tucked into a Lamb Kofta and I had a go at an authentic Greek salad. And it was epic. The olives are so salty and delicious in Greece!

The second was in Mykonos and was a selection of chicken and vegetarian souvlaki at a place called Souvlaki Story. I was so gluttonous and ordered so much food that they had to serve it on a tray instead of a plate… But it was easily one of the best meals I’ve had on my travels. SO GOOD. I’d literally go back just for that. No jokes.

2) The White Walls and Blue Domes Of Santorini

Ahhhh Santorini. It’s just the dream isn’t it?

And it’s so much more chilled out than I thought it would be, totally quiet and relaxed. The gorgeous white-washed buildings and blue domes definitely add to this laid back vibe I think, you just feel so zen here. And wandering around this place makes you want to never put your camera down! It’s so pretty and photogenic, buddy!

Reason enough to visit? YEP.

3) The Colourful Lanes Of Mykonos

But hey, don’t forget about Mykonos! The pops of colour from the balconies and banisters really give this place character and you can easily get lost wandering the lanes. Especially with cute shops around every corner and glorious hanging flowers everywhere.

Again, such a photogenic part of the world, I loved just exploring this gorgeous island.

4) The Gelato Is Crazy Good

I mean, let’s get down to business and discuss the real thing you consider when booking a trip: the gelato.

I had three scoops from varying styles of establishment at varying prices but all three were exceptional. So I’ve come to the conclusion that gelato is just fantastic on the Greek Islands.

My personal fave was this scoop of BUENO flavoured gelato from a place called Davinci in Mykonos. YES I JUST SAID BUENO. AS IN KINDER BUENO. It was better than sex.

5) Infinity Pools. That is all.

Ok I didn’t exactly get to experience the infinity pools first hand because of the lack of time and all. But every photo you take of Santorini’s impressive skyline includes little rectangles of bright blue infinity pool goodness piercing through the white buildings. I definitely need to go back to try one of those bad boys out.

Infinity pool + Greek beers + Santorini sunsets = best holiday ever.

6) The Hiking Opportunities Are A++

I loved exploring both of the islands on foot and it really highlighted to me what a great place this would be to visit if you like to hike. In Santorini in particular we walked 20,000 steps from Fira along the winding paths and could have kept going all the way to Oia (if it wasn’t for that pesky cruise ship we needed to get back on to).

Just to summarise, Santorini life in my eyes is basically a morning walk, looking a trinkets in the market, a big Greek lunch, tanning by the infinity pool and watching the sunset with a beer. Perfect.

7) The Colour Of The Sea

It’s fucking beautiful. That’s all I have to say on the matter.

8) The Ancient History

Now with my limited cruise stop time frame on these gorgeous Greek Islands, I can’t say I had much time to actually explore the historic sites. But there are certainly a lot of them!

Mykonos in particular has 4 archaeological sites on the island, the most popular being Delos island. This island just off of the coast of Mykonos is the mythological birthplace of Apollo and is teeming with ancient ruins such as markets, temples and an amphitheatre. Looks pretty cool if you have more time.

I did get a chance to see the famous windmills from the 16th century though. They’re pretty neat and have a good view of Mykonos Town and the marina.

9) The Animals Roaming Around

Something I just love about Greece in general is that they seem to love animals. In Santorini I saw so many cute cats roaming the place and in Mykonos there were lots of dogs just hanging out on the stoops of their houses. And they all looked really healthy and well looked after, not the strays you see in some other countries.

If you’re not an animal-lover this probably sounds like a strange reason to visit a country. But for me, it just made me love the Greek Islands even more.

10) The Sunsets Though.

Santorini sunsets are famed for being epic and they honestly didn’t disappoint. And luckily the sunsets in Mykonos are just as beautiful. I mean, yeah, sunsets are gorgeous everywhere. But here, there’s something magical about watching the sun set over the horizon, reflecting off the sea and silhouetting the mountains…

CAN SOMEONE JUST SEND ME BACK ALREADY?!

There you have it kids, the reasons I totally heart the Greek Islands. I absolutely need to spend more time here though and I’m already planning my return!

Are the Greek Islands on your bucketlist?

Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @HeelsInBackpack!