"UNEXPLORED" ISLANDS OF GREECE

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Like a modern-day Odysseus, we will soon be meandering through the islands of Greece though we won’t be “lost” and hopefully the only mythical creatures we’ll encounter will offer us drinks as we lounge on the deck of the M/V Panorama while we sail beneath blue azure skies.

Going over the Variety Cruises “Unexplored Greece” itinerary for our 8-day adventure is fascinating and here is a quick look at what awaits us in June.

Athens

We’ll spend two days in the city, staying at the Herodian Hotel, a short walk from the Acropolis. We take a group tour of the Acropolis the next day and a walking food tour on the second day, before heading to Piraeus where the ship is docked.

HERODION HOTEL, ATHENS

Day 1

CAPE SOUNION (TEMPLE OF POSEIDON) 

Temple of Poseidon

To the ancient Greeks Poseidon was the protector of all seafarers. His temple at Cape Sounion had a clear view of all the sailing lanes to and from Piraeus and off the coast we linger for a welcome dinner with the Panorama crew before sailing overnight to Ikaria.

 

Day 2

IKARIA

The ship will sail overnight to reach Ikaria and our first swim stop at Seychelles Beach. Mythology has it this is where Icarus fell to his death on Ikaria after flying too close to the sun when the wings his father Daedalus fashioned to escape King Minos on Crete melted. In real life Ikaria is considered a Blue Zone where people here live as much as ten years longer than anywhere else in Greece, the island’s unhurried pace a contributing factor.

After our swim we’ll take an optional tour of the island’s thermal springs. We stay overnight in the port before sailing to the next island in the morning. 

Seychelles Beach, Ikaria

Perhaps, before we leave Ikaria we’ll have a chance to sample an Ikariotissa microbrewery lager or porter, or, a wine from Afianes.  

AFIANES WINES, IKARIA

IKARIA GUIDE

IKARIOTISAA BEER, IKARIA 

Day 3

PATMOS

A visit to the Cave of the Apocalypse is included with our Variety Cruises package.

St. John, one of the 12 disciples was exiled to Patmos by the Romans and he wrote the Book of Revelations here. The cave and the Monastery of St. John the Divine are considered very sacred Christian sites and in 1999 UNESCO declared them World Heritage Sites.

Patmos

Sadly, we won't have time to quell our fears over the ends of days while on Patmos because it's only a three hour stop before we sail for Lipsi.

 

LIPSI

There is a type of grape grown on Lipsi called Fokiana. The €42 pp charge for the excursion to visit the Nico Grylli Winery to sample their wines seems well worth the expense, especially because it includes Meze, Greece's version of tapas.

One wine they produce is a sweet red wine called Aposperiti. We'll get to have more Aposperiti back on the Panorama. 

We are overnight at Lipsi and if we like the wine enough we can stroll through the main town to sample more! 

Lipsi

NICO GRYLLI WINERY LIPSI

LIPSI GUIDE 

Day 4

KALYMNOS

Lipsi and Kalymnos are part of the Dodecanese, the eastern most Greek islands and we'll be closer to Turkey than mainland Greece.

After Kos and Rhodes, which is about 2 1/2 hours away by sea, Kalymnos is the third most populated island and is famous for the divers who harvest sea sponges.

On our optional excursion we will tour the town of Pothia and learn about the sponge industry, from harvesting to market and we will have plenty of time to explore the island, or simply relax over a coffee!

Kalymnos sponges at the market

KALYMNOS

Day 5

LEVITHA

Just a single family lives on this island and they run a restaurant that caters to visiting yachts.

Variety recommends we have a lunch of freshly grilled fish there before sailing on to Amorgos.

YACHT ADVICE 

AMORGOS

We get a tour of the port town of Katapola on Amorgos and we are then served a "Baked Raki" at a local coffee shop. 

Raki is a Turkish spirit, similar to Ouzo, but the baked version is native to Amorgos as the raki is mixed with sugar and spices.

We are overnight on Amorgos and who's to say we won't drain their Baked Raki supply?

 

AMORGOS

AMORGOS GUIDE

Day 6 

KOUFONISIA 

Before we sail away from Amorgos, there is an optional tour of the Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary Chozoviotissa. 

Moastery of the Virgin Mary, Amorgos

The white-washed monastery is carved into a cliff. I don't think we'll get any baked raki at the end of the tour, but we have already signed up for the excursion. 

We have a swim stop at Koufonisia. The island is just south of the larger and more well-known island, Naxos. Koufonisia is popular for aquatic activities like swimming in tidepools and caves that are only accessible by boat. We'll have an opportunity to jump off the Panorama to swim, snorkel or paddleboard for a while before moving on to Iraklia.

Koufonisia

KOUFONISIA GUIDE

IRAKLIA 

Natura 2000 is a European Union body that has set up special areas of conversation areas and approximately 28% of Greek land and 20% of her marine areas is under its purview. Natura 2000 helps prevent the extinction of numerous plant and animal species and contributing to the overall ecological health of the region. 

the beach at Agios Georgios

We will have the day to ourselves, whether we decide to just relax or go for a hike in the unspoiled natural beauty of Iraklia, so far we are undecided. Here's a hint of what we're going to do. There is a beach at Agios Georgios the port on Iraklia.

We are overnight there.  

IRAKLIA GUIDE

Day 7

SERIFOS

Our last island on the Variety Cruises portion of our trip is Serifos. The company is offering another optional excursion and our guide will take us to explore the island and visit whitewashed churches and walk the narrow alleys of the Chora the capital. 

Now Serifos relies on tourism and some agriculture, but there was a time when mining the iron deposits drove the economy. The mines closed in the 1960s and we'll get to learn more of this history on the tour. But, the best part of this excursion will be the wine we are served at the end. 

Serifos

In the afternoon we sail back to Piraeus, where we are overnight before disembarking. 

SERIFOS GUIDE 

Day 8

WAIT! THERE'S MORE - HYDRA

After breakfast and good-byes on the Panorama, we need to grab a taxi to make the 10 a.m. Blue Star Ferry to Hydra. I mean, who wants to go home? 

Donkey ubers

On Hydra we are staying at the Phaedra Hotel for 5 nights. This idyllic island does not allow cars and donkeys or horses are the only means of transportation. We'll let you know how that works out. 

BLUE STAR FERRIES GREECE

PHAEDRA HOTEL HYDRA 

Thanks for reading. 

Love Janet and greg

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj

THE POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKING IN GREECE

WINE NOT?

Greece, a reason to drink

If you’re going to drink wine, Greece is the right place. Earliest evidence of wine producing has been dated to 6,500 years ago. They must have gotten it right by now!

They created the god Dionysus to celebrate the positive drinking aspects of wine. He was not only the god of wine, but of ecstasy. The Romans held Greek wine in high regard and Bacchus became their version of the Greek deity. Their followers were the goat-footed satyrs and Maenads, wild women who danced energetically during his festivals.

I mean, you can’t get more positive than that!!!

TERROIRS GALORE 

Maenads galore

Not to get into the minutiae of the wines of Greece, but there are around 200 vine varieties throughout the country, from the northern reaches of Thrace, to the Peloponnese and Ionian Islands to the Aegean Islands to Crete. From crisp whites to complex reds there are bottles for everyone in this diverse wine loving country.

Janet is happy.

PINING FOR MORE

One type of wine we’ll try, but more than likely will avoid in Greece is Retsina. Although considered a part of Greek culture, the infusion of pine resin gives these whites a unique (or barely palatable) flavor.

Why?

You would think that with all the vineyards throughout Greece pine resin would not be tolerated, but the tradition stems from ancient times when amphorae were plugged with pine resin to prevent oxygen from spoiling the wine. Glass is impermeable. Retsina is an acquired taste. I’m holding out for Xinomavro, a complex red comparable to an Italian Barolo, or an Agiorgitiko, a full-bodied red comparable to a Merlot.

BEER HERE

Greece may be famous for her wine, but beer has been produced there since 2,000 BC and today there is a thriving microbrewery culture with something close to 100 breweries scattered across the mainland and islands.

Again, not to get into the minutiae of beer swilling here is a great list of beers from Greece: GREEK BEER LISTING

OKAY OUZO TOO

This anise flavored aperitif is popular all over the world and will probably be found on every table in Greece. Similar to the Italian sambuca, it is best served cold on ice.

There will be plenty of positive drinking soirees while in Greece to keep my lovely Maenad Janet and this satyr happy.

No drinking and driving, not even a donkey.

Thanks for reading

Love Janet and greg

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj

WELCOME TO GREECE

TANLINES v TEMPLES

M/V Panorama

In June Janet and I are returning to Greece. This is a second trip there for both of us, though our first visits were way before we conjoined our lives.

Mine was in 1984 where I got away cheap with meager but charming rooms in pensions in towns like Sitia and Agios Nikolaos on Crete or Fira on Santorini for about $11.00 pd. (Showers cost another dollar).

Janet’s trip to Greece was more recent, but still more than 20 years ago. Her trip also included visits to Crete and Santorini, as well as Rhodes and Mykonos, among others.

Between our two trips we saw a lot of the popular sites of Greece, but this time we’re going small, although the prices now are much higher.

LET’S GET SMALL

There are several ways to enjoy Greece. Like millions of yearly tourists, there is the allure of the country’s rich history and her fantastic mythology, but equally captivating are her warm seas and the beautiful islands that dot the azure waters of the Aegean Sea. 

M/V Panorama

We will be sailing with Variety Cruises, a Greek-based small ship company, aboard their three-masted M/V Panorama on a tour they call “Unexplored Greece”. Our eight-day journey has us stopping at several islands in the Cyclades with one more island, Kalymnos, in the Dodecanese. No Santorini, or Rhodes or Mykonos on this trip, but places we’ve never heard of before like Ikaria and Patmos and Kalymnos where they are famous for harvesting sea sponges. With plenty of swimming and relaxing in the sun this will be a great trip, as long as we don’t run into Polyphemus or Circe.

We will be sailing on the M/V Panorama, which is the same ship we sailed with along the Pacific Ocean coasts of Costa Rica and Panama 6 years ago. The Panorama has room for 40 passengers. When we first sailed the crew of 18 outnumbered the 16 passengers.

As repeat customers we get a slight discount, and a room upgrade, and checking their website they are offering further discounts for last minute customers.

VARIETY CRUISES UNEXPLORED GREECE 

IT'S GREEK TO ME

We have a direct flight from Philadelphia to Athens and we’re staying in much more expensive places than my last visit to the capital. Of course, Janet has arranged everything, from hotels before and after our sailing adventure, rides to and from the airport, and the ferry we will need to take to reach Hydra, yet another island after our sailing excursion. She’s even arranged a tour of the Acropolis and a food tour in Athens and our hotel on Hyrdra, though she hasn’t quite worked out the details about renting a donkey to get us to the hotel there. There are no cars allowed on Hydra, only donkeys.

She makes the arrangements, and I hand her my credit card. Let me tell you the sticker shock was much steeper than my last visit. 

NO LONGER DRACHMAS

Greece is now a part of the EU and has used the Euro since 2001. To give you a quick idea of the costs,1 Greek Drachma (GRD) is equal to approximately 0.0029347 Euros (€).  Our two-day stay in Athens will cost us $1,288.99, our 5-day stay on Hydra will cost us $1,095 and our last hotel near the airport before we travel home is $334.71 give or take 50,000 Drachmas or so.

GREEK HOSPITALITY

Perhaps that is why the Greek spirit of hospitality is still a deeply ingrained attitude to strangers and visitors? Money talks, but Filoxenia is the essence of Greek hospitality and generosity of her people.

Stemming from the country’s mythology when Zeus and Hermes decided to kick around on Earth incognito and were rebuffed by many until a poor elderly couple honored them by taking them in and feeding them (and were rewarded by the gods for their kindness), Filoxenia to this day is a fundamental aspect of Greek culture.

The Euro helps too, but the Greeks are a warm welcoming people.

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2026 by Gregory Dunaj