Island hoppin' in Greece: The Aegean (part 3)

liloandstitch (37)in #travel • 7 years ago (edited)

Hi Global Friends!

This last part of our island hoppin’ adventures across the western Aegean concludes with our unforgettable visit to

Icaria

Being the first time, but definitely not the last, that we visited the island together, we were truly surprised by the authentic nature of the Icarian lifestyle. Being a manifestation of the Greek culture, Icaria is a place where people live simple yet fulfilling lives close to nature and each other. That is something that can only be truly understood by the people who have seen for themselves the laid back, positive attitude that people adopt in their interactions, and the compelling natural landscape that ranges from rocky mountains to golden beaches and iconic rivers.

We were lucky enough to have managed to organise this trip with a group of close friends, who all came together from various destinations throughout Greece. Being a group of 9 people, we wanted to get as close to the locals as possible, as we always seek to do in our travels. This led us to book an AirBnB apartment somewhere in the island where we were hosted by a mother and her two daughters. To be honest, although we had little interaction, it was always more than satisfying to get back home after a long day to get some rest where the smell of freshly made food is spread and children are having fun in the backyard…. Always reminds me of a “home away from home”.

(this is our crew!)

A few tips for the island:

It is BIG – so use a car to get around and make sure to leave plenty of days to explore the whole of the island.
It is cheap and alternative – so do not bring too much money and do not flash your GUCCI bag around because most likely you will “have a tomato thrown on your face” as the Greeks say.
It is Greek – so get prepared and open your horizons for you will be forced to immerse yourself into the local tradition and dances, and also probably make plans for a good diet after your visit as we can guarantee you that you are going to LOVE the food!
It is occasionally windy! – and we are not saying this to push you away, but rather to make you aware of the strong sea currents that are evident around the periphery of the island. A few people have been dragged by such currents out in open sea, and so you always need to be a bit more cautious than usual!

Make sure to visit the famous beaches of “Mesakti”, “Seichelles” and “Nas”, where you can see for yourselves an almost fake-like paradise of golden sand and crystal clear waters!
(Nas)

(Mesakti)

(Seichelles)

And for the night time, I am sure that you will find some good “panigiria” at the time you visit (although beginning to mid-August is the time mostly famous for this sort of traditional parties) where you can get involved in a variety of old traditional customs that people have adopted to enjoy themselves.