Number Of Travelers:
2
Travel Duration:
10 days
Reason For Travel:
To Get Engaged
The island’s beauty has been waxed lyrical over the years, fully earning the epithet “kalliste” (the most beautiful). Along with “Strogili”, this was one of the former names lent to the island over its troubled history–one full of battles and conquers, of a tragic eruption, and a blossoming renaissance, events that haven’t altered Santorini’s charm but that undoubtedly scarred it.
Together with the inhabited Therasia and five other smaller islands, Thera (Santorini’s Greek name) belongs to the namesake archipelago, which is the vestige of a volcanic caldera. Places of unspoiled nature and postcard-like views, the islands are reachable by boat and bear the original appeal of the old-fashioned Santorini.
The main island is split further into picturesque villages masterly painted in dazzling blue and white hues, outlining the holiday resort’s multi-faceted personality and its extraordinary variety of landscapes.
Trip Highlights:
Landmarks
- Park Guell
- La Sagrada Familia
- Acropolis
Excursions
- Santorini Catamaran Cruise
- Montserrat Tour
- Wine Tasting
- Mythological Tour in Athens
- Private Food Tour of Athens
- La Sagrada Familia Tour
Key Cities
- Barcelona
- Santorini
- Athens
Athens’ heyday was around 400 years BC, that’s when most of the classical monuments were built. During the Byzantine and Turkish periods the city decayed into just an insignificant little village, only to become the capital of the newly-liberated Greece in 1833. Ahead of the 2004 Olympics, almost the entire infrastructure was transformed: the Metro, trams, new ring roads and viaducts have eased the pressure of heavy traffic.
Athens is still a rather messy and chaotic place — it wouldn’t be Athens otherwise — and despite all the improvements still retains a great deal of its original charm. The whole coastal stretch from Piraeus to the old Hellenikon airport has been improved with new plantings, viaducts and paths for walking. The Plaka district is becoming more and more popular and it is on the way to catching up with Psyrri, Gazi and Rouf when it comes to restaurants and cafes. Discover the beauties of the Anafiotika district, at the feet of the Acropolis, and visit the ancient village still housed in the midst of the city. In Exarchia, there is a somewhat in-your-face anarchic atmosphere around the Technical University. Meanwhile, Kolonaki is becoming more and more gentrified.
Like many other cities in the Mediterranean, Barcelona was founded by the Romans. The original settlement, called Barcino, was a small port located in the same spot as today’s cathedral. The town was overshadowed by Tarragona, the capital of the province. Both the Visigoths and the Moors invaded Barcelona; however, their influence was not as important to the future of the city as the arrival of the Franks in the late 9th century. It was at that point that Barcelona and Catalonia started shaping their own identity, different from the rest of Spain.
This is most apparent in the language – Spanish, or Castilian, has many Arabic words, while Catalan has many French words instead. So Catalan is not a Spanish dialect, but a language in its own right, related to other Romance languages.
Barcelona’s history is seen everywhere in the city. The oldest areas are located by the sea, including the shopping enclave Barri Gotic. On the other side of the main boulevard, La Rambla, lies the legendary Raval district. Until the 1980s, this was the slum area, home to the city’s own Chinatown (Barrio Chino) and the red light district. Today, designer shops and cafés have moved in. Further north is the fashionable Eixample neighbourhood, an area created as a result of the 19th-century expansion of the city.
Download our free, in-depth pdf guide for up-to-date tourist and general information on Barcelona, including the best places to stay, where to eat, drink, and party, as well as main attractions and must-have experiences in the Catalonian capital.
