Frommers ShortCuts - Crete, Greece

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ISBN 9781118196434 (ebk); ISBN 9781118196403 (ebk); ISBN 9781118196397 (ebk)

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About the Authors

John S. Bowman has been a freelance writer and editor for more than 45 years. He specializes in nonfiction ranging from archaeology to zoology, baseball to biography. He first visited Greece in 1956 and has traveled and lived there over the years. He is the author of numerous guides to various regions in Greece; for several decades, his Travellers Guide to Crete was the premier guide to that island. He currently resides in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Sherry Marker majored in classical Greek at Harvard, studied archaeology at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, and did graduate work in ancient history at the University of California at Berkeley. The author of a number of guides to Greece, she has also written for the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and Hampshire Life. When not in Greece, she lives in Massachusetts and London.

Peter Kerasiotis, a native Athenian, currently lives in New York City where he works as a web developer and editor. A newcomer to Frommers, he hopes to continue a career of travel- and screenwriting.

Heidi Sarna is a freelance writer who has crisscrossed the world by ship for nearly 20 years, often with her twin sons and lucky husband in tow. Coauthor of Frommers Cruises & Ports of Call from US and Canadian Homeports and Frommers Singapore Day by Day, she has also contributed to several other guidebooks and writes regular travel columns for Frommers.com and Porthole magazine. Shes written for many magazines, newspapers, and websites, including CNN.com, the International Herald Tribune, Cond Nast Traveller, Brides, the Straits Times, Expat Living, and Travel Weekly.

Frommers Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).

In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:

special finds those places only insiders know about

fun facts details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun

kids best bets for kids, and advice for the whole family

special moments those experiences that memories are made of

overrated places or experiences not worth your time or money

insider tips great ways to save time and money

great values where to get the best deals

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:
AE American Express
DISC Discover
V Visa
DC Diners Club
MC MasterCard

Note About Maps

This guide contains dozens of maps of varying sizes and complexity. If you find it hard to read a map on your device, use the zoom function to enlarge. You can also download and/or printout PDFs of all of the maps in this guide. Go to www.frommers.com/go/ebookmaps and click on the title of your guide.

The Best of The Greek Islands

Greece is, of course, the land of ancient sites and architectural treasuresthe Acropolis in Athens, the amphitheater of Epidaurus, and the reconstructed palace at Knossos among the best known. But Greece is much more: It offers age-old spectacular natural sights, for instancefrom Santorinis caldera to the gray pinnacles of rock of the Meteoraand modern diversions ranging from elegant museums to luxury resorts.

It can be bewildering to plan your trip with so many options vying for your attention. Take us along and well do the work for you. Weve traveled the country extensively and have chosen the very best that Greece has to offer. Weve explored the archaeological sites, visited the museums, inspected the hotels, reviewed the tavernas and ouzeries, and scoped out the beaches. Heres what we consider the best of the best.

Greece

The best Islands

Hydra (Saronic Gulf Islands): Old-timers keep waiting for Hydra, with its handsome stone mansions overlooking a picture-postcard harbor, to be spoiled. After all, even before Mykonos and Santorini, Hydra was one of the first Greek islands to be discovered. So far, so good: Donkeys still outnumber motorcycles, and the day-trippers who blitz through the appealing harborside shops leave at twilight. That means that except in August you can almost always find the table you want at one of Hydras pleasant small restaurants.

Crete: Whether for its rugged mountains or its countless beaches, its ancient remains or its ultramodern hotels, its layered history or its intense people, Crete cannot be denied. It is not just a distinctive Greek islandit is a world unto itself. See .

Santorini (Cyclades): This is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular islands in the world. The streets of Fira and Ia are carved into the face of a high cliff, overlooking the circular caldera left by an ancient volcanic eruption and now filled with the deep-blue waters of the Aegean. The site of Akrotiri offers a unique glimpse into life in a Minoan city, frozen in time by the eruption 3,600 years ago. Be sure to find out if this spectacular site, which was partly closed to the public at press time, has completely reopened when you visit. Add to this the Fira nightlife scene, and youll see why this is one of the most popular (and overcrowded) summer vacation spots in the Aegean.