Euro Summer was one of those things that I had always watched from afar. As someone who has enjoyed traveling to parts of Africa, Asia, South America, and the Carribbean, Europe had been de-prioritized on my travel bucket list. My trip to Montengero this past April was the first time in five years that I stepped foot on the continent, despite taking about 2-3 international trips a year since then. But when a friend reached out expressing interest in heading to Europe this summer, I figured why not. So here’s a recap and review of my trip to the Greek islands of Crete and Mykonos. We also concluded our trip with a stop in Dubrovnik, Croatia but I’ll share details about that in separate post.
Why Greece
The only constraints on our trip was that my friend had a wedding in Ireland the weekend of July 20th, which she planned on making her last stop on her Euro tour. Given the weather and attractions in Ireland, we weren’t going to make that a part of our itinerary. Instead, we pooled together a list of our bucket list destinations. I had places like Portugal and Greece on my list and she had places like Croatia and the South of France on hers. We met in the middle with the decision to visit both Greece and Croatia. I heard and saw a lot of hype surrounding the experience of Black women in Mykonos, so naturally I had that island at the top of my list. My friend who had previously been to Greece with family, didn’t get the full party experience of Mykonos so she was interested in going back as well as visiting Crete, an island she didn’t get to make it to due to a ferry strike that left them without transportation at the last minute. With all of that considered we settled on Crete, Mykonos, and Dubrovnik as the cities for our European summer tour.
The Logistics
Entry Requirements
With a US Passport you don’t need any additional visas (for now) so the process of entering Greece was pretty straightforward. We flew into the Heraklion International Airport airport in Crete with a layover in Paris. Since Paris was our first point of entry into the EU we went through customs there and once we got to Crete headed straight to baggage claim. An important reminder for those who forget or are not familiar with travel through Paris: you will have to go through TSA security again on your layover. For that reason be mindful of the amount of liquids you travel with because it will have to all fit in a quart-sized bag. Even though you’re able to fly out of the US with unlimited travel-sized liquids, this is not the case in Paris so consider packing most of your non-essential liquids in your checked bags. (I packed all my makeup and some of my skincare in checked baggage for that reason.)
Transportation
Crete and Mykonos were very different when it came to transportation so I will break down how we got around on each island as well as how we got from one island to the other.
Crete: There is no Uber available on the island so taxi is the typical method of getting around. For this reason, you will need to have cash on hand upon arrival. (There is a currency exchange and an ATM at the Heraklion airport) The island of Crete is very large and the cost of a taxi will depend on your destination. There is a standard map of the island along with pricing (pictured below) for how much you’ll be charged to get from the airport to your destination. Our hotel was located in Panormos which was about halfway through the island from the airport. It took about 40-50 minutes to drive from the airport to our hotel in Panormos.
Crete to Mykonos: We took a ferry to get from Crete to Mykonos. The 8 am ferry departed from Heraklion port so we left our hotel at around 5:45 to allot 50 minutes for a drive back that would get us there in time for the 7 am boarding time. When we arrived, we checked in at the SeaJet check-in counter and received our tickets with seating. I want to note that the ferry attendants were particular about having guests sit in their assigned seats, especially at the boarding point in Crete because it was essentially a full ferry. Unfortunately, even though we checked in for the ferry at the same time we were not seated next to each other. For that reason, if you’re traveling with others I’d suggest buying tickets altogether under a single reservation to ensure you’ll be seated together.
Once you board the ferry, you place your baggage on the floors below the seating area. This can be pretty chaotic and there is no one watching your bags during the ride so be sure to take a picture of your bags. I even suggest keeping airtags in them as an extra precaution. Several minutes before your stop the crew will announce the upcoming stop and ask you to prepare to leave. You must be down on the deck before the ferry docks because there is a very short window of time for people to get on and off the ferry. Overall the journey was smooth, but note that it took about 5 hours to get from Crete to Mykonos by ferry (and the ferry we took was apparently one of the faster ones.)
Mykonos: Uber is available in Mykonos as well as traditional taxi so we used both methods of transportation to get around. However, the law in Mykonos requires a 36 euro minimum for each ride regardless of the true cost of the trip. Because Mykonos is a small island and we stayed in a pretty central location, this meant we often paid 36 euros for an Uber that might have been 25 euros by traditional taxi. This was the main drawback of taking Ubers in Mykonos so it’s important to keep that in mind. Late at night it was possible to get a traditional taxi but this was less reliable as the night went on. Additionally, keep in mind that much of the Mykonos main town is not accessible by car, so taxis and Ubers will do drop-offs and pick-ups as close to the town as they can get but you’ll likely have to walk a bit to meet them. For that reason, I highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes that you can actually walk in for nights out.
Where I Stayed
Crete: In Crete I stayed at the Royal Senses Resort & Spa, located in the Panormos section of the island. The resort houses a 5-star hotel, a few restaurants (one of which is a Michelin star restaurant), a wine bar, a salt water swimming pool, an award-winning spa, and more. I was drawn to the look and feel of the hotel when I saw it on the American Express Platinum Card Travel Portal. I initially booked the Deluxe Room with a private pool and sea view but was upgraded to a Royal Senses Villa, also with a private pool and sea view. I honestly don’t have many substantive critiques about the hotel. My small call-outs would be that this isn’t an adults-only resort. In fact, there were many kids at the resort at the time we visited. Also, the room service/ in-room dining menu wasn’t spectacular. I also want to note that the hotel is in a fairly quiet part of the island with not much to do around that area. This might be the type of place you stay to get a few days of resort living before going to a different part of the island to see Crete’s main attractions. If we wanted to go to Crete’s main beaches or the town of Chania, it would have taken us 2.5 hours one way from our hotel to get there. Due to our limited time in Crete we opted not to do that so I guess we’ll have to go back and get the full experience some other time!
Mykonos: In Mykonos I stayed at the Faos Exclusive Suites. I booked a 4 night stay in the Deluxe Suite for a total of € 1,114.10. I’d rate the stay at this hotel a 5 out of 10. It wasn’t where we would have picked but hotels in Mykonos book up fast so it is advised to book months in advance. We waited until a few weeks out so we weren’t left with too many options. The pictures make the rooms appear much brighter and cleaner than they actually are, and because each room is sort of like villa style accommodations, it is very easy for bugs to enter (and they did!)
What I Did on My Trip to Crete & Mykonos
Day 1: Arrival & Evening at the Hotel
- Evening arrival in Crete, hotel check-in at the Royal Senses Hotel, and room service for dinner
Day 2: Crete Resort Chilling
- Leisurely day spent enjoying hotel amenities. I grabbed breakfast at the on site restaurant, then spent the afternoon at the saltwater pool before heading back to the villa to enjoy my room’s private pool. We took golden hour sunset photos in front of the hotel’s entrance before getting dinner at Mitato one of the hotel’s reservation-required restaurants.
Day 3: Crete to Mykonos Travel Day & Night Out
- We spent the first half of the day on a ferry from Crete to Mykonos. Upon arrival we were supposed to do a quick change and head out to a MYK Boat Club Party but ran late and unfortunately missed that boat. So instead we walked around and grabbed drinks at an ocean-front bar before heading home and prepping for a night out at Tabu and Negrita Bar (which was more like a nightclub by the time we went.)
Day 4: Mykonos Private Yacht Day
- We spent the morning sleeping in before we got picked up for a sunset ride on a private yacht that we booked through Viator. I was too tired to go out that night and honestly felt no need to try to add on to what already felt like a pretty good day so I stayed in for the night.
Day 5: AM Exploring & Mykonos Beach Club Day
- I got up early in the morning to head into Mykonos town to see the “sights” of Mykonos (spoiler alert: there aren’t too many). I stopped by the WIndmills of Mykonos to take some pictures before having a seaside breakfast at Kastro’s. In the afternoon we got changed and headed out to a lunch at Nammos Beach club before hopping over to SantAnna Beach club where we met some guys who invited us on their yacht. We spent time on the yacht for the remainder of the evening before calling it a night and heading back to the hotel.
INSERT PICTURE AT WINDMILLS OF MYKONOS
Day 6: Mykonos Shopping & Night Out
- For our last day in Mykonos we headed back to Nammos to purchase some items we had window shopped from the previous day after brunch at Nammos Beach Club. After picking up my dream wishlist bag from Dior, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for an evening dinner at Spilia Restaurant/beach club. When we got there we enjoyed some drinks downstairs at the beach club party, which was jumping, to our surprise, before grabbing dinner upstairs. After dinner we headed over to Scorpio’s for some dancing until midnight when it shut down. I have to note that getting out of Scorpio’s was a nightmare. There was an incredible amount of traffic and I’m pretty sure it took us an hour to get picked up by our assigned Uber. If you head to Scorpio’s, and plan on grabbing an uber back, I’d suggest leaving before the parties shut down so that you’re not stuck in the mayhem.
Day 7: Mykonos to Dubrovnik Travel Day
- Unfortunately due to transportation schedules between Mykonos and Dubrovnik, we spent a whole day getting from one city/country to the other. There were no direct flights out of Mykonos to Dubrovnik so we opted to head to Athens, a city with more flights to catch another flight to Dubrovnik. We booked our self transfer flight via Volotea, flying from Mykonos to Athens and then Athens to Dubrovnik. We landed in Dubrovnik at about 10 pm so needless to say we went to out hotel and slept.
What I would Have Done If I Had More Time (recommendations)
Our original itinerary had some deviations so I’ll also share some things we received recommendations for but didn’t end up getting to do.
- MYK Boat Club Party: We initially bought tickets to attend this boat party in Mykonos. Every ticket type includes unlimited drinks, flavored mojitos, regular mojitos, long drinks (Vodka, Rum, Gin), soft drinks and more. Unfortunately we missed it because we arrived late (the boat leaves ON TIME!) Truthfully, I don’t think this boat party would have been my vibe so I’m not too bummed that we missed it but if you check out the site and like what you see, feel free to consider it for your trip.
- Mykonian Spiti Cooking Class: On most trips out of the country I like to participate in a cooking class. I believe food is one of the best ways to learn more about a culture. I had booked a cooking class with Mykonian Spiti which I had heard great reviews about but unfortunately, they informed me that because I was the only one who booked for that session, they would like to reschedule me. I did not have any additional free time on the trip to reschedule the booking so they agreed to refund the booking. While I’m disappointed I could not partake in this class, I’m sure it would have been a great experience and encourage you to look into it if you are interested.
- ATV riding: ATV riding is a popular activity in Mykonos and having ridden an ATV for the first time a few months back while in Montenegro, I know that it’s an activity that I enjoy. Consider looking into ATV riding while in Mykonos if it’s usually an enjoyable activity for you.
Overall, Mykonos didn’t seem like the type of place that has too much going on. Outside of a couple of activities, it really seems like a destination for either relaxing or partying.
How I Felt
Safety: I didn’t expect safety to be a concern in Mykonos and it wasn’t. We had a fine time getting around and because it’s a party island, many people are out late so walking around at night does not feel as dangerous as it might be at other destinations.
Language: Because it is a popular tourist island, we were able to get around speaking English. However, some people knew more English than others. I’d say overall with the exeception of one Uber driver who we had a language barrier with, English was sufficient to get around Mykonos and Crete.
As a Black Woman: I took this trip along with 2 other Black women and I don’t think I have any particular notes about how being a Black woman impacted my experience on this trip. I didn’t experience any blatant racism or hostility but I also didn;t experience any overwhelming love or fetishization. There were many times men made advances towards me but often times those men were visiting from out of town (ahem Italy ahem—we might have to go back there in 2025 😉 )
Would I Return to Greece Again?
Compared to other countries I’ve visited, I don’t think I feel an overwhelming sense of the feeling that I need to return to Greece. There isn’t anything that absolutely repels me and I’m sure if I went back I would enjoy other quieter islands like Milos, Paros, and Naxos. I also do wish we got to explore more of Crete. But considering how much I enjoyed places like Cuba and Zanzibar (both of which are places I would love to return to in the future) Greece doesn’t quite make it to that level. For one, Mykonos is incredibly expensive—I’m talking “50 euros for a plate of pasta at a beach club” expensive. Second, Mykonos seems symbolic of an era of my life that I’m slowly exiting: the party era. If I’m going to get down on a good party trip, I’d want it to be on the African continent, with music and people that make me feel at home. I don’t regret going at all and I think everyone should experience the euphoria that comes from sunbathing on a yacht in the middle of the Meditteranean Sea, but now that I’ve done it, it’s time to move on to the next.
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Psalm 139: 8
