We have been in Greece for over two weeks now and have done some serious travelling so far.
We are based in Perea, near Thessaloniki, where we rent a small apartment all year round. I am planning on writing a blog post on how this is possible, to have a holiday home in a warm, Mediterranean climate, without necessarily paying top pound for your holidays.
But today, I will introduce you to the island of Andros, one of the beautiful Cycladic islands but less known than Mykonos, the over-touristy and loud one!
Andros, with a rich history and known in the olden days as Micra Anglia(Little England), due to its cosmopolitan and cultured atmosphere, can easily be reached by ferry boat from the port of Rafina, in Athens. We had a pleasant, less than two hours ride and arrived here mid-morning.
We had rented a car in Athens as we wanted to have flexibility of transportation in the capital so our ferry boat journey in, with the car and three passengers, was 82 euro. The island is small and we haven’t used the car since we arrived so if you plan to do a week’s holiday on the island only, I would recommend not renting a car.
The port is small and homely and finding your way around is easy, thanks to visible road signs and the very polite and friendly habitants of the island.
We were immediately in awe of its scenery, as the Greek Cycladic natural beauty is indeed stunning:
We usually choose our accomodation via Booking.com as we are frequent customers and have reached a genius level recently, meaning we have access to discounted rates and better rates.
Hubby did the honours this time and decided to treat us to something extra special and not via Booking. He chose this amazing place in Chora, the very heart of the island, called Eleni’s Mansion, right in the very centre of the town and within walking distance of the beach and local restaurants.
The rates are 100 euro per night, with breakfast but we decided to buy our own delicious cheese and spinach pies from the local bakeries and are paying a reduced rate of 75 euro per night. That is a mere £53/per night for a five-star boutique hotel, not bad in my books!
If you are after a different, luxurious and relaxed stay in the Cyclades, then you need to try this place! The place features high ceilings and original art work, which has been restored to its glory, as you can see from the pictures.
Last night, after a refreshing siesta in the beautiful and naturally cool room(due to its exterior, full height, wooden window blinds and a very clever arichtectural design, which keep the natural air flowing), we took to the town for a leisurely walk and a light dinner.
We loved the easy slopes of the walk that take you from one end of town to another and the cool breeze that seem to bless this part of the island. We spent great quality time together and had a healthy meal of chicken skewers cooked in the grill, a big Greek salad and refreshing tsatsiki in the local psitopolio(fast-food but to Greek standards!) for less than £15!
Emma and daddy are enjoying a day by the sea now while I am trying to catch up with my blogging. I will be joining them for lunch in a minute! They report the beach is sandy, the sea is warm and clean, the sunbeds are plentiful and the unbrellas exotic!
Keep an eye on our Instagram feed for more stunning pictures and a full update of our summer Greek holidays!
How have your summer holidays been so far, can’t wait to read your blog posts too!
Mama's Haven 
E superb!! Ce mult seamana culoarea marii si plajele de acolo cu acestea de aici, din Attiki… (ma refer la ruta Varkiza-Sounio).
Sedere placuta in continuare.
Pup.
Da, Ionela, probabil pentru ca sint relativ aproape una de cealalta, zonele despre care vorbesti.xx
There is something quite amazing about fresh tzatsiki that I absolutely love x
For sure, hubby makes it from scratch and always with the “right” ingredients, and it is divine!xx
You can’t beat a bit if Islsnd hopping! Looks great – we are visiting Rhodes next week and can’t wait!
Louise, hope you have enjoyed Rhodes, I did it as a student, it is absolutely lovely! Yes, our only regret was that we were not able to do Mykonos as well in one go, as we ran out of time!xx
Oh wow, it looks and sounds amazing. I have never been to greece, somthing I need to rectify!
Definitely, Jen :-). Keep an eye on our updates, we will be in this part of the world until late August and we will continue travelling and showing people through my blog how wonderful Greece is!xx
This looks stunning! My other half is part greek his family is from Athens originally, we keep meaning to take the children.
Do, Joanne, it is such an enriching experience for the children especially!xx
Wow what an absolutely amazing looking place, I would love to go to Greece one day. x
I hope you do, Sarah, you will love it!xx
What a stunning place, It looks amazing!
It is a wonderful, relaxed island, Laura, definitely recommend it for a relaxed holiday away from the madding crowds :-)!xx
The scenery is stunning
Isn’t it just, Claire? Thank you for stopping by!xx
Wow, off to check out Instagram now! It looks beautiful and peaceful. Happy holidays x
Hope you have enjoyed our pictures, Steph, wishing you lovely holidays as well, wherever you are this summer!xx
I love that ceiling and those lamps – bet this was a great place to stay.
Helen, I don’t think my photo did it justice! Amazing high ceiling throughout the house, with the initial decoration restored! Amazing place to stay, indeed, I never stopped taking photos while there, lol!xx
Oh wow – totally gorgeous. Greece is somewhere I have always wanted to visit. I hop we get there one day. Kaz x