Images of Greece: A Journey Through the Greek Islands

Words and Photography by Pete Heck

Greece.

When people mention the country I naturally think of big blue skies, vibrant teal waters, and white pearled cities dotting the landscapes. After spending nearly three weeks island hopping and digging into lesser-known spots, I discovered that it’s the sort of place that slowly grips and takes hold of you making you wish you never had to leave. But how do you decide where to go on your trip to Greece and how do you pick an island to travel to? Literally, you can just pick one (there are 6,000+) of them, and you’ll be sure to find something special, and there are good reasons why millions flock to the touristy spots of Mykynos or Santorini each year.

Needless to say these masses of people were not what I was looking for and fortunately there are ways to avoid them: travel in shoulder season, find lesser-visited areas, and book something offbeat, or as I did, find an operator who offers carefully-considered tours that allow you to get a taste of a few islands.

I was looking for an intimate experience without much hassle. Booking with Club Adventures gave me offbeat experiences, but also a loose itinerary to allowed me time to explore on my own. What I wanted from my journey to Greece was to capture the islands through my lens, eat some incredible food and get a better understanding, albeit just a taste of what life was truly like on a number of the Cyclades islands.

This trip was sponsored by Club Adventures, but all opinions, as always, remain my own.

CULTURE, HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION

Wisdom begins in wonder. ~ Socrates

There really is no getting through Greece without happening upon ancient ruins. Whether it’s the Acropolis in Athens, Apollo’s gate in Naxos, or the archeological ruins of Skarkos on the island of Ios, I found myself immersed in ancient civilizations. They drew me in, created an itch to learn more, and offered an understanding of the varied layers that exist throughout the country.

A close up of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece

Columns from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece

View of the Acropolis from Pnyx Hill in Athens

Athens guards kick their legs during the changing of the guard ceremony in Athens

Soldiers march at the “Changing of the Guard” in Athens

A view of Apollo's Temple from the Greek island of Naxos

Sunset at Apollo’s Gate on the island of Naxos.

THE GREEK LANDSCAPE

Greece was a muse. It inspired creativity in magical ways that I can’t even begin to understand or explain. ~ Joe Bonamassa

Unbeknownst to me was the variety of landscapes throughout the islands. White sand beaches against aqua waters, ragged peaks and rolling hills dotted with white orthodox churches, rows upon rows of ancient olive and lemon trees, and sea cliffs that triggered chills down any spine as waves crashed into them far below.

The old port in Santorini

The church built into the mountain on Naxos

A church built into the mountain in Naxos

Mylopotas Beach on Ios Greece

The black sand beaches of Santorini

Santorini, Greece by night

A church on top of the hill in Ios, Greece

A church on top of the island of Ios

The rocky landscape of Ios.

The rocky path that leads to Homer’s tomb

Locks on a fence in Fira, Santorini

View of Ia Santorini

Santorini

GREEK FOOD

There is no sincerer love than the love of food. ~ George Bernard Shaw

If there’s one firm reason to go to Greece (if I haven’t convinced you already), it’s for the food. Olives, fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, cheese, you name it. There’s a reason the Greek diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world. It’s always fresh from the sea or the earth, and it’s been prepared the same way for generations.

Apart from loving every meal I consumed, I particularly appreciated that there’s always yogurt (not the shitty skim milk crap littered on the shelves in North America) with every meal. The full fat, unflavoured, minimal ingredient, as-it-should-be yogurt. They use it for breakfast, lunch, supper, and desserts and I loved it.

A typical Greek salad

Octopus hanging to dry in Santorini

A fish vendor in Santorini, Greece

Fresh fruit stands in Greece

A restaurant on the edge of the bay in Ios, Greece

Enjoy lunch with a view

A dish of stewed octopus

A sample of Meze

THOSE FAMOUS GREECE SUNSETS AND SUNRISES

Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close. ~ John Ruskin

As a photographer, catching a sunset is easy, it’s getting up for sunrise that requires work and dedication.

So it was easy on the last night the group would be together. We grabbed a few bottles of Santorini’s finest Asyrtiko wine and found a terrace to watch the final moments of light from the day. We gathered around and toasted what was an incredible journey. And we weren’t alone. A wedding was celebrated on one side of our restaurant, an engagement on the other. We knew we were somewhere special. And it wasn’t only Santorini. Whether we were atop Lycabetus Hill in Athens, at Apollo’s gate on Naxos, at a lighthouse on the rocky cliffs of Ios, or with the thousands of people lining the terraces of Fira, they always took your breath away.

Light rays shine down at sunset in Santorini

Sunset on Santorini Greece

A pink and purple sky over Naxos during sunrise

Sunrise on Naxos

Golden Sunset in Santorini

During golden hour in Fira, Greece the sun lights up the city

Golden Hour in Santorini

The orange and pinks skies in Santorini during sunset

Pink Skies of Santorini

Pink Skies over Naxos

A couple shares the sunset in Naxos, Greece

Weeks have passed and I’m left dreaming about the Isles of Greece. I recently rewatched the Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown episode on Naxos and reflect on his words:

“The pressures of the outside world I don’t want to think about. I’m on a Greek Island here, it’s a beautiful day, I’m planning on passing out on the beach, snorkeling, you know maybe some water colours, do a little cooking, more napping, eating, napping, contemplate mysteries of the universe, or nap, either one, or eat cheese, all of those are honorable options. I mean that’s vacation to me: staying put and doing nothing.”

Needless to say, I need to get back.

For the trivia nerds here are some fun facts about Greece that I bet you never knew.