ISLES OF GREECE

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Located at a geographical crossroads, Greece is a fascinating blend of the Balkans, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Within this land of rugged beauty, nearly three-quarters of the nation is mountainous and uninhabited with over 2000 islands stretching from the Ionian Sea in the west to the Aegean Sea and Turkey in the east.  Greece has been a seafaring area for millennia; its history is inextricably connected to the sea.

On this very special 15-day journey is designed to explore the islands of Greece and includes a week on a private yacht cruising through the azure waters of the Cyclades that has made island-hopping in this country so delightful.  We will also explore the fascinating volcanic Santorini, history, and Aegina, to see the well-preserved Temple of Aphaia, one of the best-preserved Doric temples in the Greek World.  During the trip, we will see both the celebrated and more remote remains of the many civilizations that have passed across this land. 

ITINERARY:
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner

DAY 1: Depart the USA.

DAY 2: Arrive in Athens and transfer to the ferry to Andros. Upon arrival in Andros, transfer to the Sea Crown, our home for the next six nights.  Our welcome dinner party will be a Greek culinary feast prepared by the ship’s chef. (D) 

DAY 3: The northernmost of the Cyclades, Andros is lush and green with fields divided by distinctive dry-stone walls. Colonized since 1000BC, today it is the holiday isle of choice for prosperous Athenian shipping families. The capital is an elegant town with magnificent Neo-Classical buildings, now summer homes for the wealthy. The Goulandris shipping family has created the excellent Modern Art Museum containing works by modern Greek artists. Walk through this lovely town to the Archaeological Museum, containing the famous Hermes of Ándhros, a fine marble copy of the 4^th-century BC bronze original by Praxiteles. In the afternoon, motor to nearby Tinos with time to explore the lovely town with narrow cobbled streets and whitewashed houses. (B/L)

DAY 4: An early departure takes us to tiny, uninhabited Delos, unquestionably one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. Since 1000 BC, the island has been a center of worship of Apollo and home to the annual Delian Festival with games and music played in the god’s honor. Now an open-air archaeological museum, the sanctuary is noted for its marble ruins, carved statues, and elaborate mosaics – all created and dedicated to Apollo. We will spend the morning exploring the site before continuing on to Mykonos, where we will anchor for the night. Today’s explorations take us to the beautiful island of Mykonos where we will walk through the town’s maze of endless, winding alleys lined with cubic white houses. These labyrinthine streets were needed to disconcert and disorient pirates. Colorful fishing boats in the harbor, basket-laden donkeys, towering windmills and Petros the Pelican all help to preserve the island’s charm. (B/L)

DAY 5: Today’s island is mountainous Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cyclades. There are many places of interest here including the many ancient, abandoned marble quarries, the old Venetian Castle, and the Archeological Museum housed in a home where Nikos Kazantakis, the author of Last Temptation of Christ and Zorba the Greek, studied.  (B/L)

DAY 6:  Paros is an island that long ago boasted an advanced prehistoric civilization. It is famous for its pure white marble slabs that have been sculpted into the renowned Venus de Milo and Napoleon’s Mausoleum in Paris. Walk to the Church of Our Lady of 100 Gates, an imposing 6th century edifice that houses three separate churches, cloisters and a large peaceful courtyard.  (B/L)

DAY 7:  Rich in history and culture, Syros is the capital of the Cycladic islands. Two cities, two worlds — it is here that Orthodoxy meets Catholicism. As we travel among the neo-classical homes that have made >the island famous, we will visit the Theater of Apollo and the Cathedral of St. George, built by the famous architect Ziller. There will also be ample time to enjoy the numerous local restaurants and cafés. (B/L)

DAY 8: We leave the yacht this morning and travel by ferry to Santorini, the southern most island in the Cyclades shaped by geological turbulence that has created its dramatic in appearance.  The island is of striking beauty and character. Visitors sailing into the drowned crater of the volcano are confronted with a fascinating and dramatic spectacle - rising from the sea to a height of almost 1000 feet are the vertical walls of the crater, formed of red volcanic tufa and black basalt. The exquisite whitewashed villages cling to volcanic cliffs above beaches of black sand. In the capital village of Fíra, or Thíra, we will visit the Archaeological Museum and the Mégaron Gýzi Museum, housed in a 17^th century mansion with collections about the island including photographs taken before the devastating 1956 earthquake.  Santoríni’s Pompeii, the Minoan town of Akrotíri has been preserved for millennia under the volcanic ash. There will be time to stroll along the narrow cobbled streets lined with craft shops in the capital city of Firá. Dinner is free. Overnight Aressana Hotel. (B/L)

Crete to see Knossos, Rhodes with its fascinating medieval DAY 9: Time permitting this morning drive to Boutari Winery for wine tasting. The wines of this vintner are renowned throughout the world. Board a ferry to cruise across the aqua waters to the island of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. For 2,000 years, from 2800 BC to 1000 BC, Crete was the center of a brilliant civilization of mythical origin.  According to Homer, Zeus was born here, and his son, Minos, started the Minoan dynasty. Drive to the charming village of Rethymno, and overnight for two nights in the Palazzo Rimondi Hotel, housed in a series of 15^th-century buildings in the heart of the medieval town. Lunch is free. (B/D)

DAY 10: Set against a backdrop of majestic mountains and aquamarine seas, Chaniá is one of Crete’s most appealing cities. Its stately Neo-Classical mansions and massive Venetian fortifications testify to the city’s turbulent and diverse past. The Venetian Fort of Firkás protects the city’s outer harbor. On the other side of the outer harbor, the Mosque of the Janissaries dates back to the Turks in 1645. Behind the mosque is the hilltop quarter of Kastélli, or Kydonia, the Minoan settlement. The Archaeological Museum is housed in the Venetian Church of San Francesco. The day will be spent exploring this city. Dinner is free. (B/L)

DAY 11: The city of Iráklio, or Herakleion, is the island’s largest city.  It was the port for Knossós, and has been under the control of the Romans, Arabs, Venetians, and Turks, and each has left behind spectacular cultural remains.  Remains of the Venetian Arsenal are to be found at the end of the colorful old port along with the 16^th century fortress still bearing the Lion of St. Mark. The city walls are three miles long. Reinforced by seven large bastions, these bulwarks were designed by the man who built the fortifications of Padua and Verona. In the outstanding Iráklion Archaeological Museum, we will view the magnificent finds from the palaces and houses of Knossós and other nearby Minoan cities.  A maze of corridors, passages, 1300 rooms and stairways make up the Palace of Knossós, and although there is controversy concerning the reconstruction done one hundred years ago, the complex illustrates the richness and complexity of the former civilization.  Stunning painted frescoes covered the walls, light wells allowed air circulation, and the royal apartments were adorned with paintings and private bathrooms. In the afternoon, fly to Rhodes, the capital of the Dodecanese Islands, and overnight for the next three nights in the old town. Dinner is free. (B/L)  

DAY 12: Located in a strategic position between Turkey and the Greek mainland, Rhodes has always been an important center. It was part of both the Roman and Byzantine empires before being conquered by the Knights of St. Johan in the 14^th century. The remains of the medieval walled city still dominates Rhodes town. Today’s walking tour will take us through the streets of the Old Town, including the Street of the Knights. Lining the road are the various inns of the Knights. We will visit the Palace of the Grand Masters, the final line of defense and now the home to two permanent exhibitions about ancient and medieval Rhodes. We will see the archaeological collection housed within the grandiose 15^th century Gothic Knights’ hospital. In the afternoon, visit one of Rhodes wineries for a wine tasting. (B/L/D)

DAY 13: Travel to Lindos, where dazzling white houses, Crusader Castle and the Acropolis dramatically perched on a cliff overlooking the sea make this one of Greece’s most outstanding sites. The afternoon is free to explore the more out of the way areas of the Rhodes Town. (B/L)

DAY 14: Early this morning we will fly to Athens and travel by ferry to Aígina, a tiny island 12 miles southwest of the port of Piraeus that has been inhabited for over 4000 years. As the early people flourished, this isle became a prosperous maritime state by the 7^th century BC.  Aígina’s picturesque town is made up of attractive churches and imposing Neo-Classical mansions.  Just outside the town is the 13^th century Byzantine church, Omorfi Ekklisía, containing fine frescoes, and the well-preserved Temple of Aphaia, one of the best-preserved Doric temples in the Greek World.  High on a hilltop, surrounded by pine trees, this impressive two-story temple commands a splendid view over the Aegean Sea. Dine on fresh seafood at a taverna along the harbor before returning to the mainland by ferry. Our final dinner party will be held in an elegant Plaka restaurant. Overnight at the Divani Acropolis Hotel located within walking distance of the Plaka.  (B/L/D)

DAY 15: Transfer to the hotel in time for our flight to the USA. (B)

Breakfast – (B)     Lunch – (L)     Dinner – (D)

TRIP LEADER
Phillip Stanley received an MA in Biblical Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and another in Ancient Greek from the University of California.  He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in the areas of Greek History, Greek Archaeology, and Sumerian Studies. He has been a Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at San Francisco State University for over twenty years.  During that time he has been involved in several overseas study programs and tours.  He has twice served as the academic director for the SFSU Semester in Athens Program and once on the London Semester, and he excavated in Turkey as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley.  In 1997, Dr. Stanley was the academic director for the Fall Semester program in Greece. He is a brilliant teacher with a warm personality, and an ideal leader for this trip.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Register for this Trip

TRIP DATES: No trips currently scheduled

TRIP COSTS:

NOT INCLUDED: Roundtrip international airfare from the United States; passport fees, meals not noted, beverages or food not on regular menus, airport departure taxes, laundry, excess baggage charges and other items of a personal nature.

NOTE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL AIR: We have excellent fares available. Please contact us if you would like for us to research flights for you.

NOTE ABOUT YACHTING: Although we will do everything we can to abide by the stated itinerary, travel by yacht is always based upon the weather. Please be aware that the itinerary is subject to change as necessary to accommodate revised inter-island sailing and flight schedules.

NOTE ABOUT MEALS: The midday meal is the main meal in Greece; it is huge and is served later than our lunch – normally between 2-3 p.m. For most of the itinerary, we include breakfast and lunch and not dinner, as dinner is normally not necessary. 

RESERVATION: A deposit of $500.00 required with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Any cancellation received in writing at least 75 days before the starting date will result in a cancellation fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If you should be unable to complete the tour for any reason, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees. The purchase of travel protection with both trip cancellation and emergency evaluation is strongly recommended.

Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a clothing and equipment list. An information book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites and articles of pertinent interest, will be sent upon receipt of final payment.

"Wine gives strength to weary men"
           Homer

LIMITED TO 17 PARTICIPANTS

Click here for a printable Registration Form.