Greece

The Perfect Itinerary for 5 Relaxing Days in Chania, Crete!

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Chania, Crete.

This summer’s Mediterranean vacay brought us back to Greece,this time to the stunning islands of Crete and Naxos, followed by a one-night stay in Athens. Crete and Naxos were both new islands for us, and we absolutely loved them. In this post, we’re sharing highlights from our five-day stay in Crete – though honestly, five days wasn’t nearly enough. We’re already read to go back! This post details what we did in Chania over five days and how you can recreate our trip for yourself!

A very beautiful welcome to Crete.

A postcard-perfect welcome to beautiful Chania.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND DINNER IN THE OLD VENETIAN PORT

Our first day in Crete was an exhausting one, as we arrived in Athens direct from JFK in the early morning and transferred a few hours later to Aegean Airlines for a 1 hour flight to Chania, Crete. While tiring, our transit and arrival was pretty seamless and we spent about two hours in Athen’s Skyserv domestic lounge (it’s just OK). We finally arrived in Chania in the late afternoon, taxied to our hotel, Domes Zeen Chania (which is GREAT!), and promptly took a nap. Luckily, Domes Zeen Chania is super nice and comfortable – separate review coming soon.

Our private pool at Domes Zeen Chania.

Our private pool at Domes Zeen Chania.

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Airport Lounge Review: Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge, Athens, Greece

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Flying out of Athens International Airport.

Dan and I visited the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge in Athens International, Hall A, when we flew from Athens, Greece to New York on Delta in July 2025. This post reviews our time in the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge, which we found to be a perfectly serviceable lounge. There was decent space, fast WiFi, and the food was surprisingly decent. That being said, it is worth a stop only if you have extra time before your flight (in other words, don’t arrive early for it).

Arriving at the Athens International Airport.

Arriving at the Athens International Airport.

Before jumping into the post, this post reviews the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge located in the Non-Schengen area (i.e., international flights out of Europe). There is another lounge of the same name located in the Schengen area, which we visited on this trip AND back in 2021. The Non-Schengen location, which is the subject of this post, is nicer than that in the Schengen area. I would also note that we accessed the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge with our Priority Pass, and this lounge looks completely different than the pictures shown on the Priority Pass website…in a good way.

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Wine Tasting in Embonas, Rhodes!

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A wine town in the mountains of Rhodes, Greece probably does not come to mind when thinking of this beachey destination just of the coast of Turkey. However, there is such a town, named Embonas, in the mountains about an hour outside Rhodes Town. Embonas is famous for its wine and grilled meats! Its also a small town and an easy way to spend a morning or afternoon on Rhodes. We planned a morning wine tasting in Embonas on our recent trip to Greece!

Wine Tasting in Embonas, Rhodes!

I guess this means winery in Greek!

As Embonas is located about an hour from Rhodes Town, on some very twisty roads, we hired a driver to drive us around and stop at wineries that the driver had picked out and reserved in advance. This was super helpful, because we would not have known where to start.  Information online is…sparse at best. We left Rhodes Town around 9:30, stopping for some fantastic coastal pictures en route, and ended up at our first winery about 30 minutes later (outside of Embonas).

Leaving Rhodes Town and driving to Embonas. This is a view point en route.

Leaving Rhodes Town and driving to Embonas. This is a view point en route.

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A Day Trip to Symi, Greece from Rhodes!

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While in Rhodes, Dan and I took a day trip from Rhodes to neighboring Symi Island, as it was ranked as one of the top “things to do” on Rhodes. All, in, it was a good day trip, but I’m not sure its worth the time if you only have a few days on Rhodes. The day trip to Symi is better suited for those spending a full week on Rhodes, IMO. That being said, I did find Symi stunning and would love to return for a few quiet days of relaxation.

Arriving in Symi.

Arriving in Symi via boat from Rhodes.

WHAT IS SYMI ISLAND?

Symi Island is a tiiiiiny Greek island 25 miles from Rhodes, very close to the Turkish coast. A visit to Symi a popular day trip from Rhodes, due to the islands’ proximity. Despite being neighbors, Symi Island has a totally different feel than Rhodes, being much, much smaller and more Italian than Turkish feeling. While Symi almost exclusively a tourist island now, Symi has historically been known for sponge diving. It’s also well known for its tiny Symi shrimp.

The Monastery on Symi.

The Monastery on Symi.

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