We already see the end of the tunnel, the de-escalation allows us to start making plans and we share some trips that we hope to be able to take when all this is over. Nikos Chrysoloras is the Brussels bureau chief of Bloomberg. When this is all over, he will set out on a slow journey to his home through some of the most beautiful and least known parts of Greece .
Longing for home after having found every possible excuse to leave it is the archetype of Greekness. “Nothing is sweeter than fatherland and fathers,” says Ulysses in The Odyssey, and yet he spent the better part of his life wandering the world. Millions of those born in the same lands followed in his footsteps. Greece is a nation of emigrants, with a thriving diaspora whose members always dream of returning, but most don’t.
What to do in Athens
Athens, Greece.
In mid-March, when the Greek government began to impose the lockdown, it prohibited access to both ski resorts and beaches. Not many places in the world have the option to prevent people from skiing and swimming at the same time. While Greece enjoys the longest coastline in the European Union and one of the longest in the world, any trip must begin in Athens .
In the center of the old city there is a square that personifies my country perhaps more than any island or beach. It’s called Monastiraki, where, along with a cocktail on the roof of some bar with 360º views, you can see the Parthenon overlooking an Ottoman mosque, a Byzantine church, an ancient Roman market, a 19th century train station, the old town ancient Athens and today’s chaotic flea market. It is the weight of millennia packed into the space of a single apple.
Old town neighborhoods of Thisseio and Plaka.
After a stroll through the old town neighborhoods of Thisseio and Plaka , and the necessary visit to the Acropolis hill and its wonderful museum, you’ll want to enjoy fresh fish at the Michelin-starred restaurant Varoulko. If the catch of the day includes mullet, ask for it. We Greeks consider it the king of fish dishes.
The experience will make you want to explore more of the endless Athenian waterfront, so if you have a second day, rent a car and drive to the majestic Cape Sounion to swim below the cliff of the Temple of Poseidon. The sunset there is what I would call “deep Greece”, and the hour-long drive will be worth it.
A trip to the south
There is no better way to start exploring the natural beauty of the peninsula than from the Costa Navarino resort. It’s a large property near Kalamata International Airport, including everything from world-class golf courses to olive groves and vineyards. My stay at the five-star hotel Romanos. A few years ago it was dreamy. A heavenly breakfast offered everything you could imagine including some of the best jams I have ever tasted. At lunch and dinner, its restaurants serve fresh wine produced on the estate and what is probably the most expensive (and tastiest) souvlaki in the world. 
Costa Navarino resort, Greece.
Near Costa Navarino there is a beach, or should I say the beach. It’s called Voidokoilia. (Just Google her pictures, and you’ll instantly start dreaming about her for your next vacation.) Its perfect semi-circular shape is what sets it apart from most beaches you’ve seen. The sandy paradise is a short drive from Costa Navarino, but the roads in the Peloponnese are not great, so I advise renting a comfortable car.
He would continue the road trip to the east, with a stop at the Mani Peninsula , the most rugged Greek landscape. It is a mountainous terrain with stone-built villages and very narrow paths leading to pebble beaches. This area is the land of the ancient Spartans, as defiant a people as history suggests.
Town of Areopolis, Greece.
You can stay in the picturesque town of Areopolis , with its alleys planted with bougainvillea and stone houses. There are many restaurants there, but beware of places that seem made for tourists. Or you can choose the wonderful seaside resort 100 Rizes , where I stayed last summer and highly recommend. It is secluded, with a private beach and easy access to wonderful little beaches all around it. Hike to rugged Cape Tainaron , the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula. The myth says that these were the gates of the underworld, there is a lighthouse. On the way back, don’t forget to stop and swim at Halikia pebble beach, where you really have to try the seafood (including “shrimp saganaki”) with ouzo at the tavern called 7 Adelfia.
A route through history
To the east we continue, towards the fortress city of Monemvasia . Accessible only to pedestrians from a single door, its medieval alleys are full of mystery and wonder, like a set the producers of Game of Thrones should have worn. When I visited, I stayed at Kinsterna , a restored Byzantine mansion that is a true gem of Greek tourism. Surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, it is an ideal place to see where the medieval lords lived. Enjoy rooms that are reminiscent of (and probably were) wineries, but somehow pleasant, swim in the wonderful pools and relax in the spa just a short distance from the sea.
Historic town of Dimitsana, Greece.
On the way back to Athens, I would make a short detour to stop at the historic town of Dimitsana in central Peloponnese. Like my country, I am half islander, half mountain, and Dimitsana is my mother’s hometown. It is one of the most characteristic specimens of the mountainous side of Greece, unjustifiably ignored by tourists . Surrounded by coniferous trees, you can enjoy the unspoiled traditional stone architecture and walk in the beautiful forests and nearby villages of the area.
