We stopped in three ports on the world cruise in Greece; Rhodes, Chania and Zakynthos. The first two days the weather was fantastic sunny and warm and those days it was all about the food and wine.
The last day in Zakynthos the weather was not great it was cold, cloudy and then the heavens opened and it poured down with rain and hail and then we had thunder and lightning. The sun came out when we left the port!
Rhodes
I love Greece and Rhodes did not disappoint me. The last time I was here was over ten years ago, and I went and saw the sights. You must visit the Acropolis of Lindo’s and the Palace of the Grand Masters.
Whilst I was there, we went for a walk through the beautiful old town and had a delicious lunch at ‘Pizanias Kyriakos The Sea Star’ a fantastic restaurant that has your typical Greek dishes of Tzatziki and Greek salad, but their speciality is seafood. They barbeque the fish and it tastes amazing, I had squid stuffed with four kinds of cheese, it was a tasted amazing!
This was more of a local restaurant, as it was hidden away and not on the main street. The prices were not high and they had lovely local wine. I recommend this restaurant and you can find them on Trip Adviser or Facebook.
Chania
The next port was Chania. Chania is on the Island of Crete. It was warm and sunny which was lovely for the beginning of April.
We took the bus from the cruise ship terminal into the old town and we were greeted by the local children dressed up in traditional Greek clothing and performing Greek dances.
We walked through a big indoor market that had lots of shops that sold olives, cheeses, olive oil, soaps and olive oil soap and creams. Then outside to the shopping streets, that had lots of leather goods, souvenirs, clothes and shoes.
We stopped for lunch and had another amazing meal of fried cheese, tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves, pita bread and a mixed grill. Of course, we had some local white wine made on the island. After lunch, we continued to explore the colourful streets.
Zakynthos
On the last day, we went to Zakynthos on the Island of Zante. I went on a tour, so it was a shame about the weather!
Zakynthos has a big Venetian influence and was historically known as the Venice of the South. In 1953 there was an earthquake and fire and most of the town was lost. The town was rebuilt and they tried to preserve as much of the Venetian and Byzantine style.
We started our tour in Solomos Square to see the Church of Saint Nicholas and the Mermaid statue. It started to rain so we moved on.
We travelled into the countryside to visit the Aristeon Olive Oil Factory. They have been making olive oil since 1850. We saw all the old equipment they used in the past and the modern machinery they use today.
We tasted the olive oil they produce and they had some the different types of olive oil mixed with lemon, bitter orange and garlic, interesting to taste.
After the olive oil tasting, we continued into the mountains which looked like we were in Tuscany with the styles of trees and olive trees everywhere.
Next, we visited the Monastery of Anafonitria that is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is the oldest monastery on the island and dates to the 14th century. It was where St. Dionysius the Patron Saint of Zakynthos served as an abbot for most his life until he died in 1624.
At the end of the tour, we went to the village of Bohali to see the panoramic view of Zakynthos, which was spectacular and on a sunny day would have been even better.
We were there on a Monday and most museums and shops were closed.
Essential Info:
- Currency: Euro
- Weather: April 15*C – 20*C
- Tip: Bring an umbrella/rain jacket
You may also enjoy reading about other ports from the world cruise:
STEPPING INTO A FAIRY-TALE IN ALBEROBELLO TRULLI ITALY
A DAY IN PETRA JORDAN THE LOST CITY
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Happy Travels
Love Lucy x
