Taking a little break from Costa Rica this week to bring you some extra content from my trip to Santorini!
On our last day in Greece, on the island of Santorini, Carolina and I decided to explore one last area. The Akrotiri peninsula includes a few nice highlights that are worth the bus ride down for part of the day.
We went to the red beach and to the Venetian Castle of Akrotiri. Both of these were free to visit. We had the option to also visit the Akrotiri Museum but we opted not to. Sometimes there are certain highlights that I choose to pass up on trips especially when they cost money. The fee and not feeling enthusiastic enough about the museum turned us away.
Otherwise we had a nice visit to Akrotiri before we departed for our next adventure in Sweden and Norway!
The Drake Bay Hiking Trail is one of the best hikes I’ve ever been on! I saw giant bamboo, pretty flowers, white-faced monkeys, and so much more!
This hike was hot, sweaty, and wet—possibly more wet than you’d expect with a treacherous river crossing included! But San Josecito beach is the payoff. It’s considered one of the best beaches on the entire Osa Peninsula. The calmer waters here make taking a dip a complete delight.
From the amazing plants and silly monkeys to the dense jungle and sandy beaches, this trail is packed with a variety of sights, sounds, and something for nature lovers and animal lovers alike!
My first 2 days in Costa Rica were all about driving the 6+ hours to Drake Bay. Of course, I had to stop along the way to see some of what the west coast of Costa Rica had to offer.
These highlights turned out to be a great introduction for what was to come. From spotting my first bit of wildlife to sunset views and a waterfall—I was already living the Pura Vida life!
People warned getting out to Drake Bay would mean encountering bad roads possibly unfit for a simple car. But I managed to get there with no problem and enjoy the views along the way. I hope you, too, enjoy what I share as my Costa Rica adventure begins!
My 14-night trip around Costa Rica was everything I needed and more. And I only spent about $1550 total for it all!
By using points to cover the flights and most of the car rental, I was left with spending money only on gas, accommodation, food, and fun!
In this cost breakdown, I reveal how I searched for the best deals and locked in some of my best experiences at the best prices possible during Costa Rica’s “slack” season in May.
I only planned to be in Oslo, Norway for 2 nights. Then my COVID-19 test remained positive and 2-nights turned into 5!
I had to find things to do that were not only predominantly outdoors and socially distant but also low budget—just in case my travel insurance didn’t come through for me on this occasion (it did!).
Anyway, what I learned is that Oslo is a small, fairly quiet city and it has some really special features and experiences that make it stand out.
I had an awesome time exploring everything from its outdoor sculptures to parks and waterways. Check out this post for my list of low-budget highlights in the beautiful city of Oslo!
For the last week I’ve been traveling solo for the first time in nearly 4.5 years.
I am in Costa Rica!
I heard so much about this country from other traveles that I moved it to the top of my list. And now here we are!
I can’t wait to share all about this trip with your after I am back.
For now, here is a photo diary with just a sampling of my first few days in Costa Rica! More to come in a few weeks!
As one of Norway’s three most spectacular hikes, Trolltunga easily made it to my top 5 hikes of all time. The hike met my standards in terms of length, challenge, and interesting terrain.
The views, especially at the “Troll’s Tongue,” are what made this out and back hike move right onto my favorite hikes list.
The hike from the village of Skjeggedal requires some pre-booking and planning especially depending on the time of year and extent of the challenge that you want. That way, if you happen to go, you can choose the best way for you to enjoy this hike’s spectacular Norwegian landscapes.
We began our road trip into Norway after picking up Carolina's coughing, sniffling child in Stockholm (lol). We were on our way but stopped for a night at a friend's place in Kopparburg, Sweden and at a park before crossing the border north of Oslo.
In this post, I cover the major highlights we saw as we made our way from the Oslo area out to the Bergen area and back over 7 days.
From roadside views with multiple waterfalls to the longest tunnel in the world, Norway is a great country to take a road trip.
Carolina and I had time to kill in Stockholm for a day as we waited for her daughter to arrive from Italy. After recovering from our red eye flight from Greece with a car garage nap, we wandered the streets and did a little self-guided landmark and art museum sight-seeing.
We were on our own and pretty aimless until we met up with an old friend of mine. Giles took us around to a few of the more interesting spots including a sunken warship museum with a funny backstory.
This top 10 must-see’s include some typical stops but also some unexpected ones, like where to find Stockholm’s legendary stone face crying over—you’d never guess it—a sculpted vulva! Keep reading to find out more about our 24 hours in Stockholm!
As an adventure traveler, I am always trying to sniff out the next activity that is a bit off-the-beaten path and perhaps a little daring. I initially expected to have a pretty typical, touristy time in Santorini—but then I discovered something unexpected!
I anticipated from photos of Santorini that my short 3-day stay would consist only of sunset views, resort culture, wineries, restaurants, and nightlife. As I looked deeper, I found there was more to Santorini than meets the eye.
Turns out, the Santorini island group is made up of the most historically destructive volcanic activity in the world! And I just had to get a closer look.
For our last few days in Greece, our visit to Santorini forced us to take it up a notch in terms of food prices and dinner views. Our eating experience was different from our time in Crete mainly because it was so centered around getting the best seats for sunset.
I managed to find ways to balance out the price of our view-centered dinners. Alas, we could not have experienced the best of what Santorini had to offer without recommendations from our villa stay host. We ended up taking up several of his suggestions and they were all excellent.
The best part was the last night when I finally got to eat one, single vegetable that he insisted we must not miss: a Santorini cucumber.
Wow. 2022 was actually really good to me! I don't think that is going to be a very popular statement to make, but it is true.
Despite anti-LGBTQ legislation like we've never seen before, ongoing violence against minority groups, a war in Ukraine, and so much else going wrong in the world, yes—2022 is in stark contrast to the last few years for me.
The vaccine, the boosters, and COVID-19 becoming just "a part of life" really opened up opportunities for me this year in the ways of travel, work, fun, and friendships. Everything really took off for me in some of the best and most unexpected ways.
From traveling overseas again to a work-related connection to New Zealand, I am happy to report this mostly positive reflection on my year.
The first activity I did after arriving to Santorini was go on the only hike worth taking—from Fira to Oia. This is an iconic hike and by far my favorite part of my time there. I believe it was the best way to introduce myself to this Greek island I’d seen only in pictures.
I strolled between white-washed Cyclades-style buildings with the sunken caldera to my left and sun beaming overhead. I also took a side trek to an outcropping called Skaros Rock near the town of Imerovigli.
In addition to tips for what to expect, I share plenty of photos of the architecture in the towns and views along the rim of the caldera overlooking the Santorini islands.
As I am preparing to write about my days in Santorini last summer in Greece, I was motivated to write this quick post summarizing the highlights from my time in Crete.
There were 7 major experiences I had that were the best of the best. I wrote in depth about each location, which you can click to read more about at the links provided. This post provides a nice overview—a quick guide, if you will!
Next time I visit, I would like to see more toward the center and Eastern side of Crete but I know I would definitely revisit several of these experiences. If you have the opportunity to go to Crete, do not miss the following!
I knew Crete had hiking. But I didn’t know Crete had a hiking experience that would make it to my top 5 list!
Samariá boasts a difficult, steep, downhill hike that levels off through an absolutely stunning gorge. The views of Crete’s White Mountains on the bus ride there and the hike down only add to the overall experience. The scenery is unique and varied throughout Samariá. As a national park, there are amenities and clean water the whole way that make it as comfortable and safe as possible, too.
I had very few expectations about this hike except that I was afraid it would be too much of a touristy experience for me. Having to take a bus tour there did not sit with my independent, adventurous style. But I listened to other hikers advice and did it a different way from my usual standard—and it paid off! This hike was perfection from start to finish!
I absolutely love Greek food. For 6 years, I lived near Ditmars Boulevard and Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens, a major Greek neighborhood of New York City. In that neighborhood are many traditional Greek restaurants, serving up delicious fresh seafood and souvlaki. Outside of my graduate school in Manhattan, there was a Mediterranean-style food truck that I would often go to for my lunch break—tzatziki sauce, anyone?
I fell in love with this cuisine back then and now I was going to experience it while visiting the country where it came from. The food was absolutely a top reason why I chose Greece as my destination this past summer.
Crete has its own special Greek foods as well as the traditional style found all over the country. From homemade Mediterranean breakfast spreads to the dish of the day at local tavernas, Crete was an amazing food experience all around.
I try to dive at least once in every location I visit in the world. Crete gave me the opportunity to dive the Mediterranean Sea for the first time!
Crete is known for its various caves, both on land and under the surface. I decided to dive two of the less commonly visited caves while in Chania.
While another group of divers in the area messed up our experience of one cave, I really enjoyed diving Seal Cave which was the longest cave I’ve ever been in!
I found another one of my top favorite locations in the world while in Crete. Balos Beach is definitely up there in my top 5 somewhere. The reason is clear, as you’ve already caught the main photo on this post!
The dreamy views of the Balos lagoon and surrounding islands alone are amazing. Swimming in these magical waters was incredible. But what made this experience top notch was exploring the surrounding landscape.
From a private little snorkel spot to sea salt-infused rocky tidal pools, I really loved our full day spent at Balos Beach. We stayed until all the tourists cleared out to catch a totally natural sunset view which made this an especially unique experience.
Sometimes I randomly pick adventures to go on without doing much research in advance. This has it’s benefits and its drawbacks!
The first adventure Carolina and I went on outside of Chania was one of these unresearched occasions. I thought we would go on a short, meandering hike to a beautiful, ocean chasm for a nice swim on a hot day. In reality, it was a sun-soaked and complicated path down to unknowingly treacherous waters!
While this hike to Katholiko Bay had some difficult twists and dramatic turns, I still can’t wait to share all the beautiful scenery, the ancient ruins, the cool caves, and the turquoise waters we encountered. In the end, I highly recommend this hike but definitely pay attention to some of the lessons I learned!
Chania is a new favorite city of mine and its all because of its area called Old Town. I had the perfect Airbnb location in the center of the Jewish quarter of Old Town. This put me right in the middle of an incredible mix of historic architecture and modern tourism.
From the crumbling ruins to the colorful painted alleyways, I was utterly enchanted by Old Town. Walking the streets alone was a magical experience. Add in a charming, Greek local who I heard open up his restaurant each morning, an Egyptian lighthouse reflecting off the waters of a Venetian harbor, and some furry friends and you have a total package of an experience.
I have so much to share with you in this post. There’s so many photos that I hope capture at least a small percentage of the feeling of this place! Enjoy!
