1 night – August 2019 with Lynn’s parents
For these ‘quick trip’ locations, we were only able to spend a day or two there, but we really enjoyed them. In many cases, we easily could have spent more time in that spot.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We do not want to make a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-do’ experiences since we know it depends on your personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites.
Take a step back in time to the 11th century when the Eastern Orthodox monks were in search of ultimate isolation. They found these unique stone formations that were virtually inaccessible and managed to build 6 Monasteries cut into the rock over the next several centuries. The word meteora literally means “suspended in the air” and it is easy to understand how this place got its name.
This was one of the stops on our “Heritage Tour of Greece,” an opportunity for the kids to get to know more about their grandfather’s homeland. Before Meteora, we savored Crete with friends and reminisced in Thessaloniki and Halkidiki with Lynn’s parents. After Meteora, we said goodbye to the grandparents and hello to beautiful Skopelos.
Overview
We have been to Greece many times over the years, but because Meteora is a bit out of the way, we were never able to incorporate it into one of our trips. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site that only requires a day and is well worth the visit. Not only are the buildings amazing, and crazy to think about how they could have possibly been built so long ago, but they are set in a natural area that is inspiring and beautiful on its own. We had done some reading and learned that the sunsets were particularly moving, so we elected to stay overnight.
There are 6 monasteries in Meteora. Varlaam and Great Meteoron are the most popular with spectacular views. Then, there is St. Stephens (the one we went to), the Holy Trinity (used in the James Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’), Roussan Nunnery, and St. Nikolas. They all have varying open hours.
There are lots of tour groups heading to Meteora, both from Athens and from Thessaloniki. We elected to drive there ourselves to be on our own schedule (rather than taking a bus) but then booked a 4-hour sunset tour with Visit Meteora for when we arrived. This tour was the perfect glimpse into the area. We started with a short walk to look at another unique structure of the area, the dwellings of hermit monks who lived in caves carved into the cliff-side. After crossing off hermit monk from our potential next jobs, we got on the bus to visit the monasteries. We were able to go into St. Stephen’s and see all the rest of them either up close or from a distance. The guides chose the perfect spot to watch the sunset and meditate on all the effort and faith it took to build these structures.
We stayed at a hotel in the town of Kastraki called Pyrgos Adrachti. It is literally nestled up to the rock formations and each room had balconies with spectacular views. For being in a small town, this hotel was excellent. The service from the owner Thanasis and his wife was first-rate. Breakfast on the balcony was delicious and the rooms were spacious and clean. Highly recommended.
We had dinner that night at Taverna Gardenia in Kastraki. They serve a simple menu of Greek classics but prepared with care in a family kitchen with a warm atmosphere.
The Avventura 