Why Athens?
Our ultimate goal in the initial weeks of our trip was to reach Kaş, Turkey, without flying; and by September to check into our Airbnb and begin our diving adventure (more on that later). Now, there are plenty of ways to make that journey, but after many trains and buses, it was time to take to the seas. Originally, we had planned to book the twice-weekly Thessaloniki to Izmir ferry, but when the summer schedules went up, this ferry route was nowhere to be found (please send me a message if you know differently). What we have subsequently learned from other travellers is that while it's not easy to travel directly from mainland Greece to Turkey by boat and vice versa, you can find multiple connections and routes between the two via the islands. After an afternoon of Google mapping and using Rome2Rio, we discovered that the most remote of the Greek islands, Kastelorizo, lies a short 20-minute ferry ride off the coast of our final destination, Kaş, and is serviced twice weekly by a boat direct from Athens which takes roughly 24 hours.
So, our plans were set: we would head from Thessaloniki to Athens and spend the night traversing the Dodecanese islands before arriving at our final port of call.
What We Did There
This was our second visit to Athens and to stay in budget (and indoors) we found an Air BnB about 30 minutes north of the centre in Kypseli, which, according to Time Out is "Athens' coolest neighbourhood" We had last been to Athens about 14 years ago and explored the ancient city and walked up the Acropolis to visit the Parthenon. This trip, whilst we marveled at the marble from outside of the gates, we didn't need to embark on the full ancient Athens tour. However, if it's your first time, you have to see ancient Athens, do it all, visit the museums; it's better than the pictures, and it's worth the 59 Euro Athens Pass!
I had read a fantastically helpful and detailed blog about hiking opportunities near Athens using public transport. After staying in cities for the past week or two, we thought it might be nice to head to the mountains, get some fresh air and stretch our hiking muscles again. Things didn't quite go to plan. Despite our best efforts, we barely made it past the trailhead when we realised that the temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius, there was very little shade, and hiking vertically for the next 4 hours would be at best uncomfortable, at worst downright foolish. So, please do consider hiking in Athens, but perhaps not in August.
We ended up spending our three nights and two days exploring the centre and suburbs of Athens, enjoying some fantastic food, sipping on reasonably priced beer, and preparing ourselves for the next stage of our adventure (i.e., washing all our clothes and trying to remember how to dive!).
Notable Eats
While not as cheap as Thessaloniki, for a capital city, eating out in Athens was reasonable, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available. As long as you avoid the tourist centre, you can enjoy a good meal for under 10 EURO per person. Most of the highly recommended spots are just north of the ancient center.
A couple of standout places for us:
Mama Terra Mama Tierra - Vegan Restaurant & Street Food - offers a global vegan menu as well as vegan versions of Greek favourites like Souvlaki. Surprisingly, the star of our meal was the Dhal. Perhaps it was because we had been craving Asian flavours, but I would go so far as to say that this Dhal beat the offerings at Hoppers or Dishoom in London.
Γεύσεις της Δαμασκού - Tastes of Damascus - You may have noticed that we've already indulged in a fair amount of falafel on our travels, and this trend will continue! Just a few streets from our house, we found the fantastic taste of Damascus serving falafel Syrian-style with lots of classic side dips and deep fried labneh! Our personal favourite was Fateh, a creamy chickpea dish that topped crispy bread. The wraps were toasted and filled with tart pickles, creamy yoghurt, and lots of tahini.
Here are a few more highly-rated places that we didn't manage to visit:
Mystic Pizza & Pasta - A contemporary pizza and pasta joint with innovative toppings and plenty of vegan options.
Varesis βαρεσης - A traditional Greek mezze taverna in the heart of the city.
The Boat Adventure
The boat from Piraeus to Kastelerizo was a highlight of our journey from London to Turkey. As mentioned, it can be quite challenging to determine the live routes between Greece and Turkey, and even very helpful sites like Rome2rio and Direct Ferries can sometimes be inaccurate. After looking for direct ferries from the mainland, it became clear that (at the time of writing) the only way to cross from Greece to Turkey by sea is via one of the many island connections, such as Rhodes, Meis, or Kastelorizo.
We decided months ago to invest in a cabin to make the 24-hour journey more enjoyable. The total cost of the crossing for two people, without a vehicle, and with an inside cabin, was £220. There were budget options available for seating only or, even more budget-friendly, deck-only options (prices started at around £60 per person), but since this was our first long sea journey, we splurged on the cheapest two-person cabin available.
If you haven't travelled from Athens centre to Piraeus before, it's a super easy and affordable journey on the green line metro. Tickets can be purchased from the machines at any subway station, and you only need one under-90-minute ticket to reach your destination. The journey time from central Athens is under 30 minutes.
Onboard the Ferry
Our Blue Star Line Ferry was scheduled to depart at 14:00, but we arrived around midday. I am one of those notoriously early travellers, and there is nothing more stressful for me than arriving "on time" for a train, plane, ferry, or bus. Also, I was excited to get checked in. The recommended arrival time was a minimum of an hour, and I watched in horror as foot passengers arrived in taxis with less than 5 minutes to board.
Being late August and nearly September, it was pretty quiet onboard for the duration of our trip. I know these ferries can be less comfortable during the busiest holiday periods. Arrival was quick and smooth; a scan of our e-ticket and we were directed to the reception desk where we collected our cabin key card and found our room.
Having recently been on the channel crossing from Dover to Calais, we had quite low expectations, but Blue Star far exceeded our expectations in terms of cleanliness and facilities. The cabins were compact but clean and modern, with beds and bedding of hotel standard. The rooms had large en-suites with spacious walk-in wet rooms with a toilet, shower, sink, and complimentary toiletries. There were multiple electrical outlets and even a somewhat purposeless TV that played only one channel but also allowed you to track the ferry's route. We also had a stroke of luck and got a bit of an upgrade as one of our bunks wouldn't open, and we were eventually moved to a larger four-person cabin at no additional charge.
The only slight annoyance is that you only get 15 minutes of free Wi-Fi, and then you have to upgrade to one of the data packages if you want to remain connected. Also, please note that the prices on board are outrageous, even for basics like water. It's definitely worth bringing all your snacks and drinks with you if you're on a budget! At one point, and against the internet's advice, I had to resort to drinking tap water because I couldn't bear spending another 4 Euros on a small bottle!
The sail itself was stunning, and watching the sunset as we cruised past island after island was a truly breathtaking experience. After a decent night's sleep (except for the rather deafening arrival and departure announcements throughout the night), we arrived at Kastelorizo at about 12:30 the following day, just 30 minutes behind schedule. With only 4 hours until our ferry for the short 20-minute journey to Kas, we could see our new home from across the sea. It was a fantastic feeling that, after nearly 5 weeks of traveling, we had almost made it to our first major destination by rail, road, and sea, all on time and under budget.
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