Month: March 2018

My favorite destination of all my travels so far has been Greece. As I am half Greek, on my mothers side of the family, this trip was especially memorable. My entire family including my grandparents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins traveled with us. We began by flying into Athens, where we spent three days touring and sightseeing, before taking a cruise around the Greek islands.

There was so much to see and do in Athens. On our first day we toured the Acropolis, an ancient citadel situated on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens. Our tour guide led us up the steep, rocky hill and pointed out several sites along the way, such as the Odeon of Herodes Atticus theater and the Theater of Dionysus.  The Acropolis has several ancient buildings holding architectural and historical significance, the most important being the Parthenon, located at the very top. After making our way back down we toured the Acropolis Museum.

Another highlight of Athens is the Plaka. The Plaka is an old historical neighborhood of Athens clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. It is home to many shops, restaurants, tavernas and small churches.

Visiting the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Stadium of Olympia was another highlight in Athens, as it was home to the first Olympic games.

Naples is a city on the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida, with miles of beaches and calm waters. Downtown Naples features “Fifth Avenue South” with shopping and restaurants to appeal to all types of visitors. The Naples Pier is a popular fishing and dolphin spotting location.

The highlight of the trip was an adventure to Everglades National Park. The Park is a 1.5 million acre wetlands preserve made up of coastal mangroves, sawgrass marshes and flatwoods and is home to hundreds of animal species. The best way to see the Everglades up close is by Airboat.  The Airboat tour we took gave us an opportunity to see numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee and the American crocodile.

A short drive from Naples is Marco Island, Florida, which is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico and linked to the mainland of Naples by bridges. Tigertail Beach Park has a tidal lagoon and is a popular sight for paddleboarding and kayaking.

I highly recommend Naples and the surrounding area for the adventure traveller!

Cancun, Mexico is located on the most southern tip of Mexico, at the Yucatán Peninsula, which is flanked by both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Driving from the airport, I saw a beautiful palm tree-lined highway with massive resorts along the beach. I was really struck by the unique architecture of the resorts, many taking design ideas from the ancient Mayans. The beaches and warm coral blue-colored waters made for a magnificent setting.

While in Cancun, we took a day trip to see the ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum. The formerly walled port city was one of the last to be built by the Mayans and the archaeological sites has been well preserved. The main building is a large stone structure called El Castillo which sits atop a rocky cliff above the beach. There is also the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God. After Tulum we continued down to Xel-Ha Park, which is a aquatic theme park and ecotourism development. While there I was able to snorkel the cenotes, zip line, cliff diving and much, much more. I highly recommend a visit to Xel-Ha while in Mexico.

The food, music, culture and more of Cancun made it a unique vacation destination!