What is, and why go "Island Strolling" in Greece?

Norsk utgave   (Norwegian edition)

What is "Island Strolling"?

"Island Strolling" is travelling to, from and among the Greek Islands in a casual, unhurried and relaxed way, taking the time to really enjoy and experience all the wonderful sights, sounds and smells at a leisurely pace. It's the opposite of "island hopping", which entails rushing around and cramming as many activities into as little time as possible, which can be a very stressful and often unpleasant experience. "Island Strolling" starts with finding the least expensive way of travelling to Greece. Upon arriving on the mainland, the first thing you do is find a ferry, board it, travel to one of the many small islands, stay there for a few days and then "stroll" along to the next island. Travelling in this way is done with a minimum of preparation. Most "Island Strollers" only make arrangements for their tickets to and from Athens in advance. After that, all other travel arrangements, including purchasing ferry tickets, finding lodging and other practical details, are taken care of as they go along.

Naoussa, Paros

Island Strolling is first and foremost an individual way of vacationing. The Norwegian painter and connoisseur of life’s pleasures, Ferdinand Finne, had the following life motto:

"Life itself is created while its being lived...", (he loved the Greek islands too)

We have taken the freedom to interpret his motto as:

"The vacation is created as you travel...". This very much reflects what Island Strolling in Greece is all about!

Despite the minimum of pre travelling arrangements necessary to go island strolling, good advice still, is to read as much as possible about the islands before you set off for Greece and take one or two travelling guides along. This makes it much easier to find the attractions that you yourself will appreciate when arriving at an island. You should chose in advance, the first island you would like to travel to. When you arrive at an island there are always places to stay overnight, even though they vary a little in standard, and when you decide to leave the island there are always plenty of ferries to take you to new destinations.

Ia (Oia), Santorini

Why go on Island Strolling?

There are many good reasons to choose island strolling as a form of vacationing

• You are free travel as you like and where you will.

• There are numerous Islands to choose between, from Ios (which is guarantied to be the best party island in Greece) to completely remote pearls (they’re all over, but take a little time to find).

• You will meet many, many very friendly and always willing-to-help Greeks.

• You experience much more doing Island Strolling than for instance during a stay at Mallorca for instance, where the barbecue is often the main event.

• You meet many interesting people from different countries. This is especially true during the ferry trips there you meet many who think the same as you.

• It’s a personal satisfaction to solve the practical problems that arise, as a tourist in a foreign country.

Ia (Oia), Santorini

In addition come all the good reasons that are common to travelling to warm, holiday country:

• That exciting feeling of leaving home, to simply get away from daily routines

• it’s great to come to a place with "guaranteed" warm weather

• and to "charge the batteries"

• just to experience a new and different culture and people

• and to taste exciting, different food.

The list could be made much longer when you include your personal reasons.

Back to Island Strolling in Greece	Further on  to Who can go Island Strolling?
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If you have any tips, advice or memories from island strolling, or if there is a question you haven’t found the answer to, use the discussions group.
Thanks to Kjell Inge Gjesdal, Oslo, Norway for the translation into English!
Thanks to Douglas Buckle, Sola, Norway for the translation of the updating and for the proofreading of this page!
© Jan Bergtun, 13. October 1997	Updated, 02.07.2007
You are this page guest no. since 13. October 1997