Explore & Restore in Greece
Crete
I arrived two days early at the resort where the first half of the retreat took place. Paralos Lifestyle Beach is a large and impressive resort located on the coast of the Cretan Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea. The weather was a bit chilly those first couple days since it was still technically late spring at the time. It was cloudy, windy, and rained on and off. My room had a walk-up pool bed right outside my door, with a small pool that I shared with two neighbors. There were a lot of pools at the resort, but unfortunately none were heated, which I later learned is the norm in Greece.
During the first couple days, I spent time on the pool bed when the sun peaked through the clouds, did a couple loads of laundry at a nearby laundromat, got an incredible facial at the spa next door, and relaxed in my room preparing for my retreat guests to arrive. A friend of mine arrived two days early as well, so we shared meals and hung out a bit during those two days. If I could have reversed the order of my time in Athens and additional nights in Crete, I would have gone to Crete first. Those two days were restful and restorative. But unfortunately that’s not how the itinerary worked out – and hindsight is 20/20.
My guests trickled in throughout the first day of the retreat. The only activity on our itinerary that day was a four-course welcome dinner at one of the resort’s restaurants. Everyone was tired from travel, but more excited for the retreat to begin. The food was incredible – they started us off with a selection of local Greek and Cretan appetizers to share, followed by our choice of soup and entrée (I had lamb and it was to die for), and finally a selection of shared desserts. The food and the service was excellent, and it was the perfect way for everyone to get acquainted. The next three mornings, we began our day with a morning yoga class in the outdoor fitness area. It wasn’t exactly a dedicated yoga space, which made it challenging to teach with the distractions and outside noise, but it felt good to start the day with sunshine and fresh air, and the weather warmed up to high 60s / low 70s and sunny for the rest of our time in Crete.
Each day after yoga, we enjoyed an incredible breakfast spread at the resort’s main restaurant with traditional breakfast foods, local dishes, omelets made to order, freshly baked breads and pastries, fresh fruit and juices, and more. After breakfast we gathered for our daily excursion. We had a dedicated English-speaking guide with us throughout the retreat, and several other guides throughout for the excursions. Our guide, Manolis (pronounced Man-o-lee), was a ton of fun. He did a great job of keeping our group on track, sharing his culture, and having fun with us. After the daily excursions, we returned to the resort for the rest of our days at leisure. Some of the group gathered together at the beach for food or drinks, while others enjoyed spa services, explored the island on foot, or rested in their rooms. Dinner was served buffet style at the resort, which we were free to enjoy on our own or together as a group. The food was plentiful and rich, and there were plenty of options ranging from local dishes, fresh breads and rolls, fresh fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. The itinerary was perfectly balanced between wellness/movement, cultural exploration, and restorative rest.
The first excursion was a guided tour of a traditional village, followed by a meze cooking class. The village, built in 1988, is a replica of a traditional Cretan village, with a small museum and traditional homes staged to look like they did in the early 20th century. The guides wore traditional Cretan attire. We visited a couple local shops along the way, and the meze cooking class took place at the end of the tour. We learned to make dolmades, tzatziki, roasted stuffed vegetables, and cheese pies from scratch. They cooked the food we prepared and we got to enjoy it together. The tour was a great start to the trip, immediately immersing us in the culture, and it was a great way for our group to start to get to know each other.
Our second excursion was a guided tour of the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos. This popular archaeological site was an important center of the Minoan civilization during the Bronze Age, and is now known for its connection with the Greek myth, Theseus and the Minotaur. After touring Knossos, our shuttle brought us to the center of Heraklion, the city in Crete where we were staying, and we spent a couple hours exploring and shopping. I would have preferred to have more time in Heraklion – enough to get lost exploring the shops and businesses and sit down for a full-service meal. We had just enough time to hit a few shops, sit and drink a smoothie, and order some bougatsa to take back to the resort. Manolis recommended a restaurant that is known for bougatsa, a Greek pastry that can be sweet or savory, is served warm, has a cheese, custard, chocolate, or other filling, and is drizzled with honey, chocolate, nuts or other toppings. I tried the chocolate bougatsa, and it was amazing.
The third excursion was a private catamaran adventure – which was by far the most popular day among our group. Our shuttle driver took us to a fishing village named Bali, about an hour from the resort. Our catamaran was the perfect size for our group of 12, and a leisurely ride near the shore with incredible views until we got to a small private beach in the Aegean Sea. We stopped there for a while, and one by one each of us got into the water and swam to the beach. The water cold – probably around 65 degrees – but it was refreshing and empowering to take the plunge. When we returned from our catamaran adventure, we were served an amazing multi course Greek meal at a restaurant on the pier. The service at of all our meals was incredible – the servers were friendly and attentive, and the Greeks in general were welcoming and hospitable. It was the perfect way to wrap up our time in Crete before leaving the next morning for Santorini.
Santorini
On day five of the retreat, we departed the resort in Crete early in the morning to catch a ferry to Santorini. Santorini is about a two-hour ferry ride from Crete. I had never ridden on a ferry of that size – it was enormous. I get motion sickness easily and was concerned about both the catamaran and the ferry, so I brought some homeopathic motion sickness patches. They helped take the edge off but didn’t get rid of it entirely, but we were lucky that day to have very calm water. Manolis later admitted that he was worried about the choppiness of the water since it was a windy day, but thankfully Poseidon was kind to us. When we arrived in Santorini, we walked around and explored the beautiful white and blue buildings and took photos of the views from the top. Santorini used to be one round island named Strongili which was split apart by a massive volcanic eruption. The center of the island sank, resulting in an enormous sea-filled volcanic crater, surrounded by multiple smaller islands. Santorini is the largest of the islands, and is shaped like a crescent moon.
Our excursion on the day we arrived in Santorini was to Santos Winery for a tasting and a tour. After (most) of the guests sampled Santorinian wines and cheeses, we were taken on a guided tour of the winery where we learned about its history and how the wine is produced, aged, and stored. After leaving the winery, we checked into our hotel where we’d be staying for the last three next three nights of the retreat. Cresanto Luxury Suites is a five-star resort in Imerovigli. The resort in Crete was amazing, but Cresanto brought it to another level. My room was twice the size of my entire apartment back home, and had two bathrooms and a private hot tub on the balcony. I generally travel on a budget and I’m used to staying in cheap (and often uncomfortable) accommodations, so staying in these beautiful resorts was a major treat (and may have ruined me forever).
After settling into our rooms, we gathered for an afternoon restorative yoga class in a cute yoga shala on the lawn of the resort. Since our group had been up early traveling before our excursion, we were tired and needed to rest and restore. After yoga, we split off into smaller groups to explore the island and eat dinner. Most of the restaurants were located at the top of the cliffs, and had stunning views of the Aegean Sea and the opposite side of the crescent shaped island.
Our excursion the following day wasn’t until the afternoon, so we started the day with yoga and breakfast as a group (served at the hotel), and then had the morning/early afternoon at leisure to relax by the pools, explore the island, or sunbathe on our balconies. We gathered in the late afternoon to hike along the cliffs of Santorini to Oia, the coastal town at the tip of the island opposite Imerovigli. The views of the Aegean Sea and the rest of the island were absolutely spectacular. It was only a five-mile hike, but the sun was strong at that hour and there was no shade for a couple hours. A couple of us got a taxi halfway through for the rest of the way, and the remainder of the group powered through. We all met in Oia, where we split into smaller groups to have dinner. Santorini is known to have magnificent sunsets, and Oia is one of the best places to catch them. A few members of our group found prime seating to watch the sunset, but paid for it both in the food prices and the slow service.
Our final day of the retreat was a free day in Santorini after our final morning yoga class. For me, the timing of our free day was perfect. Even though our daily itineraries were nice and balanced, traveling across time zones is hard on my body and disrupts my sleep. That combined with getting up early to teach each morning left me feeling pretty beat by the last day. And the journey home was going to be long and start very early the next morning, so I took full advantage of my free day and did close to nothing outside of laying in the sun and soaking in my hot tub. Our group gathered one final time that evening for a farewell dinner at a restaurant in the nearby town of Fira, where we got to witness first-hand the Greek tradition of smashing plates on the floor and shouting Opa!
Overall, I had an incredible time in Greece, and would return in a heartbeat. My favorite part of facilitating retreats is witnessing the friendships that develop and the bonds that are created within the group. There’s something about being in the discomfort of traveling to a new country and experiencing a new culture that brings people together. And the . Partnering with the retreat management company was a smart decision – it took so much of the pressure off me to plan and coordinate every detail of the retreat, and allowed me to enjoy the experience alongside my retreat participants. I most definitely will be doing this again – both as a facilitator and as a participant. My next retreat will be in Madeira, Portugal in September 2026, and I can’t wait to do it all over again!
