Occasionally, I need a brain-off, no-thoughts, just-vibes kind of vacation, and Contiki’s Greek island-hopping tripseemed like it would fit the bill perfectly.
I was invited to attend this past summer’s Pride-themed excursion. Our vacation began in Athens before traveling to Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, and Ios. We spent two nights on each island before heading back to Athens for a total of 11 days. Once paid ($2,376+ at Contiki.com), Contiki takes care of the hotels, travel between cities, day-to-day events, and even a handful of meals.
Our group of 24 assembled in Athens and caught a ferry to Mykonos the next day. The company crafts these trips for travelers ages 18 to 35 who tend to be more active, so be prepared to socialize. The cool thing about meeting LGBTQ+ strangers from around the world is that you all share the experience of being part of a community, which speeds up the bonding process (and comes in handy when you’re a solo traveler). The June trip I attended included guests from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Only two of the people on my trip knew each other, and they’d just hopped over from another (mostly straight) Contiki trip.
“This one’s much more fun though,” the two girls laughed.
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We toured Mykonos where we saw the iconic blue doors on freshly painted white buildings, the waves crashing into the edge of restaurants at sunset, and the windmills. We ate and drank. But be advised, for a trip targeting LGBTQ+ people (and allies), Greece was...not that gay. Or at least, the activities Contiki planned for us weren’t.
One evening after the scheduled itinerary concluded, our incredible tour guide, Ellen, made a point to take us to the gay bars in Mykonos. Two neighboring beachfront buildings sat a 10-minute walk away from the city’s hubbub — Cosma Mykonos and JackieO’ Town Bar — and we were lured inside by the siren calls of Abba and Britney Spears. Flirty drag queens bribed us with shots to stay for their midnight shows while muscled gay men danced in tank tops.
The next day, we bussed over to Super Paradise Beach, the beach club Jackie O. famously frequented in the 1960s, which today often boasts of drag events on its Instagram. What I discovered was an overpriced lounging resort that asked me to trash my half-filled coffee cup before walking in and spending 40 euros on a fruit bowl.
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I’m sorry to report that Mykonos as a whole is overrated. Touristy (and very straight) club spaces and the overexposure to souvenir trinkets reminded me of Las Vegas. Thankfully, the trip only improved from there.
Paros is a gem of a city: quiet, decently priced, and ocean-facing with a beautiful shopping and nightlife area. Our cozy accommodation that I absolutely loved, Sirocos Rooms and Studios, offered adorably quirky rooms, a sparkling pool, and a healing place to recover from the day’s adventures. Our tour guide showed us a local bakery in Lefkes, and we munched on chocolaty pastries while wandering around the town’s churches and taking scenic photos under flowering trees.
On our second day in Paros, Ellen surprised us with a sunset boat ride. We drank chardonnay, we laughed, we kissed, we jumped off the boat into the Mediterranean Sea as the crew made chicken skewers. Yes, I said kissed. When a group of queer people get together, there’s gonna be plenty of hookups. There were even whispers of a bisexual foursome one night, but you didn’t hear it from me.
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While Mykonos felt more like Meh-konos, Santorini is as stunning as it looks. A cliffside dinner at Rastoni offered jaw-dropping views and delicious entrées and desserts well worth the euros. Lavish wine tours, an awesome black sand beach, and an interactive Greek wedding show where we were the guests and participated in traditions — including wine drinking (kalispera!) and smashing plates — made this island hard to beat.
Ios was perhaps the most chill of the four islands, offering calm beaches and smiling locals. At the Far Out Village resort, we went on a speedboat safari that took us to caves and a sunken boat where we snorkeled before having lunch on a private beach. We ended our last night at a “gay-friendly” bar, Escobar, that knew the gays were coming (thanks again, Ellen), and the DJ exclusively played bangers from a Pride-themed Spotify playlist. We screamed the night away to Gaga and Kelly Clarkson, even luring in a few more queer travelers to dance with us. Who needs a gay bar when we brought our own?
And in Greece, traveling in groups as queer people can be important. It’s worth mentioning that, while the country finally legalized same-sex marriage in February, the British Foreign Office this year also issued a travel warning for LGBTQ+ travelers, which notes that they may experience discrimination in some areas of the country. However, “attitudes are generally much more welcoming in Athens and on many Greek islands,” according to the advisory on the U.K. government’s website.
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On our last night in Athens, we had a beautiful goodbye feast at Krasopoulio tou Kokkora. We passed around wine, moussaka, gyros with French fries, pasta with feta crumbled atop, Greek salads, and meatballs as we laughed about the highs and lows of our trip. Curiously, because of our stopover in Ios, we were too late to experience the events of Athens Pride, which seemed like a missed opportunity.
The author, Taylor Henderson, in AthensCourtesy Taylor Henderson
In summation, if you’re looking for a Pride trip filled with LGBTQ+ parties and events, this particular Contiki may not be for you. But if you’re seeking to share the beauty of the Greek islands with some cool queer folks from around the world, then this voyage might be worth sailing.
