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Thanasis Bounas

Travel blogger sharing guides, tips and experiences from Greece and around the world. Helping you travel smarter and discover unique destinations.
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Kos, Greece – Following the Aegean to the Island of Hippocrates

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Crossing the Aegean Sea on the journey toward Kos, Greece. Photo by Thanasis Bounas.

The journey to Kos begins long before the island appears on the horizon. Across the open waters of the Aegean Sea, the wake of the vessel slowly disappears into the blue. Somewhere ahead lies one of the most historically fascinating islands of Greece — a place connected with ancient medicine, maritime routes and the world of Hippocrates. Kos belongs to the Dodecanese, close to the coast of Asia...

Syros, Greece – The Historic Heart of the Cyclades

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Crystal-clear Aegean water on the coast of Naxos, Greece. Photo by Thanasis Bounas.

There are many ways to discover Syros, but approaching the island from the Aegean Sea reveals something essential about its character. The coastline appears beneath the Cycladic light, the mountains form dark shapes against the horizon, and the sea stretches toward the surrounding Greek islands. Today, Syros is known for its distinctive architecture, beaches and the elegant streets of Ermoupoli...

Beaches of Naxos, Greece – Where the Aegean Turns Crystal Clear

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Crystal-clear Aegean water on the coast of Naxos, Greece. Photo by Thanasis Bounas.

Naxos has a way of revealing the Aegean at its simplest. Clear water reaches a quiet shore, small waves disappear over the sand, and beyond them stretches the deep blue of the Cyclades. In summer, scenes like this become part of everyday life on the largest island of the Cyclades. Yet the beaches of Naxos are remarkably varied. Long stretches of sand, exposed western shores and quieter coastal...

Sailing in Rhodes, Greece – Where the Aegean Meets History

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Sailing in Rhodes, Greece – Where the Aegean Meets History. Photo Thanasis Bounas

There are moments at sea when a landscape seems to carry much more than its beauty. A sailboat moving slowly beneath the evening sun off Rhodes is one of them. The water turns gold, the horizon becomes almost silent, and Greece appears exactly as generations of sailors have known it — from the sea. But Rhodes is not simply another beautiful Greek island seen from the deck of a boat. For...

Delos Ancient Greece – The Sacred Island at the Heart of the Aegean

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Delos Ancient Greece - The Sacred Island at the Heart of the Aegean. Photo Thanasis Bounas

At sunset, Delos can appear almost silent. The sun falls toward the horizon, the Aegean turns golden, and the low rocky island slowly becomes a dark silhouette against the evening sky. Today, Delos is known throughout the world as one of the great archaeological sites of Greece. But more than two thousand years ago, this small island in the Cyclades was anything but quiet. Pilgrims arrived to...

Sailing Back to the Athens Riviera – Returning from the Greek Islands

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Sailboats returning to the Athens Riviera in the golden light of sunset. Photo by Thanasis Bounas.

There is a particular feeling when a sailing journey through the Greek islands begins to come to an end. The islands slowly disappear behind the horizon, the afternoon light becomes warmer, and ahead lies the coast of Athens. For sailors returning from the Saronic Gulf, the Athens Riviera is more than the end of a journey. It is one of the natural gateways between the Greek capital and the...

Heraion of Perachora – Where Ancient Corinth Met the Sea

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Heraion of Perachora - Where Ancient Corinth Met the Sea. Photo By Thanasis Bounas

Long before the Melagavi Lighthouse stood above the Gulf of Corinth, this rocky headland already held a special place in the maritime world of ancient Greece. At the edge of the Perachora peninsula, beside a small sheltered harbor, the ancient Corinthians worshipped Hera. Today, the ruins of the Heraion of Perachora remain beside the blue waters of the Corinthian Gulf. Above them, the modern...

Sailing to Poros – Across the Saronic Gulf

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Sailing to Poros – Across the Saronic Gulf. Thoto By Thanasis Bounas

There are journeys in Greece where the destination is only half the story. Sailing to Poros across the Saronic Gulf is one of them. With the sails above, the boat moving through the water and the coastline slowly changing around you, the journey becomes part of the experience long before Poros appears ahead. Unlike the longer passages through the open Aegean, the Saronic Gulf feels closely...

Leaving Paros – When the Island Fades into the Aegean

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Leaving Paros – When the Island Fades into the Aegean. Photo By Thanasis Bounas

Leaving a Greek island can be just as memorable as arriving. As the ferry slowly pulls away from Paros, Greece, the harbor begins to shrink behind us. The waterfront becomes smaller, the hills rise beyond the white houses, and the familiar coastline gradually becomes part of the horizon. For a few minutes, you can still recognize the places you have just left. Then the Aegean begins to take over...

Arriving in Naxos – The Island Revealed from the Sea

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Arriving in Naxos – The Island Revealed from the Sea. Thoto Thanasis Bounas

There is something special about arriving on a Greek island from the sea. As the ferry approaches Naxos, Greece, the coastline slowly takes shape, the white houses of Chora appear ahead, and another journey through the Cyclades begins. For thousands of travelers, this busy harbor is their first encounter with Naxos. But whether you arrive aboard a ferry or approach the island under sail, the...

Sailing the Corinthian Gulf – Between Sea and Mountains

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Sailing the Corinthian Gulf – Between Sea and Mountains. Photo Thanasis Bounas

The Corinthian Gulf in Greece offers a very different sailing landscape from the open waters of the Aegean. Here, the sea is framed by mountains. As the sun begins to fall, the mountains of the Peloponnese rise across the horizon, their silhouettes becoming darker while golden light spreads over the water. From a sailing boat, the view has a remarkable sense of depth — sea in the foreground...

Sailing the Libyan Sea – South Crete from the Water

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Sailing the Libyan Sea – South Crete from the Water. Photo Thanasis Bounas

Along the southern coast of Crete, Greece, the island opens toward a different sea. This is the Libyan Sea, stretching south toward the coast of North Africa and forming one of the most striking maritime landscapes of the Mediterranean. Seen from a boat at sunset, South Crete feels remarkably remote. Behind you lies the rugged Cretan coastline. Ahead, there is little but open water and a horizon...

The Portes of Paros, Greece – A Landmark in the Aegean Sea

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The Portes of Paros, Greece – A Landmark in the Aegean Sea. Photo By Thanasis Bounas

Out in the blue waters of the Aegean Sea, just off the coast of Paros, Greece, two dark rocks rise from the horizon. They are known as the Portes of Paros, a small but unmistakable maritime landmark that becomes especially distinctive when seen from the sea. From a distance, they appear almost insignificant against the vast blue of the Cyclades. As you travel closer, however, their shape becomes...

Sailing to Aegina, Greece – Across the Saronic Gulf

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Sailing to Aegina, Greece – Across the Saronic Gulf. Photo Thanasis Bounas

Leaving the coast of Athens behind and setting sail toward Aegina, Greece, the journey quickly becomes part of the destination. The sails fill with wind, the coastline begins to fade and the open waters of the Saronic Gulf stretch ahead. Aegina is not far from Athens, yet arriving by sailboat creates the feeling of entering a completely different world. This is one of the great pleasures of...

Sailing in Mykonos, Greece – The Island Seen from the Aegean Sea

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Sailing in Mykonos, Greece – The Island Seen from the Aegean Sea. Photo Thanasis Bounas

There is a different way to discover Mykonos, Greece — from the sea. Away from the narrow streets, whitewashed houses and busy summer life, the island takes on another character when seen from the blue waters of the Aegean. From a boat, the coastline slowly unfolds, revealing rocky hills, small bays and the unmistakable white architecture of the Cyclades. Watching a sailing boat pass through the...

Melagavi Lighthouse, Greece – Sunset at the Edge of the Gulf of Corinth

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Melagavi Lighthouse, Greece – Sunset at the Edge of the Gulf of Corinth, Photo By Thanasis Bounas

On the rugged coast near Loutraki, Greece, the Melagavi Lighthouse stands above the sea at one of the most atmospheric corners of the Corinthian Gulf. Also known as the Heraion Lighthouse, it rises on Cape Melagavi near Perachora, surrounded by rock, open water and traces of a much older Greece. I arrived as the day was beginning to fade. The sun was dropping toward the horizon, turning the sky...

Arriving in Paros by Sailing Boat – A Journey Through the Cyclades

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Arriving in Paros by Sailing Boat – A Journey Through the Cyclades. Photo By Thanasis Bounas

There is something special about arriving at a Greek island from the sea. After hours surrounded by the blue of the Aegean Sea, the coastline slowly comes closer. Houses become clearer, the harbor begins to take shape and another passage through the Cyclades reaches its destination. This short video captures one of those moments — arriving in Paros, Greece, aboard a sailing boat as the day begins...

Sailing in Mykonos, Greece – Discovering the Island from the Sea

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Sailing in Mykonos, Greece – Discovering the Island from the Sea. Photo By Thanasis Bounas

There is a side of Mykonos, Greece that looks completely different from the sea. Away from the narrow streets, famous beaches and busy summer life, the island becomes a rugged Cycladic landscape surrounded by the deep blue of the Aegean Sea. From a boat, the coastline slowly passes in front of you. Rocky shores meet the water. Whitewashed houses appear in the distance. Small bays interrupt the...

Naxos by the Sea – Discovering the Blue Waters of the Cyclades

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Naxos by the Sea – Discovering the Blue Waters of the Cyclades. Photo Thanasis Bounas

Sometimes the beauty of Naxos, Greece needs no introduction. No famous monument. No crowded viewpoint. Just a quiet beach, clear water and the gentle sound of the Aegean Sea reaching the shore. This short video captures one of those simple moments on Naxos — the kind of scene that explains why travelling through the Cyclades is as much about slowing down as it is about discovering new places. And...

Sailing from the Athens Riviera – Gateway to the Saronic Islands

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Sailing from the Athens Riviera – Gateway to the Saronic Islands. Photo Thanasis Bounas

As the sun begins to set over the Athens Riviera, the marinas along the coast take on a different atmosphere. The light becomes warmer, the water settles into shades of gold, and the silhouettes of sailing boats create one of those scenes that make you want to leave the shore behind. Because from here, the sea is more than part of the view. It is the beginning of a journey. The Athens Riviera is...

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