Flat Greece?

January 8, 2018 4:34 PM

My mom is not a very adventurous traveler but will be heading to Greece for a work trip in the spring. What is a side trip she can do from Athens that will give her the flavor of Greece without being too cumbersome of a trip?

It has to be relatively easy to get to (she doesn't drive - so either a domestic flight/bus/ferry) and the destination should be relatively easy to traverse (ie. not super hilly to walk around, etc.). She has asthma and gets nervous in places where she has to walk uphill/a lot. Appreciate any recommendations on islands, sights, hotels, tours, etc.

Thanks!

posted by something_witty to Travel & Transportation around Greece (6 answers total)

When my milmmade a similar trip , she went to Tukey and loved it.
posted by Enid Lareg at 5:07 PM on January 8, 2018

I went to Naxos last spring with an injured knee and loved it. It is mountainous but the town centers are mostly flat so there's a lot you can do that doesn't require tons of stairs or going up and down hills. She could stay in the main town and take buses or tours to the villages in the interior. There's one village made of marble! And another lovely one with a cool distillery. The town itself is charming and has interesting things to see, though she may want to check whether or not things would be open if she's going before May. If the weather is nice, she can take the bus to the small harbor/beach Agia Anna and have lunch at a seaside taverna.

She can fly or take the ferry there from Athens.
posted by lunasol at 5:25 PM on January 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Chania on Crete has cheap flights from Athens and a lovely old town surrounding a little harbour and, if I recall correctly, a large city wall that has been built on a bit being the only hill-like thing around. Buses to the stunning and flat beach at Elafonisi also leave from Chania.
posted by mdonley at 5:32 PM on January 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

She could fly to Rhodes, which has a fascinating Medieval walled town around the old port. There's a ton of stuff to see within a very small area. She could take the bus to Lindos and enjoy the beach (though I think you might be able to get a lift to the temple there.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:23 PM on January 8, 2018

My mother-in-law really liked Spetses.
posted by gudrun at 8:01 PM on January 8, 2018

There are some very lovely beaches really quite close to Athens, with Vouliagmeni the locals' favourite.
posted by london explorer girl at 2:59 AM on January 9, 2018