GREEK ISLES : OFF THE BEATEN PATH

On our yacht week adventure last June, we explored the Dedocanese islands of Greece...which if you're wondering is not Mykonos or Santorini. Those two islands have become the standard in Greek Isle travels and sometimes seem to be the only islands out of the 6K that anyone knows about! **Side note : they are definitely amazing. But instead, we ventured off the beaten path a bit, and after our experience, I would encourage you to do the same...We started in Rhodes and as soon as the plane began its' decent and we could see the most breathtaking, bright blue of the ocean! The island of Rhodes is a gorgeous one with a classic, medieval Old Town and miles and miles of beautiful beaches. We started and ended our yacht trip here with just a bit of time to explore on either end! The beach near the Old Town is a stone beach but the water is stunning and there's an awesome jumping platform of the coast. The quaint Old Town is all cobbled streets and sandstone architecture -- beautifully picturesque. This area is a walled city so if there's time, walk the wall for the best views. The Lindos acropolis is impressive in itself but also offers coastline views.  Setting sail through the Aegean, we stop off at Symi, quite possibly one of the cutest Greek Isles out there. The pretty little port is surrounded by these colorful neoclassical mansions that add just the right pops of color to the compliment the beautiful blue sea. Most of the island is only explorable by boat or scooter (or by foot, if you're up for it!). We stayed in the little port town but there are actually more than 100 monasteries sprinkled over the island.  Kos is pretty well known for its' lively, nightlife scene in Kos Town but it also offers so many sandy beaches -- often hard to come by in Europe. We explored the town and hit the beach for some sunbathing and of course, with sand like that, volleyball! Across the island though, you'll find ancient Greek ruins, medieval castles, and gorgeous harbor views. From the Dodecanese Islands, the Turkish coast is SO close! We spent the remainder of our sailing time exploring the Dacta Peninsula as well as the quiet little coves along the coast. My favorite little Turkish town we stopped in was Selimiye. It was a tiny little harbour town just lined with the cutest cafes and boutique shops. Our yachting trip was through Helm and you can see more about planning the trip of a lifetime here on their site or read my post here.