Greece this summer

May 14th, 2024

For many travelers, Greece is synonymous with sun, sea, and island-hopping. But there’s so much more to discover—world-class art collections, pilgrimage-worthy wellness programs, locally-owned hotels with a deep sense of place—giving frequent travelers new reasons to visit.

New Spa this year

Kalesma Mykonos, an architecturally striking and minimalist-cool boutique hotel inspired by the owners’ love affair with the island, reopened for the season with a brand new, sanctuary-like spa with Dr. Barbara Sturm treatments (the only spa on the island to carry these products/treatments, including the Sturmglow Facial and the Revitalizing Scalp Massage, and for the body, an Anti-Aging Body Treatment).  Other highlights include Rick Owens-designed furniture in the lobby (the only hotel in the world to boast this), sunrise and sunset views, an on-site, Greek Orthodox chapel with Byzantine-inspired wall art, and a 50+ bottles-deep Greek wine list.

Images of the Spa: https://we.tl/t-HuWSwEQu5V (Courtesy of Kalesma Mykonos)

Artsy Athens

Most people start off in Athens, and the best way to get in step with city’s cultural pulse is a visit to NEW Hotel. Owned by Cyprus-born industrialist Dakis Joannou (ranked as one of the world’s leading collectors of contemporary art) and designed by powerhouse Brazilian duo Fernando and Humberto Campana, the property lets guests immerse themselves into the arts by borrowing from  their library of over 2,000 artbooks at the rooftop restaurant. Artworks by heavyweights such as Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger appear alongside the Campana Brothers’ iconic furniture designs (including their famed Favela chair), making New Hotel an essential stop on any art lover’s itinerary.

Images courtesy of NEW Hotel Athens: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w3y8pzz5le1s2u3bb11vg/h?rlkey=17cw827rfm0g3pq0kiuf110gi&dl=0

A high-speed ferry to Santorini…

Brings one to NOŪS, Santorini’s largest resort, located in the village of Mesaria – away from the heavy traffic of the caldera. Inspired by the island’s Cycladic architecture and designed to resemble a whitewashed village, the 119-room property is filled with paintings, photographs, sculptural objects and even AR (augmented reality) works created exclusively for NOŪS by 15 Greek artists, along with light fixtures fashioned out of volcanic stone and design motifs themed after the island’s famous Akrotiri mural. Most rooms have their own private pools and large private gardens for relaxing; there’s also a sprawling spa with Greek-made Korres treatments.

Images courtesy of NOŪS Santorini: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/e07vqje4nbbk38bwczlnp/h?rlkey=ymhenbaen7v1xe2244auvh4vk&dl=0

Where wellness meets history

For more of a wellness-focused holiday, Euphoria Retreat, located on Greece’s lesser-known Peloponnese peninsula, blends cutting-edge science and ancient wisdom, with treatments and programs that draw on Greek philosophy, Hippocratic healing, Taoist philosophy, and traditional Chinese medicine. The location itself is magical (also for non-spa-goers): situated in the foothills of soaring Mount Taygetus, Euphoria overlooks the village of Mystras. Ancient Mystras (up the hillside) was the last significant stronghold of the Byzantine Empire and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. New this year is the Holistic Leadership retreat, offering a new take on leadership, is running June 12-16 and October 9-13, while existing favorites such as the fitness-centric Spartan Spirit of Adventure retreat or the five-day Odysseus Journey combining meditation, group discussion, and energy movement.

Images courtesy of Euhporia Retreat: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ifdaf7fqy1ucdefx6v2kc/h?rlkey=79tqeqyhfo6iombpm6tqpl312&dl=0

By sea

For those wanting to embrace the ancient Greek seafaring tradition, The Cyclades, in the Wake of Le Ponant sailing on Le Ponant (the first Relais & Châteaux sailing yacht) is a week-long sailing that goes from Lavrio, through the cyclades, to the tip of the Peloponnese and back (hitting Tinos, the uninhabited Polyaigos, Serifos, Monemvasia, Kythnos, and Spetses). The ship sets sail June 16, 23, 30 and July 7, 14, and 21, starting at $12,200 per person.

Images courtesy of Le Ponant: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rp2ovtdmhz5y4e3/AAD5k8sGsbe-apG_m0Oowwkva?dl=0

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