Greece Travel 2021 Need to Knows + Kalamos Island

Happy September Everyone!
This month I have such exciting content coming. I am recapping my travels through Greece, and given the COVID19 situation I was still able to see a lot. Although those end of summer woes may be settling in, there is no need to have FOMO. September is actually a great month to visit Greece as a lot of the tourists begin to leave and the weather is still beautiful. Not to mention, everything will be a lot cheaper.

Some housekeeping and need to knows about traveling in Greece during this time, or at least in my experience this year.

To enter Greece you must show a negative COVID19 test or proof of vaccination. Traveling domestically (be it by ferry or by plane) also requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID19 test. Both PCR and rapids are accepted. Many events and indoor venues have also been requiring proof of vaccine but this seems to be a subjective issue right now and not enforced everywhere. Since the weather is still beautiful, participating in outdoor activities is still easy to manage, however it is definitely worth looking further into the regulations of where you will be staying.
Certain areas and islands can move into the “red zone” imposing further restrictions and regulations, and then there are some areas which tend to be much more lax. Generally masks are required in all indoor spaces, although you won’t see much social distancing enforced. Everything from restaurants, bars, beaches, and stores to shop are open and running normally. By normally, keep in mind it is Greece, so expect some large midday closures for “lunch”.
But like everything else relating to COVID, things can change any day, and at any moment.

Will it be the most convenient summer traveling experience? Not likely. The world is still ironing out the kinks as we deal with the pandemic. But after seeing the beauty and the potential of what Greece has to offer in these posts you’ll see why visiting the country is definitely still worth it.

Kalamos Island

Let’s dive right into it.

This summer I actually spent a lot of time on the Ionian side of Greece. One stop was Kalamos. Although it was just a day trip and I never actually set foot on the island, swimming in these waters was incredible. The water was a beautiful turquoise and pristine. The beach we spent most of the time on was Asprogiali but there are many other beaches on the island to choose from such as Myrtia, Agriapidia, Kefali, Alexaki to name a few. Driving around the island by boat I could also tell it had a really nice town area and but it did not seem crowded it all. Within the town are places to eat and lodge. With just the basic necessities it seems to be a peaceful, not to mention gorgeous island.

There are two populated areas, Kalamos and Episkopi but much of the rest of the island has been untouched and left to its natural beauty, which is in fact very mountainous. Kalamos is accessible via boat from Mytika on the mainland and from the island Lefkada in the summer.