Poros: Isla paraiso

My last stop in Greece was this island of Paros. At least that is what I thought when I went to get on the ferry. Instead I looked down at my ticket and realized it said Poros. I had booked my hostel on one island and my ferry to an entirely different island. And as you can see, they are nowhere near each other: 

Shaking my head at myself I went online and booked the cheapest room I could find. The irony is that the entire reason I was going to Paros was that I had found a super cheap hostel. Poros is much smaller so there is not a single hostel on the entire island, but I did find a last minute deal. The room was advertised as being small--single bed, forest view, and the bathroom facilities were actually in the bedroom--but I was just happy I was able to find something within my price-range. It was twice the 20 euros that the hostel would have been but for 42 euros for two nights, it could have been a lot worse. The hotel's website advertised it as having a beach right across the road so I figured I could swim and relax on the beach if there was nothing else to do. 

Taking the ferries around Greece was a bit of a disappointment. Even though I tend to get seasick from the combination of rough water and diesel fumes, I really love boats. I like the ocean air, the gentle rocking of the waves, and the beautiful views. Yet my experience of the ferries in Greece was more like a plane or a bus than what traveling by boat is in my mind. The inside cabin is just rows and rows of seats with a small snack shop at the back. Passengers aren't allowed out on the deck and the windows were too foggy for pictures. I did get a decent nap, but I would have liked watch our approach to Poros on the deck instead of suck inside.

Once I made it to shore I walked about 20 minutes to the New Aegli hotel. The sun had already set so I didn't get much of an impression of the island on my way in. In fact all I really wanted at that point was to find my bed and crash for the night. I figured I could see what Poros had to offer in terms of touristic destinations and exploring the next morning. But when I went to check in the woman at the front desk informed me that the room I had gotten such a good deal on was no longer available due to some maintenance issues. I was momentarily worried but she offered me a different room at the same price and handed me the keys.

Upstairs I realized I had somehow lucked out. I had been put in one of the nicest hotel rooms I had ever been in-- huge bed, balcony with a beach view, a Jacuzzi with mood lighting, and enough pillows to satisfy even me. After staying in hostels and a cheep B&B, this was the height of luxury. That night I did what any sensible adult traveler like myself would do: jump on the bed, make a pillow fort, and promise myself a bubble bath the next evening.


My next two days on Poros were exceptionally relaxing but not particularly interesting to write about. I spent my time swimming, walking the beaches, sampling the local cuisine, and reading paperbacks in the sand. The weather was almost entirely perfect so I manged to work on my tan without even burning. There wasn't much in the way of tourist attractions to see there so I didn't feel too guilty. I did rent a bike for a day and ride a few miles down the coast but I only made it a few miles before finding another beautiful beach to take an afternoon nap on. I did stop to take pictures of the ruins of a Russian Naval base and see the famous clock tower, but it would be a stretch to say I did anything cultural that didn't include feta cheese and olive oil.

The one unintended consequence of ending up on Poros was that by the last day there I was feeling a bit isolated. If I were a Sim, my social bar would have been in the red, if I am being honest. When I was staying at hostels it was always easy to meet a fellow solo traveler and chat for a while or go out and get a drink or dinner. That was not really the case on Poros. I was just about the only tourist there under the age of thirty and most people were coupled up. So I rocked the lovers' paradise solo and vowed to do better research the next time I plan a vacation.

View from my hotel room balcony

 Leaving Poros to head back to Athens and my flight home ended up being a bit of a fiasco. I was supposed to catch a ferry at noon but got an email that morning saying it had been delayed until 6 PM because of potentially bad seas. Luckily the hotel was kind enough to let me put my things in a much smaller room (that looked suspiciously like the one I had originally tried to book) for the evening until my ferry arrived. Just a couple hours after I had moved my things I got a phone call saying the new departure time was 8 PM. Then just as I was finishing up dinner I got a call saying that we wouldn't leave until 9:30. Needless to say I was beginning to worry I would be stuck on Poros overnight and risk missing my flight then next day at noon. I was assured over the phone that the ferry would indeed come but when I walked down to the port at 9:30, there was no boat.

Since the port was pretty much just a boardwalk along the shore that boats pulled up to, I was a bit worried I was in the wrong spot and had missed the ferry. Google Maps said I was in the right place but the departure time came and went. The ferry company's booth was worryingly vacant so I started asking the few people milling around if they knew anything about the arrival times. The first person I saw who also was carrying a bag had a little more information. Nordine, a French gentleman who was on Poros for a day trip, told me that he had gotten a call saying that our ferry wouldn't actually leave until 10. Relieved I had not missed the boat (pun intended), I bought myself a snack and spent the next hour and a half exchanging stories with my fellow stranded traveler. When the boat finally arrived we were both cold and ready to get the heck off of that island. I spent my last morning in Greece (the ferry didn't get back to Athens until 3 AM) crashing at his Air B&B for a few hours before a quick breakfast on the way to my airport. As the plane took off and I waved goodbye to Greece, I couldn't help but think that I had a pretty successful trip for someone who left her home that first day without even a place to stay the first night. It may not have been the most organized trip I ever took, and (as my experience on Poros shows) I did have a few hiccups along the way, but ultimately I have no regrets. This was my first time truly traveling solo and I would call it a success.

Poros, Greece

September 18th-21th 2016