Meteora in Greece is where the monasteries are “suspended in the sky”. In reality, it’s monasteries built on top of rock formations, but they really do look like they’re suspended in air. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and shows up in the 1000 Places to See Before You Die and the Lonely Planet Travel Book.
I want to go everywhere and see everything, but this was not on my list. It was on my brother-in-law’s. But after seeing pictures, I was determined to make a visit happen.
How to get there?
Most everyone who travels to Greece usually travels through Athens. That’s what we did, so we needed to figure out how to get to Meteora from Athens. There are day trips in giant tour buses, which just sounds miserable. We could rent a car and drive, but we don’t know the roads and it could be stressful. After looking around and with the help of Carrie’s Travel Services, we decided on a private 2-day tour with Ancient Greece Tours.
We had no idea what to expect, but the whole trip and all the sights exceeded our expectations. The tour included Delphi, Meteora, and Thermopylae.
Delphi
Four of us were picked up from our hotel in a comfortable Mercedes van. There were Greek cookies and treats waiting for us in the van. If I had known, I would have gone easy on the hotel breakfast. It’s a 4-hour drive to Delphi, but there were stops along the way with our private guide telling us stories. It was basically a mini history lesson on Greece.
Our first major stop was Delphi, which was not originally on our list, but will highly recommend it to anyone. Before we arrived, our guide gave us some tips on how to visit the place. We started out at the museum before we headed to the ruins so we could understand what we were looking at during our visit. I highly recommend this approach. Otherwise, it’s just a cool, ancient site where you can take some insta-worthy photos.
We visited in September, so it was busy but not too busy, and warm but not hot. This all matters when I reflect back on my travel experiences. The same place could be amazing or it could be miserable depending on the when. I imagine that it would not have been the same during a hot, crowded summer day.
Late lunch / early dinner was at a cliffside restaurant called Patrico. The views were stunning and the Greek meal was delicious.
We stayed the night in Kalabaka. There were a couple of hotel recommendations provided by the tour company, and where we stayed was perfectly fine for one night. However, I wished that I had done a bit more research as there may have been better options.
Meteora
The next day we finally made it to Meteora. This place is spectacular! No picture can truly capture how majestic this place is, but one begins to understand why so many religious sites were built on top of these rock formations in the sky. You can visit the six still active monasteries, which are open to tourists on different days. So if you have a specific one in mind, you will want to check if it’s open before you go.
Dress Code
There is a dress code, and this is especially important for the ladies. We were originally told that we needed to have shoulders and knees covered (men included), so we thought capris or pants would be okay. We later discover that at some places, it’s not just that your knees need to be covered, but as a woman, you need to wear a skirt or dress (and some places didn’t even care if the knees showed in that skirt or dress). The good news is that they will sell you anything if you are not prepared. However, my recommendation is to wear a modest skirt or dress, which is still comfortable to walk around in.
Monasteries We Visited
We didn’t have any specific monasteries in mind, but we ended up visiting:
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity – It’s a steep climb to get there and back, but the views are worth it. Plus if you are a James Bond fan, it’s where scenes from For You Eyes Only we’re shot. No skirts/dresses required here.
Holy Monastery of St. Stephan – This place is an easy walk in and out and has beautiful gardens. They provide you with skirts to wear if you are not already wearing one.
Great Meteoran Monastery – This is the oldest and largest. It’s also beautifully maintained and has a museum that is very informative about the history of the monasteries in the area and its own history. If you only stopped at one, I would suggest that it be this one. It’s a walk up and down, but not too strenuous. You can purchase wraps at the entrance if you are not adhering to the dress code.
After visiting the monasteries, we headed back to Kalabaka for a lunch at To Paramithi. Lunch was good, standard Greek fare. The restaurants on our 2-day tour were selected by our driver/guide, and this was perfect for our group.
Thermopylae
After lunch, we drove back to Athens with a stop in Thermopylae. A visit here is best if you understand the context and the history of this place and the Battle of Thermopylae. 300, the movie, provides a relatively entertaining fictional version of this history.
We visited the marked Thermopylae historical sites and monuments, as well as the thermal bath with the healing (and sulphur-stinky) waters.
None of these places were on my travel bucket list. I am so glad that I have people in my life, like my brother-in-law, to provide inspiration and ideas for places to see and things to experience. This is what we are hoping to do by sharing our stories and experiences of the places we visit.