P Mamis 3 Week Mediterranean Plan - FOR YOU!

How to spend 21 days in Greece + Italy, my way!

As we enter the start of the year, we enter the start of our holiday planning. The ‘planning’ spectrum however is vast and hits people differently. Me? I am kind of an anti planner when it comes to travel. I have an idea of when and where I want to go but its not unlikely for me to book my international flights only weeks out from leaving, or book my accommodation in Sardinia the morning that I arrive. This is not because I am ‘rich’ with finances and can afford to leave it so late, but rather that I am just not an organised person and flexibility is my favourite thing in the entire world. So I’ve made peace with the way that I like to travel - and I just save extra money for this.

Like that ‘planning spectrum’ I mentioned above, there are lots of people who like, want and need to plan all travel aspects meticulously and I can respect that. The thought of being so loosey goosey like me would ruin the entire point of travel for some. But hey, that's why the world is interesting - because we are all different. 

The most common questions I am asked and the most common messages in my Insta inbox are normally surrounding the topic of travel. The questions are mainly: “if you had ____ days, where would you go?” and “can you recommend where to stay” or  “is this place better than that?’ Similar to me struggling to write back to even my family and friends, a lot of those messages go unanswered as it's normally a long winded answer that takes time or I am in the middle of something and forget to go back. 

In an attempt to answer a bunch of those queries, last year I created ‘P Mamis Mediterranean Pleasure Guide’ which has helped the adventures of many already. In the guide I share my best advice for exploring Sicily, Puglia, Paros and Naxos and in my book I share guides to Sardinia and Ikaria. These recommendations and guides are suited for those who travel similar to me: off the beaten path and exploring (with a car) areas that may be quieter and less touristy. I am not the gal going to bars, beach clubs and busy restaurant areas but rather finding the local mini market and hunting down a beach access over a mountain top. 

It seems as though there are SO MANY OPTIONS and SO MANY PLACES to choose from and see, that deciding a plan or a direction to go can be overwhelming. Especially when most people have a specific amount of time off from work and so making the best of their holiday and its time is crucial. Some people planning this years trip may have already been to Europe/Italy/Greece before and knocked some particular places off the list and some might be experiencing their first overseas trip and have no idea where to start and what direction to go. So for those people, the ones who don’t know where to start and need someone to give them a broad idea: IMA TELL YA WHAT I THINK!

To help along on your travels, I have created a 21 day direction plan for you that would be my chosen layout if I had that amount of time and wanted to see the things that I personally like to see: beaches, cute towns, yum food and relaxing days. I chose that timeframe which is 3 weeks because I feel as though that is that median amount of time that most people go over for. Many of you may read this plan and go “but what about this place?” or “I wouldn’t spend that long there” - but this is the best layout I can see. When forming this list I considered the following:

1. The direction of the trip and the days spent in places in order to utilise travel time but still exploring and experiencing. The areas I have recommended are on the list because they fit into a great direction plan but also are incredible places to see.  

2. I realise there are only two countries here in the three weeks but sometimes I think jumping to more countries is harder than staying in a subregion and exploring that better. I also could have chosen from hundreds of towns or regions and there are absolutely places that are a must-see that have not made this list

3. The areas/islands I have chosen are not necessarily my top favourite recommendations, some definitely are but the way that I have structured this 21 day plan was to make it easy and accessible for the traveller. Naturally I would want to send you over to places like Samos or Ikaria in Greece on this trip, but if you have only 1-6 days in an area I would rather you spend more time having a holiday over travelling far and wide to my favourite destinations that are sometimes more distant and harder to access. 

4. The depth of my recommendations on this list will be centred upon where to go, in what direction and how long to stay with a few extra recs in there. For food, beach and other things - that's your adventure task to take as I would be here for decades if I went down that route. And to be honest, the places and things that I found are from my own exploration and curiosity. Yes of course, guides are helpful and great, but only you can follow the trail that lights up something fun in your soul.

5. I always normally do Greece after Italy because once you eat lots of pasta, pizza and paninis for weeks you are excited to hit the Greek cuisine.

May this plan give some of you the guidance that you need to begin one of life's most exceptional experiences: travel in the Mediterranean. I hope you eat all the peaches on the beaches and think of me whilst ya munching!

With love, chaos & rigatoni,

PM xx

My Mediterranean Pleasure Guide can be purchased here.

DAY 1 + 2 | ROME

Rome is such an incredible city with historic sites and food that will leave you speechless. Every time I return to this city I find something new and am continuously surprised by how it can thrill me every time with something I haven’t seen or experienced before. 

Two days might not be long enough if it's your first visit, but nowadays I do that amount of time and are able to get enough in before heading down the coast. If it's your first time visiting I would recommend staying in the Centro Storico area as it's closer to see all the major sites. I prefer the areas of Trastevere and Testaccio to stay in which is still walking distance to see everything, but there are some really cool restaurants and shops in that area. 

Even if you are not a history buff or not too interested in museums (kinda like me) - you will still lose your mind when you see the Colosseum, Forum, Spanish Step, Pantheon etc etc. 

Must see/experience: Villa Borghese, Felice a Testaccio, Vatican City (Sistine Chapel!!!), Brivido Gelateria

DAY 3 + 4 + 5 | ISCHIA 

Once you have finished in Roma, take the 1 hour train down to Naples and then a taxi to the port. There you will jump on a 1 hour ferry to Ischia and arrive in paradise. 

Now most would suggest the famous Capri to visit as the standard Amalfi Coast island to see, however after many trips there and a recent expedition to Ischia for the first time in 2022 - I reckon it might be my new favourite out of the two. I would say it's a little more laid back, much easier to get around and also a lot cheaper than Capri. I stayed for 5 days which was fantastic but as it's not a massive island you could definitely experience it well in 3 days. I was there with a friend Anna who had explored the island deeply so I could rest on her to show me some sites (she has an Ischia guide here!). 

I stayed on two sides of the island, in an Airbnb on the eastern side near Porto d’Ischia and at Botania Relais which was absolutely a non-standard spend for me but absolutely worth the experience. It is on the expensive side but we decided to do something special and it was probably the most exceptional Hotel stay I’ve ever had and if you can spend less in other areas, I would recommend treating yourself!! The on-site restaurant served me one of the top 3 meals of my LIFE.

Must see/experience: Il Giardino Mediterraneo (MUST DO!!), Giardini Poseidon Terme, Sorgeto Bay, Mezzatorre Hotel

DAY 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 | SARDINIA 

Once you finish up in Ischia, take the ferry back to Naples and from here you have two options to get to Sardinia from Naples. You can either take a 15 hour ferry (no thanks!) or a 2.5 hour flight. The price difference between the two is shockingly minimal so I know which option I am taking. 

Now, Sardinia is my favourite place in the entire world so I could legitimately recommend you staying for an entire month (or two!) as it's a very large island that can be endlessly explored. But with the 3 week time frame and other places to go, I have instead picked two specific parts of Sardinia for you to see and explore that are special to me. 

Fly into Olbia and get a car from the airport. I would head straight down to Dorgali or Cala Gonone and stay there for two nights. 1000000% you MUST make sure you do the boat tour from the Cala Gonone port that takes you out to beaches along the Gulf of Orosei which you can only access by boat. Once you have had two nights in the Dorgali region, drive 2 hours North West to either Castelsardo or Costa Paradiso. There you can spend 2-3 days exploring the coastline and smaller towns.

Must see/experience: Cala Mariolu, Orion La Veranda, Stintino, Sa Cuchina, Il Cormorano

DAY 11 + 12 | ATHENS 

To get over to Athens from Sardinia you will need to head back to Olbia and take a flight that will stop in Rome and then onto a 2 hour to Athens. Now in terms of favourite European major cities which I normally don’t love due to the hectic-ness of them, Athens is very special. There is something about that place that doesn’t overwhelm you and it doesn’t feel as city-ish as others do. I could spend and recommend you stay longer than two days  there but again, we are in a time crunch for exploring.  

The best thing about Athens is definitely the food! The quality of great restaurants is endless and the nightlife is rich in fun energy and vibrant people. You could find yourself happily awake having a drink at 1am alfresco and feel as if it were 6pm, time feels like it doesn’t exist in Athens, I think so anyways.  

Most of the time I have always stayed in hotels around the centre near Plaka because of the pedestrian streets and access to the Acropolis and other ruins. If I was there for only two days I would stay here so that you can make the most of your access to everything you want to see. I have also stayed in Psirri which has more of an artisan vibe and is not as busy and intense as the centre. Every time I visit Athens I leave with some ridiculously incredible vintage clothing items so make sure you check out those for your wardrobe (recommended below!)

Must see/experience: Kilo - Shop, Cinque Wine & Deli Bar, Lsandsia, Yesterdays Bread Second Hand, Acropolis, Leloudas, 

DAY 13 + 14 + 15  | PAROS

Once you have finished up in Athens, you head down to the port called Piraeus and jump on a ferry to Paros which is about 3 hours. With over 6,000 islands in Greece there are many you could choose from but I think Paros is a great middle level island where it's not as busy as Santorini or Mykonos but then not as far away or as laid back as Ikaria. 

Paros is known for its beautiful beaches, white marble houses and buzzing (but not overly hectic) nightlife. It’s very easy to get around whether you hire a scooter/car or use the buses, and there is also another island called Antiparos that you should absolutely do a day visit whilst you are there. 

Obviously if you have your own transport then I recommend staying away from the port and finding a little Airbnb in either the South or East parts of the island. If you decide to get buses everywhere then I would definitely recommend staying near either the new port Parikia or the old port Naoussa, so that you have access to the restaurants and transport etc. 

Must see/experience: Monastiri Beach, Markakis, Golden Beach, Lefkes, Moraitis Winery

DAY 16 + 17+ 18 | NAXOS 

A short 50 minute ferry ride away from Paros is its next door neighbour island: Naxos. I personally see Naxos as the ‘food’ island because the soil and produce is renowned for its quality. The landscape is super fertile and there are mountain villages across the island that will fill your adventure days.

You will see lots of tourists here either on scooters or four wheelers and similar to Paros there is a relaxed and laid back approach on the island. I will mention that Naxos and Paros are somewhat similar (with differences still) so if you were wanting to shake things up and not be laying on the beach again so much after Paros, then just consider this before booking. I personally would still go to both islands as there are different things to see on each, however I must mention in case you wanted a different experience. I stayed in Naxos near the port with an incredible Airbnb that made us dinner every night and showed us the sights, taught us the history of the island and made us the perfect morning Greek coffee. The links to where I stayed, beaches I laid on and places I ate in Paros + Naxos are in my guide here.

Must see/experience: Agia Anna, Elliniko, Apollonas, Souvlaki of Makis, Temple of Apollo 

DAY 19 + 20 + 21 | MILOS

A mere 2.5 hour ferry away from Naxos in the wonderment that is Milos. Known for its ‘moonlike’ white rock cliffs and waterfront villages, this place is a must to see and experience. Whilst the island is not massive there are countless coastlines and beaches to explore. The main port of Plaka is a small but bustling town with galleries, shops, restaurants and a pretty energetic nightlife. 

Again similar to the other islands, there are buses that you can take from the main areas that will take you around the island to the beaches, otherwise you can hire a scooter, four wheeler or if you can get one, a car! I would definitely say that Milos’s beaches and coastal villages are the highlight of this island and you will have endless options of aesthetically pleasing beach views that also may or may not take a bit of exercise and adventure to access - but absolutely worth it.  

Must see/experience: Sarakiniko, Klima, Mikros Apoplous, Tsigrado, Firopotamos, Aggeliki