Many, many thanks to Jen and Eli for sharing their gorgeous honeymoon with us. These two think Greece is the perfect location for anyone who wants to mix relaxation with sightseeing in a stunning location. Jen says, “We fell in love with Greece and would go back in a heartbeat. We’d love to explore more of Crete and some of the other islands we didn’t get to.”

Food and wine was obviously a huge highlight of this honeymoon. For Jen and Eli, their great meals are some of the happiest honeymoon memories. I think it’s fitting to end this week’s featured trip with the obligatory wedding ring shot. So sweet!

“This is still probably the most amazing place we’ve ever stayed,” Jen says of the hotel where she and Eli spent time during the Santorini portion of their honeymoon. Built right into the cliffs Sunrocks, is a couples-only luxury hotel offering guests comfort in true style. You have to check out their website to the full taste of their beautiful, minimal, Mediterranean feel.

Jen says, “This hotel was a total splurge, but totally worth it.”

She says, “We were greeted with champagne and snacks in the room.” Sunrocks has two restaurants and a pool bar. All of the food Jen and Eli ordered here “was delicious”. She adds, “We especially liked the infinity pool that looked like it spilled over the edge of the cliff.”

Their gorgeous suite that looked like “the inside of a whitewashed cave.” Jen adds that they had, “an amazing balcony that looked onto the blue waters of the caldera.”

Though they never got a great beach day, Jen and Eli took full advantage of the sun and the pool to lay to lay about in their bathing suits. A little rain couldn’t dampen their spirits. If fact it brought with it an awesome thunderstorm one night with great lightning. Jen adds, “Eli was pretty blown away by the lightning show in Santorini – he still talks about it.”

Lato Boutique Hotel, Iraklio on Crete

Jen and Eli loved this very modern luxury hotel even though they spent only one night here. That’s because the staff “upgraded us to an executive suite when they found out we were honeymooners.” The threw in a complimentary bottle of wine too. Jen says, “we had a wrap-around balcony overlooking the harbor – amazing views!”

While in the town of Chania on the island of Crete, Jen and Eli stayed at Casa Delfino. This was their first hotel on the honeymoon and Eli says, “While it took us a while to navigate the labyrinthine streets that are Hania, we were pleasantly surprised to find a charming hotel with a central courtyard and spacious, airy rooms.”

History buffs will love that it’s a genuine 17th century Venetian palazzo. Jen adds, “The breakfast spread in the courtyard each morning was amazing, especially the fresh Greek yogurt with honey.”

Electra Palace, Athens

Jen and Eli describe the Electra Palace as having “more of an upscale business hotel feel” than a luxury resort. Jen is pictured above in the courtyard. But with its close proximity to everything in Athens, “we could walk everywhere we wanted to go.”

They made sure to mention the “great robes and slippers!”

I couldn’t mention the Electra Palace without talking about the incredible rooftop pool. Check out the views of the Acropolis from up high.

Plaza Beach, Naxos

Plaza Beach Hotel in Plaka on Naxos wasn’t Jen and Eli’s favorite, but definitely did it’s job. She says it was “very nice with a big room.” She adds, “it has a close proximity to the beach, but was a bit of a trek to restaurants and the main town.”

Above, Jen enjoys an outdoor breakfast at the Plaza.

While on the Greek island of Crete, Jen and Eli stayed in Chania (sometimes called Hania or Xania). As the island’s second largest city, it has about 70,000 residents and is located on the Venetian harbor. Having been inhabited for nearly as long as humans have been around, the place is dripping with history. The city is currently divided into two main areas, the modern city and Old Town, where Jen and Eli spent a lot of time wandering the crooked maze of streets, soaking up the charm.

The Mediterranean climate means the weather is beautiful year-round. Eli snapped this photo of a mosque on a sunny walk along Chania Harbor.

Jen and Eli wanted their honeymoon to have a mix of experiences. Relaxing on the beach was just as important as seeing ancient ruins or wandering through winding city streets. For them, renting a car on was often the best way to explore. It gave them the freedom to spend as long as they liked in each place. A good map and a tank of gas was all they needed. Options for car rentals in Greece can be found here.

They chose to fly from the mainland to Crete, their first stop on the trip. And after some island hopping, they flew back to Athens for a few days of sightseeing at the end of the trip. There are numerous airlines offering flights within Greece. Check this list out for links.

Traveling by ferry between the islands is the perfect way to take in the natural beauty of the country. There are several large operations that offer cheap rides or quicker high-speed boats for a higher fare. Learn more here.

Jen insisted I give a special shout-out to their travel agent Lista, from Fantasy Travel in Athens. Jen says, “She totally went above and beyond. She planned our entire trip, from the hotels we stayed at to travel between the islands to transfers from ferries and planes to our hotels. I would recommend her to anyone booking their Greek honeymoon.”

In the summer of 1997, I received a letter from Syracuse that contained the name of a girl from Queens, NY, who’d been selected as my freshman roommate. Who knew that all these years later, we’d still be great friends. Or that she and her husband would become Tim’s and my favorite dinner companions.

Jen, a restaurant publicist, and Eli, a photo retoucher/art professor/blogger, live in Brooklyn. After their Westhampton Beach, NY, wedding The Neugeborens spent an amazing honeymoon exploring Greece. Jen describes their trip as delicious, awe-inspiring, and “the perfect decompression from wedding stress.”

Neither of them had been to Greece and it was one of the first places they discussed going. They briefly considered Mexico, but with hurricane season in September they didn’t want to take any chances. She says, “We didn’t think Greece was a place we’d get to any time soon if we didn’t go on our honeymoon!”

These two are big foodies. Serious foodies. They Twitter about every restaurant they try. So food played a huge part in their trip. Whether it was wine, cheese and olives on the hotel balcony at sunset, or dinner at a fabulous restaurant, they ate their way through the Greek Islands.

This week we’ll vicariously travel along with them as they visit Athens and the islands of Crete, Santorini and Naxos. Get your napkins ready… it’s going to be a tasty week!