‘My Big Fat Greek’ holiday: Travel tips from the stars

Who better to ask about a Greek vacation than Nia Vardalos? The charming writer-star-executive producer of “My BigFat Greek Wedding 2” revealed her favorite spots to Laurie Heifetz. Her personable on-screen daughter, Elena Kampouris, also shared hers.

Nia Vardalos

I’m really glad you’re doing this story. Greece needs tourism. I want people to go and help the country recover. Greeks are the most hospitable people. I would love to tell you about the different islands that I’ve gone to.

There’s a cluster of islands in the northern area. Mostly only Greeks vacation on the northernmost area of the islands, Andros. You get there by boat. It is very green. It is extremely rare to have evergreen trees and beaches in the same place.

Zakynthos is really close to Italy, and there’s a ferry from there. You know that iconic picture of the boat on the deserted white beach? It’s in a very small cove, and it’s blue. It’s from that island.

Why it’s really well known among Greeks is because there are a lot of tiny little coves like that where you can tan topless. [Did she?] Of course, I did – until I became known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, so my mom was thrilled that I could no longer shed my top!

I like to go to the island of Paros because there are two cities on it. There’s the main town, Parikia, off of the port, where there are shops with handmade jewelry and delicious restaurants. But if you drive about 20 minutes, you will reach the old port, Naoussa, and it’s just spectacular. It’s more rustic, and you can find local artisans.

There are restaurants right at the edge of the water there. You have to step over some ropes mooring a boat to go to the next restaurant. If you are eating, you can put your foot down and dip it into the water right beside you.

We (were staying at) a hotel in Parikia. We drove to Naoussa to shop for the day. We had a little too much to drink. Ian, my husband, said, “We should stay at a hotel here for the night.” We asked the proprietor of Gelateria, who also owns a hotel.

He replied, “We’re full, but you could come to my house! This is my wife.”  We went there. He said, “Look, look, these are the beds.” We stayed up talking and drank coffee until three in the morning. We sobered up and drove home!

We really liked the winery, Moraitis, in Naoussa. We tried all of the wines. This is all drinking, isn’t it?!

There’s a pretty little port place, and one of my favorites there is Mario Restaurant where they grow their own vegetables. Everything’s organic in Greece. The zucchini stuffed with different cheeses and happiness was insane!

Very close to it is Barbarossa. We had the freshest fish – calamari and bream. Then they brought us a tower of dessert – ice cream upon ice cream upon ice cream – chocolate, vanilla, fresh strawberry, fresh mint. The owner said, “It’s hot out, so you better eat it quickly!”

So, often when we were going for early-morning walks, or even to a nightclub, we would look downstairs in the back of a restaurant or kitchen, and we would see somebody’s grandmother peeling the potatoes for that day.

Last summer, my friends and I drove to Delphi on the mainland. It’s where the (ancient) Oracle is. It’s an open circle, a round area carved into the marble, a shrine. There’s a myth that people would go there to ask for advice. Of course, my dad would say it’s the birthplace of astrology!

Sort of kidding at first, we decided to lean into the Oracle and ask her a question. We all left as if we’d just seen an old friend and gotten a sage piece of advice. We went there on a lark and ended up taking it seriously.

Elena Kampouris

My dad was born in Athens. We go to Greece every summer. I have family all over. I love Kasos, which is where my whole family is from. It’s not well known because it has a very small population of 1,100.

In 1951, only eight people were living on the island because there was no fresh water. It was very dry, and there were only three beaches which were not even sandy.

My grand pappou  – my great-grandfather – found fresh water for the island when he was 93 years old. He and a hydraulic engineer searched for a few years. The government didn’t fund him. There’s a statue commemorating him.

There are beautiful boathouses and a beach with all these boats. The boathouse that my grand pappou was born in is still there. The beaches are pretty rocky. Everyone goes swimming.

Kasos is known for its lack of traffic and tourists, but also for its hospitality whenever visitors come. They are a very welcoming people. Greeks, obviously, love to eat. The island is known for fish and cheese.

When we go to Nafpaktos near Delphi, we stay in a monastery on the island. The monks baptized all of our family. They’re very cool, very rogue. They eat a Mediterranean diet and lead a green lifestyle.

They live high up. It is a quite rocky drive up there on these cliffs. It’s beautiful and quite a sanctuary. They give little children these silver tins with loukoumi, rose-gelatin cubes. They let us stuff our faces with it – it’s the most delicious thing.

When a newcomer is baptized, they let the family stay for the ceremony. We sleep over and feast on Greek food and celebrate the festivities.

They have tons of space.

An island I absolutely love is Kefalonia. It is breathtaking. My grandmother – my ya-ya – was from there. Her name was Myrto. She was named after a famous beach – Myrtos Beach – one of the best in the world.

It’s quite a trek to get to the island because of the rocky cliffs you have to drive on. The views are stunning, but it’s a little scary.

The only wedding I’ve ever been to in my entire life was there. It was just like the movie: tons of Greek food; we smashed the plates; the bride rode in on a donkey; we threw rice at the bride and groom and spit on them for good luck (a “dry spit,” she adds).

The island of Paros is where my parents went for their honeymoon. We always go there. It’s really nostalgic for them. The butterfly sanctuary there is my favorite part. It is one of the gems of the island.