The beaches in Greece are popular destinations, and we wanted to experience one. 
We had a couple of options. The ship offered a shuttle into town, and from there, we could have found transportation to a beach by public bus or taxi. But we opted for “stress-free” and purchased a ship’s excursion. Gryfada Beach is a forty-minute motor coach ride from the port. Nice loungers with comfy, thick cushions were provided. There was even an ice bucket with a bottle of water between each two chairs.
The ship’s loungers were not “beach front,” so my view of the water was not as unobstructed as I would have preferred. Instead, I did more people-watching, and that was entertaining.
Accessing the water was a little tricky due to a small cliff of sand. I was happier sitting on my lounger and reading a good book than playing in the water.
One thing I really like about the Mediterranean beaches is that the vendors have not been overly pushy – until today. One man agreed to a beach massage and he was thoroughly massaged head to toe in full view of all the spectators. He kept his swim trunks on, I am happy to say, but the massage therapist tugged them halfway down as she worked on his back – much to the delighted giggles of his two young daughters.
I agreed to a head, shoulders and foot massage. My masseur used what looked like a car wash mitt, the kind with terry cloth tentacles, to brush the sand off my calves, feet and between my toes. Then 20 minutes of bliss. Rather, 18 minutes of bliss and a couple of seconds of painful pressure on my instep which he adjusted after I almost kicked him into the next sun bather. I think I will also skip a face and scalp massage in my future. The good thing about writing my own blog is that I get to choose the pictures. NO pics of my massage!
Our time at Gryfada Beach was from 9:30-12:30, and if we had been staying longer I would have ordered food. The mini burgers I saw looked yummy. It is hard for a cheap person to pay for food when there is plenty of food waiting on the ship.
There was a small shop as we left the beach going back to the bus. I found my usual postcard, ornament and stamp. One-stop shopping. The mailbox was at the port, just outside the terminal on the way back to the Vista. Wifi was advertised at the terminal, but we never connected successfully.
Next stop: Messina, Sicily, Italy