🇬🇷 Tracing My Roots in Greece: A Journey I’ll Never Forget

There are some trips that feel like a vacation—and then there are the ones that stay with you forever. For me, that was our family trip to Greece.

This past February and March, I had the chance to explore a place that’s lived in my heart for a long time. I traveled to Greece with my husband, our kids, and my parents—not just for sightseeing, but to trace our family roots. We explored the area near Sparta, where my Yiayia (my great-grandmother) came from, and we even visited the village once known as Mystras, where our family story began generations ago.

The best part? I knew my Yiayia. I have memories of her visiting us in Las Vegas (she loved it—she said the mountains reminded her of home), and we visited her several times in New York, where she lived. She passed away in 2001, but being able to walk the same fields her feet once did... it was incredibly moving. And to share that experience with my mom? Truly unforgettable.

🌿 Returning to Our Roots: The Heart of the Trip

My family’s story begins near Sparta, in a village once known as Mystras—a place filled with sweeping olive groves, few homes, and echoes of the past in every stone. It’s here that my great-grandmother once lived before sailing to America as a teenager. She wasn’t even supposed to be the one to leave—but when her sister couldn’t make the journey, she took her place. That decision shaped every generation that followed.

Visiting her village wasn’t just symbolic. It’s where the connection to long-lost family happened. On a previous trip to the village on her own search for family history, my cousin Rebecca, and her family found the church that had once held the records for the people of the village. It had burned down long ago and as a family, we had resigned ourselves to not knowing the history of our ancestors before the last 5 generations. Once in the village, Rebecca was connected with a young man, Christos, who had been obsessed with doing his own family history. Rebecca showed him an old family picture she had of Yiayia when she was young. Christos looked her in the eyes and told her he had that exact picture hanging in his house. Rebecca had found our cousin!

Being there, in that village, at that church, we felt like that’s where we were supposed to be. It was home.

And then there was another church…

⛪ A Sacred Discovery: Our Family Church

Tucked into the hillside, kissed by sunlight, stood a small church I’ll never forget. We were told it had been gifted to our family in the 1300s—a staggering thought. To stand in front of something so old, so steeped in history, and know it was connected to us... I don’t think I’ve ever felt so small and so deeply connected all at once.

This wasn’t a story pulled from a book. This was our story—etched into stone, preserved through centuries, and still standing.

🧬 A Lineage That Spans Millennia

After walking the village and seeing the churches, we were off to Gythio to meet Christos and an uncle. We met with them at a park near the bay. We hugged, we laughed, and we exchanged old photographs we had carried from opposite ends of the world. And then we ate.

As if the emotional moments weren’t enough, as we sat at dinner Christos revealed something truly wild he had discovered during his genealogy research—our family lineage can be traced all the way back to Attila the Hun. I still can’t fully wrap my head around it. But it adds yet another layer of wonder to this experience. Generations of strength, survival, and migration all led to this moment... standing in Greece, surrounded by family, absorbing it all.

✨ A Family Journey Through the Peloponnese

Because of the way I planned the trip, we were able to stay in one central location, Kalamata, and make day trips to all the places we wanted to see—without the hassle of moving to a new hotel every night. It gave our days a relaxed rhythm and allowed for spontaneous stops and meaningful moments.

From our home base, we explored:

Sparta – where the journey started
Mystras – a beautifully preserved Byzantine village
Olympia – birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games
Diros Caves – a magical boat ride through underground lakes
Gytheio – a charming seaside town where many of our ancestors were laid to rest
Areopolis – home to one of our favorite food stops: Spaka, where the views were only matched by the flavors
Mycenae – a treasure trove of ancient ruins and stories

Every morning in Kalamata, we had a standing date with Alesia, our favorite local bakery. Fresh bread, flaky pastries, and warm coffee made for the perfect start to each adventure.

🧳 Why This Trip Meant So Much

This trip wasn’t about checking off a list of sights. It was about connection—across generations, across oceans, across time. My kids witnessed their heritage firsthand. My parents saw their mother’s village with their own eyes. And I got to stand in the middle of it all—a bridge between the past and the future—feeling so deeply grateful for everything this experience gave us.

It reminded me why I do what I do. Because when travel is done with intention, it becomes something more.

💛 Want to Plan a Heritage or Family Journey of Your Own?

Whether it’s visiting the town your ancestors came from or simply taking the time to reconnect with loved ones in a beautiful place, I believe travel is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting memories.

If you’ve ever dreamed of exploring your roots—or just want a custom trip that’s meaningful, seamless, and thoughtfully planned—I’d be honored to help.

Because when it’s done right, travel isn’t just a getaway… It’s a homecoming.

Family Travel to Greece: How We Explored Our Heritage in the Peloponnese