GREECE

INTRODUCTION

Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations stayed up late enough to want souvlaki , Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy. But don’t expect a visit there to be a sober study of the ancient world – the Greek propensity for partying dates back to Dionysus.

From smoggy Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound – the belly button of the cosmos at Delphi , fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos , frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even, quite possibly, the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini .

Greeks are fierce guardians of tradition, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun. In addition, hot sun and limpid seas conspire to make Greece a perfect place to relax. Whether you’re supping in a beachside taverna , sipping coffee in a shady plateia or disco-dancing till dawn, chances are the gods already have you ensnared.

Language: Greek
Religion: 98% Greek Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, 0.7% other
Time: GMT/UTC +2 ((+3 during daylight saving time))
Dialling Code: 30
Electricity: 220V ,50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Money & Costs

Currency: Euro

Meals

Budget: US$5-10
Mid-range: US$10-20
High: US$20+

Lodging

Budget: US$10-40
Mid-range: US$40-100
High: US$100+

CLIMATE

Our favorite time to visit is from mid May to mid June and from mid September to the latter part of October, when the temperatures are mild, normally 68-77 F/20-25 C. The latter part of June to the first part of September is crowded with tourists and hot, getting into the 90s F/30s C. In the winter months, temperatures are often below 50 F/10 C, which is fine for touring, but usually too cold to swim or lie on the beach. Greece has fairly little rain year-round. The breezes that keep the summer bearable are called meltemi .

When to Go

Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June – beaches and ancient sites are relatively uncrowded ; public transport operates on close to full schedules; and accommodation is cheaper and easier to find than in the mid-June to end of August high season. Conditions are once more ideal from the end of August until mid-October as the season winds down. Winter is pretty much a dead loss outside the major cities as most of the tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation from the middle of October till the beginning of April. This is slowly changing, however; on the most touristy islands, a few restaurants, hotels and bars remain open year-round.

Events

The Greek year is a succession of festivals and events, some of which are religious, some cultural, others an excuse for a good knees-up. Gynaikratia on 8 January is a day of role reversal in villages in northern Greece . Women spend the day in kafeneia (cafes) and other social centres where men usually congregate, while the men stay at home to do housework. The Greek carnival season runs through February-March over the three weeks before the beginning of Lent, and features fancy dress, feasting, traditional dancing and general merrymaking. Easter is the most significant festival in Greece , with candle-lit processions, feasting and fireworks displays. Emphasis is placed on the Resurrection rather than on the Crucifixion, so it is a joyous occasion. There are numerous summer festivals across the country, the most famous being the Hellenic Festival (mid-June to late September), which hosts drama and music in ancient theatres.

Attractions

Athens

Redolent with mythology, smeared with grime, Athens is an affable city enlivened by outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks, gardens and urban eccentrics. If you get into the Athenian mindset, you might not even notice the layer of nefos (smog) overhead.

Modern tourists have the ancient Athenians to thank for the ease of getting to major landmarks around the city. Old Athens was miniscule compared to today’s sprawling metropolis, which means that all the must-sees are conveniently huddled together in a fairly easy-to-manage rectangle.

Crete

Steeped in Homeric history and culture, scented by wild fennel and basil, Greece ‘s largest island now hosts a quarter of all visitors to Greece . The north is overdeveloped, but it’s still possible to find some peace by visiting the west and south coasts or the ruggedly mountainous interior.

Crete was the birthplace of one of Europe ‘s oldest and most fascinating civilisations , the Minoan. Iraklio , the capital, has some fine musuems in which you can learn more about the island’s history, or you can visit the ancient Minoan site of Knossos . Hania has a beautiful old Venetian quarter.

Dodecanese Islands

Whitewashed walls, deep blue sky, olive groves, fig trees, azure Aegean waters…the heavenly Dodecanese Islands have all this and more. In this diverse group of islands you can experience traditional island life without the tourist trappings.

This Dionysian group of islands is perched on the easternmost edge of the Aegean , where ancient history jumps out at you at every turn. Island-hop your way to heaven, or just indulge in a spot of people-watching in the bar and beach scene of the big resorts.

Ionian Islands

Give into temptation and succumb to the lure of the idyllic Ionian group of islands – Corfu , Paxi , Lefkada , Kefallonia , Ithaki , Zakynthos and Kythira – far more lush than those barren Aegean islands, and tinged with a distinctly Venetian flavour .

Each island has its idiosyncrasies of culture and cuisine, and differing dollops of European and British influences. Their surfeit of charms include mountainside monasteries, Venetian campaniles, unspoilt villages, ancient olive groves, famous wines, white beaches and ludicrously blue-heaven waters.

Meteora

The monasteries of Meteora are one of the most extraordinary sights in mainland Greece . Built into and on top of huge pinnacles of smooth rock, the earliest monasteries were reached by climbing articulated removable ladders. Later, windlasses were used so monks could be hauled up in nets, a method used until the 1920s.

The monasteries provided monks with peaceful havens from increasing bloodshed as the Byzantine Empire waned at the end of the 14th century.

Apprehensive visitors enquiring how often the ropes were replaced were told ‘When the Lord lets them break’. These days access to the monasteries is by steps hewn into the rocks and the windlasses are used only for hauling up provisions.

Northeastern Aegean Islands

There are seven major islands in the northeastern group: Samos , Chios , Ikaria , Lesvos , Limnos , Samothraki and Thasos . Huge distances separate them, so island hopping is not as easy as it is within the Cyclades and Dodecanese . Most of these islands are large and have very distinctive characters. Samos , the birthplace of philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, is lush and humid with mountains skirted by pine, sycamore and oak-forested hills. Egg-shaped Samothraki has dramatic natural attributes, culminating in the mighty peak of Mt Fengari , which looms over valleys of massive gnarled oak and plane trees, thick forests of olive trees and damp dark glades where waterfalls plunge into deep icy pools.

Peloponnese

Greece ‘s southern peninsula is rich in history and scenically diverse. Packed into its northeastern corner are the ancient sites of Epidaurus , Corinth and Mycenae . The ghostly Byzantine city of Mystras clambers up the slopes of Mt Taygetos , its winding paths and stairways leading to deserted palaces and fresco-adorned churches.

Saronic Gulf Islands

The five Saronic Gulf islands are the closest of all to Athens , and Salamis is virtually a suburb of the capital. Aegina , Hydra, Spetses and Poros are all surprisingly varied in architecture and terrain, but they all receive an inordinate number of tourists and are expensive. Hydra, once the rendezvous of artists, writers and beautiful people, is now overrun with holiday-makers but manages to retain an air of superiority and grandeur. Motor vehicles, including mopeds, are banned from the island: donkeys rule.

Sporades

There are four inhabited islands in this mountainous and pine-forested northern archipelago: Skiathos , Skopelos , Alonnisos and Skyros . They are all heavily touristed and expensive. People go to Skiathos for the exquisite beaches and the nightlife; if you’re there for anything else, you’ll probably leave quickly. Skopelos is less commercialised than Skiathos , but is following hot on its trail. There are some lovely sheltered beaches, but they are often pebbled rather than sandy. Alonnisos is still a serene island, partly because the rocky terrain makes building an airport runway impossible. The water around Alonnisos has been declared a marine park and consequently is the cleanest in the Aegean . Every house has a cesspit, so no waste goes into the sea. Skyros is less developed than the other three, designed to attract posers rather than package tourists.

Food

The preparation of Greek food is usually quite simple, and olive oil is a staple – after all, the Greeks have an olive-growing tradition that dates back 5,000 years. The Greeks also love to make dishes from fresh vegetables, such as eggplants, beans, lentils and tomatoes, and they commonly use lamb and fish. This means that there’s more to Greek food than gyros: If you’ve only experienced Greek cuisine as a fast food in another country, you’re in for a treat. Athens has a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from traditional eateries to world-class gourmet restaurants. You are well-advised to avoid the tourist traps of Plaka and to eat in tavernas frequented by Greeks, such as the ones found in Psiri . Estiatorion are the more expensive conventional restaurants; tavernas are informal, family-run establishments; psistarias offer mostly grilled meats; and psarotavernas specialize in seafood dishes.

Common everywhere are tsatsiki (garlic-yogurt spread), souvlakia (lamb kebabs marinated in garlic), spanakopita (spinach pie) and tiropita (cheese pie). There is also a huge variety of regional specialties ranging, for example, from numerous pita pies (with several fillings such as meat or vegetables) in the northern regions of Macedonia and Epirus to traditional goat and snail dishes on the island of Crete . Seafood, such as fish, squid and octopus, is also very popular in Greece and especially on the islands, but it is usually prepared in a simple way – grilled and marinated with lemon and olive oil. Pastries made from filo dough, nuts and honey, such as baklava, shouldn’t be missed. Greek coffee is usually quite good, though very strong.

Shopping

Shop for handicrafts, wines, rugs, pottery, lace, embroidery, icons and jewelry – of particular interest is the gold jewelry with Greek designs and beautiful silver jewelry set with precious stones. The areas around Syntagma Square and Kolonaki Square in Athens are good for general high-quality shopping. Piraeus is usually less expensive than Athens . Don’t be afraid to haggle over prices in souvenir shops. In Crete , shop for colorful handwoven handbags or a harp. In Rhodes , look for ceramic tiles. ( Rhodes also has special tax provisions – items highly taxed elsewhere in Greece are less expensive there.)

Shopping Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday 8:30 am-2:30 pm ; Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 am-2 pm and 5:30-8:30 pm. Hours vary according to season.

Banking Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 am-2 pm , Friday 8 am-1:30 pm.

Travel Tips

Do show reverence and respect for the elderly – it’s a custom widely observed in Greece .

Don’t refuse offers of food or drink from business associates – doing so is considered an insult.

Do dress in conservative attire if you’re visiting on business.

Do expect to find nude and topless beaches throughout Greece .