Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
place to learn the art of surfing. Mikri Vigla on Naxos is also an excellent spot, with
courses off the gorgeous white-sand beach.
Waterskiing
Given the relatively calm and flat waters of most island locations and the generally warm
waters of the Mediterranean, waterskiing can be a very pleasant activity. August can be a
tricky month, when the
meltemi
(dry northerly wind) can make conditions difficult in the
central Aegean. Poros, near Athens, is a particularly well-organised locale, with an or-
lar school and slalom centre.
DIVING INTO HISTORY
In the last half decade, Greek diving laws have relaxed to allow divers to visit many
more underwater locations. While most divers and dive companies are heralding
this as a positive move, historians and archaeologists are increasingly alarmed and
calling for a return to the law prior to 2007, which strictly limited diving to a handful
of areas. Their reason? The looting of underwater archaeological sites.
Greece's underwater world holds a wealth of historic discoveries. Over the cen-
turies, a great many statues on land were melted down to make weapons and
coins. Consequently, many of the largest ancient statues you'll see in Greek mu-
seums have been salvaged from the watery depths in the past century. The sea is
now the country's largest archaeological site left. Approximately 100 known under-
water sites are protected; however, historians claim there are likely to be thou-
sands more yet to be discovered. Greece's ocean bed is a graveyard to countless
shipwrecks dating all the way back to Classical times, which are considered both
fascinating dive sites and archaeological hotbeds.
Despite a law dating back to 1932 that asserts that all found artefacts belong to
the state, divers are said to be surfacing with sculptures, jewellery, warrior helmets
and more. Meanwhile, archaeologists claim that the removal of even the most
seemingly mundane objects can affect and eventually destroy sites.
The moral for divers? Don't become another masked and finned pirate. Look but
don't touch.
White-Water Rafting
The popularity of white-water rafting and other river adventure sports has grown rapidly
in recent years as more and more urban Greeks, particularly Athenians, head off in
search of a wilderness experience.
