Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
each other, while the Sporades, Argo-Saronic
and Ionian groups are best visited in single trips.
If time and money are short, the best place to
head for is well-preserved Ýdhra in the
Argo-Saronic Gulf , just a short ride from Pireás
(the main port of Athens), but an utterly
different place once the day-cruises have gone.
Similarly, Skýros , remotest and most unspoilt of
the Sporades, is a good choice within modest
reach of Athens or Thessaloníki. Among the
Cyclades , cataclysmically volcanic Santoríni
(Thíra) and Mýkonos with its perfectly preserved
harbour-town rank as must-see spectacles, but
fertile, mountainous Náxos, dramatic cliff-sided
Amorgós or gently rolling Sífnos have life more
independent of cruise-ship tourism and seem
more amenable to long stays. Crete could (and
does) fill an entire Rough Guide to itself, but the
highlights here are Knossos and the nearby
archeological museum in Iráklion, the other
Minoan palaces at Phaestos and Ayía Triádha,
and the west in general - the proud city of
Haniá, with its hinterland extending to the
relatively unspoilt southwest coast, reachable via
the fabled Samarian gorge. Rhodes , with its unique old town, is capital of the
Dodecanese , but picturesque, Neoclassical Sými opposite, and austere, volcanic Pátmos,
the island of Revelation, are far more manageable. It's easy to continue north via Híos,
with its striking medieval architecture, to balmy, olive-cloaked Lésvos , perhaps the most
traditional island in its way of life. The Ionian islands are often dismissed as package-
holiday territory, but their Venetian-style architecture, especially evident in Corfu, and
neighbouring Paxí, make them well worth seeking out, especially on a journey between
Greece and Italy.
FACT FILE
Out of a total Greek population of
10.7 million, 4 percent are immigrants
(mostly from Albania). There are also
large Greek communities in the
US, Australia (Melbourne is the
third-largest “Greek” city) and the UK.
No point in Greece is more than
137km from water. Greece has about
14,400km of coastline, the tenth
longest in the world.
Tourism is the country's main
foreign-currency earner, with up to
ten million visitors from overseas in a
good year; export of agricultural
products - especially olive oil and
olives, citrus, wine and raisins - is
another key industry.
With over 370 brands, anise-
flavoured ouzo is Greece's most
famous and popular beverage. Come
the evening, the Greeks sip it with a
little ice and water while tucking into
mezédhes. Stin uyeia sou!
Easter is the biggest date on the
Greek calendar. Instead of chocolate
eggs, locals exchange hard-boiled
ones painted red.
When to go
If anything is God-given to the Greeks, it is their climate . Most places are far more
agreeable outside the mid-July to end of August peak season, when soaring
temperatures, plus crowds of foreigners and locals alike, can be overpowering. You won't
miss out on warm weather if you come in June or September , excellent times almost
everywhere but particularly on the islands. An exception to this, however, is the north
mainland coast - notably the Halkidhikí peninsula - and the islands of Samothráki and
Thássos, which only really bloom during July and August . In mid- October you will
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