As you are aware, the land of Greece never fails to inspire—Minoans, Romans, Arabs, Latin Crusaders, Venetians, Slavs, Albanians and Turks have all left their mark! Almost every town or village has a link to the past, whether it’s a delicately crumbling temple to Aphrodite, a forbidding Venetian fort or a dusty Byzantine monastery decorated with exquisite frescoes. Apart from the cultural aspects, there are many pleasurable adventures that one can indulge in—a fun time exploring all the delights of its islands, lazing on a quite beach, enjoying the pristine white waters or even experiencing mouth-watering cuisine.
CRETE
The spirit of Mediterranean
The largest island in Greece, Crete is the it-place for all tourists! Thousands of years of culture and history, it captures the spirit of Greece and enchants everyone who visits it. Located on the southern side of the Aegean Sea, it captivates and seduces the senses with its majestic landscape, its spirit and cuisine.
Places to visit in Crete
Chania: The old town of Chania with its Venetian lighthouse, the aristocratic suburb of Halepa, the Tabakaria (centre for leather production), the Neoria (arsenal) and Kum Kapi is populated with bars, cafes, restaurants and elegant hotels.
Rethymno: Discover the town of Rethymno, with its Venetian buildings, mosques, fountains, minarets, cobblestones lined with shops, cafes, bars and hotels. While here, also explore Idaio Antro – one of the most important caves of Minoan worship.
Heraklion: The Venetian port of Heraklion is a lively city filled with sights, museums, restaurants, bars and hotels. Walk along the walls of the old city and discover buildings such as The Loggia (City Hall), Agios Titos and Armeria (armoury).
Ierapetra: The old town with its narrow alleyways, little harbour and famous Fortress of Kales is one of the most significant sights in Crete.
Agios Nikolaos: A cosmopolitan summer resort, with the mystical allure of Lake Vouliagmeni (which, legend has it, is bottomless), is embraced by cafes and restaurants.
MILOS
The island of Aphrodite
One of the most exotic island in the Aegean Sea and Cyclades, this is the place where Aphrodite of Milos was discovered. The caves eroded by the emerald green waters of the seas are steeped in stories of pirates and the beaches are painted red, pink and orange with volcanic rocks. It is the best island to witness sunrise and sunsets!
RHODES
Island of the knights
The medieval Old Town, the port of Mandraki, the Acropolis of Lindos, the ancient cities of Kamiros and Ialysos, the Valley of the Butterflies makes Rhodes breathtaking. Apart from exploring castles and discovering ancient civilizations, gourmet restaurants and traditional taverns serving local delicacies, enjoy loaves of breads made outdoor in wood-burning ovens.
SERIFOS
The sleepy island
On Serifos Island everything moves at a sleepy pace. Life in Livadi, the port on the eastern side of this island, moves around the small sheltered from the wind bay and you can comfortably spend time by sitting on the sandy beach under the Tamarisk trees. These trees crown the creek and overlook the anchored boats the gently sway on the surface of the hypnotic blue sea.
CYCLADES
The crown of jewels of the Aegean
Ancient Greek geographers gave this cluster of islands the name Cyclades because they viewed them as forming a circle (kyklos) around Delos. Cyclades consists of nine islands, namely, Andros, Kea-Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Syros and Tinos. Dazzling white villages, golden beaches and clear waters are just the start of what these islands have to offer!
DODECANESE
A dozen island beauties on the edge of the Aegean
Endless beaches and unexplored islets, castles and ancient civilizations, these quintessentially Greek islands have a lot to offer. A cluster of twelve islands in the south-eastern edge of the Aegean form a bridge between Europe and the East and everywhere you’ll see traces of peoples and cultures that made their mark over the centuries—Ionians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans and Italians
CENTRAL GREECE & THESSALY
A journey through myth and history
From Delphi to Meteora and Pelion to Karpenissi via imposing mountains, thick forests and rushing rivers forms the landscape of this region. Central Greece (Roumeli) has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is one of the most culturally rich parts of the country. Thessaly stands out for its natural beauty—wooded mountains, rivers, lakes and flora and fauna.
THESSALONIKI
A mosaic of cultures, a kaleidoscope of experiences
Warm and generous, Thessaloniki is at the same time historic and avant-garde! The second largest city in Greece, it is located in Macedonia and is an urban centre as well as a cultural melting point. Its history is written upon everything you see—the Thermaic Gulf, the White Tower, Nikis Avenue, Aristotelous Square, Tsimiski Avenue, Modiano Market and the Old City.
LOCAL ATIVITIES
Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Games, is ideal for participating in a sport or taking part in events or games.
Yachting
Begin your day with an excursion on the yacht to the islands of Lefkada—a pine-studded coastline, with secret coves, crystalline water, fishing villages. Enjoy the islets of Madouris, then Meganisi, Kalamos and Kastos—each one of these pristine Greek islands is picture-perfect.
Which Yacht? Iraklis: It was designed and constructed by ONAR Shipping at the Greek PERAMA boatyard. The fully air conditioned yacht can has house 12 + 2 passengers in its 6 cabins. All cabins have en-suite facilities, hydro jets and are provided with TV, DVD, CD, MP3, radio stereo, i-pod and many more devices. There are recreational activities available on board.
Cruising
Kick back and relax on an all-inclusive luxury cruise around the popular Greek islands.
Each island is a small paradise, with its own distinctive colour—like jewels scattered across the green-blue Greek seas.
Golfing
Each golfing destination in Greece is exceptional. On Corfu, the golfing fairways are surrounded by a unique natural habitat for birds from herons to kingfishers as well as animals such as otters in the waters of Nausica’s river. In Costa Navarino, two awarded courses are set in diverse topography with spectacular sea views. In Glyfada, pine, cypress, olive and fig trees flank the fairways.
Wellness
Sun, sea, sand, salt water, natural herbs and thermal springs—the ultimate Greek recipe to relieve stress! Exquisite spas with hammams, hydro massage and thalassotherapy, gyms, along with a Mediterranean diet is available. Also creams made from special oils with incredible aromas are used to rejuvenate your senses.
Air Sports
Greece has the ideal climate for gliding, hang gliding and parapente (paragliding) flights, since the drier the climate of a region or a country is, the better it is for the development of the above-mentioned sports, which utilize the upward currents in the atmosphere to help the glider, the kite-glider or the parapenter to fly for quite a while.
LOCAL DRINKS
Greek Wines
The Greek vineyard is rich with a multitude of varieties and a limitless spectrum of choices. Sun-dried sweet wines originated from every part of Greece.
Santorinian Vinsánto: This drink is made by blending together the varieties of Assýrtiko and Aidáni. The famous Vinsanto, a luscious sweet wine, is made from sun-dried grapes and aged by law for at least three years.
Zythos: It is the Greek beer! The word comes from the verb zeo which means to boil and it appears that zythos was the name of an Egyptian drink made of barley.
Ouzo: It is considered the national drink of Greece. In technical terms ouzo is either produced by partial distillation or the admixture of plain alcohol with aromatic herbs. The best ouzos are of course the distilled ones with the main flavour being anise seeds; other aromatics are often added, such as masticha from Chios, cinnamon, cloves or fennel, depending on the brand. Each location prides itself on its ouzo but the most famous are from the island of Lesvos and from Tyrnavos in Thessaly.
Traditional Raki and Tsipouro: Apart from ouzo, Greece is known for another pair of considerably stronger distilled local drinks, often confused with one another, raki and tsipouro. Frequently homemade, production peaks in the autumn after the grape-harvest with celebrations.
Masticha of Chios: If Greece had to choose just one product to be proud of then masticha – or mastic – would be one of the prime contenders for first place. People have been trying to get the masticha tree to produce its magical resin elsewhere than southern Chios for centuries without success.
SIGNATURE DISHES
Traditional Greek cuisine has ingredients that are pure, to form a balanced nutritional meal that can ensure a better quality of life and physical health.
Olive oil
As the basis of every recipe found in traditional cuisine, olive oil plays a dominant role in Greek nutritional habits. Greek olive oil is known worldwide for its purity, exceptional taste and high nutritional value.
Cheese
Try cheeses such as kaseri, graviera, kefalotiri, myzithra and metsovone. These cheeses vary according to their origin, taste and name. Some of these cheeses are found throughout the country, while others are locally produced for local consumption. The most famous is of course Greek feta cheese.
Honey
Greek honey is famous for its high quality, aroma and outstanding taste. Its many variations in taste and aroma are due to the rich Greek flora. The flower-honey is well-known and high-selling, produced from the nectar of mainly citrus and other fruit, thyme with its incomparable aroma, and pine honey produced in the highland regions from conifer trees.
Mastic
A product that is unique in the world, as it is grown exclusively on the Aegean island of Chios. It is produced from the resin of the mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus) and can be consumed untreated without chemical or industrial processing.
Sweet Preserves (spoon sweets)
Linked to the sweet welcome of a visitor, it is the foremost traditional treat in Greek homes. When served, it usually fills a teaspoon, hence its name. These sweets are prepared during the season when each fruit ripens: wild cherries, grapes, figs, apricots, berries, plums, quinces, bergamots and citrons.
For your itineraries, contact:
ACE TRAVEL
#168, Filolaou Street – 11632
Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 210 7520643
Website: acetravel.gr
For your Visa:
Website: vfs-gr-in.com
Courtesy: Greek National Tourist Organization
Visitgreece.gr
