Guide to Greece & the Greek Islands

Maps of Greece  & the Greek Islands - Facts at a Glance - Environment History Economy - Culture - Events - Facts for the Traveler - Money & Costs - When to Go - The Greek Islands & Major Attractions - Off the Beaten Track - Activities  Getting There & Away - Getting Around - Recommended Reading - Detailed information about the mainland - Detailed information about the islands 

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Off the Beaten Track

Zagoria

There are 46 villages in the region of Zagoria, north of Ioannina. As with many inaccessible mountainous areas in Greece, these villages maintained a high degree of autonomy in Turkish times, so their culture flourished. The houses are built entirely of slate from the surrounding mountains, and the villages, with their winding cobbled and stepped streets, look as if they've leapt straight out of a Grimm's fairy tale. Many of the villages are now sadly depopulated, with only a handful of elderly inhabitants.

The area is thickly forested with hornbeam, maple, willow and oak, and bears, wolves, wild boars, wild cats, wild goats and rare Rissos quadrupeds roam the mountains. Vlach and Sarakatsani shepherds still live a semi-nomadic existence, taking their flocks up to high grazing grounds in the summer and returning to the valleys in autumn. The Vikos-Aoös National Park encompasses much of this area, which, although popular with trekkers, is untouched by mass tourism.

Minor Islands

Between Naxos and Amorgos in the Cyclades there is a chain of small islands variously called the Minor Islands, Back Islands and Lesser Islands. Only four of the islands have a permanent population: Donoussa, Koufonisi, Iraklia and Shinoussa. The islands were densely populated in antiquity, as evidenced by the large number of graves which have been found, but these days they are inhabited only by a few goatherds and an increasing, though still relatively small, number of visitors attracted to the pristine beaches. The islands have domatia (rooms) and tavernas at their ports, but don't expect anything fancy.

The Mani

Grey rocky mountains, mottled with defiant clumps of green scrub, characterise the Mani region of the Peloponnese. The people of the Mani claim to be direct descendants of the Spartans, the fierce warriors who chose to withdraw to the mountains rather than serve under foreign masters. Until independence, the Maniots lived in clans led by chieftans. With fertile land scarce, blood-feuds were a way of life, so families constructed towers to use as refuges. To this day Maniots are regarded by Greeks as fiercely independent, royalist and right-wing. Areopoli, the capital of the Mani, is aptly named after Ares, the god of war. In the narrow, cobbled streets of the old town, grim tower houses stand proud and vigilant. The Diros caves, 8km south of Areopoli, were inhabited by Neolithic people and may extend as far north as Sparta. Visitors are taken on a boat trip along the subterranean river through narrow tunnels and immense caverns filled with myriad clusters of stalactites and stalagmites. Further south, there are stark, barren mountains, broken only by deserted settlements of mighty towers. Vathia, the most dramatic of the traditional villages in this region, is a barnacle-like cluster of tower houses perched on a lofty rock.

Gavdos Island

Stuck out in the Libyan Sea south of Crete, Gavdos Island is the most southerly place in Europe. Rumour has it that this was the island where Calypso the sea nymph held Odysseus captive on his way home from the Trojan War. The island has three small villages and pleasant beaches, and it is perfect for those craving isolation. There are no hotels but several of the locals rent rooms and freelance camping is tolerated. Fishermen from Gavdos take visitors to the remote, uninhabited island of Gavdopoula.

Activities

Greece's mountainous terrain is perfect for trekking. The countryside is crisscrossed with donkey and goat tracks, and Byzantine cobbled paths link most villages. Although some of the alpine trails are a tad overgrown, most of the popular routes are well maintained. The forested Pindos mountains of Epiros, the Peloponnese and the south-west of Crete are the among the best areas for trekking. The meltemi and the lakelike surface of the Aegean provide perfect conditions for windsurfing, which is the most popular water sport in Greece. Although snorkelling is encouraged and well worthwhile anywhere along the coast, scuba diving is strictly forbidden, unless under the auspices of a diving school, so that underwater antiquities are protected from pilferers. Greece is one of the cheapest places in Europe to go skiing and has around 20 resorts which provide a pleasant alternative to the glitz of the Alps. The most developed resort is on Mt Parnassos near Delfi.

Getting There & Away

Greece has 16 international airports and has air links to every major city in Europe. In addition, there are direct flights to and from the USA, Canada, Australia and various Asian cities. There are also frequent flights to/from Istanbul and Sofia. Cheap charter flights are available from London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris to Athens, Thessaloniki and some of the islands. However, conditions apply; if you take a side trip to Turkey you may not be allowed to use the return portion of your charter-flight ticket.

By land, there are road connections from Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia. There are also trains from Macedonia and Turkey. Travelling to Greece on an Inter-rail or Eurail pass does not necessarily entail travel through Macedonia, however, as the ferry-crossing from Italy is often included in the ticket. Alternatively, take trains through Hungary and Bulgaria to avoid the trouble spots.

There are ferries from Brindisi, Bari and Otranto in Italy, and from various Aegean ports in Turkey. There are also boats from Israel and Cyprus.

Getting Around

Olympic Airways operates flights between many cities and islands at about three times the ferry fare. Buses are the most popular form of public transport as the train system is limited and confined to the mainland. People do cycle in Greece, but you'll need strong leg muscles to tackle the mountainous terrain. An extensive ferry network connects the mainland and islands.

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