Greece is your destination...

Here you will find some basic information on the different parts of Greece and what you can see by visiting each one of them.

Cyclades, the islands of the Aegean that encircle the holy island of Delos, a Greek Polynesia, a marine state with innumerable large and small islands, where each one has its own fascinating and long history and has carefully maintained its own inexhaustible secrets.

The cluster of the Cyclades islands signify due to its position and historical presence, the Dawn of Greek Culture. The name Cyclades is known since antiquity from the text of ancient writers such as Herodotos, Thoukededes, Strabon, Kallimachos etc. It was given to the islands because they shaped a circle round the holy island of Greek antiquity, Delos.

Some of the well-known islands that are situated in the cluster of Cyclades are Mykonos,(right picture) Santorini - or Thira - (bottom left picture), Milos (top left picture) and Syros.

Mykonos is found in the heart of Cyclades. It is an island with a double personality: it is one of the most picturesque Cycladic islands, with picturesque streets, white houses, chapels and windmills, and simultaneously one of the most known tourist destinations, which has been distinguished at a world level for its cosmopolitan character.Clubs, bars and beaches of the island have all been filled for many decades with tourists, eponymous and anonymous. Mykonos is an island that guarantees that its visitors will have fun, no matter if they are worshippers of night life and intense emotions or the kind of travellers that wish to get to know the place, to visit sights such as archaeological sites, monuments, churches, picturesque settlements and familiarize with the tradition and life of the residents.

http://www.mykonos.gr/index.php?PageLang=english

Santorini, a creation of peeved nature, due to its special history and legends that follow it, the traditional settlements and the vivid cosmic life, has conquered the whole world. It is the southest island of Cyclades. Literally it's a complex of islands comprised from Thera, Therasia, Aspronisi, Palea and Nea Kameni. It is an island with long history that has suffered a lot of catastrophes due to volcano eruptions that have changed its shape. But human power turned to be stronger than rough nature. Today the -almost- lunar scenery with the black, grey and red volcanic rocks has turned into a white state. The mild architecture of Cyclades islands has changed the island's sight. The graphic villages, with the narrow cobblestone pavements, the small squares and their churches impress every visitor. The view to volcano that most tourist resorts have- is spectacular. The picture is unique and especially the sunset.

http://www.santorini.com/

http://www.santorini.net/  

Milos is found in the south-western utmost of the Cyclades. It is the island that became famous from the eminent statue of Venus. Milos is an impressive island, with unique nature and rich history. Its volcanic past, astonishing white, red, yellow or black rocks that you don’t meet elsewhere in Hellenic space, and a crystal clear sea that centuries now sculpts its coasts and caves, create a fascinating combination with landscapes of astonishing beauty: Kleftiko, the cave of Papafragka, Sarakiniko, Arkoudes. Moreover, Milos is found in the centre of an archaeological and religious world of interest thanks to her famous Catacombs and Fylakopi with Venus.

http://www.milos-island.gr/index.html

Crete called Candia in the Venetian period and Turkish Girit is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea.

Tourist attractions in Crete include archeological sites at Knossos, Phaistos, Gortys and many other places, the Venetian castle in Rethymno, the Samaria Gorge and many other minor gorges (Agia Irini, Aradena, etc).

Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization (ca. 2600–1400 BCE), the oldest civilization in Europe.

The island is separated in 4 prefectures: Chania, Heraklion, Lassithi and Rethymno. It has everything to offer: mountainous landscapes, a coast with many beautiful beaches and rocky coves, beautiful towns and charming villages and harbours, excellent food, ruins of the Minoan Civilization, one of the greatest civilization ever and an exciting nightlife...

At the photo above, you can have a look at the 4 parts of Crete. Following clockwise direction you can see Knossos, Rethymno, Aghios Nicolaos and Chania.

Follow these links to see more information on Crete:
http://www.explorecrete.com/index.html

http://www.about-crete.gr

The Dodecanese is a complex of over 163 islands and islets, of which only 26 are inhabited, situated at the most eastern part of Greece, at the borders of Europe. The name Dodecanese means in Greek language “Twelve Islands” and it had taken its name because twelve of them are the most important: Rhodes, Patmos (bottom left picture), Kos, Astipalea, Kalymnos (top left and bottom right pictures), Karpathos (top right picture), Kassos, Kastelorizo, Leros, Nissiros, Simi and Tilos. You will find there a wonderful blend of architectural styles of eastern and western cultures. Almost every island has its Classical remains, its Crusaders’ Castle, and its traditional villages.

Rhodes, the dearly beloved nymph of God "Helios (which means Sun in Greek) with its diamond shape and glamour is the largest in size island of the Dodecanese. Heliousa, rich with myths and restless history is surrounded by small islands and rocky un-inhabited islands that are shyly trying to steal from her beauty.

Patmos is thought of as a one of the most spectacular islands due to its incredible wild beauty, that is spread throughout the island. It is called the "island of Apocalypse", because the Apostle John came here to write the Apocalypse - the Revelation . Center of a lot of pilgrimages and tourists it will charm you from the moment you set your eyes on it and provoke you to discover it.

For more information on Patmos, please click on these web addresses:

http://www.patmosislandinfo.gr/english/index.html

http://www.explorepatmos.com/

If you choose Kalymnos as the island to spend your vacations, you will be accompanied by the splendour of its traditional colours. You will be impressed by its mountains and scent of oregano and thyme together with of a lot of other scented herbs which will stay engraved in your memory for a long time. The sponges are the trademarks of Kalymnos. They are the main occupation of most of is residents and they are the pride and joy of Greece. They are well known all over the world and the only way you can realize this, in not only by seeing them but by trying them, while enjoying your daily bath.

Monemvassia (left picture) is a well-known medieval fortress with an adjacent town, located on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese in the Greek prefecture of Laconia. Its remains include the defensive structures and the small adjacent town and Byzantine churches, and its name derives from two Greek words, mone and emvassia, meaning "single entrance". Many of the streets are narrow and fit only for pedestrians; the bay of Palaia Monemvassia is to be found in the north. Monemvassia's nickname is the Gibraltar of the East or The Rock.

Mystras (bottom right picture) was a fortified town in Morea (the Peloponnesus), on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta. It lies approximately eight kilometres west of the modern town of Sparti. The frescos in the Peribleptos Church, dating between 1348 and 1380, are a very rare surviving late Byzantine cycle, crucial for the understanding of Byzantine art. In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Olympia (top right picture) a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times. The games were held every Olympiad (i.e. every four years), the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC. In 394 AD emperor Theodosius I abolished them because they were reminiscent of paganism. The Olympic flame of the modern-day Olympic Games is lit by reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror at the restored Olympia stadium and then transported by a torch to the place where the games are held. When the modern Olympics came to Athens in 2004, the men's and women's shot put competition was held at the restored stadium.

Mount Athos or Aghion Oros as called in Greek (it literally means "Holy Mountain") is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece. This World Heritage Site is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Only males are allowed entrance into Mount Athos, which is called "Garden of the Virgin" by monks.

Though land-linked, it is accessible only by boat. The number of visitors is restricted and all are required to get a special entrance permit before entering Mount Athos. Only males over the age of 18 who are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church are allowed to live on Athos. The 2001 Greek national census counted a population of 2,262 inhabitants.

Epirus  is a land with beautiful beaches that stretches from the Ionian Sea until the borders of West Macedonia and Thessaly. It is a land with beautiful beaches binding with high mountains that impress with their wild beauty.

In the interior, verdant areas succeed bare mountains. Beautiful mountains, lakes, meadiws, gorges, marshes and also rare species of fauna and flora are some of the elements that make this region truly fascinating.

The coasts of Epirus in the Ionian offer some of the best beaches in Greece and also big tourist resorts (Parga, Syvota, Preveza, etc.) that accommodate millions of visitors from Greece or abroad every year.

The tradiotional folk music with themes from the people's daily life and struggle and the main musical instrument, the clarinet, are defining of the history of the people of Epirus.

Epirus with its virgin natural environment, the historical monuments (archaeological sites, oracles), the many museums, the traditional villages, the social mores, the hospitality and its traditional music, satisfies the most demanding visitor.

One of the most beautiful sites in Epirus is Zagorohoria or the villages of Zagori.

One of the most usually visited winter destinations in Greece is that of Zagorohoria in Epirus. Not only does the visitor gets excited by the beauty of the nature, but also by the residential environmnent which has kept untouched its traditional physiognomy.