In Ikaria honey is used to treat everything from wounds to stomach issues, influenza, and the common cold. Ikarians start their day with a simple spoonful of raw local honey, which has a high antioxidant level. This may reduce inflammation and also contains amino acids and vitamin C which are known to speed the growth of healthy tissue in the body.

This famous Greek island is a part of ‘Blue Zones’ a name given to 5 places in the world- Ikaria, Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa of Japan, Nicoya of Costa Rica, and Loma Linda of California, USA, whose inhabitants surpass the life expectancy and reach over the age of 90 years.

A new television report by CBS has taken a close look at why Ikarian honey could be one of the main keys as to why the locals here keep healthy and strong well into old age.

“Up the winding mountain roads of this isolated isle, you’re likely to notice brightly-painted boxes dotting the landscape. And what’s happening inside those boxes is generating some buzz: Bees busy making rare honey that locals believe is one of the secrets to a long life,” notes CBS.

Ikarian beekeeper Andoni Karimalis explained to CBS correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti that people on the island “have been eating the honey for generations, to keep healthy and strong well into old age.”

At work in her weaving studio, 109-year-old Yiayia Ioanna from Ikaria agrees there is something special about it. So does 87-year-old-beekeeper Giorgos Stenos. He eats the honey “every single day.”

For centuries humans have valued honey for its medicinal properties. And in Ikaria, known in ancient times as the “healing island,” the honey is different from that found on most supermarket shelves.

As a result, the pollen and nectar collected by the bees are free of chemicals and pesticides normally found in commercial or private farming. And unlike most honey sold in the other parts of the world, Ikarian honey is also unheated, unfiltered, and unpasteurized – all processes which can destroy the natural vitamins and minerals.

Although this has been one of Ikaria’s best-kept secrets, after the CBS report aired live on American television, there has been a huge response with people all over the world wanting to get their hands on some of this Ikarian gem!

Originally published: greekcitytimes.com

Looking for a safe environment to grow your business skills and network? The MBA is your way to a secure career.

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The award-winning Acropolis Museum, dedicated to the rich archaeological heritage of the Athenian Acropolis from the Bronze Age to Byzantine times, has launched ten new educational programs for school pupils, from kindergarten to high school.

Designed to motivate thinking and enhance the museum experience, the Museum’s education department has put together nine on-site programs for groups of up to 25 visitors, students, and teachers, and one online program, presenting a virtual tour of the most important works of the Acropolis.

The on-site programs last between 60 and 90 minutes and are available in both Greek and English. They include expertly guided and interactive tours through the Museum’s galleries, exploring the collections.

Younger classes (kindergarten and the first grades of primary school) have the opportunity to learn about the eating habits and favorite recipes of the ancient Athenians, plants and animals, the Olympian gods, and the Panathenaic festival, while older classes (4th to 6th grades primary and 7th grade junior high) can explore the story of the fabled hill and its monuments, how the ancients depicted themselves in art, the Parthenon sculptures, and the secrets of ancient marble sculpting.

For high school students, an on-site program will introduce them to various professions of the ancient Athenians, and a 90-minute online tour presents the Acropolis Museum, its architecture, the excavation at its base, and some of the Museum’s most celebrated exhibits.

Originally published on: greece-is.com

Nymphaio is a beautiful village located just outside Florina in West Macedonia, Greece. It has been often included on lists of the “Ten Most Beautiful Villages of Europe” in travel guides.

It has also won UNESCO’s “Melina Mercouri International Prize” for its excellent management of the area’s cultural heritage and the surrounding natural environment.

Nymphaio, which lies at an altitude of 1,360 meters (4,462 feet) is nestled along the slopes of Mt. Verno (also known as Mt. Vitsi), surrounded by dense forests.

Its unique architecture, impressive mansions made of stone, stone-paved streets, and the incredible natural beauty of the surrounding area captivate all visitors to Nymphaio. The village has thankfully been able to maintain its original character, as all new buildings must strictly follow traditional forms of architecture.

Vlach nomads were the first people recorded to have settled here, in the early 1300s, and the town was formerly known as Niviesta or Nevesta all the way up to 1929. Beginning in the late 17th century, the town became one of the largest silversmithing centers in the Balkans, and it remained dominant in that industry for almost three centuries.

Nymphaio is known for its traditional mansions

The glory days of Nymphaio are reflected in the impressive stone-built mansions located all around the village. Although Nymphaio was affected in the 1950s by out-migrants and the 1960s, it has been revived today by the return of its people who wanted to come back to their roots in this ancient and beautiful mountain village.

The nearby village of Zazari and Cheimaditida Lake delimit an area of exceptional natural beauty in Florina. The two nearby natural lakes, two of the largest in Florina, are worth visiting as they are home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and fish as well as the ferruginous duck, which is protected as an endangered species.

Apart from its charming architecture and natural landscape, Nymphaio offers many activities for those who are lucky enough to visit. The ARCTUROS shelter, constructed by this non-governmental organization that protects brown bears, is located in a natural beech forest and is home to ten bears who formerly lived in captivity.

Image Credit: @greeceenfrance

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com

With its sparkling blue seas, sunny skies, spectacular landscapes, and rich history, Greece, over the years has inspired many filmmakers to choose the country as a backdrop to their movies. From action movies to rom-coms, here are our all-time favorite films set in glorious Greece!




Zorba the Greek (1964)


Stavros Beach in Crete. Credit: @the_pics_of_crete

Starring Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates, this iconic film follows the story of Basil, a wealthy, educated, English gentleman who forms an unlikely friendship with Alexis Zorba, an uneducated, coarse, Greek peasant. Based on a novel by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, the film was shot in various locations in Crete, including Chania, Apokrounas, and Akrotiri. Quinn's iconic sirtaki dancing scene was filmed on the beach of Stavros. Mikis Theodorakis composed the film's music, which became legendary. 

Boy on a Dolphin (1957)


The Sophia Loren windmill in Hydra. Credit: @lucydodsworth

Sophia Loren’s English debut happens to also be the first Hollywood movie filmed in Greece. The majority of the film was shot in Hydra, but there were some scenes shot in Athens, Rhodes, and Delos as well. This was the first movie to showcase the stunning beauty of the Greek islands. On the western tip of Hydra Harbour lies Phaedra's Windmill, also known as Sophia Loren's windmill, and right opposite stands a statue of a boy on a dolphin to commemorate this historic cinematic event. 

Mamma Mia! (2008)


Agios Ioannis Church, Skopelos. Credit: @skopelos.gr

Skopelos, Skiathos, and Pelion provided the lovely scenery for the 2008 rom-com-musical blockbuster, starring Mery Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried among others. The church of Agios Ioannis in Skopelos, where the wedding scene was filmed, became the reason for many people to visit the small charming island of Sporades. 

Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)


Antisamos Beach, Kefalonia. Credit: @vibrant_kefalonia

Based on the book ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ by Louis de Bernières, is a romantic drama set during the Italian occupation of Greece during WWII. Starring Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage, the film tells the story of a Greek woman who is abandoned by her fiancé and an Italian captain stationed on the island. Exclusively filmed in Kefalonia, particularly in Sami, Antisamos, and Fiscardo, it goes to show how abundant and majestic this Ionian island is. 

The Big Blue (1988) 


Panagia Hozoviotissa, Amorgos. Credit: @giannistsou.1

Starring Jean-Marc Barr and Jean Reno this is a story of the rivalry between two childhood friends, but also an anthem to the endless blue Greek Sea. Directed by Luc Besson, this French film was mostly shot in the Cycladic island of Amorgos, though some scenes were also shot in the neighboring islands of Ios and Mykonos. The movie featured a lot of underwater scenes, wonderfully promoting the Aegean Sea and its seabed.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)


Kanoni, Corfu. Credit: @mykerkyra_com

Starring Roger Moore as Agent 007, the scenic shooting locations of this film will absolutely amaze you. The movie is shot in Corfu island and the tiny islet of Kanoni and in the impressive cliffs of Meteora and the Monastery of Agia Triada in particular. 

They look like children’s book illustrations; scatterings of small stone houses with tile roofs and flowering gardens, clinging to steep hills in the forest. Others dazzle in bright colors by the water’s edge – their doorsteps right on the quay. Some of Greece’s most picturesque villages will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a very well-curated theme park, portraying the worlds of your favorite fairy tales and dreams.

Here are a few of the villages we always return to whenever reality in the city gets too grim.

Two of the most famous stone-built villages in Epirus are Megalo Papigo and Mikro Papigo (big and small Papigo). Located an altitude of 950 and 1,050 meters above the sea respectively, they combine incredible landscapes with high-quality stays at top hotels and guesthouses, built from stone and with slate roofs, in the traditional style of Epirus. On visits here, we enjoy spectacular views of the rocky Astraka Towers and the Vikos Gorge, Zagori’s excellent local cuisine and products, spa experiences and, above all, the warm hospitality of the locals, who are deeply connected to the land.

Olympos, Karpathos


@samiappolonia

The traditional village of Olympos, on Karpathos, is special in many ways. Many travel here to experience the serenity of what seems to be a place where time has stood still; wandering around the village, you might see women working their looms, artists painting ceramic plates, or a cobbler at work on a pair of boots. But besides that, Olympos is also about as picturesque as villages come. The view of it from afar reminds us of legos on a hill, and the view from the balconies of the houses is unbeatable.

Pyrgi, Chios


@ozguroksuzz

On the island of Chios, there’s a group of traditional villages known worldwide as the “mastichohoria” (mastic villages), named for the mastic industry that long underpinned their economies. The most stunning of these villages is Pyrgi, famous for the black-and-white geometrical patterns on the village houses – “etchings” formed using the black sand from Mavra Volia and drawn with a fork on a thin undercoat of lime.

Makrinitsa, Pilio


@aba_tziz

Justifiably described as “the balcony of Pilio,” the views of Volos and the Pagasetic Gulf from Makrinitsa are unique, but your eyes are more likely to wander to the pretty stone buildings and the unusual rough stone paving on the streets, which is difficult to walk on (don’t wear heels here), but practical when it snows in the winter, and very pretty. In the square under the plane trees there is a marble fountain with four bronze lion heads; legend has it that its water confers immortality.

Mikro Horio & Megalo Horio, Evritania


@elladamesaapofotografies

On the hills above the town of Karpenissi, you’ll find the traditional settlements Megalo Horio (literally “big village’) and the old and new Mikro Horio (“small village”). The former is the most touristy, featuring cafés and pastry shops lining the main road as well as shops selling local products, catering mainly to the coach loads of visitors to the Monastery of Prousiotissa.

On the opposite hillside is the Palio Mikro Chorio (“old small village”), which was cut in two by a landslide in January of 1963, and retains architectural elements that make it much more interesting than Neo Mikro Chorio (“new small village”), which was built further down by the survivors who had lost their homes.

To read this article in full, please visit: greece-is.com

Experience Christmas magic at the largest and most exciting festive village in Athens! 

Santa Claus loads his sleigh and together with Mrs. Vasileina and the elves they put on their masks and get ready to land in Gazi - Technopolis ready to welcome locals and visitors!

Visitors will have the chance to wander around an open-air Christmas market where they'll find toys, candies, souvenirs, lucky charms and of course gifts for their dear ones.

A Christmas park wouldn’t be complete without a dreamy carousel, a bright wheel and an open food court filled with 15 restaurants serving hot dogs, souvlaki, pizza and much more!