Now the islands have become some of the world’s most recognizable tourist destinations. Most visitors flock to the same handful of places every year but there are hundreds of islands to choose from, many of which have maintained their village life. Here are five off the well-worn tourist track...

Folegandros
When an Athens travel agent told me to visit Folegandros I was skeptical. It was late July and boats to other islands were sold out. I hadn’t heard of Folegandros and had to be shown it on a map but I booked anyway. It turns out that was the best decision I’d make that summer. Folegandros is a hidden gem in the Aegean, with a cliff-hanging whitewashed village (known locally as hora), rugged but stunning landscapes and beaches hugging the side of high promontories. Visitors are mainly Greek with a smattering of French and Italians. The sleepy town wakes up in the night with tables spilling into the cobblestone streets filled with multilingual diners. Breakfast or dinner in the courtyard of Mimi’s restaurant is almost surreal in its charm.

Patmos

In 2009, Forbes magazine proclaimed Patmos the most idyllic place to live in Europe. It’s hard not to see why. The island coastline rolls and swirls forming bays and inlets with crystal blue water. Patmos is dominated by the imposing Monastery of St. John the Theologian under which is the cave where John wrote Revelations. The spiritual island has numerous beaches and a surprisingly vibrant nightlife for a place where monks make up a good portion of the population. George’s Place at Kambos beach is a good spot to get a drink while soaking up the sun. A visit to the three historic windmills, recently restored by a Swiss banker who vacations on the island, is a must.

Anafi

Anafi is stunning, but chances are you’ll overlook it once you realize how time consuming it is to reach. There’s no airport and it’s a 10-hour ferry ride from Athens . The population? Less than 300. Those who make the journey are rewarded with the island’s remoteness, serene beaches and its enchanting white cubist village that tumbles down from the mountains. The footpaths around the island linking the various settlements make it a perfect place to hike during the early morning or at dusk when the sun is not so strong. Take a tour through the island’s history on a hike from the hora (main town) to the 8th century BC ruins of Kastelli to the monastery Panagia Kalamiotissa built on Apollo’s temple. It also offers gorgeous views of the coast.

Samos

Popular with northern Europeans, Samos is one of Greece’s greenest islands known for its Muscat wines. Samians are undeniably proud of the their export and never forget to insist that it’s not just for drinking with dessert. Vineyards roll up and down the hillsides of Samos right down to the sea and can be visited on an informal basis. The Viticultural Union of Samos’ museum is a great place to taste the wines and learn more about the island. Samos is large and meant to be explored by car, which are easy to rent here. Stay in the picturesque port of Pythagorio with its shiny cobblestone streets and bustling, popular waterfront. The fish restaurants on the far left of the port are the best. The capital Vathy is mostly devoid of tourists but worth exploring on a Friday night when locals dine and stroll along the harbour where working fishermen (and women) tend to their vessels and string nets.

Samothraki

Steeped in mystery and lore, Samothraki is one of Greece’s most magical islands. With no natural harbour and no airport, it is mostly visited by northern Greeks – and, according to legend, witches. Rumour has it that the island is frequented by sorcerers and other practitioners of the dark arts, due to its ancient reputation for pre-Hellenic cults and its more mysterious atmosphere compared to the white-washed, austere islands in the southern Aegean. Whether that’s true, the island, once described as “taciturn” by author Lawrence Durrell, is lush and mountainous with hidden waterfalls and tropical vegetation. Towering Mount Fengari hovers like a dark cloud over the north Aegean from the Greek mainland and offers impressive views – if you’re up for a hike. The island is also home to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, a pre-Hellenic and Hellenic historical site where the famous Winged Victory of Samothrace statue, now in the Louvre, once stood.

To read more, please visit The Globe and Mail

By Alexander Besant

The road leading to the village of Papigo is a feast for the senses.

The feature of this road, crossed by the Voidomatis River, is picturesque, creating great natural scenery that attracts the visitor’s eye. The view of the Vikos gorge is also stunning. However, if you drive, it is important to pay attention on the road, because it is narrow and very zigzagging. Once in Papigo, great strolls around its stone-alleys can be held, as its two-stored mansions have been declared a national historical monument. Their construction materials are mainly stones. In fact, this is the main material on the village and is used almost for everything. These constructions are also unusual because they do not have a balcony.

Another interesting point is the natural fountains –also made of stone, located close to the village. They are ideal for refreshing in the hot days. Another interesting activity that can be held in Papigo, more specifically in Megalo Papigo, is to visit the personal library of Micheal Anagnostopoulos. It includes around 1250 volumes of books –most of them in foreign languages, published between 1750 and 1906.On the other hand, Mikro Papigo is 3 km further up after Megalo Papigo. It is amphitheatrically built on the steep slopes of the mountain and leads to the popular Dragon Lake, placed on the edge of a great limestone cliff overlooking the Aoos Valley.


To read more, please visit greeka.com

The tasteful thyme honey and the fresh fish are also some of the great gifts of nature to the lucky island.

The history of Lemnos is lost in the mists of time. According to mythology, Hephaestus had his forge on the island and taught its first residents, the Sinties, the art of processing copper. The Island flourished during prehistoric times. In 512BC it was conquered by the Persians, but it regained its liberty after the end of the Persian Wars. Since then, it had been subjugated consecutively by the Romans, the Venetians and the Turks, until its definitive liberation in 1912 during the 1st Balkan War.

Capital of the island is Mýrina, a town beautiful for its traditional paved alleys, its old stone mansions, its promenade by the sea, and last but not least for its Byzantine Castle. The impressive castle that overlooks the town lies on a rocky and steep peninsula, on the hillside of which small deer roam free.

Touring around the island is as much an enviable experience as choosing only some of its beauties to write about is a nasty task. Still, a visit to Lemnos is not complete without having been to:

• The Petrified Forest near the town of Moudros, where one has the chance to see fossilised trunks, leaves, fruit and palm-tree roots aged 20-22 million years.
• The prehistoric settlement of Poliochni which is thought to be the oldest Neolithic city in Europe. Actually, a rectangular building with a double row of stepped seats that had been found on the site resembles a parliamentary architectural structure; that’s why it is presumed to be the oldest parliament discovered in the world!
• The archaeological site of Hephaestia, the prehistoric capital of the Pelasgians, whose glory days lasted well over 2000 years (1000BC to 1200AD). Admire the ruins of a complex of a city built and rebuilt in 10 layers, including palaces, baths, Christian churches, a Hellenistic-Roman theatre, a necropolis, and a sanctuary dedicated to the great goddess Lemnos.
• The two small lakes Alyki and Chortarolimni which constitute wetland habitats, refuge and breeding places for rare and endangered bird species.
• The ideal for skin conditions and urinary system problems thermal springs of Hephaestus, at only 4km from Mýrina.
• The waterfalls near the village of Káspakas, where the waters rush off a height of 15m to create an appealing natural site dotted with small plateaus and tiny ponds.
• The village of Kontiás, one of the biggest and most beautiful ones, which is built on a pine-clad hill and is decorated by traditional stone houses, deserted windmills, and the picturesque church off Ághios Dimitrios with the stone bell tower.
• The gorgeous sandy beaches of the islands, which range from peaceful, remote, romantic to busy and well-organised ones. Especially the water sports lovers will go crazy for the beaches of Thanos, Gomati (treat yourself with the pleasure of rolling on the sand dunes there) and Keros, with the last one being a well-known centre for aquatic pleasures and sports activities. Nevertheless, the repeaters of the island and the locals would answer Platý or Chavoúli should they be asked to choose a beach to appear on a postal card from Limnos.

Source: Visitgreece.gr

The island experienced exceptional economic growth in the past thanks to its great naval and commercial activity. The Hydriots contributed significantly also to the 1821 War of Independence as their powerful fleet participated in crucial sea battles. It is a rather impressive fact that such a tiny island is the birthplace of five Greek Prime Ministers!

Lavish stone mansions owned by important families (Voulgaris, Kountouriotis, Tombazis, Kriezis, Bountouris, etc), and built by Italian artisans reveal the wealth that experienced the island in the past. Today most of these mansions house the island’s museums. 300 churches and 6 monasteries spread around the island as well as the cannons and the statues of the Independence War heroes still standing at the balconies of the islands create a romantic mosaic.

As you walk along the waterfront, the heart of the town, you encounter monuments, churches, canons, museums, old mansions, statues of famous heroes, the old gunpowder store, shops and cafes, while picturesque winding streets lead you to neighborhoods located at the upper part of the town, as well as to the old neighborhood of Kiafas.


To read more, go to visitgreece.gr

The city of Chania is built on the area of Minoan Kidonia, at the end of the homonym gulf between Akrotiri and Onicha peninsulas. It was the former capital city of Crete (from 1847 until 1972). Nowadays, it is the second largest city of Crete after Heraklion and capital of the homonym prefecture.

Chania includes the old and new city. It is one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities in Greece and for food lovers, it's a paradise!

Get familiar with the city of Chania by wandering around in its streets, visiting its museums and admiring the different architectural styles presenting the historical route of the city.

After Arabs and Byzantines it was conquered by Venetians in 1252 and was given to Turks in 1669, later it was annexed to the rest of the Greek State on December 1913 under the administration of Eleftherios Venizelos and King Konstantinos the 1st. The old town is an integral settlement with visible boundaries set by the Venetian walls surrounding it.


To read more, please see visitgreece.gr

There are not really mentionable ancient objects to be studied in Gythio. From its ancient past, only a small Roman theatre was left by an earthquake that destroyed the city in the 4th century. So, every visitor is free to just enjoy the Greek life of the present.

Gythio is protected by spurs of the mighty Taygetos mountain range. Its highest "Profitis Ilias", with 2.407 m the highest mountain on the whole Peloponese, makes a marvellous background scene. From November to May, the snow-white peaks are a magnificent sight behind the deep blue sea.

A little island called "Kranai" and connected with the mainlaind by a short dam, protects the port of Gythio town from the open sea. It is a beautiful place with pine-trees and an ideal view-point to overlook the gulf towards the Parnon mountain range in the east and Taygetos in the north-west. As it is reported by Homer, the island was the first refuge of Helen and Paris on their journey to Troy. According to the myth, Paris forgot his helmet on the islet as he was leaving - hence its name, since in Greek a helmet is calles "kranos". An interesting site on Kranai is the restored Tzannetakis Tower, a Maniot fortress-residence belonging to the Tzannetakis-Grigorakis families. It was donated to the state and currently houses the History and Ethnology Museum of Mani. Also worth visiting are the chapel of Agios Petros and the octagonal lighthouse of 22 m height, built in 1873 of tenarian marble.

There are many beaches around of Gythio and the largest one is Mavrovouni-beach. Because of its length of several kilometers it will never get crowded - just during the first half of August, when nearly all Greek people are on holiday, it may become a little more lively. In the afternoon, usually a perfect wind for wind-surfing will raise, and you can also hire a board and take lessons by the "Ocean Cafe". Mavrovouni beach is one of the favourite places for the "caretta-caretta" sea turtles to lay their eggs in the sand. The nests are surveyed and protected of the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece called ARCHELON.

In 2007 the beach of Mavrovouni was awarded the BLUE FLAG. The Blue Flag award is both based on all the bathing water quality results of the previous year and of the current year of the award. This means that only beaches with excellent bathing water quality standards in the previous year will be eligible for the Blue Flag award.

Source: Insidemani.gr

In ancient mythology, Poseidon, the god of the sea, fell in love with and abducted the beautiful nymph Korkyra to Corfu. Today the main town, Kerkyra, still carries her name.

The island of Corfu offers so much more than the 18-30’s image that may immediately come to mind. After all, this beautiful island was the birthplace of Prince Phillip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth, in 1921 at the Villa Mon Repos. It is also the capital of cricket in Greece, with an oval and full scale cricket ground in the centre of Kerkyra square.

At night, the town is a magical sight of amber-lit Venetian architecture, the Saint Spyridon church tower and many monuments. The shops, restaurants, tavernas and bars buzz until well past midnight with people of all ages from children to grandparents, making for a lively, chaotic yet intimate atmosphere. The locals are friendly and the restaurant owners welcome tourists from all over the world. A must see is the breathtaking and intoxicating, uninterrupted view over the sea front, the Old Fortress, port and the old town experienced on the rooftop bar and restaurant of the Cavalieri Hotel. Succulent local dishes and fresh seafood are offered and can be enjoyed with a glass of your favourite local wine. The chocolate cake dessert completes the divine experience.

To read more, please visit www.travelwithanastasia.com

By Anastasia Paphitis

For thousands of years Northern Greece has been the country’s melting pot, a geographical and cultural crossroads where the ancient Greek heritage has been colored by Balkan traditions and where oriental influences from the time of the Ottoman occupation have been molded in the Orthodox legacy that Byzantium left behind. Hence, Northern Greece has developed its own distinctive character compared to the rest of the country manifested by notable differences in the architecture, the food, the local customs and at some places even the language. Here you will experience a different version of Greece among the most genuine and authentic ones that exist today. And surely, one of the most charming.

And yet, despite being one of the country’s most enticing regions, Northern Greece remains relatively undiscovered. Thessaloniki, the metropolis of the area, and Chalkidiki, the three pronged peninsula with the mesmerizing turquoise waters, are two exceptions, since they are well frequented during summer by many sun-thirsty eastern Europeans, Greek families or business travelers. If like them you are looking for the clichéd trademarks of the archetypical Greek holiday, the sun, the sea and the nightlife you will find them here, often at a very good price…as you would in any other part of Greece.

What you will find nowhere else though is the home of the mighty warrior Philip II of Macedon and his famous son, Alexander the Great who built one of the greatest empires in the history of mankind. Vergina, the burial site of Macedonian kings with its fantastic museum, Pella the ancient Macedonian capital, and the impossibly invigorating site of Dion at the foot of mount Olympus with its famous colorful mosaics, springs and luxuriant vegetation, are without a doubt three of Greece’s most impressive ancient sites. From the colorful, vibrant, urban experience of Thessaloniki, where Byzantine churches and Roman ruins mingle with trendy bars and restaurants, to the cultural mosaicism of the atmospheric small jewels of Kavala, Xanthi, Kastoria, Edessa, Alexandroupoli and Ioannina or Zagorochoria, the magnificent complex of traditional mountain villages, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to traditional architecture, folkore, historical sites and welcoming locals.

And if you hesitate whether to venture in the heartland’s stark mountains and wilderness, we assure you that once you make the first step you will barely remember, let alone, miss the indigo-colored beaches you left behind. Few places in the world beat the soothing melancholy of the Prespes lakes, the beauty of national parks across the Pindos mountain range or the awe when you peek above the lip of a vertiginous cliff at Vikos, the steepest gorge in the world.


Northern Greece is equally great to visit both in winter and summertime. In summer you get the “sea and sun” but also many opportunities for trekking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and other outdoor activities; in winter time you trade the hot sunny beach days with the cosy atmosphere of a fireplace in one of the traditional mountain villages watching the snow falling outside. A great time to go skiing or to relax at one of many the spas that have started colonizing the area. And on top of that you get to have the, usually packed with bus tours, archaeological sites all to yourself.

Bottom line: Northern Greece offers an enthralling mix of traditional architecture, historical sites and stunning natural beauty enrobed in a unique character. For travelers seeking to experience a less known yet genuine version of the country, Northern Greece marks the spot.

Source: Travelscopemag.com