Greek Islands
Crete - Island of Contrasts
Crete is a land of contrasts with something to offer everyone. If you're travelling from Europe and looking for a holiday getaway, then the tourist resorts on the south shore may appeal to you. But if you're looking for peace and quiet, fascinating archaeological sites, majestic mountains, varied and spectacular scenery, quiet sandy beaches, tiny coves, and traditional mountain villages, you can also find it in Crete.
Crete is the largest and southern-most island in Greece. It's location guarantees a Mediterranean climate, one of the mildest in Europe. Nearly a third of the land is under cultivation producing citrus fruit, grapes for wine , chestnuts, cherries, almonds, vegetables and nearly half of Greece's total olive oil.
Crete is largely mountains and is surrounded by the Cretan, Ionian and Lybian Seas. The mountains on the south shore create a dramatic backdrop, and the water around some of the sheer coasts exceeds a depth of 3,000 metres.
The contrasts co-exist well on the island. Even in the larger base towns, tranquil and remote regions are not very far away. On the north shore, major urban centres such as Iraklion, Rethymno, and Hania are within easy reach of town beaches, but a short distance out will get you into varied stunny scenery, and tranquility.
Hania and Rethymno are captivating in their own right. Stay in the old town city centres on the harbour and stroll through Venetian streets where mansions have been turned into elegant hotels and restaurants.
Iraklion is the capital and business centre of the island and it is a busy city. Many people stay here because of it's proximity to Knossos, and to visit the very worthwhile Archaeological Museum, one of the finest in the world. Most Greek Island cruise ships will stop for a few hours at the harbour. But, as with all big cities in Greece, you can find entertaining squares and streets to sit, enjoy a drink and just people watch.
Crete has beautiful beaches and picturesque coves. On the east of Crete you'll find Europe's only palm forest at the beach of Vai. On the west, visit the underdeveloped Elefonisi Islet, and see the pink sand. On the south of Crete, visit Frangokastello Castle with it's famous ghost story and enjoy the quiet and beautiful beach.
The landscape of Crete is dramatic. The interior of the island is rugged and the mountains are pierced with spectacular gorges, the most famous of which is Samaria Gorge, Europe's longest and a popular destination for hikers.
According to ancient Greek mythology Zeus, father of the Olympian Gods, was born on Crete and raised in the island's caves. And, of course, you'll want to visit the Palace of Knossos, linked to the myth of Theseaus and the Minotaur, and the centre of rule for the ancient and mysterious Minoan Civilization that ruled the Aegean thousands of years ago.
Corfu - the Emerald Island
The island of Corfu in the northwestern corner of Greece is the greenest and in the eyes of many, the most beautiful island in the country, if not the world.
With more rainfall than any other island there is a variety and abundance of plant life that makes the Ionian islands look like moonscapes. The island is a few hours by ferry from Brindisi Italy and for many tourists is the only part of Greece they see. Well, if you are only going to see one place in Greece, Corfu (also called Kerkyra) is not a bad choice. Some of the most amazing beaches in the world are in Corfu and though tourism has completely taken over most of the coastal areas, the mountain villages are as unspoiled as the most remote in Greece.
On the Eastern side of the island, facing Albania, the land slopes gently to the sea and there are long beaches and bays. But the western side is much more dramatic, steep and rocky with deep coves and beaches. Corfu has many small islands around it like satellites around a planet.
The land to the north is mountainous and gradually descends until you come to Lake Korission, separated from the sea by a narrow piece of land.
Cooler than most islands in the summer and with mild winters, Corfu is a nice choice for people who are afraid they may not be able to handle the heat of southern Greece. It is also one of the most popular islands in Greece and if you want to experience its natural beauty without the people you need to come between October and May. But if you like people then you will find them in some of the most beautiful resorts and hotels in Greece.
Corfu's six-month olive season is the longest of any island in Greece and lush vineyards cover the island. They also grow many other fruits and vegetables because of its climate and extremely fertile soil.
Those of you who have read Homer will remember that this was his last stop before getting back to Ithaka a couple hundred miles south, and he could not wait to get home. But for some people Corfu is heaven.
Corfu is one of the bigger islands - 33 miles long and 15 miles across at the widest point - and provided you stay away from the tourist hotspots like Kavos, Benitses, Gouvia and Ipsos, it's easy to find parts of the island which are virtually untouched by the tackier side of tourism. There are many boats to and from Italy, Patras, Igoumounitsa and the other islands in the chain. There is also an international airport.
Head north out of Corfu town and within about half an hour's drive along the east coast you're at the foot of Mount Pantokrator, whose steep slopes and winding roads have made it unviable as a mass market development area and the coastline here is dotted with tiny turquoise coves and inlets. This part of the island is the closest Corfu comes to Albania - at one point you feel you could almost swim across - and it's almost impossible not to be touched by an eerie kind of sensation when you realise just how close you are to what was so recently an Eastern bloc country.
It's also along this stretch of coastline that Lawrence Durrell lived while he was writing Prospero's Cell. The house is still there at Kalami but it's now been turned into a taverna. Over on the western coast is a beach-lover's paradise with such long sandy stretches of beach that even in the height of the summer season it's still possible to find a quiet spot.
Look for Halikounas, Ermones and Pelekas, but if you want to avoid the crowds, stay away from Paleokastritsa, where the "film set" scenery inevitably attracts a regular influx of daytrippers. Inland is where you can discover a more untouched Corfu of fertile valleys, citrus and olive groves, where the most common form of transport for the local farmers is still a donkey.
For those seeking tranquility and a place to commune with nature, there's even a wetland nature reserve (Lake Korisson) hidden away behind the south.
Mykonos - Chalk-White Beauty & Vibrant Nightlife
The magic of Greece is in its very ambiguity, in the tensions that pull it from one wonderful, delicious extreme to the other. The senses are pleased and pampered by the serene beauty of Greece found in the depth of its vistas, the spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and the radiance of the light that even the poets cannot adequately describe. The senses are titillated and tempted, also by Greece's extremes, found in the food and drink, flesh, nightlife, music, and the burning sun. These tensions intrigue and mystify the visitor-the barbarian who comes to the shores of Greece-but they are perfectly understandable to the Greeks who live everyday with the conflicting realities of life in the land of the gods.
Perhaps this tension is best exemplified in the islands that form an ancient triangle in the very heart of the Cyclades. They are cosmopolitan Mykonos, Sacred Delos, and mysterious Rhinia. Taken together, these sisters with their distinctive and contradictory personalities give the visitor a tantalizing taste of Greece known only to the Greeks.
Within this triangle, one can sun bathe nude or topless on some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, literally dance until dawn at discos, take a magical, chartered cruise through the islands, go back in time with the ancients on an island declared "sacred" by the Greek government, and/or spend an enchanted day alone on an uninhabited island where gentle waves caress a pristine shore, luscious watermelons hang from vines, and where the pure air is so still you can hear yourself breath.
Mykonos is famous world-wide for its chalk-white beauty and its vibrant night life. Celebrities and dignitaries from all over the world make this island a destination to shop, sun bathe, party, and island hop, and cruise ships from all over the world come here. It is not unusual when walking through the white-washed streets of the town center, called Hora, to see a world famous model or movie star gazing into a jewelry store while munching on a cheese pie, looking very much like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffanys." The glorious golden and jewel-studded rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces displayed in the windows of the jewelry artists of Mykonos will bedazzle even the most sophisticated celebrity.
The contrasts on Mykonos can best be seen early on a Sunday morning, between 6 and 8 am. During these times, worshippers returning to their homes share the streets with night people who have recently left the clubs and discos. Widows covered by traditional black dresses and head scarves pass young women scantily attired; each group stares in amazement at the other, saving their caustic comments for when they are safely out of earshot. Men and women selling produce from their donkeys stand far from young rent boys trying to make one more score before the "night" ends. Music from nearby clubs plays softly, perhaps in deference to the hundreds of church bells tolling all over the island.
Orthodox priests walk about in long, black robes that "swish-swish" as they dust the cobble-stones. Walking behind the priests giggling uncontrollably are tipsy drag queens with heavy make-up and orange-colored hair, their long gowns "swish-swishing" in unison with the robes.
Shopkeepers open their establishments early on Sundays. The visitor sees one of Mykonos' famous icon makers and peaks into his studio. The walls are decorated with magnificent works of art in the Byzantine style, each an original, and beautiful icons of St. George and the Dragon and of the saints are on display. A few doors down the visitor comes upon a leather shop featuring expertly-made handmade leather handbags and sandals, side by side with harnesses, vests, gloves, and ominous-looking whips.
If Mykonos represents secular pleasures sought by the jet set, Delos is its opposite and is the most sacred of the Greek islands. At the very geographical center of the Cyclades, Delos is its spiritual center as well and was once the religious, cultural, and commercial focal point of ancient Greece. It was the jewel of the ancient world, a thriving commercial hub, and the "summer home" of the rich and famous of the time. Although the island is a collection of ruins, they are splendid, magnificent ruins, and one can see Delos' past glory everywhere, especially in the exquisite, world-famous mosaic floors of the ruined palaces.
The third sister is Rhinia , a haunting, mysterious island four times the size of Delos and separated from it by a small strait. Called alternatively "Great Delos" and "Big Delos," Rhinia is really two sections connected by a narrow isthmus. Both parts are uninhabited and by Greek law, no one is allowed to live on Rhinia or build a permanent home there; there is no running water or electricity and there are no roads on its rocky, hilly terrain. (There are rumors, however, of a few hearty souls who make the island their home) Very few tourists know about the island or have an interest in going there on a day's excursion, so, if you plan it correctly, it is possible to be the only person on one of its four pristine, sandy beaches.
The Cycladic Sisters, Mykonos, Delos, and Rhinia, each with her own personality, are among Greece's most precious treasures. The visitor ventures to the Cyclades will experience the sacred and the profane, the sublime and the absurd, the Ottoman and the Venetian, the glorious ideal and stark reality, the goddess and the harlot, the perfect beauty of the sun god, Apollo, and the wild revelry of the wine god, Dionysius. In short, the visitor will experience Greece.
Rhodes - the Pearl of the Mediterranean
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands and fourth largest of all Greek Islands. Located in the south east Aegean, Rhodes lies very close to Turkey. The distance from Piraeus is 260 nautical miles, but you can also fly direct from many European Capitals as well as Athens, Thessaloniki, and several Greek Islands.
Rhodes is often called "The Pearl of the Mediterranean" and is known for its natural beauty, historical, and archaeological treasures. The landscape is mountainous and green with pine trees, and there are beautiful beaches.
Rhodes was an important center in the 5th to 3rd centuries BC as part of both the Roman and Byzantine empires. The Knights of St. John conquered and occupied Rhodes in 1306 and the medieval walled city is still a famous landmark in Rhodes town. The Knights of Rhodes rules until 1522, when Rhodes was conquered by Suleiman the Magnificent. Rhodes was recently declared a world cultural heritage monument by UNESCO. The fabulous climate, night life, beaches, and wealth of tourist offerings make it a great holiday destination year round.
Rhodes is associated with a statue no longer standing. Tradition says that the entrance to the ancient harbour of Rhodes was straddled by a giant Colossus of the sun god Helios. The Colossus of Rhodes is said to have been a giant bronze statue, with a lit torch, and was one of the seven wonders of the world, until destroyed by a massive earthquake.
Some say the statue will never be found, as it was cut up into small pieces and sold to the Saracens.
Today, two statues, a deer and a fawn, stand on columns at either side of the harbour entrance (now called Mandraki), welcoming you to Rhodes. From Mandraki, you can take boat trips to nearby Symi, Kalymnos, Pserimos, Patmos and Nisyros.
In 408 BC, the three major cities of Rhodes (Lindus, Ialysus, and Cameirus) banded together to build a new grand city at the northern tip of the island. This is the city of Rhodes today, one of the finest cities in the Mediterranean. Great weather and sunshine almost year round, the city of Rhodes combines cosmopolitan facilities with magical treasures from the past that seem almost untouched by time. With the sea all around you, the views are beautiful.
Not far from the harbour, in the east of the city, you'll find the famous Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (the Castello). The palace was originally built in the 14th century, but was then completely demolished in 1856 when the gunpowder that the Turks stored in the basement exploded. The palace was restored by the Italians in 1939 during the occupation. The original design was followed faithfully, as this was to become the new palace for King Vitorio Emmanuele II or for Mussolini.
Not far from town, and serviced by frequent buses, visit Monte Smith, site of the ancient acropolis. The stadium and theatre have been restored, and there are a few remains and reconstructed columns from the temples of Zeus, Athena and Apollo. The view over the city and out to sea is magnificent.
Lindos is one of the most beautiful villages of Rhodes.
An outstanding acropolis rises above traditional white houses, set on a beautiful beach in a picturesque little harbour - Ayios Pavlos.
There is a lot to explore on the Acropolis; the Castle of the Knights, byzantine church of St. John, Great Stoa, ancient theatre, Temple of Dionyss, and the Temple of Athena Lindia (4th century BC). The rock of the acropolis is a sheer 115m above the sea.
In town, you'll find homes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries with traditional decorations, carved wooden ceilings and courtyards paved with black and white pebbles.
Lindos has a small population of 700 that relies mostly on tourism. On the beach you'll find restaurants and tavernas, and watersports of all kinds.
The bay south of the Acropolis is best for swimming, and there are many more secluded beaches a short distance away.
Santorini - Greece's Must-See Island
Santorini is one of the most ruggedly beautiful and dramatic places on earth. Santorini, also known as Thira, is the southern most of the Cyclades islands and one of the most popular destinations in all of Greece, for good reason.
The most important advice I can give anyone traveling to Santorini is to arrive by boat before sunset and stay on the caldera side of the island for one of the most magnificent and awe-inspiring views on the planet.
The magical island of Santorini is truly one of Greece's "must-sees", right along with the Acropolis. Santorini's wild majesty created out of the apocalyptic event associated with mythical Atlantis, is unforgettable.
The sunsets, seen while sipping local wine high atop the sheer cliffs is very romantic, and Oia is the place to head for "the" spot to see it.
Santorini is a crescent shape surrounding the black volcanic islands lying in the bay. What was once the island of Thira sank to the bottom of the caldera in the apocalyptic explosion in 1450 BC. The lagoon-like caldera measures 32 square miles and is 300 to 400 metres deep. In the center are Palea Kamini and Nea Kamini.
On the western side where the volcano is located, the sheer cliffs, 300 metres high, are multi-coloured strata of black, red, grey, and brown. Perched high atop are the scenes most often adorning a poster for Greece, startling white sugar cube houses and churches with brilliant blue domes set against the deeper blues of the sky and the Aegean Sea.
The capital of the island is Fira , and it is a lively tourist area and a stop for most cruise ships. If you want to stay just outside of Fira, consider Firostefani or Imerovigli, with the same magnificent views. On the caldera to the south is where we send our friends...to the quieter and romantic Oia.
There are interesting and charming towns in the centre of the island that are well worth exploring. The tallest mountain is Profitis Ilias, with a summit only 556 metres above sea level. While you're there, don't miss the live dig at fascinating Akrotiri, and for the culture buff you can also visit the ruins at Ancient Thira.
The eastern side of Santorini is a sharp contrast where flat areas meet the beach. The land is flat and fertile. Kamari and Perissa are black sand and pebble beaches with crystal clear waters and a lively entertainment scene.
The island is 96 sq. km. with a coastline 69 kilometres long and a population of almost 12,000. The island is 130 nautical miles from Piraeus and 70 nautical miles from Crete. Santorini is 18 km long and varies from 2 to 6 km wide.
While there, be sure to try the local specialties which include the lovely wine, and 'fava' – a dish made from chick-peas. The effect of the soil was most noticeable to me on the tomatoes. The tomatoes were smaller than I'm used to, but rich and sweet, and by far the best I've ever tasted. Make sure you try the delicious tomato keftedes – or frankly, anything tomato.
The volcanic conditions make pumice and other minerals a valuable commodity, but nothing compares to tourism for the island.
Source: Magical Journeys.com