Geography of Greece
Athens
Athens is an obligatory 2-3 day stop for any visitor to Greece with “must see” archeological sites and several world class museums. The area around the Acropolis called the Plaka is the most charming and picturesque neighborhood in the entire city. Confine yourself predominantly to within or nearby the Acropolis and Plaka and you are apt to have fond memories of Athens.
The Plaka has narrow winding streets, beautifully restored neo-classical buildings and little shops selling everything from common tourist souvenirs to exquisite handmade jewelry. When you get tired of shopping and sightseeing stop in one of the many quaint cafes, find a shady table under a fig tree, and relax with a bracing doll-size cup of Greek coffee, always accompanied by a cold glass of water.
What Athens lacks in charm it makes up for in fascinating venues, not simply the familiar ones (Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Roman Agora, 1896 Olympic Stadium), but others that stimulate the mind and imagination. There’s Socrates’ Cave on Philopappas Hill where the philosopher was confined before his trial. The Jewish Museum has fascinating exhibits. The renovated Bathhouse of the Winds in Plaka was Athens’ oldest public bathhouse with thermal waters. The outdoor Dora Stratou Theatre features Greek dancers in traditional costumes performing songs and dances over 2500 years old.
Peloponnese and Saronic Gulf islands
The Peloponnese peninsula became an island after the Corinth canal connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf was completed in 1893. Approximately 11,000 ships a year pass through the canal and this small passageway, a dream of emperors for centuries, shaves 250 miles off the journey around the Peloponnese.
The Peloponnese is a winning destination for the leisure traveler because it has everything: fresh mountain air, a lengthy coastline, an abundance of famous as well as unheralded historic sites, homegrown foods and wines, luxurious resorts and intimate country inns, a network of smooth roads and an overly friendly populace.
The Peloponnese Peninsula is actually no longer a peninsula but an island. It became such in 1893 when the Corinth Canal was cut thereby shaving 250 miles off for sea farers circumnavigating the Peloponnese land mass. Approximately 11,000 ships a year pass through the canal and this small passageway, a dream of emperors for centuries.
Yet since ancient times the Peloponnese always had the feel of an island. Even its name indicates as much, “Island of Pelops.” Like so many location names in Greece, Pelops was a mythical hero. And the Peloponnese is swimming in mythology. Some of Greece’s most legendary ruins are here, including these World Heritage Sites:
- Epidavros, 3rd century BC outdoor theatre and site of the largest Asclepion healing cult in ancient Greece.
- Mycenae, home of King Agamemnon who launched the Trojan War – his beehive tomb is a marvel to behold
- Olympia, original source of the Olympic Games where athletes came from all over ancient Greece to participate
- Bassae, near Olympia where the mercenary soldiers of Arcadia sought spiritual succor and sustenance at the Temple of Apollo Epicurius
The Argo Saronic islands are within a two hour drive or boat ride from Athens making these little gems popular weekend retreats. Car-free Hydra island is elegant with a thriving artists colony and one of the few places in Greece where mules and donkeys are still active main forms of transport in the community. Aegina is the closest to Athens, just about an hour away, and famous for its pistachios. The harbor walkway of Poros is a popular place to stroll with swimming nearby. Spetses is the last island on the ferry route and a precious one, only 15 miles in circumference with an underwater sea cave and horse carriages.
Main Saronic Gulf Islands:
Aegina, Aigistri, Poros, Hydra, Spetses
Central Greece and Northern Greece
Although potential visitors to Greece often imagine islands speckled with white houses and surround by blue seas, it’s here in Central Greece where you’ll find treasures like Ancient Delphi, home of the oracle that Alexander the Great consulted, and Meteora with its amazing monasteries perched atop narrow, needle-like rock pillars.
When you arrive in the regions of Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace in Northern Greece you are well on your way into the Balkans. Instead of white, cubist-style houses you’ll find majestic wood-framed homes, fireplaces and hearty food. Here’s your chance to ski, fish, hike or just relax in a region of Greece that few tourists see. The fourty-six Zagoria villages will enchant youwith their winding cobblestone streets, mansions with walled courtyards and endearing stone bridges.
Cyclades Islands
White and Blue. That is the Cyclades Islands. The two colors almost blind you in the summer sun.
Cyclades means encircled and refers to islands circling Delos, a sacred sanctuary in ancient Greece and today a major destination for antiquity lovers. The Cyclades comprise about 220 islands with its capital in Syros, population of 1,119,600.
Santorini, population 13,600, is an active volcano, said to have erupted four times. Its sunsets over the "caldera" (volcano center) are legendary.
Mykonos is a smaller island with 9,320 residents. It has a cosmopolitan glamour that attracts international jet setters, but also those lured by its famous beaches.
The largest Cyclades island is Naxos, populations of 12,089. It is the most fertile island in this region and is best known for its ancient Portara door near the entry harbor.
Paros, with a population of 12,853, has Italian style houses with terraced roofs, shaded by green vines and inviting gardens with bougainvillea and pomegranates.
Andros is small with only 4,107 residents. Its neoclassical mansions blend well with traditional Cycladic houses.
Tinos has 5,203 people and is considered a holy island. Pilgrims flock to the church, many making their way on their knees 2500 feet from the ferry wharf.
Each Cycladic island is a picture postcard with endearing scenes like gravity defying monasteries on cliffs, villagers riding side saddle on donkeys, three foot thick walled towers protecting against foreign invaders and octopus hanging on clotheslines to dry.
For leisure travelers the Cyclades are the ultimate getaway for rest, relaxation and romance. For the active traveler the Cyclades is a water sports paradise – sailing, wind surfing, scuba diving, open water swimming, snorkeling.
For years hiking and walking were the only means to reach the next village. The rural paths with picturesque stone gates are still used by locals and increasingly by nature lovers.
Although the islands are tiny, most of them have a modicum of asphalt roads. Cyclists are infatuated with pedaling these routes. Away from the harbor towns, there seen to be more goat traffic than motor vehicles.
If you prefer to mountain bike the Cyclades off roads are alluring. The islands are so small you are almost always facing a phenomenal view of distant islands on a blue watery horizon.
Major Cyclades Islands:
Andros, Kea, Tinos, Mykonos, Syros, Kythonos, Serifos, Naxos, Amorgos, Koufonisis, Donousa, Paros, Antiparos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinios, Ios Santorini, Anafi.
Crete
Crete, the birthplace of Zeus, is Greece's largest island. Cretans hold a deep sense of identity as Greeks far more than their fellow countrymen. They have their own foods, music, dancing, wedding customs, myths and dialect. Visiting Crete is almost like going to another country!
Crete lies at a point where the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa meet. On a clear day from Gavdos island, you can even see Africa. Crete's population is about on-half million residents. The total population of the island is about 500,000; Rethimnon has 23,000 people, Iraklion, the capital with 115,000, Agios Nikolaos with 8,000 people and Sitia with 7,000 people.
Crete has produced an abundance of artists know beyond Greece's borders. Domenicos Theotokopoulos, better known as El Greco, is the better who adopted Spain as his muse. Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek and other great Greek novels and Mikis Theodorakis, considered the most important Greek composer of the 20th century.
Crete is a divine destination for travelers seeking to connect with nature. The island has several major mountain ranges, deep gorges, bays with endless horizons, an extensive network of roads and off roads and award winning beaches amidst its 155 kilometers of coastline.
As the most southern land in Greece, Crete stays warmer longer than any place in Europe. Crete's climate is ideal, a dry heat and sunshine almost 300 days out of the year. This blessed climate extends the season for outdoor activities. No wonder Europe's first civilization, the Minoans, arouse in Crete.
Dodecanese and Northern Aegean Islands
Dodecanese means "Twelve Islands" in Greek, but actually there are sixteen islands, the largest being Rhodes. They did not become part of Greece until after World War II. A history of foreign invaders has shaped the islands' profile, from its architecture to its language.
Ancient temples, crusader castles, Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques are some of the fascinating remnants to be found in the Dodecanese. Many older residents still speak fluent Italian from when Italy controlled the territory
The Northern Aegean islands include Samos and Ikaria, Chios and Lesvos. They are less culturally homogenous than the Dodecanese but richly rewarding for the traveler looking for untrampled terrain, unspoilt nature and unfrequented locales. Chios in particular is alluring for its mastic villages whose product, mastica (as valuable
as silver during the Ottoman years)
, cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Dodecanese Islands:
Patmos, Lipsi, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Astypalea, Nisyros, Tilos, Symi, Halki, Rhodes
Northern Aegean Islands:
Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Fourni, Limnos, Samothraki, Thasos
Sporades Islands and Evia
The 11 islands of the Sporades, or “scattered ones” in Greek, lie off the coast of the much larger island, Evia. Only four of the islands are inhabited and their lush, green environment make them perfect for outdoor getaways.
Sporades Islands:
Skiathos, Skyros, Skopelos, Alonnisos
Ionian Islands
Green and blue are the Ionian islands signature colors – green forests highlighted by deep blue seas.
The Ionian Islands were always famous as the birthplace of Homer on Ithaka Island. Captain Corelli's mandolin seems to have trumped Homer in putting the Ionian Islands on people's radar; specifically Kefalonia Island where the novel and movie took place.
The Ionian Islands, like most of Greece, were conquered and occupied by many foreign invaders, including the French, the Turks and the British. The Ionians lie in the far west of Greece, not that far from Italy, which made them convenient plunder for Venetian princes and doges. Until this day, the Ionians have an Italian look and influence.
The active traveler gravitates to the Ionians islands because they are so green and lush compared to other Greece island regions, making them a sportsman's paradise. Hiking and walking trails are extensive. It is a haven for sea sports, like sea kayaking, wind surfing and sailing. These islands have a developed road network with smooth, well maintained roads for the cyclist and extended exciting off roads for the adventurous mountain biker.
Ionian Islands:
Corfu (Kerkyra), Paxi, Antipaxi, Lefkada, Ithaka, Kefalonia, Zakynthos (Zante)