Halkidki is a peninsula which lies southeast of Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki. It is an increasingly popular tourist trap, and is served by Airport Macedonia' near to Thessaloniki. Most major tour operatours now fly here including Unijet, Airtours and Thomson with return prices starting from around £139 per person.
This region in the North of Greece provides holidaymakers with endless sandy beaches, traditional villages alongside modern tourist resorts, a warm Mediterranean climate and endless sunshine, picturesque sheltered bays and rolling hills covered with pine trees. Halkidiki's capital, Poligiros, is located 69km from Thessaloniki in the centre of the region.
Halkidiki is popular with families and couples. Most hotels are built in traditional Macedonian style and are designed to enhance the area's natural environment. The resorts are not as busy as in other parts of Greece, but most still have ample facilities for visitors, as well as numerous bars, tavernas and restaurants.
Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands and measures 50 kilometres wide by 25 kilometres long. The island lies between Lefkas (Lefkada) and Zante (Zakynthos).
Kefalonia's lush green forests and mountain ranges where the setting of the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin' and are the perfect backdrop to those wishing to relax on the long stretches of fine sand or smaller more secluded coves that can be found all over the Island.
Basking in glorious sunshine the islands offers a wealth of natural phenomenon, from Mount Enos to the Drogati Cave, an amazing labyrinth made up of imposing stalactites and stalagmites.
To get to Lefkas, you don't need to take a boat. Instead you go by car or bus, quickly crossing over the narrow channel separating the coast of Aitoloakarnania and the island.
It is said that once upon a time Lefkas was united with mainland Greece. Some say the Leleges, its first inhabitants, transformed it into an island; others maintain that the Corinthians dug a trench across the isthmus.
Lefkas is a mountainous island, covered with dense vegetation to the east and south. Its eastern coast slopes gently down to the sea, which is sheltered from the wind and dotted with thickly wooded islets. The most famous of these are Skorpios, Madouri and Sparti. In contrast, the west coast is steep, with a few stunted pine trees and lined with spectacular stretches of endless golden beach.
The island of Lesvos lies in the NE Agean Sea, only a short distance off the coast of Turkey, and is the third largest of the Greek islands after Crete and Evia. The main town and harbour of Mitilini lies around 8km Northwest of Lesvos airport.
Lesvos has a very varied georgraphy. The North has high cliffs, the middle is mountainous, the east has fertile plains and there are salt flats in the west. The beaches are mainly rocky or gritty sand, the best being in Skala Kallonis and Skala Eressou. Lesvos is still a fairly traditional island that has not yet been overdeveloped or ruined by tourism, and is famous for its ouzo and olive oil.
Nightlife is mainly quiet, although the larger resorts have a handful of bars and discos. Restaurants offer high quality food and wine and seafood is reasonably priced. During the day watersports are available along with horse-riding, tennis and volleyball.
To all who wish to experience the magic of this little island, the information on this site will provide a well-rounded and honest picture of what it has to offer. Mykonos is a grand example of unique cycladic architecture set around a picturesque fishing-village bay. Totally whitewashed organic cube-like buildings fit closely together to form a kind of haphazard maze of narrow alley ways and streets.
The earthen colors of the bare hills which surround the town's gleaming whiteness is set between the aura of an incredibly blue sky and even deeper blue sparkling sea.
Its many well preserved windmills and hundreds of tiny red-roofed churches adds a flavor of culture and custom to the scene, enhanced even further by many museums and the historical ancient site of nearby Delos. Together with being friendly and open people, the locals have a healthy understanding of what it means to have a good time. Put this together with all the island's other qualities and it is no wonder Mykonos has been often named "the jewel" of the Aegean Sea.
Parga is nested between lush green hills and the clear waters of the Ionian Sea. Parga is a busy town in the summer with lively streets packed with a healthy tourist population that mingles busily in the narrow passages and the coffee shops that line its promenade. It seems to be a favorite destination of Italian holidaymakers who elect to spend their summer holiday in Parga due to its proximity to the Italian coast.
Parga is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Epirus, and it is full of hotels, motels and organized camping grounds that seem to easily accommodate the visitors who come to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the sea, and the sun.
Pelion combines mountain and sea and according to the legend it was the summer residence of the twelve Gods of Olympus and the mythical country of the Argonauts and the Centaurs. Dramatic views abound across the lush mountainsides down to the white pebble and sand beaches on both the Aegean and Pagasetic Gulf sides of the peninsula. Pelion's twenty four mountain villages hang on the side of the mountain in perfect harmony with their surroundings. The Aegean side of Mount Pelion plunges dramatically down through verdant forest to a series of stunning beaches, villages and towns. The Pagasitic Gulf, no less stunning, could be another country, so different is the landscape. Here the mountain falls gently away towards a coastline full of picturesque harbours, sandy beaches and astonishing sunsets.
Visitors go to Pelion anytime within the year to either ski in the winter or swim in the summer on the Aegean Sea or the Pagasitic Gulf, to walk, ride a bike or a horse through a dense set of paths.
The Peloponnese, or Morea as southern Greece is often called, is the heart of the country. From the second millennium before Christ to the present, it has lived to the beat of history.
The Mycenaean Civilization, Bassae, Olympia, and Epidaurus are among the most important monuments of Ancient Greece. Mistras and Aghia Sophia at Monemvassia are jewels of the Byzantine era. The castles of the Morea are famous; most eminent among them are those of Acrocorinth, Karitena, Kalamata, Koroni, and most picturesque of all, the castle of Methoni. Nafplion, one of Greece's loveliest and most delightful towns, was the first capital of the modern state.
The mountain villages of the Peloponnese and the whole of the Mani are among the most scenic parts of Greece; here the grey stone has become a marvel in the hands of the builder. Whether set against the background of the magnificent olive groves of Messinia or Eleia, or the endless vineyards of Achaia and Corinth, all these features are found in the Peloponnese.
Samos lies at the north-eastern part of the Aegean Sea in a distance of 174 nautical miles from Piraeus. It has an area of 475 sq. km., a coast line of 159 km and a population of 40.000 inhabitants. You can reach Samos by plane from Athens and by ferry boat from Piraeus, Kavala, Icaria, the Dodecanese, Crete and other islands.
This large, Aegean island is a gorgeous, verdant place, which at one point is no more than 2 km. far from the coast of Asia Minor. It is covered with pure white sand beaches, picturesque villages, fishing harbours and it is famous for the production and the quality of its wine. The sweet variety of Samos wine has an international reputation.
Santorini is the last of the Cyclades islands to the South. The closest islands are Ios, Folegandros, Sikinos to the North, Anafi and Amorgos to the East and Crete to the South.
Santorini was one island named Stroggili (circle in Greek) until about 1645 BC, when the volcano in the middle of the island erupted and Caldera was created. The two volcanic islands appeared much later from various eruptions starting 157 BC and the last one took place in the 1950's.
Many factors and reasons made this island famous worldwide and more or less we all have seen a picture of it. There is a talk about the connection between Thira and ancient Atlantis. Also Jules Verne made Santorini famous with its books Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' and The mysterious island' where captain Nemo and his crew watch the volcano eruption. He was one of the visitors and scientists that came to Thira during the eruptions of 1866 - 1870 and wrote the well known book just after it. It is really the mysterious island, the volcano rules, the caldera view is the most breathtaking one on the planet!
Skiathos lies just off the Greek mainland in the Agean Sea and is part of the Sporades island group. Most of the small island's tourist resorts are in the South and the East and can become extremely busy in high season. This is an increasingly popular holiday destination, especially with families and younger couples.
The beaches in the South are wide and sandy and lined by tavernas and restaurants. In the North, the beaches tend to be rocky and less welcoming to younger swimmers. Kanapitsa beach, which faces NE is perfect for windsurfing. Accommodation in Skiathos is mainly self-catering although there are a few small hotels and villas.
There is plenty to see during the day in kiathos including Evangelistria monastery, the ruined village of Kastro and Papadiamantis museum. In the evenings there are Greek evenings in the tavernas. Live music and discos. There are many good restaurants in Skiathos, including Greek, Italian, French and British traditional menus.
The northern part of Siros is mountainous and the island stands out in general for the variety of the landscape in its hinterland, where hills alternate with low-lying farming areas. The coastline is indented with inlets of all sizes between capes. There are two large bays, of Ermoupoli to the east and Finikas to the west.Archaeological excavations have shown that Siros was inhabited in Neolithic times.
Digs at Kastri and Halandriani have revealed a prehistoric acropolis, a settlement and a burial ground, and yielded art efacts of the Early Cycladic period.
Thassos is a small, almost circular island in the North Aegean Sea and is only a 3 hour 15 minute flight from the UK. Holidaymakers fly into Kavala and from the mainland must transfer by ferry to Thassos Town. A quiet, easy-going and peaceful island, Thassos is suitable those wanting a relaxing island holiday in an area unspoilt by tourism.
Limenas (Thassos Town) is the island's capital and has an ancient harbour and a newer area including the ferry quay. The town is typically Greek but lacks traditional charm. Thassos is subject to a high rainfall being so far North (slightly higher latitude than Majorca) and is therefore very green and lush. Beaches are mainly sandy, although a few small pebbly coves can be found too. Local produce includes honey, marble and walnut jam.
Accommodation in Thassos is simple and comfortable - there are none of the large, luxury hotels found on the more developed islands. Busier resorts such as Limenaria have music bars open until late evening and cater mainly for the younger and family markets.
Set amidst extremely beautiful scenery, Tolon enjoys a sheltered position on the wide Gulf of Argolis on the eastern coast of Peloponnese. It is well known to the people who love fishing because of the rich capacity of fish in its sea. Exquisite seascapes, picturesque countryside and a friendly village atmosphere have helped Tolo to become one of the most sought after holiday destinations. A pleasant long sandy beach hugs to blue waters of the bay, it is superb spot for swimming, waterskiing, sailing, windsurfing, or just sunbathing on the soft golden sand.
Tolon is remarkably well situated for visiting classical Greece (Epidavros, Mycenae, Turins, Corinth, Sparta, Mystra, and Olympia). You can also take a pleasant day cruise to the islands of Spetses, Hydra, Poros, Aegina or Monemvassia.
