Greece
A land where sacred monasteries are mountainside fixtures, three-hour sea-side siestas are standard issue, and dancing on tables until daybreak is a summer rite: Greece's treasures are impossibly varied. Renaissance men long before their time, the ancient Greeks sprung to prominence with their philosophical, literary, artistic, and athletic mastery. Millennia later, school kids still dream of Hercules and the Medusa; when those kids grow up, they hanker after Greece's island beaches, free-flowing booze, and the gorgeous natural landscape, which was once the playground of a pantheon of gods. The all-encompassing Greek lifestyle is a frustrating and delicious mix of high speed and sun-inspired lounging, as old men hold lively debates in town square, young kids zoom on mopeds around the clock, and unpredictable schedules force a go-with-the-flow take on life.
June through August is high tourist season in Greece . Bar-studded beaches set the scene for revelry and Dionysian indulgence, as the hundred-degree sun blazes over ancient cities and modem-day sun-worshipers alike. Hotels, domatia, clubs, and sights are, like the nightlife, in full swing. If the crowds or the frantic pace of summer travel grate on you, consider visiting during May, early June, or September, when gorgeous weather smiles on thinner crowds. Avid hikers can take advantage of the mellower weather to traverse the unsullied expanses of Northern and Central Greece . In ski areas, winter brings another high season: you can hit the slopes at Mountain Parnassos, Mountain Pelion, or Metsovo.
The low season, from October through May, generally has cheaper airfares, lodging, and food prices, but many sights and accommodations have shorter hours or close altogether. At this time of year Greece hibernates, resting from summertime farming, fishing, and tourism. Ferries, buses, and trains run considerably less frequently, and life is quieter.
Mountain chains, bougainvillea-speckled islands, silver-green olive groves, and the stark contrast of other land against the azure Aegean comprise the Greek landscape, the refuge of mythological beasts. This varied land of isolated villages, jasmine-scented islands, and majestic ruins satisfies even the pickiest visitor with its infinite diversions. Don't be afraid to plot out your own route: the famous Greek hospitality will make you feel welcome wherever you go.
As the birthplace of drama, democracy, and western philosophy, Greece's long history has left a wealth of sites in its impressive wake. The mother of all ruins, the Acropolis, still presides over modem Athens . The gigantic, perfectly proportioned colunms of the Parthenon, combined with the sun's beating rays and the brilliant gleam of white marble, conjures up the same awe inspired in a millennia of worshipers and pilgrims. A voyage through the Peloponnese will transport you back to the era of nymphs, satyrs, and gods in disguise. Take a lap around the well-preserved stadium on the way to the original Olympic fields at Ancient Olympia, peer into Agamemnon's tomb at Mycenae , or experience catharsis after watching the performance of an ancient tragedy in the magnificent theater at Epidavros. Byzantine times stand still at the extensive city-site of Mystras, the former locus of Constantinople's rule in the Peloponnese .
On the mainland, get to "know thyself" at the ancient Oracle of Delphi. Chase after the floating island of Delos , birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, for a peek at the Temple of Apollo and an island wide archaeological site. More archaeological sites include: Heinrich Schliemman's reconstruction of the Minoan palace at Knossos ; an untarnished Minoan site at Phaistos; Santorini's Akrotiri, a city frozen in time by a volcanic eruption; onetime cult capital Paleopolis on Samothraki; and the dual ruins of Pella and Vergina in Northern Greece , frequented by Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. From Rhodes , you can reach the renmants of three of the seven wonders of the ancient world by daytrip. The Colossus of Rhodes leaves no trace today, though you can contemplate what its giant leg span must have been.
In the Aegean Sea , Santorini's blacksand beaches soak up the sun's hot rays and stay warm long after the stunning sunsets over the Sea of Crete have faded. Swim below sea caves once ransacked by pirates on the coast of Skyros or bask on the Lesvian shore, where beaches stretch out for miles from Sappho's home of Skala Eressou. Stumble out of all those superfluous clothes at Mykonos's wild, nude Super Paradise Beach . If your eyes get tired of all those bare backsides, seek solace on a secluded strip of sand. The much-beloved haunt of booze-loving backpackers, Corfu , is ringed by fabulous beaches on all sides, in addition to hosting that legendary party haven, the Pink Palace . Snorkel, water-ski, or just loaf in the sun on Ios and Naxos . Perfect your tan around Paleohora in Crete or at castle-crowned Haraki Beach in Rhodes .
Greece isn't just Athens , islands, bars, and babes. If you have enough self-discipline to tear yourself away from the fun in the sun, you'll soon realize that a wilderness experience can be just as invigorating. To do so, you'll have to either bust out your walking stick or rev up your engines. Hiking or motorbiking-or a combination of the two-lets you cruise between rural villages independent of constantly changing bus schedules. On foot, you'll cross through foothills draped with olive groves, passing mountain goats and wildflowers along the way. Drowsy Dimitsana and cobblestoned Stemnitsa distinguish themselves from the tourist bustle ofthe rest of the Peloponnese .
In the Ionian Sea , Odysseus's kingdom of Ithaka is an untapped hiker's paradise, where the Cave of the Nymphs-the hiding place for Odysseus's treasure and the conclusion of an enthralling hike-will seduce you. Northern Thassos is full of secluded ruins, superior hikes, and village-to-village strolls. Rural Alonnisos, a largely uninhabited island in the Sporades , is crisscrossed by trails and moped-friendly roads, and hugged by beaches ideal for refueling after a fatiguing hike. Outlying islands are protected as part of the National Marine Park and make for a pleasant daytrip.
The untouched traditional Greek villages of the Zagorohoria and their surrounding wilderness make walking an adventure. The neighboring Vikos Gorge, the world's steepest canyon, challenges hikers with a six-hour-Iong trek. You can explore more gorgeous gorges in Crete : the Samaria Gorge, Europe's longest gorge, and the quieter Valley of Death plunge you below eagles' nests and trees clinging to the steep canyon sides.
Eighty percent of the Greek landscape is mountainous, to the delight of climbers. Clamber to the abode of the gods at Mt. OIympus , ascending over 2900 steep, stunning meters to one of its eight peaks. During the summer, Dionysus's old watering hole, Mt. Parnassos , makes a great hiking and mountain-biking trip; in winter, skiers storm the 2400m slopes. The trails around Zaros in Crete wind up to mountainside sanctuaries and to Zeus's childhood hiding place, Kamares Cave .
Geogrephical Information
Greece is the southern portion of a great peninsula of Europe, washed on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea. The name of Greece was not used by the inhabitants of the country. They called their land HELLAS, and themselves HELLENES. The names of GREECE and GREEKS come to us from the Romans, who gave the name of GRAECIA to the country and of GRAECI to the inhabitants.
The two northerly provinces of Greece are THESSALY and EPIRUS, separated from each other by Mount Pindus. Thessaly is a fertile plain enclosed by lofty mountains, and drained by the river Peneus, which finds its way into the sea through the celebrated Vale of Tempe. Epirus is covered by rugged ranges of mountains running from north to south, through which the Achelous the largest river of Greece, flows towards the Corinthian gulf.
In entering central Greece from Thessaly the road runs along the coast through the narrow pass of Thermopylae, between the sea and a lofty range of mountains. South of Phocis is Boeotia, which is a large hollow basin, enclosed on every side by mountains, which prevent the waters from flowing into the sea. Thebes was the chief city of Boeotia. West of Attica, towards the isthmus, is the small district of MEGARIS. The western half of central Greece consists of WESTERN LOCRIS, AETOLIA and ACARNANIA.
Central Greece is connected with the southern peninsula by a narrow isthmus, on which stood the city of Corinth. The mountains of Peloponnesus have their roots in the centre of the country, from which they branch out towards the sea. This central region, called ARCADIA, is the Switzerland of the peninsula. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains, forming a kind of natural wall, which separates it from the remaining Peloponnesian states.
The other chief divisions of Peloponnesus were Achaia, Argolis, Laconia, Messenia, and Elis. ACHAIA is a narrow slip of country lying between the northern barrier of Arcadia and the Corinthian gulf. LACONIA and MESSENIA occupied the whole of the south of the peninsula from sea to sea: these two countries were separated by the lofty range of Taygetus, running from north to south, and terminating in the promontory of Taenarum (now Cape Matapan), the southernmost point of Greece and Europe.
South of Euboea was the group of islands called the CYCLADES, lying around Delos as a centre; and east of these were the SPORADES, near the Asiatic coast and southern the island group of Dodecanese.
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