Cypria

Damouchari - Pelion, Greece

  Damouchari is the only natural harbour on the wild Aegean side of Pelion. According to a legend, the name Damouchari derives from the greek expression "dos mou hari", which means "give me grace"- a prayer of the seamen.  The castle, built by the Venetians, protected the storehouse and the only station in the area for tired sailors from the frequent raids of pirates. The storehous was used by the locals to store the products they traded until cars reached the numerous villages around and stopped the sailing of ships into the harbour of Damachouri - a masterpiece of natural beauty.

Photo Credit

Besides its natural beauty, Damouchari is a tiny  peaceful village and has the advantage of not yet being invaded by tourists. There, one can enjoy a calm and dreamy stay at one of the two pebbled little beaches with amazing blue-green water, visit the remains of a "kastro" - a castle, see the little shops on the coast or admire the beautiful olive grove starting from the sea and ending up the mountain.

 

Merryl Streep among extras from the village

Photo Credit

 

Damouchari is also the place where part of the film Mamma Mia was shot. The producers of the film needed a place that resembled 1980 since the action takes place at that time. It was only consequent to choose Damouchari which had conserved the charm of earlier years without traffic and high-rise buildings. In September 2008, all the inhabitants of Damouchari became extras in the film. The resting shots were taken in the neighbouring island of Skopelos.

 

Information Collected from:

Greeka

Damouchari

Travel to Pelion

Chania, Crete

 

Chania harbour

Chania is the second largest city of Crete after the capital city Heraklion, occupying an area of 11 square kilometres and having a population of about 60,000. It lies on the eastern coast of Crete at 60 km from Rethymno and 145 km from Heraklion. Archaeological  research has proved that the city of Chania was built in prehistoric times on the ruins of the ancient city of Kidonia named after Kidonas who was, according to the Cretans, Mercury's son.

Chania City as seen from the old port

The old port in Chania

The lighthouse which predominates the old port.

Alexandroupolis and Chania are the most picturesque seaside cities I've visited in Greece. What I liked most in Chania is the lighthouse pre-dominating the old port. The Prefecture of Chania is a nature lover's paradise. Apart from its ravines, lakes, plateaus, rivers and pristine beaches Chania boasts the largest gorge in Europe - the Samarian Gorge which has been declared a National Park.

The Prefecture of Chania

Chania - the old city

If you feel like tasting the authentic Greek and Cretan cuisine, I strongly recommend Semiramis Taverna at Skoufon Street, right off the old town. From June to September, you will enjoy live Greek music (no microphones) and excellent food. Don't forget to order their traditional kalitsounia - delicious cheese pastries. Here's the recipe. 

Semiramis Taverna

Traditional Greek cuisine and Cretan dishes at Semiramis Taverna

 

In Chania, you will find some of Crete's greatest beaches. Here are only a few of the very best:

• Elafonisi  
• Marathi
• Giorgoupoli
• Souyia
• Balos-Gramvousa
• Sfinari
• Platanias

Where to Stay

Here's a wide range of hotels and appartments you can choose from.

How to get there

Chania has an international airport with scheduled flights year round and abundant charter flights serving much of Europe during the season - April to October. [see Flights to/from Chania]
Buses from the airport are virtually non-existent [see bus timetable]. If you're not driving, you should take a taxi.
Ferries sail to and from Athens (Pireas) daily - the port for ferries for Chania is at Souda, a few kilometres away. [see Ferry schedules]
When the ferry arrives, if you manage to scamper onto the bus in time, this will take you to Chania. But it is best to plan to take a taxi. Of course if you are renting a car on arrival, you can drive to your chosen destination at will!
If a pause in Souda before your first sighting of Chania seems just right, try "Exandas" cafe which serves Illy coffee and the famed, welcoming treat of a "bougatsa" (pastry with cheese or cream filling).
Reaching Chania by bus from other places in Crete - bus schedules.

(from CreteTravel)

Zagora, Pelion - Greece

This beautiful, mountainous village, at about 47km from Volos, was built in a very inspiring area. It is the biggest village in Pelion and was very prosperous and wealthy  during the 17th and 18th centuries. Here one of the main occupations was the production of silk, which gave a big push to the development of factories. This in turn began trading by sea from the port of Horefto, which led to the village becoming wealthy. Evidence of this vast wealth can be seen in the many mansions in the village.

Today the locals live on  farming and cultivating apple and pear trees. Apples and pears from Pelion constitute the main Greek export market all over the world.

In the 18th century, Zagora was the largest centre of culture in Pelion. You must visit the old school of "Rigas" (1777) or the "Greekmuseum" as it was later named. It is known as the oldest school in Pelion. Many famous Greeks studied here, such as Rigas Ferreos (leader of the Greek Revolution ), Anthimos Gazis, Grigoris Konstantas and Kallinikos Lapatis (Patriarch of Constatinople).

You must also visit the famous library of Zagora, where there are 15,000 old books. You will also be impressed with the traditional architecture of the old houses together with the  cobbled paths and traditional mansions.

The impressive churches of Agia Paraskevi (1803), Agios Gergios (St.George) (1765) and Agia Kiriaki (1740) are decorated with  striking golden sculptured icons.

In early September, the female corporation of Zagora organises the festival of the "Apple", which includes dance and food. You can go swimming to the beautiful beach of Horefto, or Agioi Saranta if you prefer a quieter beach.. You will find a lot of tavernas and restaurants offering you an excellent taste of the unique Pelion cuisine.

WHERE TO STAY

Areston Rooms

Nefeli Maisonettes

 

Information collected from  Around Pelion

Alluring Santorini

White washed houses with blue doors and windows hanging out from the steep red and black cliffs. Narrow cobbled streets surrounded by traditional houses. Picturesque villages full of dug-in houses carved into the rocks. Shimery captain's houses lying under the sunshine.

An extraordinary garland made by exquisite artistic mansions fills with colour, light and life the imposing Caldera. Santorini is an extremely beautiful island, full of colours, scents and scenery. It's like a big puzzle in which every piece hides its own private history: museums, churches,scheduled settlements, sea, volcano and hospitable people.

The best aubergine salad in Greece!

You can explore Santorini by walking along the "kalderimia" - the narrow cobbled streets of the island - by enjoying local food and tasting the famous wines of Santorini, by visiting the museums and the archaeological sites or simply by basking on one of Santorini's alluring beaches, such as Monolithos, Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos, or simply by contemplating the most famous sunset in the world.

 

How to get there:

Santorini can be reached from most international airports via Athens. Athens is served by the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos.

Where to stay:

Santorini Hotels

The Greek Islands

 

 

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The ideal summer holiday for me rhymes with the Greek Islands. Many people think they are all alike, yet they are so different. Despite some similarities, each Greek island has its very special "character" which can be enjoyed only if you mix with the islanders. And each time I came back home from a holiday on the Greek islands, I brought back home cherished memories and images of clear waters, secluded coves, great food at the local tavernas and the intoxicating sound of the bouzouki.

 

Hotel Review : Palazzo del Mare, Kos

Palazzo del Mare is one of the finest hotels on the island of Kos. It is situated at about 10 km from Hippocrates Airport, 25 km from the town of Kos and 1 km from the seaside village of Marmari.

 Upon arrival on Wednesday July 13, my husband and I were welcomed by the friendly staff at the reception and  were immediately shown to the terrace,  elegantly furnished with comfortable, off-white sofas and overlooking the huge swimming pool and the hotel’s luxuriant gardens.  Having enjoyed a welcome drink while completing check-in,  we were shown to our room -  spacious, beautifully decorated and with direct access to the pool! The bathroom was equipped with perfumed, velvety towels and bath robes. Cleanliness in our room was impeccable just like everywhere in the hotel!

  When on holiday, we almost invariably book Bed & Breakfast but did not regret for a minute our half-board terms of stay this time. We loved the food so much that we had lunch out twice only during our stay. Breakfast consisted of a wide range of different kinds of bread, rolls, croissants, sweets, fruits, eggs, pancakes, delicatessen, cheeses, jams to mention just a few of the savoury breakfast options. Dinner consisted of such a wide variety of salads, starters, main courses and desserts that it was impossible to try them all in one week! Lunch was served at Bacco Restaurant which was an à la carte Italian restaurant in the evening. We also greatly appreciated a special treat on the beach across the road where all hotel guests were offered cold melon and water melon.

Entertainment was also a part of our wonderful experience at Palazzo del Mare. The hotel’s home band entertained us every evening from 7 pm till late at night while there was a Greek night on Saturdays.

Considering all the above in addition to fast and efficient service, the hotel is good value for money and I strongly recommend it if you ever plan to spend a holiday in Kos. Finally, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the hotel management for everything they did to make our holiday an unforgettable experience.  

All photos by Anastasia Marou for Cypria

Tilos Island

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Tilos is located southern of Nisiros Island. It is a small, isolated, rocky island of great archaeological
interest. Its quiet beaches and architectural sights, offer an ideal choice for carefree and relaxed holidays.

The capital of Tilos Island is Megalo Chorio. It is located at the northern part of the island and has 250 inhabitants. It is an impressive settlement, built within the walls of a Venetian castle, on the foundations of ancient Tilos. Nowadays, the housing construction of the village is expanding out of the Venetian walls. It is worth visiting the small museum of the island which exhibits the bones of the pre-historic dwarf-elephant.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

At a distance of 2,5 km in western Tilos, in Megalo Chorio, you can visit the Monastery of Agios Antonios and 6,5 km north-west, the Monastery of Agios Panteleimonas. The main port of the island is Livadia, located south-east of the capital. It is a picturesque small port, built on a beautiful bay, which forms a pebbled beach of almost two kilometres. The only sight of the island is an imposing building which the Italians had built, as a reminder of their domination over the island.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

SOURCE

Halkidiki, Northern Greece

HALKIDIKI is the triple pronged peninsula that lies on the north-east coast of mainland Greece. The Halkidiki region is served by the airport at Thessaloniki and its characteristic three pointed prongs are Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos, separated by two large bays.

Halkidiki is noted for its long, sandy beaches, deep coves and fast-developing tourist resorts. Kassandra, to the west and nearest the airport, has seen the heaviest influx of tourism with purpose-built resorts all around the coast.

The middle prong of Halkidiki is Sithonia - more hilly and wilder than neighbouring Kassandra and very popular with campers, although luxury hotel resorts can also be found.

 

The third prong of Halkidiki is Mount Athos, or Holy Mountain. Athos is wilder still than both its neighbours. The Athos peninsular is almost wholly given over to Christian Greek Orthodox monasteries, established there since the 9th century, with tourists strictly confined to the north.

Women are banned from stepping onto monastic land on Athos and male visitors need a special permit to go ashore. Most tourists are reduced to skirting the peninsula on daily boat trips.

Halkidiki's peculiar geography gives the province the longest single stretch of coastline in Greece at around 500km and much of it made up of sandy beaches and deep bays.

Most of the beach holiday resorts throughout Halkidiki are easy to reach thanks to an extensive and well maintained road system, although public transport tends to peter out in Sithonia.

via www.greekisland.co.uk

Lemnos Island - North-Eastern Aegean

Lemnos Greece lies between the islands of Lesvos and Samothraki, in the archipelago called North-Eastern Aegean. Still unspoiled by high tourism, Lemnos is a very attractive and authentic island. It is a magical place with superb beaches, numerous archaeological sites and a wonderful, unspoiled landscape. The traditional atmosphere of the island makes it even more appealing. Flamingos are living in the lakes on the northern part.

 
Lemnos is an island rich in history and natural beauty. It is mostly a mountainous island but it has nice
beaches, too. The castles and the archaeological sites of Lemnos testify its rich culture and active presence in the ancient times. The island of Lemnos has some of the finest beaches of the North-Eastern Aegean. Its coastline is full of sandy or pebbled places, surrounded by volcanic rocks or vegetations and offering crystalline azure waters. A few of those magical places are equipped with sun beds, umbrellas and sea sports facilities, while most are left to their natural beauty.

Most popular and organized beaches on Lemnos are located on the western side of the island and include Plati, Romaikos Gialos, Riha Nera and Agios Ioannis. Beaches on the western side are more secluded but they provide the best spots for windsurfing.

Information collected from greeka.com

Photos by greeka.com

Thassos Island (2)

Thassos is the most northerly Greek holiday island in the Aegean group and lies just off the Macedonian coast of mainland Greece.

 
Fabulously wealthy in ancient times thanks to large deposits of gold and marble, Thassos nowadays lies outside the top league of Greek holiday islands but it still has as much to offer the visitor, with some great beaches and very fine holiday resorts.
One of the biggest advantages of Thassos as a beach holiday destination is an excellent road that rings the island, providing easy access to the sandy beaches that dot the attractive coastline. Side roads lead inland to many charming hill villages and extensive woodland.
Marble quarries still mar some parts of the island and forest fire damage is still evident in the south, but green pine trees carpet most of Thassos and lead to its being rightly dubbed the 'Emerald Isle'.
Slightly off the main tourist trail, Thassos has escaped the notice of many package holiday firms but the island is very easy to reach from the mainland airport at Kavala.

One of the most northerly of the Greek islands, Thassos escapes the wild blast of the meltemi wind in July and August. The flip side can be hot and sticky weather at the height of summer, and occasional rain.

Although some Thassos beaches have been tarted with lorry loads of sand much remains authentic and charming. The island is small enough for any resort to be easily reached and Thassos beaches are rarely crowded. The interior hills are cloaked in pine and criss-crossed with paths, making this a good island for walkers.

Thassos has some very impressive beaches, with the best in the south and east. While some, like Limenaria, are unmemorable, others like Paradiso and Alyki are quite breathtaking. There are also many delightful coves to be found off the beaten track.

SOURCE: Greek Island