Greece travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Named for the red stone castle that once dominated the port, Kastellorizo is the smallest of the Dodecanese – and the largest of the archipelago of tiny islets, which gives it its other name, Megisti. It is more than seventy nautical miles east of Rhodes, Greece just a stone’s throw from Kas on the Turkish coast. It’s rocky place with a small permanent population. Supplies are shipped from Rhodes or brought from Turkey. Photo by: AbsolutelyEverything
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The little island of Symi is part of the Dodecanese Islands and lying just 41 km north-west of the Turkish mainland. This mountainous island is separated by lovely valleys and its coast has rocky outcrops and sweet bays, many only accessible by boat. The main settlement, in the north-east of the island is also called Symi, but locals usually refer to it as Yialos. The town has an upper and lower part. The upper part is emerged as Chorio and is dominated by the fortress of the Knights of St John. The lower part of town, around the port area is stunning, surrounded as it is by green hills making a natural amphitheater. The two parts are linked by the Kali Strata, 350 steps lined with pastel-coloured neoclassical houses with flower-filled courtyards. Photo by: alexandros9
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Egina’s geographical position at the mouth of the Saronic Gulf, made it an important maritime power in classical times. The island is emerged as Greece’s leading pistachio producer, and a weekend beach resort for Athenians. Egina Town is an energetic, attractive place, with coloured fishing boat and yachts in a harbour that is lined with handsome buildings, cafes and restaurants. A single column marks the site of the Temple of Apollo, and there is a well-presented archeological museum. Photo by: Mi_ko
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The most easterly of the Cyclades, Amorgos is rugged and mountainous, often battered by wine and wave. It is hospitable and unspoilt – visitors come for excellent walking and relaxed, uncommercialized atmosphere, or to see the location of Luc Besson’s film The Big Blue. The south coast is sheer, steep and unpopulated but for one monastery built into the cliffs. The north coast is sheltered by the mountains and has two harbours and a scattering of hill villages. Photo by: korax67
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Danai Beach Resort is one of Greece’s premier luxury spa hotels. The resort overlooks pine fringed shores white sandy beaches and the clear azure waters of the Aegean Sea. Its beach is about 2.5 km long and it is attractive not only for its extensive golden sands, but also for the way the pine trees grow right down to the water’s edge. A world-class Wellness & Spa center“St Barth” in Moroccan-style design offers huge variety of professional therapies and health treatments.
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Like other Ionian islands, Kafelonia was never taken by the Ottomans – it was too important to the Venetian maritime empire. Also like its neighbours, it was occupied by Italian and then by German forces during World War II. Kafelonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands, with a mountanious interior and magnificent beaches, it absorbs the crowds, and its towns and villages retain traditional independence. Photo by: Zena Leech-Calton
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The most southern of the Ionian chain, Zakynthos, also called Zante, shares the history of invasion, freedom from Ottoman rule and devastation by earthquakes. Much of the island is still green, untouched. The north and west is mountainous, the centre very fertile, with farms, vineyards and lovely old villages set in beautiful countryside where life is more or less untouched by tourism. Photo by: Tr8la
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