Finally!  Greece is back on the map as a great holiday destination.

For its May issue, National Geographic Traveler UK urges holidaymakers and restless souls across the globe to “Return to Greece” and cites 11 reasons to explore the Aegean and beyond.

Though Greece may have experienced “a tumultuous few years, a new government and rumblings of a new (old) currency”, the National Geographic story dedicates 15 pages to what it describes as one of the most popular destinations for British travellers.

New investments, increasing number of flight connections, alternative hospitality choices are all drawing visitors to Greece, National Geographic Traveler UK editor Pat Riddell explains, adding that the Mediterranean country is now much more than the loved and highly sought after sea and sun.

To read more, please visit: gtp Headines

The incredible deep blue of Greece is known the world over, but there are spots in and around Athens (Attica region) where swimming is not recommended. The National Center of Ecological Research (PAKOE) analyzed the seawater from May 2-25, 2015 (taking three samples from every site), at 151 beaches around Attica and found that 55 of these were unfit for swimming. Below is the complete list - the names outlined in RED are unfit for swimming. All of the others listed are fit for swimming.

Two helpful websites that you may like to consult are:

Beach Report (ΠΑΚΟΕ): www.beachreport.gr/attica-clean-beaches
(in Greek, but Google translate can help here - and most of the beach names can be easily recognized)

Clean Beaches: http://en.cleanbeaches.gr/

 

With the Athens bar scene growing significantly in the last few years, Athens Coast dives into the nightlife and gives us the inside scoop on the best courtyard and rooftop bar experiences!

Located on the roof of the Central Hotel in Plaka, this is Athens Coast’s go-to. “I like this place because it is never over-crowded and the service is friendly and attentive. Also, after a few cocktails, when the lights shine on the sides of the Acropolis, you can see the outline of a goat’s head.”

A hidden boutique hotel with a roof terrace over-looking Acropolis. The Zillers popped onto the scene recently and is on all of the trendy ‘Athens is the new (insert cool city here)’ lists.

This hostel has one of the highest rooftop bars in Athens, so you can see Acroplis and Mount Lycabettus. In the elevator on the way up, you will see a sign that reads, “No we don’t have wifi, get drunk and talk to each other.”

 

 

Black Duck Garden (website is in Greek)

As it is the official bistro for the Museum of the City of Athens, the Black Duck is the classiest joint on my list. Take a stroll through history and enjoy a coffee in the garden of the first palace in Athens. Black Duck is open year round, with the outdoor courtyard open Spring-Fall.

A renovated shopping alleyway on Kolokotroni has become an industrial, hip hang-out. Food, coffee, juices, cocktails- you name it, they have it.

 

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Athens Coast

 

Photo Credit: Athens Coast

What’s hidden on a Greek hillside can change your destiny …

Edinburgh journalist Bronte McKnight is summoned to a hillside village in the wild and beautiful Mani region of Greece by her estranged expat father Angus to help him with a medical problem. But she soon discovers that Angus, whom she has barely seen in 10 years, has lured her there with a tougher challenge in mind – solving a mystery from the Second World War when his father disappeared in Greece during the disastrous Battle of Kalamata, ‘Greece’s Dunkirk’.  

With the country gripped by economic crisis, and the clock ticking against them, their near-impossible quest to discover how and where Kieran McKnight died, takes them from Kalamata to a remote mountain village where its few remaining inhabitants are bound by old traditions and secrecy. As the tensions of their own fractured relationship rise, Bronte and Angus are helped in their search by a cast of intriguing Greek characters, especially charismatic doctor, Leonidas Papachristou. He has a pivotal role, not least in challenging Bronte’s assumption that she hasn’t the time nor the courage to fall in love in Greece. 

The secrets unearthed by Angus and Bronte will be painful and astonishing. This is a compelling tale of heroism, faith, and love - with a heart-warming conclusion.

To buy 'A Saint For Summer,' please visit: Amazon

About The Author

Marjory McGinn is a Scottish-born author and journalist, brought up in Australia. She worked in Scotland for 10 years from 2000 as a freelance feature writer. Her journalism has appeared in leading newspapers in Britain and Australia, including The Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph; and The Scotsman, The Herald. In Australia she was a senior feature writer on The Sun-Herald, and stories have appeared also in The Australian and The Age.

A youthful work/travel year in Athens inspired a lifelong fascination for Greece. In 2010, together with her partner Jim and their Jack Russell dog, Wallace, she set off from Scotland  on an adventure to the southern Peloponnese that lasted four years and was the basis for her three travel memoirs (Things Can Only Get Feta, Homer’s Where The Heart Is and A Scorpion In The Lemon Tree.

For more information on McGinn and her other books, please visit: Big Fat Greek Odyssey

Greece does not only have breathtaking beaches and landscapes, but also a great variety of mouth-watering food! If you're in the capital, don't miss our recommendations for the top street food and sandwich spots in town. And of course, the best places for coffee lovers!

Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays and the biggest religious holiday in Greece; it is a time to celebrate faith, new life and family gatherings.

This year, however, things are going to be a little different, as social distancing measures prevent families from gathering around the table on Easter Sunday for lunch and attending church services. Yet, this, of course, doesn’t mean Easter is canceled. It just means that our holiday routine needs some refreshing!

Our friends at MILI LO Design & Event Planning have put together these really great tips to help us make the most of our Greek Easter 2020 in isolation. 

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This article was originally published on MILI LO's blog here. Mili Lo is a boutique event design and planning company located in Athens. Emily and her team are exceptionally creative and make life's precious moments absolutely magical. Thank you for sharing this article with us and for brightening our Easter in Greece 2020! 

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1. Prepare & Share Traditional Recipes 

Food is often the main focus of holiday festivities, especially in Greece, a country with a rich gastronomic tradition! From tsoureki, the traditional Easter bread, to magiritsa soup, and of course, ovelias, the Greek Easter tradition where a whole lamb is roasted on a spit; find recipes for your favorite Greek Easter holiday foods and spend some quality time in the kitchen with your closest ones. To make things more interesting, you can make it a family affair and have all your family members try creating the same dishes in their own kitchens! 

The egg hunt is one of the most popular Eastertide games and, although it’s not a typical Greek tradition, it can be a reason for children to look forward to Easter and have fun even while they are stuck indoors! To host a virtual hunt, hide eggs around your house or yard in places that would be easy to see on FaceTime or Zoom and then invite the youngest members of your family to participate. When they find an egg, pick it up and award the child a point. At the end of the game, count each child’s points and have their parents give them treats, one for each point they scored!

Many churches are now taking their services online so you can attend from the comfort of your home. See if your church organizes any special virtual Easter events and after the service set up a call to share the message of Easter with your loved ones! 

In Greece, dying red eggs is a long-standing tradition that takes place each year on Holy Thursday. This year, however, try taking it one step further by decorating and designing colorful eggs with cool patterns - all on your own! Instead of running to the grocery store to buy a fancy dye kit, try creating your own with what you already have in your pantry and the help of your family. All you need is boiling water, eggs, vinegar, and food coloring. Let the Easter egg dyeing begin!

Design a colorful basket, fill it with all kinds of goodies, from chocolate bunnies to pastel-colored eggs, and then leave it on a neighbor’s doorstep. This delicious gift will give a smile to anyone who receives it! After all, what greater way to fully embrace the Easter spirit than with random acts of kindness! 

Continue spreading the love by writing cheerful messages on the sidewalk to brighten your neighbors’ day! Chances are your neighbors are feeling stressed out and cooped up these days and they could use a glimmer of hope and optimism. You can also draw some colorful Easter eggs or bunnies for them to find the next time they pass by.

In times like these, we shouldn't forget the doctors and nurses who are working through the holidays, risking their lives and sacrificing time with their families to care for patients. You can show your appreciation and gratitude with a small gesture such as tying a white ribbon somewhere in your front yard or sharing a thankful message on social media with the hashtag #HealthCareHeroes. 

8. Have A Virtual Easter Dinner

While some families are awaiting Easter lunch with great anticipation to break up the monotony of their quarantine routine, others who are alone this year need to come up with ideas to bridge the distance. Luckily, technology makes staying connected easier. Even if you can’t gather in person you can still celebrate and have a special dinner with your loved ones over Zoom, Facetime, or other video conferencing apps. Don’t forget to include the elderly as they need to feel involved and loved more than anyone!

While no one could have imagined that Greek Easter 2020 would be celebrated indoors without traditional outdoor festivities and gatherings, with a little bit of creativity we can still find ways to fill our holiday with color and joy, honoring our favorite traditions, or even inventing new ones! A change in plans doesn’t mean the deeper meaning of Easter has to change too.

 

Seas the day and make the most out the ultimate Greek summer experience!

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Greece took one more step towards making destinations accessible to people with disabilities following a recent agreement between Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities (ESAmeA).

Under the protocol of cooperation, the ministry and ESAmeA commit to a series of initiatives including the provision of comprehensive accessibility information, the inclusion of relevant curriculum at tourism schools on all levels, the development of education and training programs for people with disabilities in tourism professions and support actions for their employment and inclusion in the labor market.

Speaking in February during a special committee, ESAmeA President Ioannis Vardakastanis had said efforts were being made to host the Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the European Disability Forum (EDF) in Athens in June. However, Vardakastanis said the confederation, which this year presides over the assembly, was finding it difficult to find 20 accessible rooms “despite the plethora of expensive 5-star hotels”.

Vardakastanis went on to stress that an agreement with tourism stakeholders was crucial in order to make accessible tourism a priority with specific results-oriented time-frames and targets that will ensure accessibility onboard ships, tourist buses, at hotels, on mass transport, on beaches, and at archeological sites, “and to ensure these works are reliable consistent,” he said.

Earlier this year, Kikilias said establishing Greece as an accessible tourism destination was a ministry priority, adding that the focus was now on turning words into actions and “giving people with disability the chance to participate wholly and equally in the tourism chain”.

To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr