Nafpaktos: A Jewel of a Town

Built between Antirrio and the mouth of the river Mornos, Nafpaktos is the most beautiful town of the district of Aitoloakarnania. Its idyllic beaches face the Corinthian gulf; its mountain attractiveness encompasses Nafpaktia; its rich history is reflected on two fabulous monuments, the Venetian castle and the Venetian port.

The first things that strike visitors in Nafpaktos are its comfortable plane-shaded roads, its traditional buildings, and its people of all ages enjoying the sun in open air restaurants and cafés, often by the sea. Start strolling around the cobbled streets with the naval houses and the well-preserved mansions. Bougainvilleas climb on the stone walls and flowers fill the neighbourhoods with welcoming colours and aromas.

All the streets lead to the port, the smallest and, maybe, most beautiful in the Mediterranean Sea! At the eastern tower there is the old lighthouse and the Fethiye Tzami (mosque) of 1499. The built-in marble plaque reminds us of the famous sea battle of 1571. At the western part and next to the cannons targeting the sea, there are the statues of the legendary captain Giorgos Anemogiannis and of the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. The delicious teasers on the pedestrian walkway of Stenopazaro, right at the place where the old market and the small tavernas used to be, provide the perfect excuse for a long or brief stop.

Strong again and no more hungry, you can climb up the castle, one of the best preserved castles in five landings, whose story dates back in the Ancient times. The Venetians used to call its top “the triple tiara of Lepanto”. Stand there to marvel at the imposing view of the town and the port, dominated by the cable Rio-Antirrio bridge on the horizon. Your attention will also be drawn by the chapel of Profitis Elias (11th century) the tower clock, as well as the remnants of the ottoman bath.

Leave Nafpaktos at night, when its lights will be flickering on the quiet waters. Say goodbye to the beautiful town, but not to a great travel experience yet.


Galaxidi: The Famous Naval Town

Through the stunning mountainous landscapes of Fokida one reaches a town with a feel of posh, tradition, and naval history: the picturesque pride and joy of the southern coasts of central Greece, i.e. Galaxidi. Brave seamen used to sail around the Mediterranean Sea to seek refuge in the two natural ports of the little town, Agora and Chirolakas. The naval and the folklore museums bear witness to the history of Galaxidi.

To read more, please see visitgreece.gr

 Further still, Asia and the Middle East can also be reached from Volos, which is Greece’s third major port (after Pireaus near Athens and the port of Thessaloniki).

Built near the neolithic (4,000BC) remnants of Dimini, today’s city of Volos sits on the site of 3 later, ancient Greek cities. One of them, Demetrias, was named after both the local Olympian goddess of harvest and a Macedonian king; another city (Iolcus) was connected to the mythological hero Jason (of Argonauts and Golden Fleece fame).

During the Byzantine era (13-14th century AD) and subsequent Ottoman (Turkish) rule, the city was known as ”Golos”. It became part of free Greece in 1881.

To read more, please visit blog.sunshine.co.uk

By Karen Bryan

The small paved square with the parish church of St. Nicholas, the planes and the simple cafes and grills, are forming the picturesque village ambience. The Karali Folk Museum with collection, which spans the last two centuries, is one of the points of interest.

The material is more than 1800 items and includes pastoral and agricultural utensils for household use, weapons and costumes of the region, wood carvings, embroidery, coins, tools and various miscellaneous items of folk art.

The Annunciation Monastery, established in 1700 with magnificent frescoes in good condition.

The Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1904, located in the central village square.

The Church of San Marco and the Church of St. Cosmas Aitolos.

Wander to the two mills to the position Goura, which are declared as preserved monuments, as well as the church of Saint Panteleimon.

Source: Xenion.gr

Skópelos belongs to the North Sporades group of islands and has three main ports: Skópelos, Agnóntas and Glóssa.

Hóra, on the northern coast, is the capital of the island. Its ancient name was Peparithos, after the son of the god Dionysos and Ariadne, who was the first inhabitant of the island.

Hóra nestles comfortably on a hill and sprawls around a castle. The medieval castle with its sweeping views of the Aegean, the stone houses with picture-perfect courtyards, narrow paved streets and a number of Byzantine churches, the town encapsulates the essence of a typical Greek island settlement. Take a trip through the rich history of the island with a visit to the Folklore Museum, housed in a renovated mansion built in the previous century, where you can enjoy a rich collection of folklore-related exhibits (open Mon-Sat, 10:00-14:00 & 19:00-22:00; entrance: €3).

More settlements for you to discover:

The island’s other settlements are Glóssa, Palió Klíma and Néo Klíma/ Élios.

• Glóssa, the second biggest settlement on the island, is 25km north of Hóra. “The tall village” according to Papadiamantis is distinctive for its traditional, noble character and the ruins of ancient towers and buildings that have been discovered around the area.

• Palió Klíma is a picturesque village close to Glóssa that suffered great damage during the earthquake of 1965.

• Néo Klíma or Élios, situated 18 km far from Hóra, below the forest of Vathias at an altitude of 688 m, is quite a new settlement which was built in 1981. It is very close to the beautiful beach of Hovolos. Note that all the villages on the island have excellent facilities for tourism, with hotels, rooms to let, restaurants and bars to satisfy all your needs during your holidays.


To read more, please see visitgreece.gr

From here, the view is simply majestic. The entire city of Volos is right down below your feet, and it the perfect view to sit back and watch as you enjoy a drink.

If you walk to the back of the church of Agios Yiannis, you can see the frescos from 1910 that were painted by the artist Theofilos. In the "Tapali" mansion, which was built in 1844, you will find the museum for music and art folklore. The museum has a very impressive collection of household objects, tools, books, clothing, flags and guns. It is open daily from 10.00 until 17.00.

You can visit the interesting churches with many icons and frescos, like the church of Panagias (1767), Agios Athanasios (1792), Agios Nikoloas (1787) and Agios Georgios (1795).

At the village square is the church of Agios Yiannis Prothromos. On the side of this church is the famous old spring fountain with its sculptured lions heads. In the old days, the people used to say that this water made you immortal. The fountain was built in 1809.

During the summer, many festivals take place. In July are the celebrations of "Mays" and "Maithei", which have their roots with the ancient Greek God Dionysos, and they are based on the renaissance of life and nature. You can enjoy dance and music at these festivals.

In the village you will find restaurants, cafes, bars and tavernas. At the restaurant "Partheon", you can enjoy your meal or drink with a magnificent view of Volos.

At the Koukourava, which is actually a quarter of the village of Makrinitsa, you can see the medieval castle of Skotiniotis, old water mills and wild vegetation.

You can also visit the church of Agia Magthalini that dates from 1737. Inside you can enjoy the impressive icons and wall paintings. Makrinitsa is a village that you will never forget. It is one of the most beautiful and popular in all of Pelion.

To read more, please visit aroundpelion.com

A surprising amount of Greece is mountainous with over one-third of the Country lying over 500m above sea level. For a relatively small country of around 132,000 square kilometres surface area Greece is endowed with an incredible richness of natural treasures. Here are some of the highlights:

Birds
There are 425 bird species recorded in Greece, 243 of those species breed in the country. That is a huge number for such a small place, making Greece very important for European bird life and a great place to visit for bird watching. Several species that breed in Greece are globally threatened, including Dalmatian pelican, Lesser kestrel, Pygmy cormorant, Black vulture and Cinereous bunting. Greece also holds the largest breeding population of Dalmatian pelican outside of the Former Soviet Union and two thirds of the world’s population of Eleanora’s Falcon breed in Greece.

Plants

Greece is home to around 6,000 different plant species and over 700 of those are endemic, meaning they occur nowhere else in the world. That equates to about 15% endemism – the highest in the whole of Europe! This diversity of plant life means that when you go for a walk in the countryside of Greece there is almost always something new to see! The mountainous topography of Greece has provided isolation for plants to evolve separately and sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife, helping to preserve this bounty of biodiversity from the pressures of human intervention.

By Matt Berry

www.greenwings.co

Pertouli, features the most easily accessible ski centre in Greece, as it is only 45 minutes away from Trikala, the nearest big city.

The ski centre of Pertouli is found at 1,170 metres extending up to 1,340 metres and it features three slopes; one for children (green slope; 80 metres length), one for beginners (blue slope; 400 metres length) and one for more advanced skiers and snowboarders (red slope; 1,500 metres length). Two ground lifts operate on the smaller slopes, while one double-seated aerial lift will operate on the bigger slope and offers an enjoyable ride and a great overview of the mountain and the region. The ski centre of Pertouli may not be big enough for expert skiers or snowboarders, but it is perfect for beginners to advanced, families with little children or people who just enjoy being around snow.

Places to visit

• the ski centre of Pertouli
• the nearby villages of Elati, Neraidochori (fairy village), Gardiki, Vrontero, Athamania, Pyrra, Chaliki
• the River Gorge Faraggi tis Manas
• the Lake Koziaka between the mount summits Astrapi and Arvanites (altitute: 1,500–1,600 metres)

To read more, please visit hellasholiday.com