Long isolated from the rest of Greece, the Mani peninsula is home to a clannish community that claims warrior heritage. BBC describes the Mani peninsula as having “jagged, rocky cliffs jut from the Peloponnese at the southernmost tip of mainland Greece, forcing the landscape to heave and billow like ocean waves. From the steep hilltops, stone houses resembling small castles stand with their backs to the colossal Taygetos mountains and look out over the stoic Ionian Sea.”

It is also the land where a clannish community lives, called the Maniots, who are believed to descend from the Spartans, the legendary warriors of Ancient Greece.

“Nearly three millennia ago, when Ancient Greece was made up of ‘polis’, or individual city-states, much of the Peloponnese belonged to Ancient Sparta and its allies. Unlike the people of rival city-state Athens, who were artists and philosophers, the Spartans were fighters; boys were said to begin military training at age seven, challenging one another in physical competition before becoming full-time soldiers at the age of 20.”

To read this article in full, please visit: BBC

Inscribed in 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Greek Rebetiko is a musical and cultural expression linked directly to song and dance. It initially spread amongst the lower and working class people in the early twentieth century, but Rebetiko songs are now a standardized repertoire in almost every occasion involving music and dance.

The element is performed in public and performers encourage audience participation. The practice is open to everyone and participants can include any Greek or Greek-speaking person who enjoys this form of music and dance. Rebetiko songs contain invaluable references to the customs, practices and traditions of a particular way of life, but above all, the practice is a living musical tradition with a strong symbolic, ideological and artistic character.

To learn more about Rebetiko, watch the video below!



Source: Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO

“Navarino Challenge” continues its impressive course with more distinctions. The top sports tourism event was honored this time with the gold award as the best tourism event in Greece at the Event Awards 2018.

The event, which will take place for the 6th consecutive year, in Messinia and Costa Navarino , 12-14 October 2018, enriches its program with new activities for kids. This year’s event includes “beachathlon”, namely track and field races for children at The Dunes Beach under the supervision of the Olympic and European Champion in 400m. with

hurdles, Periklis Iakovakis.

Periklis Iakovakis said for the particular activity: “Classic sports have three general categories of racing: running, jumps and throws. This year at Navarino Challenge we will become acquainted with some of these races in a slightly different way. We will not conduct them at a stadium, nor at any other sports venue, but on the beautiful beach of Costa Navarino! Taking advantage of the unique facilities of this area we thought about creating a track and field event on the beach. That’s how we decided to create Beachathlon. On the sand, children will have the opportunity to test their strengths in various track and field sports that will be adapted to this environment. Our goal is to make this acquaintance with the classic sports activities even more entertaining and original and to give the opportunity to children of all ages to discover their abilities at Navarino Challenge Beachathlon! We are looking forward to seeing you all there”.

Fysiotek Sports Lab will assist the award-winning sports tourism event “Navarino Challenge” with one more innovative activity. Fysiotek Sports Lab, as a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation and preventive medicine in sports, will cover the sports medical needs throughout the event and will support its activities, with a state-of-the-art recovery station in the established running races.

“Navarino Challenge” participants will have the opportunity during their stay at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino to enjoy special discounts from the sponsors and partners of the event.Check out all the available offers HERE!

Registration continues and can be completed by clicking HERE!

The pre-sale is available also via www.viva.gr , by phone at 11876, as well as at the pre- sale points of the Viva network. 

Registrations end on August 31 st , 2018.

Navarino Challenge participants who will book their accommodation package at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and choose to take part in at least one of the main activities (running, swimming, SUP) will also be able to enjoy the organization’s full program of activities free of charge, including:Tae kwon do, climbing, cycling, pilates, basketball, golf, kick boxing, baby swimming, aqua aerobics, kids’ athletics, beach volley, tennis cross training, crossfit, beach yoga, boxing, beachathlon and demonstration race with optimist boats.

More information about the accommodation packages may be found HERE!

Samsung is the official technology partner of the event for a 2 nd consecutive year. For another year Vikos SA as an official sponsor will spread the message of sporting energy with the natural mineral water “Vikos”, offering the necessary hydration and revitalization to all participants. The natural mineral water “Vikos” offers the necessary balance, well-being and energy that the athletes need during their exercise in order to be able to continue their efforts.

Ford Motor Hellas promotes sports and “fair play” and supports the efforts of the fight against childhood obesity while promoting healthy diet by participating for another year in the support team of “Navarino Challenge”. For the fifth consecutive year, athletes and organizers will move with the safety and efficient engines of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas,

the official sponsor of “Navarino Challenge”.

Official supporters are Poseidonia, BIC®, BIC® Sport, Avance and the Municipality of Pylos-Nestor.

The 6th Navarino Challenge is co-organized by Costa Navarino , The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and Active Media Group and with the support of the Municipalities of Pylos-Nestor and Trifilia. Navarino Challenge will take place with the approval of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization.

Official Technology Partner: Samsung
Official Sponsors: Natural Mineral Water “Vikos”, Ford Motor Hellas
Official Supporters: Poseidonia, BIC®, BIC® Sport, Avance Rent A Car, Municipality of Pylos-Nestor
Partners: Navarino Outdoors, Swim Academy, Surf Salad, Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, FitnessArt, Vizantinos target sport club, Red Swim Academy
Strategic Partner: National Geographic
Assisted by: Lifeguard Patrol, Navarino Racquet Academy, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”, Explore Messinia, Navarino Golf Academy, Target Security, The Diner, Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation, Athens Easy Transfers, Anazoe Spa, Fysiotek Sports Lab
Hashtags: #navarinochallenge #costanavarino #eatwell #runwell #livewell

Photo credit: Mike Tsolis

In one of its very engaging articles, Buzzfeed put together a list of the 25 coffee shops around the world you have to see before you die. Greece has such a strong coffee culture that it comes as no surprise that one of the coffee shops listed is in Athens.

 

Located on a pedestrian street in Peristeri, Mind the Cup will become your instant favorite. The space is warm and inviting, made with wood and concrete with plenty of natural light.

 

Mind the Cup serves seasonal speciality coffees roasted in-house; espressos are mostly from Central America, while filter coffees are typically Ethiopian and Colombian single origins.

 

Apart for its excellent coffee and beautiful interior, Mind the Cup has another great asset; its people! Whatever time of day you visit you’ll be greeted with a smile and the warm-hearted staff will enlighten you in all coffee related matters.

 

Here is what Buzzfeed has to say about Mind the Cup:

‘Mind the Cup might be based on a pun, but there's nothing funny about how delish its coffee is. The hearts in your latte will win you over, but after spending only five minutes there, you will want to rotate your plans around spending more time in this cute shop, which looks like it's straight out of a film.’

Address: 29 Aimiliou Veaki, 121 34 Peristeri
Telephone: 210 5776010

 

 

"Athens lives up to all the hype! Birthplace of philosophy, democracy and drama, the city of Athens is not only an open-air museum of world-class cultural heritage attractions but also a contemporary metropolis with an urban personality."

We can't think of a better way to celebrate the greatness of Athens than to bring it up to the–much deserved–first place, and declare our beloved city the Best European Destination for 2020! We invite travelers, locals, and ex-pats to vote for Athens as their favorite destination for a holiday or city break. Competing alongside Athens are9 other European cities, including Madrid, Berlin, and Rome.

Greece emerged as the second-best (Silver) tourist destination in Europe after Italy, during the 25th edition of the annual American Readers’ Choice Awards (RCA 2021).

The RCA award is organised by Worth Publications and the bi-monthly travel magazine “Recommend”.

Greece shared second place with Ireland.

The poll was conducted online between July 8 and August 31.

More than 135,000 readers of the magazine made their choices in various categories, such as best destination, hotels, and resorts, travel agents, cruise companies, car rental companies, airlines companies, etc.

The Readers’ Choice Awards are handed out each year to countries and travel/tourism agencies and companies around the world that have established themselves in terms of excellence while attracting the strong interest of the global tourism industry.

Originally published on: greekcitytimes.com

The best wellness event in Europe and second in the world, Navarino Challenge, returns with its key message “sports unites people”, bringing all people together, without discrimination while celebrating with them its 10 years of presence through sports, tourism and the history of Messinia.

 

Amateur and professional athletes from Greece and abroad will participate in the celebration of sports tourism that will be held on October 21-23, 2022, at Costa Navarino and Pylos. 

 

More than 30 sports activities, with the presence of Olympic athletes alongside amateur athletes of all ages and abilities, compose this year’s Navarino Challenge, which now bears its new, 10-year anniversary logo.

 

Enjoy here the teaser video of Navarino Challenge 2022.

 

The participants will have the opportunity to run again this year crossing the dreamy beach of Voidokilia, with the Greek-American ultramarathon runner Konstantinos Dean Karnazes. The remarkable athlete will visit our country this year with his entire family and as a leading ambassador will strengthen for another year the participation of the Greek-American community that began 10 years ago. 

Runners can secure their participation from now on and take advantage of the early bird prices, by completing the available form through the following link. 

Honored guests from 2013 until today

Since 2013, the year that Navarino Challenge started, the event has honored great sports personalities who will be present again this year such as Panagiotis Giannakis, Konstantinos Dean Karnazes, Periklis Iakovakis, Alexandros Nikolaidis, Michalis Triantafyllidis and Dimitris Theodorakakos.

 

One of this year’s honorees will be the European champion and 11-time triathlon champion in Greece Grigoris Souvatzoglou.

 

Navarino Challenge brings new personalities to its 10th anniversary. The Navarino Challenge team is strengthened with:

• Christina Flampouri, the only Greek woman who has conquered the 7 highest peaks in the world, who will be responsible for the indoor climbing activity
• and Georgia Kaltsi, the great wheelchair, basketball and fencing athlete

The award-winning sports tourism event Navarino Challenge excelled for another year at the Sports Marketing Awards, the institution that highlights the “champions” of Sports Marketing in Greece, receiving a total of 7 awards. More specifically, the event received 3 Gold Awards in the “Most Innovative Use of Content Creators & Influencers”, “Running & Live Well” and “Best Native Advertising Campaign” categories, 3 Silver Awards in the “Sports Tourism”, “Best Strategy for Branding” and “Kids / Youth / Grassroots” categories, as well as 1 Bronze Award in the “Best New Sponsorship” category for the sponsorship of Nestle Fitness, proving its steady upward trend, credibility and innovation as an event in the field of sports and tourism. 

 

Navarino Challenge, which highlights the authentic values ​​of the sports ideal, with activities that promote the Olympic spirit and participation of people of all ages, while educating young people alongside model athletes and Olympians, was distinguished among more than 700 events from the #BeactiveHellas program of the European Commission which is held under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sports.

 

Costa Navarino and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino are the Official Hospitality Sponsors.

Navarino Challenge will take place under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, whose mission is the formulation of the tourism policy and the executive planning of the tourist development of Greece.

 

The event is organized by ActiveMedia Group which is also responsible for the event’s Sports Production.

Photo credit: Navarino Challenge 

Navigating property taxes in a foreign country can be daunting, but you don't have to do it alone. We are proud to introduce our trusted partners at TaxWise Greece, a team of dedicated tax experts specializing in helping expats and international investors manage their Greek tax obligations. 

Whether you are buying your first holiday home or managing a large portfolio, the TaxWise Greece team ensures your property taxes are handled with precision and care.

What Is ENFIA?

ENFIA, introduced in 2014, is a Uniform Real Estate Property Tax applied annually to all real estate located in Greece. It applies to individuals, legal entities, and other entities, and is assessed as of January 1st each year.

The tax covers various real estate rights, including full ownership, bare ownership, surface rights, and exclusive use rights for parking spaces and other areas such as swimming pools.

When purchasing property in Greece, an E9 form is required. This form lists all real estate owned and is used to calculate the ENFIA assessment. The tax consists of two components: the main tax and the supplementary tax.

What Is The Main ENFIA Tax?

This tax is calculated based on factors such as the property’s location, size, use, age, and floor level. It typically ranges from €2.5 to €16.25 per square meter. When buying property in Greece, it’s important to consider the ENFIA tax to avoid financial surprises. For instance, a penthouse and a first-floor apartment in the same building may have vastly different tax amounts, even if they share the same location.

What Is The Supplementary Tax?

The supplementary tax applies to legal entities and is generally 5.5% of the property’s value. However, this is reduced to 1% if the property is used for business purposes, such as a warehouse for a company storing supplies.

Filing & Deadlines

You will be notified about your ENFIA tax assessment through the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). It doesn’t matter how many months you had the property. The system reads if you have a property at the 1st of January each year. Once you receive your bill, you have two options:

• Pay it in full by the end of the month of assessment.
• Pay it in monthly installments (the number of installments can vary by year, currently up to 11 or 12).

To transfer a property, the owner must provide an ENFIA certificate confirming that all taxes for the past five years have been paid. A Notary Public will verify this before any sale can proceed.

General Advice For Buyers

If you’re from abroad, you may find ENFIA similar to property taxes in your home country. However, it remains a sensitive topic in Greece as it was introduced during the financial crisis. While it may not seem substantial compared to the property's total value, it is a recurring expense that must be budgeted for, especially for high-end houses in desirable locations.

You can get a discount up to 20% on residencies, if you get an insurance covering natural disasters. 

We Are Here For You!

Getting set up in Greece comes with unique challenges, especially when navigating a new tax and healthcare system. Whether you are an expat adjusting to life in the Mediterranean or a business expanding into the Greek market, we are here to help.

TaxWise Greece specializes in making this transition seamless. From filing your E9 forms to navigating complex residency requirements, their expert team provides the clarity and compliance you need to enjoy your life in Greece with total peace of mind.