What if there was a language that only uses whistling for communication and conversation and no words? There is such a language and it exists in Greece.

It is not just about plain whistling sounds or signals, but an actual conversational whistle language!

Sometimes, by meeting people out of the blue and talking to them, you may discover amazing secret hidden gems of culture. When Greek Adventure travelled to South Evia they discovered this Greek secret.

The village this secret is hidden in is called Andia and is located at South Evia, near Cape Cavo D’ Oro. Apparently there is a whistle language used, which has a label by itself. It is called 'Sfyria.' The reason this was born? The locals say they wanted to use a way to communicate across the countryside from long distances. Others claim that it was used to alert people about incoming bandits. Sound travels fast, especially in the wilderness and tops of Greek mountains, so a whole whistle conversational language was born.

The existence of the whistling language of Andia was discovered after an airplane accident happened in the area in 1979. The pilot was missing and search parties went to the area. There, the locals offered their help and they used the 'Sfyria' whistling to communicate across the mountains. No mobiles in 1979!

To read this article in full, please visit: A Greek Adventure

Greek islands with tourism growth and high per capita income will as of October 1 see a 30 percent value-added tax (VAT) hike on all their goods and services, doing away with a special reduced tax rate which was applicable until now.

According to the new law, the islands will be divided into categories depending on per capita income and tourism development and taxed accordingly. A reduced VAT rate will continue to apply on remote islands while those with limited tourism will see the tax hikes take effect on June 1, 2016.

The popular Cyclades including Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Syros and Tinos, as well as the Sporades isles such as Skopelos are expected to be the first to bear the brunt of the new taxing regime.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The location of a crushing defeat of Sparta by Athens, the ancient city of Kane is mentioned countless times in ancient Greek literature by writers such as Herodotus and Sappho. Yet the exact position of the island on which the city sat has long puzzled archeologists. It now seems, however, that what is a modern-day peninsula jutting out from the Turkish coast used to be isolated from the mainland by sea, forming the fabled lost island.

A team of researchers, led by the German Archaeological Institute, drilled into the ground of the peninsula to examine the rock that formed it. They found that it was made up of loose soil and sediment, which they think was deposited at some point before the Middle Ages, joining the island to the mainland. This theory was corroborated by the discovery of the remains of a submerged ancient harbor, as well as the earlier findings of pottery fragments, which suggested that the region used to form part of an important trade route.

The island was one of three, called the Arginusae, of which two are still separated from the mainland.  It was where the third one had gone that had puzzled the researchers.  They now think that perhaps run off from the agricultural fields on the mainland, or even potenitally an earthquake could have caused the narrow channel, which is a few hundred meters wide, to fill up with soul and sediment, forming the split of land.

To read more, please visit: I Love Science

In a recent poll for the Condé Nast Readers' Travel Awards, Greece was voted the best country in the world! With excellent food, stunning beaches, and amazing hospitality, it’s no wonder that Greece came in at #1!

The Readers' Travel Awards celebrates the best of the best in travel, as voted for by people who love to travel: the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

To see more of the ‘best of the best’ in travel, please visit: CN Traveller

Jessica from Athens Coast explores Glyfada and shares a favorite new bar in the area called Brewklyn. It was ‘just what Glyfada needed!’

Brewklyn has the feel of a neighborhood hang-out. It’s very easy to visit this place once and declare it ‘my new spot’.

Outside seating on the busy Giannitsopoulou Street is perfect for people watching, especially in the summer months when twilight extends past 9pm.

Once the sun goes down, the inside has an inviting, cosy feeling with dim lighting and simple decor.

They offer over 80 varieties of beer at Brewklyn. The beer lovers behind the bar are constantly bringing in new beers to try and keep things up-to-date. They pay special attention to new and up-and-coming Greek breweries and are always rooting for the ‘home team’. Brewklyn also offers a delicious selection of pizza.

Address: Giannitsopoulou 3

Telephone: 210 894 3400

Hours: Daily from 18:00 to 02:00.

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

Learn how the first of May is traditionally celebrated in Greece, tips and secrets to living well and being happy. Discover a street food venture in London serving authentic Greek Souvlaki and a cafe in the heart of Plaka that was selected by Conde Nast Traveler as a world favourite!

 

 

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This August 2017, Greece witnessed a spectacular full moon with a partial lunar eclipse! The video below shows the moon rise over Cape Sounion in Athens where you can see the lunar eclipse and crowds enjoying the sight!

 

Explore how Carnivals are celebrated in Greece and all the traditions that come along with them!

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Each year the editors of Condé Nast Traveler magazine pick their favorite hotels and resorts of all time! The so-called Gold List spans six continents and 36 countries and is considered to be one of the travel industry's most elite accolades. In fact, the hotels on the list are exceptional, classic, and simply brilliant. They are the sort of hotel that will instantly make you daydream of an unforgettable vacation.

 

The only Greek hotel to make it on the 2019 Gold List is the famous Perivolas Hotel in Santorini. The hotel’s story began in 1969 when Manos Psychas and his wife bought a piece of cliff with cave dwellings and stables in the Perivolas area of the cliff top village of Oia. Faithful to the tradition of the island's unique architecture, the couple restored a group of 300-year-old caves that were once the homes of local fishermen and farmers. With the help local craftsmen, this historical setting was gradually transformed into a luxurious retreat of 20 very unique suites.

‘There are plenty of hotels on Santorini with giddying views—the most desirable places to stay teeter on the rim of a 300-meter cliff that plunges into the flooded volcanic caldera. But none have the spare, ethereal bone structure of Perivolas. Rooms are sculpted from brushed concrete, pressed into arched doorways and barreled ceilings with the builders’ bare hands. Bright hits of pink and purple—a sprig of bougainvillea, a heap of floor cushions—bring the cool white interiors and black volcanic walls into sharper focus. This fierce purity defines every detail at Perivolas, a family dream that materialized in the early 1980s and is still run with great passion and precision by the Psychas clan. The line-up here is scant but special: a hushed restaurant beside a pool almost indistinguishable from the blue horizon, where the chef cures, smokes, and ferments local ingredients into artful yet unfussy dishes; and a small, soulful spa streaming with natural light. It takes confidence to leave so much out of a five-star hotel, but Perivolas defines luxury differently than most hotels on the island—or anywhere else for that matter. One of the things that draws devotees back season after season is the fact that time seems to stand still here. Sure, discreet additions might appear, such as the purpose-built gym, lap pool, and yoga studio last year. But while the rest of Santorini is engaged in an unseemly scrum for more tourist dollars, life at Perivolas remains blissfully unhurried, unflashy and yes, unspoiled.’

 

To read the Gold List in full, please visit: Condé Nast Traveler

Photo Credit: Perivolas Hotel

When Shakespeare wrote, 'It all sounds Greek to me' in his play Julius Caesar, he pretty much summed up how the Greek language sounds to a foreigner's ear. Incomprehensible as it may sound, Greek is notably rich in expressions and meanings; and knowing a few words may come in handy if you are traveling to Greece. But if you think this means sweating over an English-Greek dictionary, think again; because here you will find the Greek words that you really need to know.

Yia Sou

Possibly the most essential Greek phrase, and one of the most common Greek greetings, 'yia sou' [jaː su] is an informal way of saying 'hello.' What your Greek phrasebook probably won't tell you, is that 'yia' is a shorter version of 'iyia' [ijiːa], which means 'health' in Greek. By saying 'yia sou' you are greeting people by literally wishing them good health!