Greece – Hellas – Greecel.com S.A.

Heraklion – Iraklio

vagelis — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 16:26:45 +0000

Crete’s capital Iraklio (ee-rah-klee-oh), also called Heraklion, is a bustling modern city and the fifth largest in Greece. Hectic, densely populated Iraklio lacks the architectural charm of Hania and Rethymno but is nonetheless a dynamic city. It has a lively city centre, chic boutiques, quality restaurants and buzzing cafés. Continuing redevelopment of the waterfront and new roads are helping to make the city more attractive. The port sees a constant procession of ferries, while charter jets bring thousands of visitors to Crete each year via Iraklio. Nearby the Minoan ruins of Knossos are the major drawcard, while further inland bucolic vistas of hillsides, full of olive trees and vines, predominate in what is Crete’s prime wine-producing region.

History
The Arabs who ruled Crete from AD 824 to AD 961 were the first to govern from the site of modern Iraklio. It was known then as El Khandak, after the moat that surrounded the town, and was reputedly the slave-trade capital of the eastern Mediterranean.
El Khandak became Khandakos after Byzantine troops finally dislodged the Arabs, and then Candia under the Venetians who ruled the island for more than 400 years. While the Turks quickly overran the Venetian defences at Hania and Rethymno, Candia’s fortifications withstood a 21-year siege before finally surrendering in 1669.
Hania became the capital of independent Crete at the end of Turkish rule in 1898, and Candia was renamed Iraklio. Because of its central location, Iraklio became a commercial centre, and resumed its position as the island’s administrative centre in 1971.
The city suffered badly in WWII, when most of the old Venetian and Turkish town was destroyed by bombing.

The post Heraklion – Iraklio appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Zakynthos

vagelis — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 16:02:06 +0000

Zakynthos (zahk-in-thos), also known as Zante, has a split personality. Its geography is mountainous and rocky in the west, with a fertile plain in the east. While the island’s west remains largely unspoiled, its eastern coastal areas are the victim of the worst manifestations of package tourism. Tourism is also endangering the loggerhead turtle (see boxed text, p712 ). Yet the island has inspired many other descriptions.
The Venetians called it Flower of the Orient; the poet Dionysios Solomos wrote that ‘Zakynthos could make one forget the Elysian Fields’. Indeed, on the whole, Zakynthos has exceptional natural beauty, welcoming locals and great cuisine.
To enjoy a relaxing holiday here avoid high season, especially in resorts such as Laganas.

The post Zakynthos appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Cape Sounion

vagelis — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:40:19 +0000

Temple of Poseidon
The ancient Greeks knew how to choose a site for a temple. Nowhere is this more evident than at Cape Sounion, 70km south of Athens, where the Temple of Poseidon stands on a craggy spur that plunges 65m down into the sea. Built in 444 BC at the same time as the Parthenon, it is constructed of local marble from Agrilesa and its slender columns – of which 16 remain – are Doric. It is thought that the temple was built by Ictinus, the architect of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens’ Ancient Agora. The temple looks gleaming white when viewed from the sea and is discernible from a long distance. It gave great comfort to sailors in ancient times; they knew they were nearly home when they saw it. The views from the temple are equally impressive. On a clear day, you can see Kea, Kythnos and Serifos to the southeast, and Aegina and the Peloponnese to the west. The site also contains scanty remains
of a propylon, a fortified tower, and, to the northeast, a 6th-century temple to Athena.
Try to visit early in the morning before the tourist buses arrive – or head there for the sunset – if you wish to indulge the sentiments
of Byron’s lines from Don Juan: ‘Place me on Sunium’s marbled steep, Where nothing save the waves and I, May hear our mutual murmurs sweep…’. Byron was so taken by Sounion that he carved his name on one of the columns – sadly many others have followed suit.
There are a couple of tavernas just below the site if you want to combine a visit with lunch and a swim.

The post Cape Sounion appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Delos

vagelis — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:15:38 +0000

The Cyclades fulfil their collective name (kyklos) by encircling the sacred island of Delos, but Mykonos clutches the island jealously to its heart.
Delos has no permanent population and is a soothing contrast to the relentless liveliness of modern Mykonos, although in high summer you share it all with fellow visitors. The island is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece and the most important in the Cyclades. It lies a few kilometres off the west coast of Mykonos.

History
Delos won early acclaim as the mythical birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis and was first inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC. From the 8th century BC it became a shrine to Apollo and the oldest temples on the island date from this era. The dominant Athenians had full control of Delos – and thus the Aegean – by the 5th century BC. In 478 BC Athens established an alliance known as the Delian League, which kept its treasury on Delos. A cynical decree ensured that no-one could be born or die on Delos,
thus strengthening Athens’ control over the island by expelling the native population. Delos reached the height of its power inHellenistic times, becoming one of the three most important religious centres in Greece and a flourishing centre of commerce. Many of its inhabitants were wealthy merchants, mariners and bankers from as far away as Egypt and Syria. They built temples to their homeland gods, but Apollo remained the principal deity. The Romans made Delos a free port in 167 BC. This brought even greater prosperity, due largely to a lucrative slave market that sold up to 10,000 people a day. During the following century, as ancient religions lost relevance and trade routes shifted, Delos began a long, painful decline. By the 3rd century AD there was only a small Christian settlement on the island, and in the following centuries the ancient site was looted of many of its antiquities. It was not until the Renaissance that its antiquarian value was recognised.

The post Delos appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Mykonos

vagelis — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 14:48:45 +0000

Mykonos glitters happily under the sun and carries its glamorous and camp reputation with panache, but expensively so. Beneath the gloss this is a charming and hugely entertaining place where the sometimes frantic mix of good-time holidaymakers, cruise ship crowds, posturing fashionistas and preening celebrities is magically subdued by the cubist charms of Mykonos town, a traditional Cycladic maze. Local people have had 40 years to get a grip on tourism and have not lost their Greek identity in doing so.
Be prepared, however, for the oiled-up lounger lifestyle of the island’s packed main beaches, the jostling street scenes and the relentless, yet sometimes forlorn, partying. That said, there’s still a handful of off-track beaches worth fighting for. Plus, the stylish bars, restaurants and shops have great appeal, and you can still find a quieter pulse amid the labyrinthine old town. Add to all this the nearby sacred island of Delos, and Mykonos really does live up to its reputation as a fabulous destination.

The post Mykonos appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Poros (island)

vagelis — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:27:48 +0000

Poros (Greek: Πόρος) is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about 58 km (36 mi) (31 nautical miles) south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200 m (656 ft) wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait. Its surface area is about 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi) and it has 3,780 inhabitants. The ancient name of Poros was Pogon. Like other ports in the Saronic, it is a popular weekend destination for Athenian travellers.

Poros consists of two islands: Sphairia (Greek: Σφαιρία), the southern part, which is of volcanic origin, where today’s city is located, and Kalaureia (Greek: Καλαυρία), also Kalavria or Calauria (meaning ‘gentle breeze’), the northern and largest part. A bridge connects the two islands over a narrow strait.

Poros is an island with rich vegetation. Much of the northern and far eastern/western sides of the island are bushy, whereas large areas of old pine forest are found in the south and center of the island. It has a good road network and adequate tourist infrastructure, which makes it a popular resort for short holidays.

The post Poros (island) appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Hydra (island)

vagelis — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:21:47 +0000

Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strip of water. In ancient times, the island was known as Hydrea (Υδρέα, derived from the Greek word for “water”), a reference to the springs on the island.

The municipality of Hydra consists of the islands Hydra, Dokos, and a few uninhabited islets, total area 64.443 km2 (24.9 sq mi).
The province of Hydra was one of the provinces of the Piraeus Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality. It was abolished in 2006.

There is one main town, known simply as “Hydra port”. It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is centered a strand of restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries that cater to tourists and locals (Hydriots). Steep stone streets lead up and outward from the harbor area. Most of the local residences, as well as the hostelries on the island, are located on these streets. Other small villages or hamlets on the island include Mandraki, Kamini, Vlychos, Palamidas, Episkopi, and Molos.

The post Hydra (island) appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Saronic Islands

vagelis — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 15:08:05 +0000

The Saronic Islands or Argo-Saronic Islands is an archipelago in Greece, named after the Saronic Gulf in which they are located, just off the Greek mainland. The main inhabited islands of this group are Salamis (where the ancient Greek navy defeated the Persians in the Battle of Salamis), Aegina, Agistri, and Poros. The islands of Hydra and Dokos, which lie off the northeast tip of the Peloponnese (technically between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf), are sometimes included as part of the Saronic Islands.

Many mainland Greeks have vacation homes in the Saronic Islands, which are regularly served by ferries from Piraeus and the Peloponnese.

The post Saronic Islands appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Tripoli

vagelis — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:39:32 +0000

The violent recent history of Arkadia’s capital, Tripoli (tree-po-lee), is in stark contrast with its peaceful rural surroundings. In 1821, during the War of Independence, the town was captured by Kolokotronis and its 10,000 Turkish inhabitants massacred. The Turks retook the town three years later, and burnt it to the ground before withdrawing in 1828. Tripoli itself is not a place where tourists tend to linger, but it’s a major transport hub for the Peloponnese and hard to avoid if you’re relying on public transport.

The post Tripoli appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..

Nafplio

vagelis — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:36:38 +0000

The secret is out about Nafplio, one of Greece’s prettiest and most romantic towns. It occupies a knockout location – on a small port beneath the towering bulk of the Palamidi fortress – and is graced with attractive narrow streets, elegant Venetian houses, neoclassical mansions with flower-bedecked balconies, and interesting museums. Overseas visitors have caught on to why weekending Athenians love this lively, upwardly mobile
place that is jammed with quayside cafés, posh boutiques and many comfortable hotels and guesthouses. The town, 12km southeast of Argos on
the Argolic Gulf, was the first capital of Greece after Independence and has been a major port since the Bronze Age. So strategic was its position that it had three fortresses – the massive principal fortress of Palamidi, the smaller Akronafplia and the diminutive Bourtzi on an islet west of the old town.
Removed from the spotlight as capital of Greece after Kapodistrias’ assassination (by the Maniot chieftains Konstantinos and Georgos Mavromihalis), the town of Nafplio is regaining attention as a trendy resort (it does get somewhat overcrowded in high season and holidays). With good bus connections and services, the town is an ideal base from which to explore many nearby ancient sites.

The post Nafplio appeared first on Greecel.com S.A..