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About Greece and Its People

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Religion:  Christian Orthodox Greeks comprise 97% of the population; the remaining are Muslims, Roman Catholics and Jewish. Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a large proportion of Christian Orthodox.

Music:  Greek music is very diverse due to the creative Greek assimilation of different influences of the Eastern and Western culture of Asia and Europe. Music in Greece has a long history dating from the ancient times.  

Food and Wine:  Greece is famous for its cuisine - quality products and tasteful food and wines. Some dishes are the same everywhere in Greece, whereas others are local culinary specialties. The same dishes can be cooked differently or with different ingredients depending on the region.

Traditions and Customs:  Traditions in Greece and Greek Islands are either of a religious character or coming from paganism. Most of the traditions and festivals still followed and celebrated today are religious-based. Many “panygiria” are organized thoroughout the country… religious celebrations of saints followed by traditional music and dance in the square of the village.

 Many Greeks are very superstitious and believe deeply in their religion as well as in supernatural or paranormal phenomenon. This impresses many visitors who travel in Greece. For example, many still believe it is bad luck to see a black cat and will experience seven years bad luck if they break a glass or mirror… others knock their fingers against wood if they have a bad thought.

Culture:  Music, language, food and wines are the major composites of the Greece culture and constitute the base for those who wish to visit the country.  Greece evolved as a country of a great interests and diverse cultures, influenced by its location, at the junction between the East and the West and by the many occupations endured by the Greek people throughout history.

 In general, the Greeks are particularly proud of their culture and speak of their country with an intense passion, feeling that their Greek culture is a definition of their national and ethnic belonging.

The Beaches:  Greece (and the Greek Islands) is a country that has amazing things to offer to its visitors. One of the main attractions of the country is the many Greece beaches decorating its coasts.

 With 13,676 km of coastline, you have no choice but to connect with the beach of your dreams.  You get to choose from long white sandy beaches with turquoise crystal waters, small beaches surrounded by huge cliffs or pine and palm trees forests, beaches with waters that seem to have been mixed with the beach, creating an amazing shade.

When to go:  Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Greece; specifically May, June, September and October. Most of the country’s tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation during winter, particularly on the islands. Some of the smaller islands close completely and some islanders head off to alternative homes on the mainland for a few months. Many hotels, seasonal cafés and restaurants close their doors from the end of November until the beginning of April; bus and ferry services are either drastically reduced or cancelled.

 The cobwebs are dusted off in time for Orthodox Easter (usually around April), when the first tourists start to arrive. Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June, when the weather is pleasantly warm in most places; and the beaches and ancient sites are relatively un-crowded.  During peak season, public transportation operates at close to full schedules; and there’s a bigger variety of accommodation options to choose from.

 Mid-June to the end of August is high season. It’s party time on the islands and everything is in full swing. It’s also very hot – in July and August the mercury can soar to 40°C (over 100°F) in the shade just about anywhere in the country; the beaches are crowded; the ancient sites are swarming with tour groups; and in many places accommodation is booked solid.

 The high season starts to wind down in September and conditions are ideal once more until the end of October.  By November the endless blue skies of summer have disappeared. November to February are the wettest months and it can get surprisingly cold. Snow is common on the mainland and in the mountains of Evia and Crete; it occasionally snows in Athens. But there are also plenty of sunny days and some visitors prefer the tranquility that reigns at this time of year.

 Getting there and getting away:  Diverse, mysterious and achingly beautiful, the islands of the northeastern Aegean offer endless rewards for those intrepid enough to seek them out. Hidden sandy coves, lush mountain waterfalls and ancient sites of divine power are only a few of the attractions in this far-flung archipelago – also known for its wild celebration of saints’ feasts, delicious cuisine and good-natured sybaritism.

 While exasperating ferry schedules make island-hopping here a challenge, the individual character of each island more than makes up for the effort:

·      Ikaria, with its bizarre rock formations and laid-back, leftist lifestyle is unique, as is

·      Lesvos, with its 11 million olive trees and idyllic mountain villages.

·      Semitropical Samos and pine-scented Thasos boast great beaches, while the almost unvisited

·      Inousses, Fourniand Psara offer total serenity.

 These lesser-visited islands also have an importance entirely disproportionate to their size. Over one-third of Greece’s ship-owning dynasties hail from Chios and nearby Inousses; and 70% of the national firewater, ouzo, comes from Lesvos – also famous for its olive oil, rare fossils and the only petrified forest outside the U.S.A. One of Europe’s most important ancient spiritual sites lies on distant Samothraki, and only in the villages of southern Chios is the renowned gum-producing mastic tree cultivated. And Little Thasos contains the world’s second-whitest marble.

 Your money will go much further if you travel during the quieter months of May to June and September to October. Accommodation on the islands particularly is a lot cheaper outside high season. You will also be able to negotiate better deals if you stay a few days. Families can achieve considerable savings by looking for self-catering apartments, shopping for food and drink at supermarkets and local produce markets and cooking for themselves.  Traveling with a tour group is also a better way to travel, all around… gaining you pricing breaks you would most likely not otherwise be able to negotiate.

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