Archive for 'Architectural Gems in Greece'

All this week, we have been talking about Folegandros, a gorgeous lesser-known Greek island in the Aegean Sea that is wonderfully rugged, boasts incredible views, pretty towns, and plenty to keep those with a sense of adventure and a desire to explore in the most serene of settings entertained. If you have found a vacation rental in the South Aegean or a holiday rental in Crete, Folegandros is well worth exploring and after focusing on the capital in the last post, here is what else the island has to offer...

Then there is Karavostasis port, the first place you'll arrive when you come to town where you will find some of the best restaurants on the island; excellent little tavernas and eateries with tables spilling out onto the streets, serving up handmade pasta, snails, orange pies, almond treats, white goats cheese, capers, fried watermelon, and delicious local red and white wines. You'll also see fishing boats lined up next to yachts and few international tourists but plenty of Athenians, who have been holidaying in the area for a long time, writers, artists, and the odd celebrity turning up aboard their own yachts.

In the last post we introduced the stunning Greek island of Folegandros, which is an unspoiled and little-known gem that forms the southern part of the Cyclades. Rugged, charming, authentic, and far off the regular tourist path, it is an extraordinary place that makes for an excellent outing for the more adventurous traveller that has found a vacation rental in the South Aegean or a holiday rental in Crete and it looking for something extra-special.

Greece's perfect islands, with their soft sandy beaches, deep topaz waters, pretty white-washed villages, blue domes, and quiet pace of life, have been tourist favourites for a long time. These are the destinations reserved for honeymoons and anniversaries and long-awaited holidays. These are the idyllic spots that people dream of for years.

Crete, Santorini, Kos, Mykonos, Rhodes; there are many famous examples of Greek islands to choose from. However, if you have found a vacation rental in the South Aegean and you're narrowing down the list of islands you want to visit, Amorgos, though less well-known than other isles in the area, is definitely one that must be included.

If you have found a vacation rental in Crete, one of the most important and famous historical attractions that you must find time for while exploring this beautiful island is the Palace of Knossos, built on Kephala Hill. Once the grand capital of Minoan Crete, the site is an evocative and extraordinary space that recreates an incredible empire long gone. The earliest traces of human inhabitation of this site date back to the Neolithic period, around 7000 to 3000BC and there were then several palaces built on the site from 1900BC onwards. The last of which fell into ruin in 1350BC. The site was finally occupied once more from the Late Mycenaean period until Roman times. It has been connected to famous Greek legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth and the story of Daidalos and Ikaros and is, today, one of the most famous tourist attractions in all of Greece.

Sitia is the name of a region and town on Crete that is one of the least touristy parts of the island but boasts exceptional surroundings, natural bounty, lots to see and do, and some of the friendliest locals that you could hope to meet while on holidays. If you have found a vacation rental in Crete, Sitia is the perfect, chilled-out spot to spend some time unwinding and having fun, a little off the beaten tourist path.

While it was built up during the Venetian rule of Crete, Sitia does not reflect its ancient past, as a whole, and, yet, is utterly charming. It is clean and tidy, with friendly faces, white-washed Greek homes, little shops, winding streets, and a surrounding landscape that is perfectly primed and waiting to be explored. On Sundays, the “volta” takes place, an event that fills the streets with townspeople parading in their finery in front of the neighbours, cafes and tavernas and is a passive but fascinating spectacle to behold.