Greece consists of a peninsula and about 1,400 islands, 169 of which are inhabited. The islands are divided into six groups: the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the islands of the North-Eastern Aegean, the Sporades, the Ionian and the Saronic Gulf Islands. The two largest islands, Crete and Evia, do not belong to any group. It is the variety of the geographical landscape of Greece which makes it unique; there are regions of high mountains and entire mountain ranges such as the Pindus range or Mount Olympus. This is in complete contrast to the endless coastline of scenic surprises. Dramatic cliffs, hidden coves and endless sandy beaches make Greece unequalled to other destinations in the Mediterranean.

We invite you to explore each region in Greece.

		Crete Many towns in Crete are built on the border between serene countryside and wilderness...				Corfu Corfu is the most verdant of the Greek islands. It is the island of geographical contrasts...
		Rhodes Rhodes, the island with more than 300 days of sunshine every year, is officially the sunniest place in Europe...				Thessaloniki & Halkidiki Thessaloniki, the second largest Greek city, is a major port and the centre of commercial and financial activity in Northern Greece...
		Peloponnese The region's mild climate, the ever-changing natural beauty: mountains, coastal landscapes, lakes, rivers, caves, waterfalls...				Athens & Piraeus Athens is the capital of Greece. Piraeus is the city's port and a gateway to the islands...

General Information about Greece

A Mediterranean landscape, whitewashed houses under the sun, overwhelming history and people of great hospitality: this is Greece. The majority of Greeks welcome tourists as guests, and this is one of the reasons why Greece has been such a popular tourist destination over the years. Greeks are instinctively friendly to foreign visitors and convey their genuine warmth. The Greek language best sums this up: the word for “foreigner” in Greek is the same as the one for “guest”.

Foreign visitors and Greek tourists alike wish to partake of locals’ everyday life. Owning a house on a Greek island or village is no longer a luxury.  While the larger and more well-known islands such as Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini have been popular destinations for years, the immense improvements in sea and ground transportation have made other locations popular as well.  Visitors are discovering smaller  Greek islands and towns tucked away in the mainland. Lush islands such as Skopelos, Kefalonia or Zante have been added to people’s wish lists; others have discovered mainland destinations Pelion and Arahova, for their ski resorts and winter tourism amenities, as well as their distinctive traditional architecture.  Southern locations such as Mani and Porto Heli in the Peloponnese are beautiful as well as accessible: less than 3 hours away by hydrofoil or car, they are ideal year-round destinations.  Enticed by climate and natural resources, as well as the Mediterranean diet and way of life, holidaymakers are now choosing to buy former farmhouses, Greek village homes and newly built homes in traditional styles.

The country’s population is approximately 11 million. The official language is Greek (Hellenic) but other languages such as English, French and German are widely spoken, especially in popular tourist areas. The religion is Greek Orthodox. There are, however, minorities of Catholics & Muslims.

Greece has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers and mild, sunny winters, especially in the south.  There are approximately 300 days of sunshine per year. The average temperature in the summer is 25 °C (77 F). The annual rainfall varies from 1500mm in the north to less than 500mm in the south, and it rarely rains in the summer. Greece has been a member of the European Union since January 1981. It is a democracy and enjoys political and economic stability. The Euro has been the national currency since January 2002.

Greece does not have an exceptionally large foreign community, although over the past few years it has become a very popular home for fellow Europeans. Numerous British and other EU nationals reside in various towns of the Peloponnese, as well as in Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and smaller islands.