Holidays to Greece

SMALL HOTELS of character are quite a new phenomenon in Greece: most have been in operation for little more than ten years, and many are in traditional buildings which have been in the same family for generations and have been lovingly restored. Greece has a very rich vernacular architecture among the many choices we list are a cave-like island cliff dwelling, an 18th-century bandit chieftain’s tower, a Venetian townhouse and a mountain mansion. Most Greek hotels are familyrun, friendly and informal, but with little emphasis on luxuries such as room service and ambitious food.

GREECE, REGION BY REGION

GREECE CAN be divided into two obvious parts: mainland and the islands.

Mainland Greece

The Gulf of Corinth and the Corinth Canal slice Greece into two. The southern Peloponnese offers a wide range of landscapes, from rugged, treeless mountains to gentle farmland, lush valleys and sandy beaches. There are lovely small hotels in historic buildings in towns such as Yíthion and Návplion, in medieval fortresses like Monemvasiá, and in the tiny castles of the Máni region and the stone villages of Arkadia. Central and northern Greece are equally varied. The capital, Athens, a huge urban sprawl, is short of hotels of distinction, as are other main towns, but there are unique places to stay throughout the mainland. Among them are the rugged, dry-stone-walled homes of the Zagoria villages and restored neo-classical mansions in small ports such as Galaxídi, near Delphi.

The Islands

Of the thousands of Greek islands, only some hundred are inhabited. These are divided into six groups, plus Crete, largest of all the islands and an administrative region in its own right. Closest to Athens are the tiny Argo-Saronic islands, popular with foreign visitors and Athenians escaping from the city. The group includes car-free Ydra, and Spétses with its choice of excellent small resort hotels.

The white villages, bluedomed churches and mountainous, arid landscapes of the Cyclades islands are among the best-known images of Greece. Despite the popularity of Mykonos, Páros and Santoríni, there are a number of charmingly simple places to stay, ideal for peace and quiet.

Tourism is still relatively new to the large, widely spaced islands of the Northeast Aegean group, where most beds are in small, simple pensions and larger holiday hotels.

The Dodecanese group, close to the Turkish coast, includes tiny isles such as Sy´mi along with larger neighbours such as Rhodes, which receives hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Many of the most charming hotels are in impressively restored neoclassical houses.

The Sporades and Ionian islands are dominated by the package holiday market, with few hotels of real character. K´ythira, in the Ionian group, is the exception, with some attractive small hotels in its white-washed village capital. Crete, Greece’s largest island and most southerly, is almost a country in its own right. Many of its most interesting and attractive places to stay are in old Venetian- Turkish townhouses.

FOOD AND DRINK

THE BEST GREEK FOOD is the simplest: fish straight from the net; fresh vegetables served as salad with wild thyme and oregano. Restaurants in tourist areas have multilingual menus but the food in places off the beaten track is often better. In smaller villages you will be invited into the kitchen to see what’s simmering on the stove or waiting to be grilled. Méze, a selection of dishes served simultaneously, is a Greek mainstay. As well as olives and strong-flavoured feta cheese made from goat’s or sheep’s milk, méze might include roasted peppers, grilled cheese, humous (a purée of chickpeas and sesame seeds), taramasalata (a dip made of cod roe), and little sausages. Greek seafood – especially astakós (lobster), garidhes (shrimp) and barboúnia (red mullet) – is expensive and is usually priced according to weight. Meat is usually veal, lamb or chicken, sometimes game; goat meat is regarded as a delicacy to be reserved for special occasions. The traditional Greek salad, with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, olives, peppers and feta cheese, is a meal in itself. Dinner, usually eaten late, is the main meal of the day. Greek wine has improved in recent years. Good-quality red, white and rosé wines are now available throughout Greece, in addition to the traditional retsina, a white wine flavoured with pine resin, not to everyone’s taste.

BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

IF YOU WANT a double bed, ask for it specifically when booking, as most rooms are twin bedded. Most hotels offer en suite WC and shower as standard. Water is usually heated by solar power and electric water heaters; at the end of a long summer day, water may be scaldingly hot. BOOK AHEAD from June to September, when Greeks as well as foreign visitors take their holidays. Tourism is highly seasonal, and many hotels on the islands close from October until April. In small hotels, breakfast is often the only meal served.

Language in Greece

English is very widely spoken, especially in the resort areas.

Currency in Greece

From 1 January 2002, the European euro (written ‘EUR’), made up of 100 cents.

Shops in Greece

Most open 8am–1pm, and from 5–8pm Mon–Sat.

Tipping in Greece

Formal tipping is not customary, but it is not unusual to round up the bill.

Telephoning

To phone within Greece, dial the full number. To phone Greece from Britain, dial the country code 00 30, then the number, omitting the initial zero; from the US, 011 30.

Public holidays

1 January; 6 January; Shrove Monday; 25 March; Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday; 1 May; Whit Monday; 15 August; 28 October; 25 and 26 December.

USEFUL WORDS IN GREEK

THE SYSTEM of transliteration used here to represent Greek is the one used by the Greek government.

Breakfast Topro-ee-no

Lunch Tome-see-mer-ya-no

Dinner Totheep-no

How much? Posokanee?

Free room? E-che-teh tho-ma-tee-a?

Single (room) Mo-na krevat-ya

Double (with a double bed) Thee-klee-no meh thee-plo dre-va-tee

GREECE PRICE BANDS

MAXIMUM ROOM RATES are displayed on each bedroom door. Discounts may be offered for longer stays. Greek hotels are classified in five categories, but don’t be swayed by this.