By Archana Sharma

Officially known as the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a beautiful country located in southeastern Europe. The country is combined with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. It is known to be very influential in ancient times and therefore, it’s often called the cradle of Western civilization. Among plenty of beautiful islands, Athens, also its capital, is the main island as well as major stopover in Greece. The city of Athens has a lot of ancient significance which is well preserved in the ruins. One of such magnificent landmarks is the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens. This UNESCO Heritage Site is also claimed to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The Ancient city of Athens

Talking about the beautiful city of Athens, this ancient city has got a unique charm in its every part. It is often said that the city has got an old city underneath it, which is quite evidently found in every property’s basement under their glass floor showing some ruins of the old city. This shows that the ancient Greece truly present underneath the Greece of today, which is a modern European colony. Greece is most likely to be the only country that has a lot of ancient history evident together.

Where to stay in Athens?

One of the best places to stay and feel the grandeur of the city is ‘Grande Bretagne’. This five star property is located in the heart of the city since 1874 and offers luxurious stay to its guests with breathtaking views of the fabled Acropolis, regal Syntagma Square and the Parliament with an unrivalled perspective of Athens’ mythical history. One can truly feel the eternal elegance in the heart of Europe’s historic capital by staying in this state-of-the art hotel. You can enjoy your favourite meal of the day in the GB Rood Garden Restaurant with the mesmerizing view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus Hill. As far as the shopping is concerned, you can indulge yourself in the art galleries, luxury labels such as Gucci, Hogan, Armani, Chanel etc., and hip boutiques present in the city.

Roam around the unconventional way

For first time travellers, the beautiful Santorini and Mykonos is the thing. In fact, many travellers spend majority of their time in these places. But if you wish to go somewhere unique then you must travel taking the unconventional way. One of such places to explore is the island ‘Porto Heli’.

Porto Heli

Porto Heli is a cosmopolitan port village on the eastern side of Peloponnese. This stunning island is dotted with magnificent villas, mansions and luxury resorts surrounded by olive groves, which are simply counted as the seductive pleasures of any vacation. Thus, it makes a nice family destination with safe environment. One of the interesting things about this place is that almost every multi-millionaire of this country normally has a house in the capital city and a separate holiday home in the form of luxurious villa in Porto Heli. In fact, the ex-king Constantine II and King of Netherlands also have their plush villas here. Apart from the small beach in Porto Heli, you can unwind by swimming at Ververonta with clear water and relax by having drinks at beach bars. Apart from witnessing the beautiful and clear vistas, you can opt to stay at the famous Nikki Beach Resort and Spa here for a wonderful holiday experience. Porto Heli also makes a convenient base for excursions in the Saronic Gulf and road trips in eastern Peloponnese.

Spetses

Another affluent island that combines a refreshingly low-key holiday along with Porto Heli is the Spetses. The island has an authentic charm, having remained relatively undiscovered by visitors, Spetses is a charming island overlooked by whitewashed, Neoclassical houses and fringed by smart cafés and nice restaurants, eateries, stylish boutiques and luxurious boutique hotels. You will love spending weekend in the relaxing and elegant atmosphere here, stressed by the yacht marinas. Spetses is a word-of-mouth kind of place, where most of the affluent Greeks come to unwind during the weekends or holidays.

One of the best places to enjoy stay here is the ‘Poseidonion Grand Hotel’. It is an impressive, august hotel styled like a château offering luxurious accommodation for travelers from around the world. One of the most unique aspects of this place is the absence of private automobiles in the town limits. You can move around by walking, comfy horse-drawn carriages, bicycles and mopeds. Spetses can be combined with other islands for vacations, like Hydra, and beach towns in eastern Peloponnese, like Ermioni. There is no sense of the wealth being ostentatious as the Spetsiots place real value in the island’s natural beauty and history: the secluded beaches, pine-clad hills and ancient churches. This place also hosts one of its upwardly-mobile sporting events such as the Spetses Tweed bicycle race, the Classic Yacht Regatta etc. Therefore, book your holiday now and explore Greece with a difference.

Reaching Spetses

Only two hours ferry ride from Athens, Spetses in Greece is a wonderful island for short holidays or weekend break. While, its just 7.3 km away from Porto Heli which can be covered by ferry rides available at regular intervals.

Reaching Porto Heli 

You can travel to Porto Heli by taking ferry, bus or car from Athens. But, if you wish to witness the stunning landscapes, then taking the roadways is a good idea. It takes around three hours drive with journey through fantastic highway with mountain on the right and the endless sea on the left. The route to Porto Heli includes journey from a under bridge which is carved inside a mountain for a drive through.

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Special agrotourism accommodation units have opened up in Evia, Lesvos, Crete, Kalymnos, Paros, Kefalonia, Kalamata, Kythira and other regions that allow tourists to help with olive harvest and experience the way of life in the region. The accommodation is simple but comfortable and matches the local style. The courtyards are endless olive groves, where visitors can get back in touch with nature and experience every stage of the harvest. Visitors can pick olives using any of the age-old harvesting techniques, working for just one day or for a number of weeks in a row. Guests can also help transfer the harvested olives to a traditional olive press, learn the traditional art of extracting precious oil and watch how the golden oil begins to flow and fills up the air with its aromatic fragrance. Once the olives have been pressed, anyone who has helped is welcome to take some oil home or fill up a couple of bottles bearing their very own personalized label. This acquaintanceship with the olive and its oil does not stop here! Visitors can adopt olive trees. In return, they get a certificate with information about the olives the trees produce, plus a sample of the olive oil made from the adopted trees every year thereafter. At the end of the harvest, there is a huge feast and a celebration to reward the efforts of all those who have helped.

Greek olive oil is known worldwide for its purity, exceptional taste and high nutritional value. Olive oil plays a dominant role in Greek nutritional habits and forms the basis of every recipe found in the traditional cuisine. The best-known olive varieties are the Kalamon olives, the konservolia variety from Amfissa, olives from Arta, Atalanti, Rovies on Evia Island, Stylida, Volos, the throumpa variety from Thasos Island, Chios Island and Crete. One can also visit Olive Museums that are located across the country to get acquainted with the history of olive tree, its widespread cultivation in the Mediterranean basin, learn about the paramount importance of olive oil in a healthy diet and its connection to Greek culture. Museum exhibits refer to cultivation, harvesting and olive oil production, picking of table olives, and there is also a display of olive-based cosmetic products.

Offering unbeatably beautiful landscapes and rich palette of colours, the Greek countryside is waiting to reveal its secrets to the ever exploring nature lovers.

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