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Water sports

Water ski

Water ski was “born” around 1900 from a group of young people who were having fun playing with the waters of a lake in the USA. The fashion spread quickly, and the stronger the boat engines became, the more the speed, the difficulty and the popularity of the sport grew. In Greece, the Vouliagmeni Nautical Club (in the region of Attica) was the first club to found a water ski division in 1957; in 1963 the Hellenic Water Ski Federation was founded with the aim of spreading the sport all over the country. Water ski is now one of the most popular modern water sports and no special training is needed when done by amateurs for fun. All over Greece there are private schools, which operate at organised beaches or at the facilities of big hotels.

For more information regarding water ski in Greece, you can contact:
Hellenic Water Ski Federation
50 Thrakis Str,
163 42 Ilioupoli – Athens
tel: 210 9944334, 9944014 - fax. 210 9940521
email: hwsf@ath.forthnet.gr

Sailing

Sailing is a sport irrevocably connected with the Greek people throughout the country’s long history and centuries of nautical tradition. Today, it is one of the most popular sports and thousands of Greeks practise it systematically (in competitions or as a simple sport) using all types of sailing boats.Information about the sport in Greece, the sailing associations per geographical region, the requirements and procedures to participate in special training programmes, is provided by the:
Hellenic Sailing Federation (EIO)
51 Posidonos Avenue,
183 44 Moschato - Athens
tel: 210 9404825 (8 lines) – fax: 210 9404829

Windsurfing

Windsurfing is an exciting sport for everybody, irrespective of age and sex. No special body strength is needed, at least in the beginning, the most important part being played by correct technique. Apart from being fun and an Olympic sport, windsurfing is a professional sport since 1985, as well as a demonstration and competition sport in indoor areas, where the necessary conditions are artificially created. As the weather conditions in Greece are ideal (mild climate, appropriate strength of the winds etc), the popularity of the sport has increased spectacularly and more and more Greek people practise it systematically. Indeed, in recent years European and World competitions (tournaments), some of which rank among the most important international events, are held in various parts of the country during the summer. At most of the country’s organised beaches you have the opportunity to windsurf or attend lessons given by specialised instructors. Indicatively, some of the places where one can do organised windsurfing are listed below:

-Attica: Anávyssos, Várkiza, Lavrio, Loutsa, Rafina, Schiniás (Marathonas) and Galazia Aktí (Marathonas) beaches
-the Cyclades: Paros island (Chrysí Aktí, Nea Chrysí Aktí, Tsoukalia, Santa Maria and Pounda beaches), Mykonos island (Fteliá and Kalafatis beaches), Naxos island (Aghios Georgios and Mikrí Vigla beaches), Ios island (Mylópotas beach), Santorini island, et al.
-the Dodecanese: Rhodes island (Trianda, Fanés, Prasonissi and Theologos beaches), Kárpathos island (the Devil’s bay), Kos island, et al.
-Patras (the Peloponnese): Drépano and Zacháro beaches -the Ionian Islands: Lefkada island (Vassilikí beach), Zákynthos island
-Crete-the Sporades islands: Skiathos
-Macedonia: Thessalonica prefecture (Aghia Triada and Nea Michaniona beaches and on Volvi lake), Chalkidikí (Sunny Beach).

For more information, contact The Greek Windsurfing Federation7 Philelinon Str. Athens,tel: 210 3230068

Diving Tourism

The particularly clean Greek seas and the huge wealth of the deep are a pole of attraction for those wishing to enjoy the magic of underwater exploration. Diving using only a mask is allowed everywhere, but scuba diving using compressed air tanks is forbidden in areas with underwater antiquities.Scores of diving schools operate in Greece under special license of the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine. All scuba divers are obliged to comply with and adhere to the regulations and restrictions of L. 5351/32 on antiquities. Underwater activities with diving equipment are allowed from sunrise to sunset. More specifically, interested parties should be aware that the following are prohibited:
-fishing with scuba diving equipment (spear fishing with the use of bottles);
-photographing, removing or transporting antiquities. In case you spot any antiquities, you must immediately report this to the nearest archaeological department of the Ministry of Culture (or the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities), or port or police authorities; and
-use or possession (on board of a ship) of special equipment for spotting antiquities.

Traditional Greek cuisine

What distinguishes traditional Greek cuisine is a combination of the following factors: unique ingredients, the Greek philosophy regarding eating and sharing meals, as well as the country itself and the atmosphere in general.

The basic ingredients: Greek cuisine has four secrets: fresh ingredients of good quality, proper use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and its basic simplicity. Greek olive oil deserves a special mention. Present in almost all Greek dishes, and in most of them in abundant quantities, it is of excellent quality and very good for health. Then there are the vegetables and herbs. Due to the mild Greek climate, greenhouse cultivation of vegetables is not widespread. Therefore, most vegetables are grown outdoors and are very tasty and full of aroma. You will be delighted with the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, onions, parsley and garlic, not to mention the rich flavour and aroma of fresh fruit: grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, watermelons, to name but a few. The herbs collected by most Greeks on the mountains and in the countryside are renowned for their taste, scent and healing properties. When eating one of the many different Greek dishes, the aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary will inebriate you. Do not forget also to try the Greek cheeses and particularly feta. As lambs and goats in Greece are free-grazing and pastures are very rich in herbs, meats have a unique taste not to be found anywhere else in the world. Seafood from the Mediterranean Sea is far more tasty than that from the oceans. In the Aegean and the Ionian Seas, the waters are crystal clear and abound with fish. Charbroiled fresh fish is considered a treat.

The Greek philosophy: The time of day when the Greeks gather around a table to enjoy a meal, or some appetizers (mezedes) with ouzo, is a time held in reverence by all the inhabitants of this country. For the Greeks, sharing a meal with friends, either at home, at a restaurant or a taverna, is a deeply rooted social affair. The Greek word symposium, a word as ancient as the country itself, if translated literally, means drinking with company. The atmosphere in typically Greek restaurants and tavernas is very relaxed, informal and unpretentious. Food preparation, on the other hand, has its own sacred rules. Good amateur cooks are held in great esteem in their social circles. A good housewife, in Greece, means a good cook. And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for his or her friends.

The atmosphere: Try having a glass of ouzo or wine, accompanied by barbecued octopus or any other Greek dish, while sitting beneath the shadow of a tree, at a small tavern by the sea, on one of the Aegean islands. Then, when you go back home, try repeating that experience by preparing the same dish and serving the same drink. No matter where you decide to have it, you will soon discover that it does not taste the same. Do not try again. There is nothing wrong with the delicacy of your palate or your cooking skills. The Greek meal experience, namely the combination of what you eat and where you eat it, cannot be repeated, exported or duplicated. It is something you can only find, taste and enjoy in Greece, like the blue of the Aegean Sea.

Traditional settlements and villages

Traditional settlements and villages and the historic centres of the cities are basic elements of Greek traditional architectural and cultural heritage and are certainly worthwhile visiting. There, ways of life, techniques, aesthetic preferences, artistic trends and social relations that developed throughout a turbulent historic evolution have left their traces everywhere.The wealth and diversity of Greek architectural heritage is evident in most of the 650 preservable traditional settlements/villages and the thousands of scheduled buildings, as well as in the ancient and Byzantine monuments which adorn the Greek countryside, both in coastal and mountainous areas, and the urban centres.

The conservation and promotion of the architectural heritage is a fundamental element of mild tourist development, offering alternative possibilities for all kinds of tourist activity. Many buildings of traditional architecture are now being used for different purposes and have various functions, such as tourist accommodation, museums, exhibitions, restaurants, public and municipal services, etc.

Furthermore, the historic centres of the cities are given new life thanks to the restoration of buildings, the creation of pedestrian zones and the landscaping of areas and are thus becoming attractive for citizens and visitors alike. Thus, in most major Greek cities areas are being upgraded that are of the utmost importance for the research on urban traditional architecture and the development of urban centres in the country throughout the centuries.

Archaeological sites

A dense grid of archaeological sites covers the entire surface of Greece. After the foundation of the new Hellenic state, increased interest was expressed for the promotion of our national heritage. Both the Greek Archaeological Service and foreign archaeological schools (French Archaeological School, German Archaeological Institute) started excavations as early as the second half of the 19th century. At that time of course interest was focused mainly on the sites of the classical period. Thus, expeditions of the foreign archaeological schools excavated important archaeological sites already known (for example, the French Archaeological School at Delphi and Delos, the German Archaeological Institute at Olympia). On the Greek side, pioneering work was done by Chr. Tsoundas, the Ephor of Antiquities, who uncovered many sites of pre-historic and early historic times during his excavations in Mycenae (palace, tholos and chamber tombs), on the Cyclades and in Thessaly (Neolithic citadels of Dimini and Sesklo).

Gradually, the interest of the archaeologists turned also to other periods of Greek civilisation and from the beginning of the 20th century excavations started at sites dating from pre-historic, early historic, Roman and Byzantine times. Despite the activity developed during the Interwar period, it was only after the end of World War II that excavations made essential progress and the first organised archaeological sites were set up after the appropriate maintenance and restoration works had been completed. The organised and systematic archaeological activity during the second half of the 20th century promoted the archaeological sites, which could now be visited by the public and cover the period from the Palaeolithic era to more recent times. The archaeological sites are supervised by the Ministry of Culture via the Ephorates of the Archaeological Service in each region. Opening hours vary, depending on whether it is winter or summer, and you need to purchase tickets in order to enter.