Revealed: The Secrets That Will Let You Find Some Peace In Greece
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ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A raid on a sprawling university campus complex in Athens led to the arrests of 32 people who are suspected of belonging to gangs that carried out armed robberies, drug trafficking and other offenses, police in Greece said Wednesday.
Better still, head over for lunch at one of the tavernas on Paxos's smaller, vine-covered neighbour, Antipaxos. Hire a boat to see the best bits, pottering around the coast to stop at Galazio beach, Meteora airport to city taxi cost which is accessible only by water, and to marvel at the natural rock arch of Kamara.
Why settle for Pelion airport bus one island when you could squeeze in lots more? Take in the imposing Chora town on a rocky hill on Serifos, and the vineyards and olive groves of Sifnos, best day trips Pelion where trails lead to little monasteries or a medieval fortified village (be sure to try the local speciality of mastelo - goat or lamb marinated in red wine and cooked in ceramic pots).
Arriving at the laid-back Dodecanese island of Symi is part of the experience - too small for its own airport, it is reached by ferry from Rhodes. But it is worth it to be greeted by superb views of one of the most picturesque harbours in the Aegean, with its colourful red-roofed houses, all of which are listed buildings.
With pretty villages, lush forests and hidden beaches, the area where Mount Pelion drops into the sea has a sprinkling of small pensions - or guesthouses - rather than big hotels. Greeks come here to ski in the winter and to swim in the summer.
The rugged Mani peninsula, the middle prong of the Peloponnese, is one of Greece's most isolated and starkly beautiful regions, with the Taygetus Mountains running down its spine. Its people claim direct descendancy from the ancient Spartans.
In the remote, rugged landscape of the Asterousia Mountains in the south, rafina to Pelion airport taxi cost a collection of 20 cottages form Thalori Retreat, which takes its name from its position between the sea (thalassa) and mountain (ori). A walking trail through the pine forest starts here, linking four villages and spanning 15 miles. Stay in the Erofili Hotel by the fishing village of Armenistis, and take a dip in the seawater pool or in the sea at nearby Livadi Beach. Seven nights' B&B costs from £978pp with flights and transfers (It may be one of Greece's most popular holiday destinations but Crete still has some off-the-beaten-track areas. With plenty of wood and stone, the stylish cottages - some contemporary, others more traditional - share a pool surrounded by rocks, and a restaurant on the site of an old monastery that uses produce from Thalori's own farm.
At night, dine on organic fresh produce from the vegetable garden. Take a boat trip from the beach to explore the coast, which is scalloped by more than 70 beaches, taxi from Pelion port to acropolis or head inland on one of the networks of old shepherds' footpaths to explore this lush island which feels a touch more Scottish Highlands than Cyclades. A week's B&B costs from £1,255pp with flights and transfers (Also in the Cyclades, The Rooster has just opened on the under-the-radar island of Antiparos, offering a luxuriously contemporary take on an authentic Greek hotel. With 17 beautifully designed suites, villas and houses, it is an ideal place to relax, with plenty of privacy and space.
A ferry ride away, Ithaca may be famous for being the home of the legendary hero Odysseus, but it is much sleepier than neighbouring Kefalonia. Stay on an organic olive oil farm on the island's shores, with just four eco-luxe villas on the seven-acre Levendis Estate.
While the monasteries are among the most-visited sites in mainland Greece, Pelion airport bus the company's guides use hidden trails known only to the locals that follow in the footsteps of the first monks who arrived in the area in medieval times.
A network of footpaths weaves among the lemon and olive trees - it's a mile-and-a-half hike to the village of Spartia. Here, a group of 19 individually owned and decorated villas are available for hire, each with sea views. There are sunloungers and shade at the rocky shore, or it's a five-minute drive to a sandy beach.
Six nights' B&B costs from £1,660pp with flights (Alternatively, follow the gods, who, taxi online Katigiorgis greece according to Greek legend, chose the Pelion peninsula between Athens and Thessaloniki for Meteora guided tours their revelries, but which is blessedly free from mass tourism. A separate visit explores one of the six remaining monasteries once the day-trippers have left, ending with a magical view of the sun dipping behind the rocks.
Villa company Scott Williams has many properties on Paxos, including the simple stone Koulka House, with a pool, sleeping four in the hamlet of Kastanida on the west coast. A week in Koulka House costs from £830, excluding flights (Lunar landscapes - and island-hopping in style
