Lesvos, Greece


Mild temperatures, natural features and historical sites make Lesvos Greece a must-see location. Birthplace to many famous Greeks, the island has become legendary due to numerous mentions in Greek mythology. Lesvos has also emerged as a premier travel destination for lesbian tourists. Greek is the official language of the area, but many residents also speak English, Spanish, French, Italian or German. As of 2002, euros became the official currency of Lesvos.

Lesbos, also known as Lesvos, is the third largest island in Greece. The land was privately owned until 580 Before Common Era (BCE). Average temperatures range from 50 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. 90,000 people reside on the island, with many living in the capital city of Mytilene.

Little Chaple in Village of Skala Sykaminias, Lesbos, GreeceThe island has extremely diversified flora, or plant life. Hikers gaze upon miles of olive or fruit trees covering 40 percent of the land. A visit to the Western section of the island reveals the second largest petrified Sequoia forest in the world. A series of wetlands make Lesbos a bird watching paradise. Watchers highly recommend the Kalloni and Potamia areas.

Local hot springs are perfect for travelers seeking a more therapeutic visit. A dip in the springs at Thermi, Eftalou of Mithymna or Polichnitos is said to alleviate many physical discomforts. With average temperatures between 76 and 91 degrees Celsius (168.8- 195.9 Fahrenheit), waters at Polichnitos are the hottest in Europe. Local residents claim the springs help with everything from kidney problems to arthritis.

According to the World Monuments Fund, twelve churches in Lesbos are included among the 100 most endangered sites in the world. Tourism, exposure to the elements and age are destroying many unique and culturally relevant sites. Moni Perivoli, a stop for many religious pilgrims, features wall paintings depicting the complete life of Christ.


Lesvos cuisine includes stuffed pumpkin flowers, filled with cheese and fried in hot oil. Liokafta, referred to as the fisherman’s favorite dish, requires a great deal of patience. Fresh fish is seasoned, dried in the sun for up to two days and grilled. Local desserts include a light, flaky pastry called baklava and sugared almonds.

It is impossible not to mention a trip to Lesvos without mentioning its attraction to Lesbian couples. Sappho, a Greek poet who wrote detailed pieces about members of the same sex, was born on Lesvos. Her works have continued to attract large numbers of lesbian couples to the island.

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Greece

Greece

Aegean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Athens

Heraklion

Kavala

Larissa

Patras

Thessaloniki

Volos

Islands of Greece

Crete

Euboea

Lesvos

Rhodes

Santorini

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Aegean Sea


The Aegean Sea may hold more history and legend in its waters than any other body of water in the world. Located in the eastern Mediterranean, this is the sea upon which those thousand Greek ships sailed when they set out to sack Troy and rescue the lovely Helen. The Aegean is where western civilization was born; the Myceneans, the Minoans, and later, the more well-known states like Athens and Sparta lined its coast. Plato likened the situation to “frogs around a pond.”

A history lesson and a few thousand years’ worth of ancient ruins, however, are just a couple of the many reasons to visit the region. Located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, the Aegean enjoys a comfortable subtropical climate. This makes it an ideal destination for cruises and vacationers: summers are dry with warm to hot temperatures, and the winters are fairly mild with more rainfall. While other nations and states have shared the Aegean coast in the past, only Greece and Turkey border it nowadays.

Yachts in Aegean sea near Poros, GreeceThe Aegean Sea covers roughly 83,000 square miles, with the Black Sea feeding into its northeastern corner via the Dardanelles. On the western side is Greece and a strait that connects to the Ionian Sea, which lies between the Italian peninsula and the Dalmatian coast.

Hundreds of islands are to be found in the Aegean, both large and small. Most of them belong to Greece, but recent decades have seen some disputes with Turkey over the details. Despite a lack of technology, many ancient travelers found it easier to travel over the water than to navigate Greece’s rough land routes. An Aegean sailor was never very far from landfall. Crete, at the southern edge where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean, is the largest of the Aegean islands. It is perhaps the most famous as well, but none of them are short on beauty.


However, the Aegean is not a place to go in search of a lush tropical paradise; it is generally too dry during the warmer parts of the year. Most of its islands are rather rugged, some are volcanic, and some are downright barren. The beaches, however, are excellent, as is the food. The pristine blue waters of this sea draw visitors from across Europe and the rest of the world. You’ll find the standard delicious Mediterranean fare here: lots of wine, olives, olive oil, and other Greek staples. Seafood, of course, is never in short supply. It’s as healthy as it is tasty.

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Greece

Greece

Aegean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Athens

Heraklion

Kavala

Larissa

Patras

Thessaloniki

 

Volos

 

Islands of Greece

Crete

Euboea

Lesbos

Rhodes

Santorini

 

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Athens, Greece


There are few cities in the world that can boast such as rich a culture and history as Athens. Athens is the capital and the largest city in Greece. It is also one of the oldest cities in the world and is often referred to as the Cradle of Western Civilization and the Birthplace of Democracy, due, in part, to a fierce commitment to education, culture and improving and evolving civilization. The city is named for Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Today, Athens is a modern city with advanced culture, technology, infrastructure and tourism all combined with the rich history and culture that has made Athens great for over 7,000 years.

Acropolis and the city of Athens, GreeceAthens is home to some of the most famous and remarkable architecture in the world. Buildings such as the Parthenon, the Acropolis, the Herodes Atticus Theater and the Academy of Athens all stand as landmarks and architectural wonders in the city. The buildings and architectural features of the city are such a prominent part of Athens culture and history that the city makes a large number of taxi, bus and trolley tour services available to tourists on a daily basis. These tours have been greatly improved since 2004, when Athens was host to the Olympics. At the time, the city used much of the profits from hosting to improve the infrastructure and bring travel and tourism more up to date with modern transportation options.

Museums, of course, are an important part of a city with such a notable cultural and historical background. The city of Athens has no shortage of museums such as the Natural Archeological Museum, the largest archeological museum in the country or the Numismatic Museum, which contains a fantastic collection of both ancient and modern coins. Athens has long been home to amazing art and is particularly well known for its statues. The Byzantine and Christian Museum houses some of the most notable Byzantine art in the world while the Museum of Cycladic Art displays some of the statues for which Athens is famous in addition to a vast collection of art.


While certainly known for a rich historical significance, Athens also has a prominent scene of modern activities and attractions. There are shopping, entertainment, dining and nightlife opportunities a plenty in Athens. The city also offers a number of live theaters and cinemas for great entertainment. Perhaps most important to the local culture, is the dining and nightlife in Athens. Europeans are often known for their affinity for late nights and the culture in Athens readily reflects that. Athens is home to a vast array of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs to provide endless entertainment and excellent dining. The city of Athens has much to offer and is an excellent choice in tourist destinations.

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Greece

Greece

Aegean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Athens

Heraklion

Kavala

Larissa

Patras

Thessaloniki

 

Volos

 

Islands of Greece

Crete

Euboea

Lesbos

Rhodes

Santorini

 

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Greece


If you come to Greece expecting one thing, you are going to be surprised. From breathtaking vistas of the Acropolis in Greece’s ancient capital city Athens, to the beaches and quaint fishing villages of the Aegean and Ionian islands, to the Byzantine-influenced historic sites and hip, contemporary culture of Thessaloniki in the north, Greece is a land of enchanting diversity, with something for everyone, no matter what their interests or budget.

Greece is famous as the cradle of Western civilization. Following the successful defense of their homeland against the Persians at Marathon and Salamis in the 5th century BC, Athens rose as a superpower among Greek city-states, introducing a system of government called democracy that has become a prototype for governance in our modern world. During the so-called Classical Era, Greece produced cultural, philosophical, architectural and scientific achievements through the teachings of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras and Hippocrates, and the dramas of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides, that continue to be relevant in the 21st century. Greece became the gateway for a thriving commercial culture that included the entire eastern Mediterranean as well as southwest Asia.

Beaches of Hydra Island, GreeceBut the Roman annexation of the free Greek city-states into their Empire presaged almost 2000 years of foreign subjugation, first by the Romans, than by the Byzantine Empire, and finally by the Ottoman Turks and the Italian city-states of Genoa and Venice. Greece did not achieve independence again until 1829. Greece was again invaded by a foreign power, Germany, once again during World War II.

Greek tourism began to flourish in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, Greece attracts close to 20 million visitors a year, most of them from other countries in the European Union.

Classical Greek culture, of course, is one of the very foundations of European civilization, and many travelers come to Greece to better acquaint themselves with it. The United Nations has included 17 Greek monuments on its list of World Heritage sites. Among them, of course, are Athens’ Acropolis with its quartet of ancient architectural masterpieces, The Parthenon, The Propylaea, The Erecchtheum and the Temple of Athena. The most perfectly preserved temple in all of Greece, however, is to be found in the wilder landscape south of Olympus, at the Temple of Apollo Epikourios on the slopes of Kotylion Mountain in Bassae.


Antiquities are not Greece’s only allure. Life on its many islands is famously relaxing and slow-paced. The most picturesque of the Greek isles? Santorini, where whitewashed villages nestle above dramatic volcanic cliffs overlooking the azure Aegean. Crete is Greece’s largest island, renowned as much for its splendid beaches and mountain climbing as it is for its archeological treasures. Mediterranean Corfu has more of a Riviera flavor; its sunny countryside abounds with lush vegetation, while its capital, Corfu City, is filled with Byzantine churches, French facades and sunny, Italian-style piazzas.

One of Greece’s most recently discovered tourist attractions is Chalkidiki in northern Greece where sun, sea and golden-sand beaches compete with Paleolithic site and medieval monasteries as must-see attractions.

Greece

Greece

Aegean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Athens

Heraklion

Kavala

Larissa

Patras

Thessaloniki

Volos

Islands of Greece

Crete

Euboea

Lesvos

Patmos

Rhodes

Santorini

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