Greece the mainland or the islands where to stay?

Greece is the cradle of western European civilisation and has a history complemented by legends which is second to none. Geographically it is unusual too as it has a large mainland which fragments as you go south, with a vast peninsula and numerous islands, large and small and is flanked by three seas, furthermore it is close to Europe and Africa.

So the question many legitimately ask when it comes to Greece is where do I begin?

Well to an extent, generally speaking it depends where you are at in life, if you are young and free, a romantic couple, a family or enjoying retirement. Our focus here is on families and couples.

Then it depends on how much travelling around you are planning on doing once you get there, after all most people want to relax on holiday first and foremost. Finally what sort of activities you like to do and the type of things you want to see.

As a starter there is nowhere better than Crete because you can fly direct, even from regional airports, it has a taste of the islands (because it is one) but it is so big that there is a good variety of things to do and see including mountains and there is pretty much something for everyone. You don't have to drive too far as there are plenty of good places you can base yourself and then its up to you how far you want to venture discovering the many facets of the island. Staying in a villa near Rethymnon is a good central option.

After Crete it is a good idea to go for the mainland where you can enhance your knowledge of Greece culture which you may well have acquired a taste for in Crete. So try basing by the coast in a holiday home in the Peloponnese area, from where you can branch out and visit the likes of Athens and Olympia, though you will be hard pressed to see it all.

Then it is good to discover the smaller islands like Corfu. Or Syros is one which appeals to many as it is different from elsewhere as it is the administrative centre of the Cyclades. If you have a nice rental house with a pool on Syros you can happily spend two weeks holiday there.

The good old days of an underdeveloped Greece touched upon in Gerald Durrell's beautiful book, My family and other animals, in which he famously said “My childhood in Corfu shaped my life. If I had the craft of Merlin, I would give every child the gift of my childhood.” is long gone but the rural areas retain much of their charm and way of life. It is advisable to avoid the tourist "hot spots" though to see some of the main sights that is unavoidable.

Where-ever you go in Greece you can be sure you have made a good choice. For more travel information about Greece consult our Greek holiday page.

Peter H.