Afternoon on a Beach with Katerina

Zakynthos Ionian Sea Greece

Great Place. Direct flights available on this lovely island or through Kilini (about 1 hour with Ferry).

Vassilikos has the best beaches and carreta turtles can be seen through boat trips from Laganas. Also don't miss the boat trips to the shipwreck or the summit point at Bohali.

Recommended beaches are Gerakas, Banana,Azzurro, Daphne (difficult access;need a jeep), Kaminia and if you're into french tarts or english muffins try the nightlife in Tsilibi.

Vogue : L'autre Grece

The Colorful Sounds of Summer by sunsecrets

The Seaside Resort of Tiros Arkadias

Tiros Arkadias is a seaside village built on the side of Mount Parnonas and combines the colors of the enchanting sea with the magnificence of a mountainside.

Tiros Arkadias is approximately 75 km from Tripoli Arkadias, 21 klm from the seaside resort of Astros and about 200 klm south of Athens Greece. The municipality of Tiros Arkadias consists of three hamlets, namely upper Tiros on the side of Mount Parnonas, Lower Tiros and the Aegean resort of Tiros.

The population of Tiros according to the 2001 panhellenic census is about 1,200 individuals and the primary activities of the township are fishing, general maritime activities and tourism. Tiros was also one of the major emigration centers where many Tirians abandoned the village to find better fortune (as many of their Peloponisian countrymen) in Canada, the United States and Australia. These immigrants return annually to their birthplace as tourists. Tiros Arkadias, which bears the name from the god Apollo Tiriti, is considered one of the oldest maritime communities of the Peloponnese. The shrine of Apollo rests on the Prophet Elias hill which is southwest of the municipality.

Archeological exchavactions (Professor Romeos) have resulted in artifacts that conclude that Tiros Arkadias was populated in prehellenic times and was the site of maritime commerce and general trade activity.This is also confirmed by Pausanias' Travels (Laconica) and the resultant artifacts are today found in the museums of Sparta and Tripoli, as well as The Louvre.

Albeit limited in size, Tiros has all the requirements of a modern resort town including an upgraded and modern infrastructure, full fledged tourist services, excellent night clubs and restaurants as well as a host of surrounding support facilities including transportation and communication networks.
Tiros is especially enchanting during Easter, as one of the traditions is to re-enact the burial of Christ (the Epitaphios) by the seaside road, while being escorted by fishing boats and trailers. The procession ends with the symbolic burning of Judas Iskariot, this done by setting a fishing boat on fire in the middle of the port. Children are then asked to throw candles in the sea to symbolize the salvation of all the souls of those mariners lost at sea.

There are also numerous excellent and notable beaches, aside from the Tiros beachfront, including the beach of Tigani (or frying pan) in the direction of Astros, and the Tsakos beach after Tigani right below the shrine of St. Christopher in the Astros-Tiros roadway.

To get to Tiros Arkadias from Athens one takes the highway to Tripoli. One then takes the exit before the Artemision tunnel and drives towards Argos. From Argos one continues to Astros, and Tiros lies right after Astros and before the popular resort of Leonidion. The whole trip is about three hours from central Athens.

Kalamata Messinia Greece

Kalamata is a beautiful city, rich in heritage and culture, possessing a vibrant business environment which includes agricultural production such as olive oil, world famous food goods such as pasteli, and a host of industrial goods.

Kalamata combines the beauty of the Taigetos mountain range with the salty breezy freshness of the Messinian gulf. It is a perfect colorful postcard melage of mountainous green and deep blue.


As a historical note, Kalamata was the first Greek city that was freed from the Ottoman yoke in the Hellenic War of Independence (Kolokotronis : Memoirs of the Greek War of Independence).
On March 23 1821, 3000 armed Maniates under Petros Mavromihalis invaded and liberated Kalamata after issuing a declaration of war.

In commemoration of this event Kalamata has erected a statue of Mavromihalis, General Kolokotronis and Papaflessas (the Devil Priest or Satan Papas as he was known amongst the Ottomans) along with the issued war declaration in the central square (plateia) of the city.

The city is well equipped with fine restaurants that cater to exquisite tastes, fast food places mainly targeted at students, and a set of very fine hotels either by the beach or within the city.

Notable is the daily availability of fresh seafood which is usually fished within the Messinian gulf and finds its way to the local restaurants each morning.
The nightlife due to the extensive student population and the hosted technological institute is impressive and includes of a variety of bars and cafes all offering an assortment of refreshments at student rates.

The modern superhighway that connects Corinth to Tripoli and the eventual extension that will connect Tripoli Arcadia to Kalamata Messinia means that it will only take about three hours for a traveler to reach Kalamata by car from central Athens, assuming no bottlenecks.

Bottlenecks can be avoided by using the Attiki superhighway and omitting the central city roads.
Kalamata is usually used as a spring board for treks inward towards the Mani as well as the remaining Peloponnese. Kalamata is a necessary hub for famous destinations such as Stoupa, Githion, Areopolis, and Monemvasia.

Travellers from abroad usually either fly directly to Kalamata, or fly initially to the Athens International Airport and then transit either by plane, bus or railway to Kalamata and then onward into the Taigetos mountain range.