Let yourselves sink into the blue colour of the sky and the sea, enjoy the peaceful life of the mountainous villages, explore caves and gorges, forget time on the enchanting beaches, admire history throughout the centuries in the scattered monuments, visit monasteries, churches and castles, get to know cities full of life, familiarize yourselves with complex traditions, try the tasty and most healthy cuisine in the world… the numerous and contradictory faces of Greece comprise a bursting and multicolored mosaic which charms every visitor.
One of the most important reasons for which Greece is at the top of tourist destinations is its rich heritage, a heritage visible in every step bearing the stigma of the different eras in its history throughout many centuries. Besides the numerous archaeological sites, its monuments and museums, cultural heritage is reflected on the multiple traditional settlements, dispersed all over the country, with their particular architecture. Scheduled buildings adorn not only urban centers but also the countryside (on the coastline or the mountainous areas). Castles, towers and walls, monasteries (from the monastery complexes of Mount Athos and Meteora up to the simple male and female monasteries of the mountainous Greece and the islands or the monastery dependencies and the isolated hermitage [skete]), churches, tanks and storehouses, bridges, windmills, water mills, war memorials, statues, fountains, historical buildings, even some old industrial buildings with different current uses complete the rich picture.
The natural environment of Greece is rich as well. Greece is a country that despite its small size has a particularly rich geo-morphology. Thousands of dentelated coasts, impressive mountains, caves and canyons, lakes, rivers and unique habitats don the Greek land with impressive landscapes. The temperate climate of Greece allows the visitor to enjoy its beauties in different seasons. In summer time, the hundreds of islands and the coast towns are without doubt the protagonists offering the basic advantages of the coast as well as the sea breeze that makes the nights and days cooler bringing down the high temperatures. In spring time, the Greek countryside bursts out with a medley of wild flowers -anemones, irises, poppies, cyclamens- and wild herbs -thyme, oregano, basil- which fill the air with their natural aromas. However, even if it sounds strange for a country stereotypically known for its coasts and seas, there is also ski tourism in Greece in its continuously developed ski resorts and nearby shelters (beautiful and plain stone lodgings harmoniously matching the environment), such as in Parnassus, Olympus, Vasilitsa, Vermio and Mainalo.
Greece with the varying and contradictory natural environment and its rich eco-systems is considered an ideal country for ecological tourism. The possibility of many walking paths in the forests, the national parks and the mountainous villages, the possibility of exploring caves, enjoying lakes, rivers and water falls, staying in model units of agro-tourism are some of the opportunities offered to the naturist visitors. One can admire the wetlands and the other natural eco-systems, watch the so many kinds of flora and fauna, visit the sea forests and other ecologically interesting areas. One can also participate in one of the many volunteer programmes for the protection of nature that organize field trips combining business with pleasure. For example, one can choose one of the volunteer programmes for bird protection as well as one of the simple field trips organized by the Hellenic Ornithological Society, a camping trip to the habitats of caretta-caretta in order to get to know the sea turtle (The Sea Turtle Protection Society, a field trip to get to know the dolphins of the Greek seas with the Cetacean Research Institute “Pelagos” or the volunteer programme of Arcturos in Florina.
More information about alternative ecological tourism and agro-tourism can be found in the web site of GNTO.
Opportunities exist for those that are interested in health tourism and natural spa tourism who can visit the thalassotherapy centers operating in various areas of the country as well as natural mineral springs and organized spas. For more information visit the web site of GNTO.
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