Mykonos is a Greek island, about 41 square miles in area and is made mainly from granite. Part of the Cyclades islands group, Mykonos is the best known and most popular of the Greek islands.

Mykonos

The beautiful, cosmopolitan Mykonos Town (known locally as Chora) is the islands capital and is full of traditional buildings and lots of lively nightlife. Perched on a hillside are the windmills of Chora and there is also the quaint quarter Little Venice, both of which are landmarks of the town. When visiting the restored traditional windmills you can take in the wonderful panoramic view of the village and port. The Little Venice quarter of the town is full of brightly coloured houses, cafes and plenty of nightlife.
The working lighthouse of Armenistis stands 62ft high and offers magnificent views across the Aegean.
The assymetrical, white chapel of Panagia Paraportiani in Chora is the most photographed church on the island and worthy of a visit.
A short boat ride from Chora is the tiny island of Delos where you can see the ruins of an ancient sanctuary and a theatre. In ancient Greek times Delos was a sacred island where, according to mythology, the god Apollo was born.

Mykonos beach

The island is a favourite tourist destination, known mainly for its fantastic sandy beaches and its great lively nightlife.

The most popular beaches are those on the south coast of the island including Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia, Platis Gialos, Psarou, Agios Ioannis, Agrari, Paranga, Kalo Livadi and Ftelia. These beaches are regarded as some of the best in Greece with beautiful pristine sands and crystal clear blue waters.

The nightlife here is famous throughout the world and attracts huge numbers of revellers to its clubs, bars and beach bars. Partying at these clubs and bars lasts all night long. Mykonos is also regarded as one of the best gay and lesbian vacation destinations in Europe.

The climate here is typically mediterranean with dry, hot summers and mild winters, with very little rainfall. The best time to holiday here is between April and August when the weather is at its best.

Summer holidays spent on this wonderful island can be as lively or as relaxing as you wish.

Why not check out the internet for some great last minute holidays to Mykonos.

Kalymnos is a Greek island belonging to the Dodecanese island group in the southeast Aegean Sea, close to Turkey. It lies 8 miles north of the island of Kos and 1 mile south of the island of Leros. The nearest international airport is on Kos, with Kalymnos Airport catering for internal flights only. Pothia is the island’s main ferry port. Kalymnos is a mountainous island, with rocky crags and limestone cliffs.

Kalymnos

Kalymnos has a warm Mediterranean climate, with dry hot days in the summer and mild winters. November to March is the rainy season. Between May and September the rainfall is at a minimum and temperatures average 27°C (80°F).

The local economy was based on sponge collecting, for which the island was famous throughout Greece, however today tourism is becoming increasingly more important. The island’s main port is the large town of Pothia, where the sponge industry was based. Pastel-coloured Italianate mansions are built into the hillsides around the port, forming an amphitheatre-like impression. The rest of the island has an indented coastline with dramatic fjords, secluded coves and limestone cliffs. Because Kalymnos is arid, vegetation is sparse. The best beaches and main resorts, Massouri and Myrties, are along the west coast, offering views of the volcanic islet of Telendos. Smaller resorts on the west coast include Panormos, Emborios and Plati Gialos. Alternative tourism is offered on the island, including rock climbing and sea kayaking. The best area for rock climbing is Armeos, near the resorts of 

Armeos beach

Myrties and Massouri on the west coast. The nightlife scene is low-key, the livliest places being Pothia and Massouri. Kalymnos offers basic but authentic dining, the Pothia harbourside is lined with Greek tavernas and fast food eateries.

The best beaches are on the west coast, especially the sandy beach at Massouri which has watersport facilities and the fine pebble beach at Myrties. From Myrties, taxi-boats take holidaymakers over to the nearby volcanic, car-free islet of Telendos, which has several good sand and pebble beaches, including one reserved for nudists. Various watersports have been promoted in the sea channel separating Kalymnos and Telendos, notably windsurfing and sea kayaking. It is possible to scuba dive in the area around Vlychadia Bay off the south coast.

Pothia Harbour

In Pothia, the Nautical Museum traces the history of the local sponge diving industry, and incorporates a Folklore Museum showing traditional costumes and furniture. In the village of Vlychadia, the Museum of Ocean Finds displays objects collected from the seabed, including sponges, shells, amphorae and pieces salvaged from shipwrecks. Kalymnos also offers some interesting routes for hikers and cyclists – mountain bikes can be hired in Massouri.

On the island there are excursion boats which take visitors to the nearby islands of Pserimos, noted for its good sand and shingle beaches, and Kos, where the capital, Kos Town, is home to Hippocrates’ ancient plane tree, a 14th-century castle, and two mosques from the Ottoman period.

Zante

Zante is one of the seven Ionian Islands which lie off the west coast of mainland Greece. The island is served by an airport, which lies 1.25 miles southwest of the capital, Zante Town. Zante Town is also the island’s chief ferry port, lying 18 nautical miles west of the mainland port of Kyllini.

Zante is a hilly island, with land rising up to 2,480ft. The most developed holiday resorts lie along the south and east coasts.

The island of Zante is renowned for its unspoilt natural beauty. Hillsides are covered with pine forests, the fertile valleys support olive groves, vineyards and orchards of citrus fruits, and the southeast coast boasts several idyllic beaches. Zante was struck by an earthquake, in 1953, that destroyed many of its finest buildings, though the capital, Zante Town, was rebuilt as best it could be. Today the island’s busiest and best-known resort is Laganas, 7 miles south of Zante Town, on the south coast, which has now established itself as one of Greece’s top 24-hour party resorts for the 18-30 age group. Laganas lies within Zakinthos National Marine Park, where protected wildlife includes some 1,300 sea turtles and Mediterranean monk seals. The other top holiday resorts are Argassi, 2.5 miles south of Zante Town, and Tsilivi, 3 miles north of Zante Town. Other attractions here are the magnificent sea caves, notably the Blue Caves and Keri Caves, accessible only by boat from the sea, and the stunning Shipwreck Beach in Smuggler’s Cove.

Through July to August, when temperatures can exceed 38°C, Zante is alive with holidaymakers. However from May to June and September to October, the weather is a lot is warm and the island is less crowded. From November to April, most tourist facilities shut down completely.

Blue Caves

Zante’s best sand beaches lie along the east and south coasts. The island’s longest beach is Laganas, with a stunning 5.5 miles of golden sands. Watersports are prohibited here as this is a protected site where rare loggerhead turtles nest. For the island’s best watersports facilities, visit Argassi, a long, narrow shingle beach just 2.5 miles south of Zante Town. North of Zante Town, Tsilivi is a mile long stretch of golden sand, while a little further north lies Alikes (Alykes), another pleasant sandy beach. Argassi, Tsilivi and Alikes have each been awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness. On the northwest tip of the island lies Zante’s most photographed beach, Shipwreck Beach in Smuggler’s Cove. This is a dramatic cove with an idyllic beach backed by plummeting cliffs and can only be accessed by boat from the sea.
Zante’s unspoilt sandy beaches are perfect for children. The Water Village at Sarakinada, 6 miles from Laganas on the road to Zante Town, has pools, slides and a lazy river. The Luna Fun Park in Tsilivi, has a bouncy castle, bumper boats, inflatable slides, a rodeo bull, paintball and laser shooting. The Peligoni Club, near Agios Nikolaos on the northeast coast, is an upmarket family beach club aimed at teenagers, with excellent water sports facilities.

The Byzantine Museum

The Byzantine Museum (Solomos Square) displays frescoes and religious icons from between the 12th and 19th centuries and is well worth a visit. On a hill 2 miles above Zante Town, in Bohali, the 17th-century Venetian Castle offers fantastic views back to town and out to sea. Zante’s sea caves, which can be visited by boat, are also a major attraction with the best being the Blue Caves (on the island’s northeast tip) and Keri Caves (near Keri, on the island’s southwest tip). It is also possible to join an organised jeep safari, which involves a convoy of Land Rovers touring the island’s sites of historic interest, rural areas and inland villages.

Zante’s nightlife centres on Laganas. Here revellers will find countless pubs and nightclubs. The top dance clubs are Zero’s and Rescue Club, both on Laganas’ main strip (which runs down towards the sea, perpendicular to the beach). Laganas is renowned for the infamous ‘dentist’s chair,’ in which participants sit back and have alcohol tipped directly down their throats. Argassi and to a lesser extent Tsilivi also offer reasonably lively bars and clubs.

Greece

Greece is situated in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean. The mainland consists of the following regions: Central Greece, Peloponnese, Thessaly (east/central), Epirus (west), Macedonia (north/northwest) and Thrace (northeast). Euboea (Evvia) the second-largest of the Greek islands is also considered to be part of the mainland region and is connected to it by a bridge. The Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the northern mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth, but connected to it by a bridge over the isthmus, plus another bridge near Patras.

The northern mainland is dissected by high mountains that extend southwards towards a landscape of fertile plains, pine-forested uplands and craggy, scrub-covered foothills.

Crete

The islands account for one-fifth of the country’s land area. The majority are thickly clustered in the Aegean between the Greek and Turkish coasts. The Ionian Islands are the exception; they are scattered along the west coast in the Ionian Sea. The Aegean archipelago includes the Dodecanese, lying off the Turkish coast, of which Rhodes is the best known; the Northeast Aegean group, including Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos, Lesvos and Samos; the Sporades, off the central mainland; and the Cyclades, comprising 39 islands (of which only 24 are inhabited). Crete, the largest island, is not included in any formal grouping.

KEY FACTS

Location
Southeast Europe.

Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Area
131,957 sq km (50,949 sq miles).

Population
11.2 million (2007).

Athens

Capital
Athens – Population: 750,000 (2004 estimate).Greater Athens – Population 3.3 million (2004 estimate).

Language
Greek (Ellenika). Most people connected with tourism and those of a younger generation will speak some English, French, German or Italian.

Religion
98% Greek Orthodox, with Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish minorities.

Currency
Euro