When in Greece...
It's all Greek this month with Olympic fever taking over the world, but there's more to Greece than the Olympics.
Has Olympic fever given you a itch to visit the country known as the cradle of civilisation, Greece? If not, take a look at the exciting tourist opportunities this country offers.
If ever there was a country filled with attractions, it's Greece. Visitors can take in museums, archaeological sites, monuments, cultural centres and natural sites all year around.
Nobody's trip to Greece can be complete without a visit to its supreme symbol, the outcropping of rock called the Acropolis, crowned with the Athena's sacred temple, the Parthenon.
The Acropolis hill, the so called "Sacred Rock" of Athens, is the most important site of the city.
During Perikles' Golden Age, ancient Greek civilisation was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.
Over the centuries, the rocky hill was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area or both.
During the Classical period (450-330 B.C.) three important temples were erected on the ruins of earlier ones: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Nike, dedicated to Athena Parthenos, Athena Polias, and Athena-Apteros Nike, respectively. The Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the sacred area was also constructed in the same period.
But there aren't just archaeological sites to be visited, why not soak up some of the famous Greek sun while you're there. Imagine laying on the beautiful white sand on the Island of Mykonos, while catching that fabulous tan and sipping on some knock-out cocktails.
The Island of Mykonos is probably the most famous Greek island, and fun and adventure are guaranteed with a rocking nightlife, great shopping and more nude and non-nude beaches per square mile than anywhere else in Greece.
And if the tourist frenzy just gets too much for you, cross over to the other side of the island for a completely different Mykonos, one which boasts enough chapels to visit a different one every day of the year.
If Mykonos is not your scene, then why not try the island of Crete. This island is like a separate nation within Greece, with a bit of everything, from party-hearty beach towns like Mallia to the sophisticated, expensive little city of Agios Nikolaos.
Steep mountains, obscure villages, the windmill-jammed Lassithi Plain, and some challenging roads await you here, and you can visit some great retreat spots, or dare to bare at the nude beaches.
With soaring temperatures, Greece is the perfect destination for sun-seekers and holiday-makers alike, so spoil yourself with a bit of Greek culture and a lot of Greek sunshine.
- Women24