Greece

ESPAÑOL

Greece is always around the 10th place in my personal ranking of countries. When I see it in that position, the first thing that comes to mind is its history and the Acropolis and I think “it is not so much”, but I immediately remember its islands and its gastronomy and I say “yes it is “.

Cities:
- Athens, as I say, is not so much. Usually dirty, ugly and noisy, it has a real oasis in its central area, where everything surrounding the Acropolis and the ancient Agora exudes peace and tranquility, except the Acropolis itself, a small disappointment announced, where they are very few the archaeological remains still standing surrounded by the bustle of tourists. And yet you have to see it.
- Meteora: these impressive monasteries built on inaccessible rocky massifs form a spectacular ensemble that will enchant tourists and climbers alike.
- White villages exist in many places near the Mediterranean, but those of the Cycladic Islands, especially those of Santorini and Mykonos, are perhaps the most beautiful ones, those of the first by their location, one of the most astonishing that I have seen, and that of the second by its architecture.
- Ruins: all you want and more, but of course, unless you are a scholar, you can hardly appreciate the greatness of Delphi or Delos with four columns standing or a half-restored theater.
Nature:
- Greece is the most mountainous country in the European Union, although few travelers approach the north to know this aspect.
- Where more than 20 million tourists a year go is to its islands. There are for all tastes, with beaches of fine white sand in the Ionian, volcanic in the Cyclades and with a little of everything in Crete, with the incentive that Greece has the driest and hottest climate in Europe, the possibilities of enjoying the summer from May to October are very high.
But beware that the weather in Greece can no longer be considered good in July and August, when temperatures in much of the country can exceed 45 ° C. Fainting while in the Acropolis is the norm in high season. Prices in tourist areas are expensive, and as a result of the severe economic crisis suffered by the country, robberies, people living in indigence and, worse, bad faces have multiplied. When I was in June 2008, just before the crisis, the Greeks were happy; smiles and tranquility at all times, good humor and camaraderie; unfortunately it is not what I have seen in my last visit just a few weeks ago, and it is more pitiful to see how this nation has lost the joy than to see the state of the remains of its old empire.
Even so, tourism does not stop, 27 million visitors in 2016, a record for the country; we should not forget all the good: Greece has history, incredible islands, good climatology and Mediterranean cuisine, the best in the world, in each corner.