Many delights await the visitor to the Greek islands. The wonderful light, the emerald seas and densely wooded hillsides have been praised in many a travelogue and tourist brochure.
But there is another side to a country. Until the late '90s the standard of living was well below the European average and the culture shock was significant. Since then things have changes , and particularly since Greece joined the European Union and ditched the drachma for the euro.
Out went the days when the holiday visitor could dine out for few drachma and expect a free bottle of wine thrown in. Prices were soon on a par with the UK when the Greek economy faced a meltdown and harsh austerity measures brought an even stiffer hike in prices.
That said, a holiday to Greece still costs little more than to other parts of the world. Flights to Greek islands are short haul and relatively cheap. As air ticket prices make up a significant proportion of the overall holiday budget it is no wonder the Greek islands still one of the mosy popular of holiday destinations.
It's a pity perhaps for those tourists who remember the good old days of cheap food, cheap wine and cheap rooms. But there's a lot to be said for a little luxury, both for visitors and for the Greeks themselves. Some rooms may still be "basic Greek", with little in the way of luxury, but many hotels have now gone more up-market and you can expect extras like daily linen changes and air conditioning to be included in the price.
Individual Greek islands all have their own character and holidaymakers usually have their own firm favourites. Islands with international airports tend, as you might expect, to be much busier and to offer more in the way of nightlife and clubbing. Those that require a ferry trip tend to be more relaxed and peaceful. The Greek islands are divided into five main holiday groups.
The Ionian islands lie off the west coast of Greece where the mild, wet winters help keep the landscape a rich green throughout the summer. Closest to the UK, they offer relatively short flight times and the large beaches and shallow seas make them good for family holidays. Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos are the best known and the most popular with Lefkas, Paxos and Ithaca also worth a look.
The Cyclades islands lie at the heart of the Greek islands and epitomise the Greek island, noted for the white sugar cube houses perched on barren hilltops, the ancient windmills and the tiny blue-domed chapels. that are typical of Grece. Santorini and Mykonos are the most popular but Paros, Naxos, Ios and Andros have their own charms.
The Sporades islands, off the Greek east coast, are small in number but big in attractions with Skiathos renowned for its gold sand beaches and neighbouring Skopelos and Alonissos for their peaceful setting.
The Dodecanese Islands are strung out along the Turkish coast and include the most popular Greek holiday islands of Rhodes and Kos. Other delightful islands in this chain include Symi, Kalymnos, Leros, Lipsi and Patmos.
The north-east Aegean is a little off the tourist trail but it boasts some of the most attractive islands such as Samos, Lesvos and the ever-popular Thassos. To the south is Crete, Greece's largest Island with plenty of holiday resorts to suit all tastes.
Holidays on the Greek mainland are increaslingly popular with the Peloponnese to the south, Parga on the west coast and Halkidiki in the north-east the most popular holiday destinations.
