| Unspoilt Greece: holidays off the beaten track
Much has changed in the country's tourist profile, too. 1982 "There are daily ferries in season from both Corfu and Parga to the tiny island of Paxi (Paxos). Towards the south-eastern corner of Greece's largest island, Myrtos is a tranquil village of pristine white-walled houses, with a small museum housing finds from a pair of nearby Minoan villas as well as a folklore section. 1982 You can manage on £3-£4 a day, shared rooms from £2-£3 a night. Visitors stick to one or perhaps two locations, book accommodation online and hire cars. 1982 "If a hotel is full, ask if roofspace is on offer and you will usually get a mattress thrown in. 1982 "An unchecked mass of dire concrete apartment blocks. There are only a couple of seasonal shacks for light refreshments and you'll need a vehicle or stout pair of legs to negotiate the steep 4km from the mountainside village of Athani. Serene and atmospheric, the two lakes of Prespa lie at the meeting point between the countries of Greece, Albania and Macedonia. There are a dozen species of fish, including a freshwater sardine and a rare type of carp, but the area is most famed for its birdlife. Nowadays, there's scarcely a rucksack to be seen on the smart ferries that speed around the Hellenic seas, EU money has assisted build virtual motorways on tiny islands, and rural tavernas offer extensive menus. Nearby, the crumbling remains of the Temple of Artemis add a sense of history, while a few kilometres inland Ikarian idiosyncrasy reaches its apogee in Raches, where the inhabitants sleep till late morning, top that up with an afternoon nap, then stay awake all night. Quiet, traditional Athani is the closest the bus will get you from Lefkada town, some 36km away, and also offers the nearest accommodation. Ikaria in the eastern Aegean has a brilliant reputation for left-field quirkiness and Nas, on its north-west coast, has a typical alternative feel to it. 2012 "Paxi has become so popular it is best avoided in high season. We went for the tasting. 2012 "Helped by investment for the 2004 Olympics, the city is starting to take advantage of what it has … The views for which it was once famous have reappeared and the city retains its character to a remarkable degree. Paxi is too small (just 8km from end to end) to risk an invasion of campers. 2012 A minimum daily budget of £44, dorm beds from £15 a night, rooms £30pp. You are likely to spot egrets, cormorants and pelicans- both the white and the Dalmatian pelican breed here in spring. |
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Unspoilt Greece: holidays off the beaten track
