The islands are the main characteristic of Greece’s morphology and an integral part of the country’s culture and tradition. Greek sovereign land includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, of which only 227 islands are inhabited. This is a truly unique phenomenon for the European continent.
The Greek Archipelago takes up 7,500 km of the country’s total 16,000 km coastline, offering a highly diversified landscape: beaches stretching over many kilometers, sheltered bays and coves, sandy beaches with sand-dunes, pebble beaches, coastal caves with steep rocks and dark colored sand typical of volcanic soil and coastal wetlands.
1. There are so many more islands than you think
If asked to name some of the Greek Islands, you’d probably be able to come up with a few off the top of your head, but in reality, there are closer to 6,000 of them. Only a couple of hundred or so are actually inhabited, but even that gives travelers many less-crowded options if you’re willing to go beyond the typical Santorini or Mykonos trip.
2. Take your pick of natural — and man-made — wonders
The magic of these islands goes beyond the breathtaking sunsets. Santorini is one of the few places in the world where you can see white, black and red-sand beaches, thanks to all the volcanic activity — the island of Crete is also home to more than 300 caves. Romantics should visit Kardia, a naturally heart-shaped island and Amorgos is home to a giant shipwreck, as is the island of Zakynthos. Visit Giola, a turquoise pool of water formed by rocks on the island of Thassos and hot springs on the island of Samothraki are said to have healing powers, too.
3. Don’t rush — you’re on island time
You should know this going in: Greece runs on “Mediterranean time”. Things here move slowly, and people don’t take time as seriously as they do in the U.S. or most of western Europe, especially in the islands. Don’t expect any type of public transportation — like buses or ferries — to arrive or depart on time, give yourself plenty of time at the airport and expect crowds everywhere.
Taxi and airport strikes are common and can put a dampener on your plans, so try to just take it easy and go with the flow. There’s no point in rushing because no one else is. Head to a less-visited island if you want something a little calmer. Most importantly, add in a little extra time when planning and booking connecting flights, ferries and other transportation to avoid any extra headaches.
4. There’s an island where the people live forever (well, almost)
Ikaria is one Greek island where the people basically live forever — well, maybe not forever, but longer than anywhere else. It’s considered to be one of the few “blue zones” in the world, special areas where the residents tend to live longer and often reach the three-digit mark. Locals attribute their long lifespans to daily rituals involving coffee, exercise, drinking local wine and using the island’s natural herbs in teas and to cure ailments — bathing in the nearby hot springs is also said to help.
5. Don’t wave at anyone
It’s probably best not to wave at anyone in the Greek islands because you could (accidentally) be flipping them off. The exact motion you should avoid: extending all of your fingers and directing your palm at someone in a forward motion. It’s called the mountza and is believed to be derived from an ancient curse, so don’t do it!
6. Be prepared to deal with large crowds
Greece normally receives double its population in tourists each year and is one of the few destinations where they actually outnumber the locals. While this isn’t limited to just the islands, in many cases the local population on one of them could be just a few hundred, but that number swells well into the thousands during the high season. Keep this in mind while travelling and try to respect the (few) locals who may reside on your chosen island.
7. Dance all night long — and maybe all day
If you want to have a local experience, don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes. There are more than 10,000 types of traditional Greek dances and many of them come from the islands — each isle, and often each village, has its own. The people here don’t necessarily need a reason to bust a move — dancing at weddings, during holidays, to celebrate the grape harvest or just because they feel like it.
Make sure only to dance when you’ve been invited to, though, as some of the dances may have strict traditions and arrangements, like a set order by age or status — you wouldn’t want to be the random tourist who screws up the whole routine now, would you? - Thepointsguy
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