Greece holidayhomes, villas and apartments for rent direct from owners. Luxurious holiday rental accommodation in Greece and Greek Islands, Crete, Rhodes, Aegean islands, Ionian Islands offering Greek holidays and vacation rentals to savour.
Peloponnese The
Peloponnese, is a large peninsula, located in southern Greece, forming
the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth. Originally a
peninsula connected to the rest of the country by the Isthmus of
Corinth, it is now cut off from the mainland by the narrow Corinth
Canal, spanned by bridges connecting the Peloponnese to mainland Greece.
The
Peloponnese possesses many important archaeological sites dating from
the Bronze Age through to the Middle Ages. Among the most notable are
the ancient city of Corinth where St Paul lived and taught, Epidaurus,
an ancient religious and healing centre), now a picturesque seaside
village, with one of the most famous of ancient theatres which still
stages plays. Monemvasia is a medieval fortress-town, Greece’s
Gibraltar. Mycenae is a fortress-town dating from the mycenean period
with amazing views across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulfs. Olympia,
the site of the Ancient Olympic Games and home to a sacred sanctuary
dedicated to Zeus.
The town of Kalamata is famous for its olives
but is also a pleasant city with an attractive seafront and stylish new
marina. Nafplio is a beautiful seaport town and a good base to explore
the surrounding area, such as Epidaurus and Mycenae.
Evia The
island of Evia, second largest of the Greek islands is located off the
eastern coast of Central Greece. With stunning landscapes and scenery,
bringing together mountains, beautiful ravines and forests and the
beautiful blue crystal waters of the Aegean Sea, it provides an exciting
and interesting holiday villa and vacation rental destinations.
There
are many beautiful villages and towns scattered all across this
charming island, each offering visitors an insight into both the past
and present traditions of this unique and picturesque island. There are
many different activities that visitors can enjoy, such as hiking, water
sports, horse riding, climbing, mountain biking and many others. For
those who simply enjoy the beach and the sea, Evia has some wonderful
beaches all around the island. For a day trip, Athens is in easy
proximity.
Corfu The island of Corfu, known also as
Kerkyra, is the northernmost of the Ionian Islands. It is located off
the far northwest coast of Greece, east of Italy and southwest of
Albania.
Historically Corfu has been controlled by many foreign
powers, notably the Venetians and their legacy is visible in the form of
castles in strategic locations across the island. Two of these castles
enclose its capital, also called Corfu, which is the only city in Greece
to be surrounded in such a way. There is much Italianate style
architecture with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. Corfu Town is
now a UNESCO World Heritage site. There was a short period of British
rule following the Napoleonic Wars, the legacy of which is cricket and
ginger beer. The north of the island is wider and more mountainous.
The coastal areas are well developed with good pebbly beaches. The south
of the island is less wide (only a few miles across from west to east)
and tends to have sandier beaches.
The Achilleion is a palace
about ten kilometres to the south of Corfu town. It was built by the
Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The palace was designed with the mythical
hero Achilles as its central theme. Benitses is well worth visiting, it
is a very old, traditional fishing village, 12 km south of Corfu Town.
The mild climate and the natural beauty of Benitses village has made it
very popular with visitors. Messonghi beach has a gentle current, clean
water with sand and pebbles and plenty of little fish, it is ideal for
children and families.
For the more adventurous, there are day
trips to Sarande in Albania which can be combined with an excursion to
the UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint.
Kefalonia or Cephalonia The
island of Kefalonia or Cephalonia as it is also known, is now perhaps
best known as the setting for the book and the film 'Captain Corelli's
Mandolin', it is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece. It
is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery with lush forests,
breathtaking mountains and high cliffs dropping down to an azure sea.
Renting a boat and spending the day visiting secluded beaches reachable
only in this way is a popular holiday activity. Horse-riding into the
mountains, through ruined villages and ancient vineyards, is another. In
the remote western corner of the island there are small villages and
private beaches where a centuries old monastery can be found. There are
also fascinating geological phenomena, vast underground water networks,
subterranean lakes and stalactite encrusted caverns.
Kos Kos,
one of the islands of the Dodecanese group, is located in the
south-eastern Aegean Sea and is just 3 miles from the coast of Turkey.
It is famous for its rich vegetation and its temperate climate. The
ancient physician Hippocrates is thought to have been born on Kos, and
in the centre of the town is the Plane Tree of Hippocrates where the
physician is traditionally supposed to have taught. A short distance
from Kos Town, at the slopes of a low mount with a view of Turkey, is
the ancient complex of Asclepius (known as the god of medicine and
healing in ancient Greek religion).
The castle of the Knights of
Saint John is situated at the entrance of Kos harbour on what used to
be an island in antiquity. There are at least two excellent beaches –
Tigaki a sandy beach of the northern coast backed by a verdant valley
with crystal clear waters and Agios Theologos with beautiful creeks and
rocky coves is ideal for sunbathing and windsurfing. Delicious meals of
fresh fish can be had at the local tavernas.
Santorini The
island of Santorini in the southern Aegean Sea is about 200 km
southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the southernmost member of the
Cyclades group of islands. Santorini is the remnant of a volcanic
caldera with a giant central lagoon surrounded by steep cliffs on three
sides. The capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on
the lagoon. The town is a marriage of Venetian and Cycladic
architecture, whose white cobblestone streets bustle with shops,
tavernas, hotels and cafes.
Santorini is famous for dramatic views and stunning sunsets and you can find many holiday rental homes and villas in Oia with
beautiful views across the bay. There are also many fantastic beaches
such as the beach of Perissa, maybe the best beach in Santorini, and the
black pebble beach of Kamari. Outside of the towns can be found
beautiful countryside where tradition still survives, cave houses,
gardens, vineyards, small family business, and tiny churches. The walk
along the caldera from Fira to Oia is spectacular and highly
recommended.
Halkidiki Halkidiki is a peninsula in
northern Greece, part of the region of Macedonia. The peninsula has
three prongs. Kassandra, the westernmost prong of Halkidiki, is the most
popular and populated. The easternmost prong is the autonomous Mount
Athos region, the spiritual centre of the Greek Orthodox and a living
monument to Byzantine culture but which is restricted to visitors.
Halkididki
has rolling hills with lush vegetation, white beaches and a sandy,
rocky coastline fringed by pine forests. It is wonderful for those who
love mountains and pure air. Paths for mountain biking and walking cut
their way through the forests of pine, oak, fir and chestnut trees, with
many springs rushing from the mountain sides. There are some unique
archaeological sites, including Olynthus Stágeira, the birthplace of
Aristotle, Doric sanctuary of Zeus near Kallithea and the small chapel
of Agios Panteleimon with very fine murals.
The town of
Kallithea, a very cosmopolitan resort with great beaches is 90 km from
Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek Macedonia. Ideally situated on the
Kassandra peninsula, Kallithea is great base for day trips throughout
the entire Halkidiki peninsula.
For more information about
visiting or booking a vacation rental in Greece or any of these areas
please contact us or browse through our growing list of holiday homes
and villas in Greece. The Island of Crete
The largest island in Greece and the
one that may provide most opportunities to book a vacation rental in
Greece is Crete as the climate makes it an ideal place for renting a
holiday home at almost any time of the year. Located
in the southern part of the Aegean Sea it is the most populous of the
Greek islands. It provides a significant part of the economy and
cultural heritage of Greece but retains its own local cultural traits
such as its own poetry, and music. It has an exquisite 1,000
kilometer-long coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays and peninsulas
that offer splendid vistas to drive along and a multitude of soft,
sandy beaches along the beautifully blue Mediterranean Sea including the
spectacular island of Elafonisos in the South East that one can walk or
wade across the pink sand to get to and see a truly unique
ecological treasure of an island. There are also many beautiful
historic towns to see while following the rugged twists and turns of the
awe inspiring old roads that traverse it's mountainous interior or lead you along old road from Kissamos to Elafonisos and up along the high coastal roads to view the sunset
dipping down over the Eastern bays. It is a place of extreme contrasts
going from fertile coastal plains covered in olive trees to rugged
mountains and from busy metropolitan cities to very peaceful hillside
homes. Crete is a quite distinct place which is full of vitality, warmth
and hospitality. Internet Villa Holidays can even offer you a villa
rentals in Crete with it's own wine cellar and distillery and open air
restaurant for a true taste of authentic Cretian hospitality and
cuisine.
A holiday home or villa rental in Crete with it's rich
landscape and snow peaked white mountains makes a truly wonderful place
to visit both for a Mediterranean beach holiday and as a place to
explore the rich history, culture and hospitality on offer.
Crete
has a rich mythology mostly connected with the ancient Greek gods but
also connected with the Minoan civilization. On mount Ida can be found
the birthplace of the god Zeus. Crete was the centre of the Minoan
civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), the earliest recorded civilization in
Europe. The ruins of this civilization can be found in the reconstructed
palace at Knossos, whose labyrinth is the location where the Minotaur
was slain by Theseus.
Crete has a good infrastructure so
travelling around the island is relatively easy. This allows for visits
to a variety of landscapes in relatively short distances. The island has
a number of gorges, such as the famous gorge of Samaria, an amazing but
long six hour hike through one of the most impressive places in Europe.
In contrast, the southern coast of Rethimnon has beautiful beaches,
many accessible only on foot. Ierapetra has the distinction of being the
southernmost town facing the African coast and enjoys the best weather
in Europe, with a temperature that rarely drops below 12 C all year
long. Also well worth a visit is Chania, a delightful port town on the
north west coast, with an atmosphere reflecting its Venetian and Turkish
past. The old town is centered around the harbour and it's many
restaurants where you can enjoy the beautiful light rippling around the
bay or wander around the surrounding maze of alleys and houses that have
been standing for many hundreds of years with details from all the
different epochs including the Turkish Mosque that dominates
the Venetian harbour of Chania. Throughout Crete you can clearly see
remnants of Roman and Turkish aqueducts and architecture from long ago
occupations.
Crete is famous for its tasty and healthy cuisine.
It was the subject of a study that revealed its great health benefits
and nutritional value. The population has a low incidence of heart
attacks and cancers. This cuisine can be found in most traditional
Cretan cafes where traditional music is also likely to be found along
with large quantities of tsikoudia or raki, the predominant alcoholic
beverage produced and consumed by the locals. But be careful it can be
up to 45% proof and will often be given by the host at the end of a meal.
Crete,
with a population of approximately 650,000, is not just sun, sea and
sand; and of course an excellent infrastructure. Crete is well known for
its seas and beaches but it has a very contrasting landscape. No doubt
Ierapetra, "the bride of the Libyan sea", is the sunniest holiday resort
in Europe. Internet Villa Holidays has hundreds of unpublished listings of holiday homes and villas in Crete and Greece so please contact us directly with details about what you are looking for, and where, and we will send you further information.
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