Spiral stairs add a pop of colour to a street in Apollonia village on Sifnos
Category: Cyclades islands (Page 35 of 66)
One of the most famous churches in all the Greek islands, Panagia Ekatontapiliani in the Paros port town of Parikia is more popularly known as the “Church of the 100 doors” (probably because most tourists can’t pronounce the tongue-twisting Greek name.) But depending upon where you stand when you behold this beautiful building (it was constructed during the 4th Century), you will probably see more sections of stone walls and tiled roofs than doors.
Anthony Ayiomamitis captured this gorgeous photo of a golden full moon rising above the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Greece on May 5 2012. It’s the featured photo on the Astronomy Picture of the Day website.
Moon event: You can be sure that a lot of people in Greece will keep looking skyward tonight as the biggest full moon of 2013 rises on its dramatic pass across the sky.
According to the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, the exact full phase of the moon will occur at 11:32 UT, shortly before the moon reaches perigee — the closest point to Earth in the lunar orbit.
Since this Full Perigee Moon will be the biggest and closest full moon of the year, restaurants, bars and clubs across Greece will be celebrating the big occasion with a variety of events, from quiet viewings over cocktails to special dinner menus and even some all-night-long dance parties with world-renowned DJs entertaining.
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This promotional image for this weekend’s Mykonos Biennale depicts a view of the picturesque blue-domed church at the Mykonos harbourfront, as seen from the entrance colonnade at the Mykonos Town Hall
Cult event: Most people associate Mykonos with beautiful beaches and scintillating nightlife, but this weekend the island will draw international attention for arts and culture instead as it plays host to an avant-garde festival of visual art, music, dance and film.
The Mykonos Biennale, a cult event featuring a video film festival, contemporary art installations and live dance and musical performances, takes place at a variety of venues in and around Mykonos Town as well as on nearby Delos island during the four days starting Friday June 21.
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Musician Andreas Tsironis plays the bouzouki while one of the island’s famous pelicans preens on the wall behind him in the Kastro area of Mykonos Town
Tunes for tourists: Cruise ship passengers who headed for the Kastro area of Mykonos Town in hopes of seeing one of the famous Mykonos pelicans, as well as the iconic Paraportiani Church, got a triple treat while visiting the island recently.
They not only got to see both the church and one of the popular birds in the same place, but they also got to enjoy some live musical entertainment at the same time, courtesy of a local bouzouki busker.
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A sailboat glides near steep cliffs that soar above the northwest coast of the Gulf of Milos on Milos island. Click the image to view a full size photo.
Solstice sails: If you happen to be travelling in Greece next Saturday and would like to do some sightseeing from a fresh and fun perspective, rather than take a run-of-the-mill bus tour or guided group walkabout, head for the nearest port or marina to see if you can sign up for a sailing excursions or tag along as a deckhand for a local sailor.
Not only will you get to view spectacular Greek scenery from unique and unrivalled vantage points on the water, but you also will be joining tens of thousands of other people around the world in Summer Sailstice, an annual international event that celebrates the joy of sailing.
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A poster at the Adamas marina advertises the daily Milos tours that J & J Yachting offers on the sailboat Joanna I
Milos must-see / must-do: One of the top tourist activities on Milos in the southwest Cyclades is a day trip that actually takes place off the island — on a sailing yacht or tour boat cruise along the marvellous Milos coastline.
Created by 3 million years of volcanic activity, Milos boasts some of the most impressive landscapes in all the Greek islands, including dozens of breathtaking beaches and a spectacular 139-kilometer-long coastline.
The stunning coastal scenery is best viewed from the sea, of course, and a variety of sailboat tours and day cruises are available from Adamas, the main port town on Milos. Excursions typically depart the Adamas marina between 8 and 10 a.m. in the morning, and return by sunset. Many of the sailboat tours take sightseers past western Milos as far as the dramatic cliffs at Kleftiko, near the island’s southwest tip, while other excursions travel completely around Milos. Some tours offer trips to Antimilos, Kimolos and other nearby islands.
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Excursion sailboats anchored off the scenic cliffs at Kleftiko near the southwest tip of Milos. Click the photo to view it full-size.
Stunning scenery: It has been nearly six years since we took a sailboat tour along the scenic western coast of Milos, but my memories of the trip are still so vivid it seems as though it happened only yesterday.
As I described in the preceding post — Island sail tour is a must for Milos visitors — sailboat excursions and boat cruises rate among the top recommended tourist activities on Milos, thanks to the island’s spectacular coastal scenery.
A sailing tour was at the top of our personal “must-do” list when we visited Milos for the first time in mid-September 2007, but we had to wait several days to take one of the popular excursions because high winds forced most boats to remain in port.
It was well worth the wait.
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