Very popular team sports
Football. Throughout Europe, the boiling stadiums in Athens have earned the same reputation as those in Turkey. The Karaiskakis, home to Olympiakos Piraeus (historically the working-class club), or the Panathinaikos Olympic Stadium (the high-society one) promise visitors hell and the "derby of the eternal enemies" is always hot. But throughout the country, football is a real madness with huge political, social and financial implications. The Superleague Ellada (the 1st division) pulverizes TV audiences and drains gamblers into the Opap offices. The capital's demographic supremacy is being felt and more than half of the clubs are from the Athens metropolitan area. So much so that the others seem to be just extras. Only the "blacks" of PAOK Salonika created a surprise in 2019, putting an end to thirty years of Athenian reign. But its owner, Ivan Savvidis, a Greco-Russian from Georgia, is preceded by a reputation as a sulphurous businessman. In 2018, during a decisive match against AEK Athens, he did not hesitate to enter the field with a gun?
For the national team, the main feat of the selection is its surprise victory at Euro 2004 (after having notably taken France out in the quarter-finals)
Basketball. Basketball is the other great popular sport in the country and the two leading clubs are... Panathinaikos and Olympiakos! The selection was European champion in 1987 and 2005 and vice-world champion in 2006. And today, the team is led by Athens-born NBA star Gianni Antetokounmpo, who plays in Milwaukee and was voted the league's best player in 2019 and 2020
Water polo. Greece has excellent water polo teams, both men's (world champions in 2005 and 2015) and women's (Olympic vice-champions in 2004 in Athens, world champions in 2011). The Greek water polo league is one of the best in Europe. On the mainland and on the islands, people are passionate about this discipline and you can see pools all along the coast.
The tavli, a Greek passion
A true national discipline, it is practiced more at the café terraces of every town and village in Greece. Tavli is the local equivalent of backgammon. It is the name given to this game board, undoubtedly the favourite of the Greeks. It must be said that the invention of this game by the Egyptians dates back to antiquity. It was then taken over by the English, who gave it the name backgammon, which was also inherited later in France. Nowadays, the Greeks play it a little less than before, but there is still a tavli in the smallest kafeneio. There are several ways to play, with different rules. The Greeks alternate between the three best known(plakoto, fevga and portès). Some games are more strategic than risky and you can see people playing them even for money. Anyone will be happy to teach you the basic rules of the game, which will be a good idea before challenging your table neighbor. With a little coffee or ouzo, accompanied by olives and mezze, the only goal is to throw the dice, bring all your checkers back to your side and... start a new game!
Numerous seaside activities
There are plenty of opportunities for exercise here. If the Greek islands are not the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef, they remain the eternal Eldorado for swimmers. And the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea will hold some great surprises in store for you.
Scuba diving, offered by many schools, is practised in particular near the coast of Amorgos, where The Big Blue was filmed in 1987. The waters there are incredibly crystal clear. But also in Ios, which can also be seen in Luc Besson's famous film, in Corfu, Evia, Rhodes, Santorini, Leros, Milos, Mykonos, Paros, Agistri, Kastelorizo, Zakynthos in particular. You will discover wrecks and other superb natural curiosities. And you may even have the chance to meet the last monk seals of the Mediterranean!
Theexploration of seacaves or gorges is easy, and many excursions are offered. They can be found in all the archipelagos, in Kythnos, Corfu, Lesbos, Chios and Zakynthos for example.
Kitesurfing and windsurfing are very popular activities, especially off the windy coasts of Paros, Naxos, Rhodes, Kos, Leucate, Samos or Mykonos. Surfers will find their happiness in Tinos in particular, in the bay of Kolibithra, where a beautiful left wave rolls out especially during the months of July and August. Finally, everywhere you can practice sailing.
Jet-skiing, towed buoys, water-skiing or wakeboarding are also very fashionable in high season. Rare are the tourist beaches that do not rent them
Canoeing and paddling are also an opportunity to go for a nice walk on the sea.
On earth too, enough to spend
If blue leisure activities are obviously the most popular, the Greek islands also offer great opportunities for green leisure activities. On land, one can practice many extreme sports to discover the relief of the islands. Specialist agencies and local information centres will guide you to unique experiences
Hiking. The Greek islands are ideal for hiking because of their extremely varied ecosystems: forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, gorges, caves, waterfalls..., it's all there! You can also hike through these landscapes on the kalderimia, the paved roads from the Byzantine period that link villages together, and which are the delight of walkers. Bring good shoes and favour spring and autumn
MOUNTAIN BIKING. There are also some good mountain bike spots, in the Syros valleys for example or in the Naxos plains.
Climbing. The island of Kalymnos, a small rocky island in the Dodecanese, is a Greek climbing paradise. The island has more than 2,000 different routes and is suitable for climbers of all levels. Again, spring or autumn is preferred
Paragliding. Paragliding can also be practiced, especially on Lefkada Island.
