Very popular team sports
Soccer. All over Europe, people know the hot stadiums of Athens. The Karaiskakis, home of Olympiakos Piraeus (historically the club of the working class), or the Olympic Stadium of Panathinaikos (the one of the upper class) promise hell to the visitors and the "derby of the eternal enemies" is always very hot. But in the whole country, football is a real craze.
Basketball. Basketball is the other big popular sport in the country and the two leading clubs are... Panathinaikos and Olympiakos! The national team was European champion in 1987 and in 2005 and vice-champion of the world in 2006. And today, the team is carried by the NBA star Gianni Antetokounmpo.
Tavli, the favorite pastime of the locals
Tavli is a local variant of backgammon that Greeks love. It is played with friends or family whenever the opportunity arises: in a café, on a terrace, on a square, by the sea... With a small coffee or ouzo, accompanied by olives and mezzes, there is only one goal: to throw the dice, bring all the pieces back to one's camp and... start a new game!
A lot of seaside activities
Water activities. There are many opportunities to spend time 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 will reserve you some nice surprises, especially in terms of scuba diving and exploration of sea caves, as in Lesbos or Chios. On the water, sailing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, sea kayaking, wingfoil or surfing will allow you to fully enjoy the Aegean waves.
Thermal cures. Note that Ikaria also attracts visitors in search of thermal therapies: indeed, the island is home to hot springs slightly and naturally radioactive, recommended for many cures.
Beautiful hikes in perspective
If the blue leisure activities are obviously the most popular, the Greek islands also offer great opportunities for green leisure activities. The islands of the North Aegean are perfectly suited for hiking, due to their extremely varied ecosystems: forests, mountains, gorges, caves, waterfalls... everything is there! One crosses these landscapes on the kalderimia, these paved ways of the Byzantine time which connect the villages between them, and which make the happiness of the walkers. Walkers will particularly take the direction of the magnificent hiking trails of Samos where you can discover preserved villages, mountainous areas, waterfalls, beaches... You can also stretch your legs in Ikaria or Thassos where you will find many exceptional and protected natural sites. We can also go to the south of Skyros to walk and meet the Skyrian horses.
A paradise for birdwatching
Lemnos, with its preserved nature, is an ornithological refuge for many migratory birds thanks to aquatic areas such as the marshy area ofAlyki, preserved by the Natura 2000 label and where pink flamingos live.
In Lesbos, the preservation of the marshes of Kalloni, an exceptional ornithological refuge, has allowed Lesbos to obtain the European Natura 2000 label. Visitors come to the Kalloni birdwatching station mainly in the spring (from the beginning of April to the end of May), to observe the summer migration of birds from Africa, where they have spent the winter, to Europe, where they will breed in spring and summer.
