Sea Tourism and Water Sport Holidays in Greece - The Best from Greece

There are, of course, also scores of offshore Greek islands, including the Cyclades Islands, of which Mykonos and spectacular classical sailing and cruising, Delos, Rhenia. Paros, Naxos, Tinos, Santorini are probably the best known. The Ionian Islands including Corfu, Kefalonia next to her natural beauty also for diving , Paxos, Antipaxos and Zakynthos. The Sporades Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos. The climate of the region is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, although cooling sea breezes, known as "Meltemia" mean that the heat is not oppressive. Greece experiences 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, on average, with average temperatures of 330C and average rainfall of just 6mm during the summer months.

With nearly 8,500 miles of coastline, covered by some of the most beautiful - and clean, according to the Blue Flag Programme - beaches in Europe, if not the world and surrounded by the turquoise, crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean, it is no surprise that Greece is a Mecca for water sports enthusiasts.

Corfu, for example, can lay claim to some of the best water sports facilities in the Mediterranean. Windsurfing has become increasingly popular in the area in recent years, not least because the bays and coves around Corfu and the gentle winds, which blow in the morning, are ideal for beginners. Sailing, too, is popular around Corfu and small boats and dinghies can be rented by the day, locally, or larger craft - with or without skipper - can be chartered for longer periods.

Just a short hop from Corfu - 30 miles, which can be covered by ferry, hydrofoil or seaplane - lies Paxos, famous for its olive groves amongst other things. The capital of the island, Gaios and the nearby village of Lakka are popular with sailors and day trippers from Corfu, but Paxos has avoided mass tourism on a large scale. The water sports club at Lakka provides opportunities for windsurfing, sailing and water skiing, while snorkelling and diving are also popular. Open water dives and a full range of diving courses can be arranged via the diving club, also in Lakka.

Mykonos, perhaps best known for the sheltered, sandy beaches on its southern coast - which can become extremely crowded during the summer months - also offers a variety of water sports. Those of an adventurous persuasion can choose windsurfing at the surf centre located on Kalafati Beach, quite literally a stone`s throw from the sea, jet skiing or parasailing, while inflatable banana rides and pedaloes are available for those who are less adventurous.

Roughly 73 miles south of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea lies the volcanic island of Santorini, the southernmost of the Cyclades Islands. Once again, Santorini is renowned for its beaches, notably those of Perivolos and Perissa, but it also has a well-established water sports club, catering for everything from canoeing and kayaking to diving, wakebaodring and jet skiing.

Of course, many operators also offer cruises of the Greek islands, on traditional, large cruise liners or on more intimate, smaller ships. It is worth remembering that traditional cruise liners were not designed for the Greek islands, where the harbours are small, in many cases too small to be approached closely by a ship on the scale of a cruise liner. This may mean lengthy waits for disembarking, embarking, etc. and lengthy journeys to your destination by smaller boat. Bear in mind, too, that there are around 1400 Greek islands in total, of which 169 are inhabited, but Greek island cruises typically take in as many ports of call as is reasonably possible, including Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and many others.

As far as getting to Greece is concerned, many carriers, including budget carriers, operate scheduled and chartered flights to destinations throughout mainland Greece and the Greek islands from major and provincial airports. Once you arrive in Greece, internal flights and ferries are available; indeed, many of the major U.K. travel agents offer travel deals for tourists wishing to engage in the increasingly popular pastime of Greek island "hopping" and enjoy amazing Travel Destinations, Greek Culinary ,�taste�the Greek Traditional Cuisine�and Thousands of Years of Culture and History.

The Best from Greece Travel Team & The Friends of Greece Club