Where To Live In Greece

There are some great places to live in Greece, all of which have their own unique character and attractions.

Here is more information about the different places that you could live Greece:

Mainland

Athens - Athens is the capital of Greece and has approx 5 million inhabitants which is almost half the population of Greece. As with any large city the cost of living is more expensive and the salaries remain low.

Pelopennese - The Pelopennese is the southernmost point of mainland Greece and in fact can be called an Island since the completion of the Corinth Canal in 1893.

Mycenae and Mystras are two very popular and historically important areas in the Peloponnese, and are visited by thousands of visitors every year. Mystras is a perfect example of a Byzantine city, with its well preserved houses and churches that date back to the 14th and 15th century.

Halkidiki - Halkidiki is a famous Greek peninsula which is situated in Northern Greece near the city of Thessaloniki. Halkidiki has three peninsulas which are called Cassandra, Sithonia and Mt Athos.

Mt Athos is inhabited by 1400 monks and there are 20 monasteries and can only be visited by men and it needs a special permit obtained in advance.

Thessaloniki – Thessaloniki, (also known as Salonika or Saloniki,) has given Greece some of its greatest musicians, artists, poets and thinkers. It has some of the most beautiful beaches and has some of the finest hotels and best restaurants in northern Greece. Home to the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the International Trade Fair and host to many cultural events.

Islands

Cyclades - The Cyclades are the best known and most visited of all the Greek islands attracting hundreds of thousands of island-hoppers in the summer months.

There are remote herb-scented hillsides where farmers use donkeys to bring barley in from the fields. There are ancient sites and some of the most important centers of religious pilgrimage in the whole of Greece.

Dodecanese - The Dodecanese islands are located in the southeast part of the Aegean sea and consist of twelve major island and a number of smaller islands.

They have beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters, whitewashed houses, charming villages, lush vegetation, Venetian & Byzantine monuments.

Ionian - The Ionian islands are located off  the west coast of Greece and are composed of Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos (Zante), Lefkada, Ithaca, Paxos and Kythira.

One of the best known sights on Zante is the Shipwrecked Beach which is the most photographed places in the world.

Kefalonia being famous for where Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was set.

The Ionian islands receive above average rainfall (Corfu has the highest rainfall in the whole of Greece) with the result that they’re lush and green, awash with olive groves, cypresses and mountainsides carpeted with orchids and other wild flowers in springtime. The luxuriant vegetation comes as something of a surprise to those more accustomed to the stark barrenness of the Cycladic islands. Winters are mild and wet but the summer months are extremely hot as the islands don’t receive the meltemi wind that cools the Aegean islands

East Aegean - The East Aegean islands are closer to Turkey than the Greek mainland, there are six islands and are less well known than the Cyclades but still very beautiful with mountainous landscapes, dense forests of pine trees and beautiful sandy beaches.

Saronic - The Saronic islands are the closest distance to Athens and the port of Pireaus, which makes them popular for the Athenian people to visit for weekends, a lot of them own holiday homes on Aegina and Agistri  which are the nearest and can be reached in about 1 hour on the ferry.

Sporades - The Sporades group of islands lie off the eastern shore of mainland Greece and consist of eleven islands of which only four are inhabited: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisis and Skyros.

They are known for dense vegetation and mountainous terrain      and the bluest and cleanest seas you will come across.

Evia - The island of Evia, located off the eastern coast of Central Greece, is one of the most popular and unique of all the Greek Islands. Second in size only to the island of Crete, Evia is a wonderful holiday and vacation destination that is ideal for all types of holidays throughout the year.

Evia is best described as being an island with three main parts – the north, central and south. Each has it’s own inspiring landscape, rich vegetation and colourful scenery, interesting history, ancient sites and place of interest, as well as so much more.

Evia is an island that has a very diverse and inspiring landscape. For lovers of nature, the islands has some breathtaking imagery, as well as beautiful ravines and forests that are just crying out to be explored.

Crete - Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands and is located in the south of the Aegean sea. Crete is the most famous of the islands and the most popular for expats to live.

It is made up of four prefectures: Chania, Hereklion, Lassithi and Rethymnon.

Although it is the largest and receives many visitors in the summer you can still find quiet tranquil villages away from tourism and see the real way of life, the old women making their tablecloths, the old men on donkeys, children playing in the narrow streets.

Crete has a 1,000 kilometer long coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays and peninsulas with a multitude of soft sandy beaches along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

We chose to live on Crete just outside the town of Rethymnon in a small village which is peaceful and so beautiful, I still pinch myself to remind me that we actually live here and are not on holiday.

It can get very hot in the summer months but we live a five minute walk from the beach so we can stay cool. There are many villages close to us that have an expat community in them and that is fine if you feel the need to be around other British people, we on the other hand wanted to live among the local Greek (or Cretan) people, in fact in our village we are the only British, there are a few other families from Romania, Georgia, Russia, Holland and Germany in the area also.

Everyone is different and have their own ideas of where they want to live, so you have to make your own decision of where is right for you and your family. This website is here to help you make an informed choice but the decision is still yours.

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