Product Description

The Rough Guide to Greek Islands is the ultimate travel guide with clear maps and detailed coverage of the Greek IslandsÂ’ best attractions. Discover the vibrant Greek Islands from the historic mass of Crete and barely inhabited islets to AthensÂ’ sea-set suburbs and lively nightlife. Our detailed Greek Islands maps help you find stunning temples, frescosed chapels and hidden coves, with detailed listings of the liveliest bars and atmospheric accommodation the Greek Islands have to offer. New full-colour features explore the Greek IslandÂ’s highlights, including the best Greek Island beaches and the Greek IslandÂ’s finest cuisine. Find detailed practical advice on local products, sections exploring history, music, archaeology and wildlife, combined with information on living in Greece, navigating your way around the Greek IslandÂ’s extensive ferry network and comprehensive coverage of the Greek IslandsÂ’ glittering festivals. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Greek Islands.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51159 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 732 pages

Review
'"The best all-round coverage of attractions and places to sleep and eat" ' - Sunday Times, London

Excerpted from Greek Islands: the Rough Guide by Mark Ellingham, Marc Dubin, Natania Jansz, John Fisher. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Where and when to go

There is no such thing as a typical Greek island; each has its distinctive personality, history, architecture, flora - even a unique tourist clientele. Landscapes vary from the lush cypress-and-olive-swathed Ionians to the bare, minimalist ridges of the Cyclades and Dodecanese, by way of subtle gradations between these extremes in the Sporades and northeast Aegean. Setting aside the scars from a few unfortunate man-made developments, it would be difficult to single out an irredeemably ugly island; all have their adherents and individual appeal, described in the chapter or section introductions.

Most islands and their inhabitants are far more agreeable, and resolutely Greek, outside the busiest period of early July to late August, when crowds of foreigners or locals, soaring temperatures and the effects of the infamous meltmi can detract considerably from enjoyment. The meltmi is a cool, fair-weather wind which originates in high-pressure systems over the far north Aegean, gathering steam as it travels southwards and assuming near-gale magnitude by the time it reaches Crete. North-facing coasts there, and throughout the Cyclades and Dodecanese, bear the full brunt; its howling is less pronounced in the north or east Aegean, where continental landmasses provide some shelter for the islands just offshore.

You won't miss out on warm weather if you come between late May and mid-June - when a wide variety of garden produce and fish is still available - or September, when the sea is warmest for swimming, though at these times you'll find little activity on the northernmost islands of Thssos and Samothrki. During October you will probably hit a week's stormy spell anywhere, but for much of that month the "little summer of yios Dhim'trios", the Greek equivalent of Indian summer, prevails. While the choice of restaurants and nightlife in autumn can be limited, the light is softer, and going out at midday becomes a pleasure rather than an ordeal. The most reliable venues for late autumn or early winter breaks are Rhodes and relatively balmy southeastern Crete, where swimming in December is not unheard of.

December to March are the coldest and least comfortable months, particularly on the Ionian islands, simply the rainiest patch in Greece from November onwards. The high peaks of northerly or lofty islands wear a brief mantle of snow around the turn of the year, with Crete's mountainous spine staying partly covered into April. Between January and April the glorious lowland wildflowers begin to bloom, beginning in the southeast Aegean. Early arrivals should keep in mind that travelling a few islands north or south often means the difference between tourist facilities open or still shut, as well as blossoms gone or yet to bloom. April weather is notoriously unreliable, though the air is crystal-clear and the landscape green - a photographer's dream. May is more settled, though the sea is still a bit cool for prolonged dips.

Other factors that affect the timing of a Greek island visit have to do with the level of tourism and the related amenities provided. Service standards, particularly in tavernas, invariably slip under peak-season pressures, and room rates are at their highest from July to September. If you can only visit during mid-summer, reserve a package well in advance, or plan an itinerary off the beaten track, gravitating towards islands with sparser ferry connections and/or no airport. Between November and April, you have to contend with pared-back ferry schedules (and almost nonexistent hydrofoil departures), plus skeletal facilities when you arrive. However, you will find fairly adequate services to the more populated islands, and at least one hotel and taverna open in the port or main town of all but the tiniest isles.

Customer Reviews

A disappointing addition to the Rough Guide series
Having just returned from 2 weeks in the Cyclades we realised after our second island hop that the Rough Guide to the Greek Island was out of touch with our wants and needs. The guide appears to be suited to the impoverished backpacker who would rather be discovering untrodden paths in a far flung part of the Indonesian archipelago rather than in a well developed EU member state. The authors were either not allowed to sample good food or accomodation, or were just in a rush to get something on the book shelves ahead of Lonely Planet. We tried several of the recommended restaurants and found them to be no more than average, the good hotels gave little to no detail apart from price. The places recommended to visit appeared to be based upon how untouched by tourism they were rather than on their beauty or interest. Frequently the most beautiful parts of the island were dismissed as 'best be avoided in season' by the authors in a manner that would suggest visitors to England would be best to avoid Bath, Oxford and Cambridge and seek out unspoilt towns such as Rochdale, Rotherham and Huddersfield which are less affected by crowds. Overall, this is the most disappointing of the Rough Guides I have sampled and 'best to be avoided'

Simply the best!
I find it remarkable that anyone would find this guide a dud. For me it is quite simply the best guide you can get. Best because it is full of pertinent, relevant and accurate information. And it is written by people who KNOW the islands. Space dictates brevity, and l would like to see a second version published - alongside this one - full of expounded text and masses of exquisite colour plates: like a full-size Eyewitness guide. The Greek islands are not just physical inorganic entities but four dimensional experiences. From the ravishing wind and surf of the impossibly beautiful and romantic Aegean, to the noisy ferries that ply the islands, The Rough guide graps at Zephrs to bring us a Meltimi of information.

Good but a bit superficial
Not really enough detail on each island. Better than the "whole-of-Greece" books though I would like to see a section on Athens added. Even though Athens is not an island (obviously) almost everyone has to pass through it to get to the islands at some point so a short section would be a useful addition.

Woof !
Xxx