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Secrets of Greece?

Tomorrow I am leaving on an 8-day trip to southern Europe. Original plan was northern Spain, but this is cancelled due to unstable weather and cold temperatures, so it's liky going to be towards Greece.

Who does have any recommendations as far as greek isles go if I am looking for relaxed atmosphere, a beautiful village and good beaches? I'm not intending places like Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and the likes. Happy with a non-international airport (I know I would have to fly to an international airport first) or without Avgas. Or generally with a place that's a little more off the beaten track. Heard good things of Naxos for example.

Also, ine the way I might want to make a stop at Sarajevo.Anyone could tell me if private flights need prior permission from the local CAA in order to fly in Bosnia-Herzegovina? Or is PPR from the airport sufficient?

Anyone have any recent experience of Macedonia (Skopje and Ohrid)?

Thanks,

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

A load of Greek trip writeups on my website. I planned a Skopje stop on the Sep 2012 trip.

AOPA.gr general guidance

or without Avgas

In that case you have only

Corfu
Megara
Athens
Samos
Sitia
Hania (long PPR for a foreigner)
Rhodos

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

http://www.aopa.gr/info for flying info. I'll return from t'moro on this thread when I'll have access from my pc and not just the phone

LGMG Megara, Greece

Petakas,

Looking forward to your insights....

Currently in Losinj. Tommorow Sarajevo (PPR sorted).

BTW: seen Chesthunt's 210 as well at the apron...it's a small world...particularly the european GA scene...

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I found an older email to a friend asking the same question so I copy paste it with some recent info. update.

Basically it all depends on what you want in lifestyle.

There are calm islands and there are busy islands.

Let me give you some basic facts and we take it from there onwards.

I added some [tags] regarding size of island and how calm or not they are.

Ionian sea (west) south of Kerkira LGKR

Kefalonia LGKF [Large - calm Island] Calm island, needs some driving around to see the beauties, medium in tourism traffic. http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgkf

Zakynthos LGZA [Large - lively Island] Same as Kefalonia but a bit busier in tourism. Nice beaches at places.

Aegean Sea

South Aegean sea

Kithira LGKC [Medium - calm Island] Very nice calm island, laid back lifestyle, cheap prices, nice beaches, easy going airport, no avgas http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgkc

Milos LGML [Medium - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgml Small island with one big mountain, nice beaches, nice villages in the mountain

Crete island [Big - lively Island] Iraklion LGIR Too busy, the capital of Crete, has all facilities, the city is nothing special but nearby you can find the ancient Minoan Knossos palace.

Eastern Crete : Sitia LGST http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgst Very GA friendly airport with AVGAS and the (GA) gateway to North Africa. Town is nothing special but it is a laid back lifestyle and 1 hour's drive southeast there is a nice beach

Western Crete: Chania LGSA Very nice town to go to but airport is joint MIL use and takes few days to get permission to go to.

Central Aegean

Santorini LGSR [Medium - lively Island] No AVGAS - PPR Excellent views from the cliffs, Greece's most romantic place to go and relax ! http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgsr Nothing special in beaches for swimming (due to volcanic soil & terrain).

Mikonos LGMK [Small - lively Island] PPR, no AVGAS http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/mykonos Greece's most beautiful beaches but very busy in July-August and Greece's most expensive prices, almost impossible to guarantee parking space in apron. The main town is very nice with traditional architecture but night life and hundreds of tourists do not make it the best destination this period. It is usually quite windy but runway is on the wind.

Paros LGPA [Small - lively Island] Same with Milos but busier in tourism. Will be hard to find rooms. http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgpa

Naxos LGNX [Medium - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgnx Same with Paros but with a bit less traffic. Highest mountain in central Aegean Region. Nice village up the mountain, nice sandy beaches.

Syros LGSO [Small - calm Island] No avgas, very GA friendly, picturesque town, admin. capital of region, with nice coffee shops & taverna's near the port. http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgso Nothing significant on shores. Its mostly an autumn/spring island to go to.

Eastern Aegean Chios LGHI [Big - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lghi Nothing special in beaches, medium size island, not too much tourism, nice villages to drive to Mesta village (west) is nice traditional to go to for a day's visit.

Samos LGSM [Big - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgsm Same as Chios, has AVGAS, a bit tricky with winds and turbulence on approach. Its Greece's most stunning approach.

Mitilini LGMT [Big - calm Island] Big island with villages in the countryside, no special beaches but nice to drive around. Molyvos village to the NW is nice but too far for a day's visit.

Leros LGLE [Small - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/leros_patmos/ Laid back island.

Ikaria LGIK [Small - very calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/lgik Calm island, the city is not close to the airport. No facilities but island is very calm to relax. This is where the ancient Icarus name comes from. It is considered Greece's most laid back island in lifestyle.

Southeast Aegean

Rodos LGRP [Big - lively Island] The capital airport with full facilities. http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgrp

Kos LGKO [Big - lively Island] Near Rodos, big island, tourist destination

Karpathos LGKP [Big - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgkp Same as Kithira, very laid back style, rough terrain, few but nice beaches. Olimpoi village up in the mountain is worth a visit. Its like Ikaria island, a pace of their own.

Astypalaia LGPL [Small - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgpl Laid back, calm island, nice town on the rock, nice beaches. No avgas.

Kalymnos LGKY [Medium - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/lgky Laid back, no facilities Mainly a fisher's island with some nice calm places.

Kastelorizo LGKJ [Small - calm Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/v/kyp/lgkj Laid back, no facilities, Greece's most distant southeastern little island

North Aegean

Skiathos LGSK [Medium - lively Island] http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/sporades/ Very nice beaches, lots of vegetation. Lively island. Gateway to nearby Skopelos (MamaMia film location) and Alonissos islands (by short boat ride).

Limnos LGLM [Big - calm Island] Big island with nice places to drive to. Getting permission to go there takes time because it's joint military use.

Same goes for Skiros LGSY which is near Skiathos. [Big - calm Island] Rocky island with some nice beaches.

General info.

Regarding important information for flying in Greece read this carefully ! http://www.aopa.gr/info In there you'll find information on AVGAS airports and handling charges.

Check operation hours through the NOTAM's. Most medium to small size airports open & close based on the airlines schedule which in some places happens to be just few hours per day (not good for a short hopp over).

LGMG Megara, Greece

My all time favourite places are

Kithira - the most beautiful island

Both above are unretouched although the 2nd was taken with a polarised filter.

Report here. No Customs, no Avgas.

Sitia - a lovely place which is also practical

Most recent report here. Has Customs and Avgas, but (as many Greek airports) very limited opening hours.

If we ever buy a house in Greece, it will be in Sitia because it is a really nice place which is also "functioning", and the airport is a perfect base for flying all over Greece.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Thank you very very much petakas!

If you had to rank the greek islands by their prettiness, atmosphere and beaches, which would be your, say, "top four"? I wouldn't want to take a rental car and drive all day, so I prefer places where the airport is close to a nicevillage and a good beach.

I think tomorrow I'll head for Skiathos. Then maybe on to another, small island. Do you know how seriously the authorities actually take the "international airports only for international flights"-rule when departing Greece towards another Schengen country? Will anybody at the airport stop you from flying from, say, Naxos to somewhere in Hungary?

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

If we ever buy a house in Greece, it will be in Sitia because it is a really nice place which is also "functioning", and the airport is a perfect base for flying all over Greece.

Shortly after you buy your house there (I'd wait until there is a working land register), they will either close the airport or introduce mandatory €500 handling...

Achim:

let him buy the airport first, then we all can build our houses on it ... but don't mention Mrs. Merkel

EDxx, Germany

I don't think Greece has the "Spanish problem" with land registering, but what worries a lot of people is property tax on foreign owned properties. The authorities have foreign owners over a barrel, obviously. However this is a concern all over, not just Greece or just southern Europe.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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