On the tourist map of Europe, Greece is a relatively unspoilt and unexplored frontier area. To be sure, travelers today encounter all of the comforts and facilities to which they are accustomed in the nearer countries of Europe. Yet a journey to Greece remains a high adventure: wherever you go, this is a land of bold contrasts. Historically, the ancient Greek civilization, almost everywhere in evidence, is in sharp opposition to that of Byzantium, and of the Norman and Frankish overlords and the maritime republics of Genoa and Venice. Strangely enough, nearly 500 years of Turkish rule left relatively few traces.
Scenically, the wild peaks of the Pindos range, or the mythological Olympus and Parnassus mountains are a world apart from the lush islands of Corfu, ZAkynthos and Rhodes. Holiday-wise, the sleepy sun-soaked siesta of a coastal beach contrasts with a motor trip over the rugged mountain roads of Central Greece to the monasteries of Meteora or a leisurely islandhopping cruise on a chartered yacht. And contrasts of physical comfort range from category AA luxury of the country's leading hotels to the rough-and-ready joys of some villager's sincere hospitality.
Greece is a sizeable country: its 51,173 square miles of land plus the sea lanes of the Aegean make it larger than Great Britain or Alabama; it has a population close to 10 million. Distances are made to appear longer by the country's many mountain ranges, the present state of secondary roads and the vast area of the island groups. Most tourists prefer to concentrate on one region at a time. You will find that each region has its own character and traditions, its own attractions and charm.