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E AT DUNDEE Come for the pies and cake, stay for the locally brewed IPA, spiced gin and a bounty of fish and fresh game, all ingredients in Dundee’s current culinary renaissance WORDS: JESSICA VINCENT It’s 1am on a Friday and I’m eating a kebab pie World Scotch Pie Champion title. But a kebab Clockwise from top: IMAGES: GETTY; JESS VINCENT; 4CORNERS on an industrial estate in Dundee. University pie? That’s a sign of changing times in Dundee. Sunset over the River students are slumped on the curb, heads Tay; pies from Clark’s hanging over steaming cardboard boxes filled Baba’s Doner Pie is the latest addition to the Bakery; mixing a gin with macaroni cheese and haggis pies. Other menu at Clark’s, a family bakery that opened cocktail at Draffens bar late-night punters — taxi drivers, hen parties in 1950 turned 24-hour takeaway. “Dundee is and workers in high-vis jackets — order meat- a growing university city — we had to come up filled rolls with names like the Gut Buster and with pies for a younger crowd,” says Jonathon the Helicopter. The air is thick with the sweet, Clark, a third-generation baker who took over yeasty aroma of a working bakery, and I’m two the family business from his father in 2000. bites away from cardiac arrest. The pastry of Since then, Jonathon and his team of bakers my kebab pie, still warm and greasy from the have created dozens of hangover-inspired pie oven, is buttery but firm. Inside are ribbons creations, including the NYC Pie (pastrami, of doner meat laced in lashings of blood-red onions, peppers, gherkins, mustard, white Baba’s, a locally made sweet chilli sauce that sauce and mozzarella and chili cheese), gets spicier with every bite. On top, an inch and the Breakfast Pie (bacon, beans, Lorne of melted cheddar and red Leicester replaces sausage, haggis and a tattie scone). According the pastry lid. to Jonathon, Dundee’s first 24-hour bakery now sells around 5,000 pies a week. I’d first heard of Dundee’s legendary pies — or ‘pehs’ in Dundonian — from a Scottish After surviving my kebab pie — a bestseller chef in London. “You have to try a Scotch pie since its recent launch — I follow Jonathon in a roll,” he’d said to me. “And make sure they inside the bakery, where the team are getting serve it hot.” A double-crust pie filled with ready for a busy night ahead. Hundreds of minced beef or mutton, the Scotch pie has plump pastries oozing with curry sauce and been a permanent fixture of Dundee’s food beef gravy are stacked in steel baking trolleys. scene since the city’s industrial era, when A 78-year-old employee, who Jonathon calls 19th-century jute mill workers needed a filling “Grandad”, fills his last pastry case with steak and cheap meal that could be eaten on the go and haggis before he clocks off for a holiday and — for extra carbs — wedged inside a bread in Benidorm. A woman shouts for more sugar, roll and smothered in brown sauce. Today, a another for a bag of grated cheese. Outside, the yearly World Championship Scotch Pie Awards queue for midnight pies grows bigger. sees bakers and butchers fight for the coveted “Before going 24 hours, we used to put the pies by the door to cool,” says Jonathon, as he 52 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
CuHIaSuINtEE.. To COFFEE BEANS And Everything In Between! Plan your visit today at dundee.com on Your map
E AT A TASTE OF Braised blade of beef, parsnip purée, carrot and Dundee shallots at Daisy Tasker BRIDGEVIEW STATION IMAGE: JESS VINCENT Looking out onto Dundee’s inspects chicken tikka pies out for delivery. tartare of oak-smoked Perthshire venison and 19th-century Tay Rail bridge, this “People coming home from a night out would Loch Duart salmon with Shetland mussels. I former Victorian train station either nick them or ask how much they were. opt for an Arbroath smokie soup to start, made has been lovingly restored into We always work through the night anyway, so with the EU-protected hot smoked haddock one of Dundee’s best waterfront why not open 24 hours?” that’s prepared 30 minutes northeast of here. restaurants. Passionate about local produce, chef Rory Lovie serves On the wall, there’s a 1950s picture of “We let our surroundings write the menu,” modern Scottish cuisine fit for Jonathon’s grandfather baking Scotch pies in says The Tayberry’s sous chef, Ross Smith, every occasion: for a taste of fine the original Clark’s Bakery, not far from here. as my soup arrives. It’s light as foam with a dining, choose from elegant dishes I ask what his grandfather would have made hint of oak and comes with a seared Scottish like pigeon breast with haggis of a Clark’s kebab pie. “Tradition is important, scallop and a teaspoon of caviar. “When pearl barley or hake fillet with but Dundee is changing. Making a kebab pie is people think of modern Scottish food, they celeriac and savoy cabbage. When keeping Scottish pie-making alive — it’s making think of Edinburgh or Glasgow. But in Dundee, comfort calls, opt for the ham hock sure the next generation are still eating them.” the Angus Glens are around 20 miles north bloomer with Dundee Marmalade and the fish is right here,” he says, pointing to and Arran mustard or the smoked Dundee — known since the Victorian era the river. “Two minutes from my house I can applewood macaroni cheese with as the city of ‘jute, jam and journalism’ — is forage for chanterelle and cep mushrooms sauteed leeks. Mains from around indeed changing. In 2018, as part of a £1 billion — I’ve paired them with your grouse today.” £14. bridgeviewstation.com transformation of its waterfront, Dundee became the home of Scotland’s first design The wild grouse, shot that morning in SERENDIPITIES museum when the V&A opened. In 2021, 300 the Angus Glens, arrives with a haggis bon Vegan and gluten-free meals are new e-bikes were installed across the city, bon and red wine jus. The meat is sweet and scarce in Dundee, a city of butchers and 19th-century mills like the West Ward pungent, the foraged mushroom puree earthy and bakeries. But Serendipities — a Works were transformed into creative spaces with a hint of pepper. Pickled walnuts add a social enterprise cafe that employs for artists and designers. Dundee’s cultural welcome sour punch. adults with learning disabilities and renaissance is having an impact on the city’s mental health barriers — is changing restaurant scene, too: along the River Tay, “Dundee wasn’t an eating-out city, but that. The seasonal, zero-waste lunch modern Scottish cuisine is taking hold with the that’s changing now,” says Ross, who’s from and breakfast menus offer meat- addition of The Newport from MasterChef 2014 the town of Kirriemuir but moved to Dundee and dairy-free Dundee favourites winner Jamie Scott, and Adam Newth’s The to further his career in fine dining. “People are at bargain prices, including vegan Tayberry, where I have a lunch reservation. finally talking about the city — as a chef, you mac & cheese and a full Scottish feel like you’re part of something that’s just made with vegan black pudding The views from my table at The Tayberry beginning here.” and tattie scones. Their freshly are stunning. Large windows frame a silver baked cakes, which include River Tay lapping at grassy dunes swaying in The next morning, I have a tour and tasting gluten- and soya-free options, are a strong winter wind. If I crane my neck to the arranged at Verdant Spirits, the first distillery to delicious, too. Dishes from £5.75. right, I can see Broughty Castle, a 14th-century open in Dundee in almost 200 years. “Dundee serendipities.co.uk fortress built to protect Dundee’s coastline has a history of packaging and exporting from English invasion. On the menu today is spirits,” says founder and managing director DAISY TASKER a range of seasonal Scottish produce, such as Andrew Mackenzie, who opened Verdant Spirits Housed inside a 19th-century in 2017 after studying food and drink innovation jute mill, Hotel Indigo’s first-floor restaurant pays a titular tribute to the mill worker who organised legendary parties in the building for her fellow weavers. It celebrates the city’s industrial past with a dining room of exposed piping, hardwood timber floors and a minimalist bar with pendant lighting. The menu, like the decor, is understated but refined, with Angus-sourced burgers and steaks — the venison burger with Arran hot beetroot chutney is delicious — and haddock battered with 71 Brewing’s Pilsner lager. Mains around £15-20. daisytasker.co.uk APRIL 2023 55
E AT V&A Dundee design FIVE FOOD FINDS museum has helped give the city a new lease of life GOODFELLOW & STEVEN’S DUNDEE CAKE at Abertay University. “But there wasn’t anyone his home city in 2016 to pursue his dream of IMAGES: ALAMY making gin in the city, possibly because the opening a brewery. “I never thought I’d come Invented by the same family water was so polluted from the jute industry.” back to Dundee,” says Duncan. “There have behind Dundee Marmalade (see been various attempts to regenerate the city, below), the best Dundee Cake Housed inside the engine house of a former but the V&A felt different— you could see the jute mill, Verdant Spirits has replaced 19th- physical change to Dundee. That gave me the — made with sultanas, orange century factory engines with a 500 litre, state- confidence to open a business here.” peel and blanched almonds — is of-the-art pot still called ‘Little Eddie’, where prepared by Goodfellow & Steven, small batches of Verdant Dry Gin are made This spring, 71 Brewing will open the — the first and only gin distilled in Dundee. top floor of The Old Foundry Building to a bakery founded in 1897. “Dundee has a reputation for being rough creatives looking for studio space. “A big part because of its industrial past,” says Andrew, of our mission is to breathe life back into this DUNDEE MARMALADE as he feeds juniper berries into Little Eddie for building,” says Duncan. “We don’t want to Mackays orange marmalade distillation. His daughter Sophie is labelling forget the city’s industrial history. Repurposing — created in Dundee in 1797 after a bottles ready for delivery. “But this city has a The Old Foundry for creative use will merge Spanish ship carrying bitter Seville way of bringing out innovation in folk.” the two sides of Dundee: its industrial past and oranges took shelter from a storm what I hope will be a more creative future.” in the city’s harbour — is delicious Andrew pours a glass of his signature gin. I on toast, in ham hock sandwiches can smell cardamom and coriander, a nod to I finish my time in Dundee with a hike up to Dundee’s trading route with India. The taste is The Law, an extinct volcano with views over and even in gin cocktails. slightly bitter and very fresh, with sweet notes the city. From here, the change that Duncan of liquorice and the citrusy punch of Seville speaks of — the “two sides of Dundee” — is as FISHER & DONALDSON’S oranges, the star ingredient in Mackays’ Dundee clear as the sky above me: red-brick factories FUDGE DOUGHNUT Marmalade. “Our gin tells the story of Dundee’s stretch out east and west as far as I can see. past,” says Andrew. “But I hope people will also But among the remnants of jute, jam and Fisher & Donaldson’s legendary see Dundee’s potential for premium products.” journalism, design museums, Michelin-starred fudge doughnuts are rectangular- restaurants and contemporary breweries and shaped, filled with a silky-smooth A three-minute walk from Verdant Spirits is distilleries are thriving, while a strong sense of confectioner’s custard and topped 71 Brewing, Dundee’s first brewery in 50 years. identity — one that’s deeply rooted in the city’s Housed inside a former ironworks factory, 71 unwavering industrial spirit — remains. with a devilishly good Brewing’s 27,000sq feet Victorian foundry is caramel glaze. now home to a beer garden, bottle shop and a HOW TO DO IT brewhouse, which hosts tours and tastings. ARBROATH SMOKIES Dundee is on the East Coast Main Line, with several Arbroath smokies belong to a “Dundee was the last city in Britain direct trains running to and from London on a daily fishing town just north of Dundee, without a brewery,” says co-founder Duncan basis, and to destinations across Scotland. Hotel Indigo Alexander, while showing me brewing vats Dundee, an IHG Hotel has 102 boutique bedrooms set but the PGI-status smoked with session IPAs and hazy sours made with inside a restored 19th-century textile mill. From £62, haddock is used by many of the local tayberries. A former software engineer room only. thetrainline.co.uk ihg.com visitdundee.com city’s best chefs and can be bought who left Dundee in 1993, Duncan returned to in delis and fishmongers across the city. OG ILV Y VODK A Ogilvy, produced just outside of Dundee in the East Sidlaw Hills, is Scotland’s first potato vodka. Taste the award-winning spirit in Dundee’s cocktail bars or book a distillery tour at the Ogilvy Farm. 56 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL
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SLEEP ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, ROOM-ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. IMAGES: ALAMY; EMELINE AND LINDSAY SHORTER CHARLESTON With its architectural beauty, garland of golden beaches and feted food scene, Charleston in South Carolina is the perfect blend of Southern charm and East Coast chic. It’s relatively small by US standards, with a population of just 150,000, and its palmetto tree-lined streets are easily walkable. History suffuses everything here, from the town’s dark days as a slaving port in the mid-19th century — soon to be tackled head on by the International African American Museum, opening later this year — to its wealthy colonial, Civil War and even pirate past (Blackbeard is said to have lived here). And the best accommodation is on Charleston’s thumb-shaped historic peninsula. WORDS: JONATHAN THOMPSON 58 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
Best for design gurus £ £ £ EMELINE Offering impeccable style mixed with a wry sense of humour and served with a generous splash of colour, the Emeline wouldn’t look out of place in hipster hotspots such as Nashville or Austin. Each of the 212 rooms comes with its own record player and a selection of vinyl, as well as a refillable glass bottle for the duration of your stay (there are water dispensing stations throughout the hotel, with both still and sparkling on offer). The main restaurant, Frannie & The Fox, serves thoughtful Italian- influenced food, including mouth-watering wood-fired pizzas; the best seat in the house is the ‘foxhole’ to the side of the kitchen, with its hidden cocktail hatch for speedy speakeasy-style service. Clerks, the lively lobby coffeeshop, is the perfect place to fuel up before you hop onto one of the hotel’s free cruiser bikes to explore the city. RO O M S : From £375. hotelemeline.com APRIL 2023 59
The lobby at The Ryder Best for style-lovers Above: Camellias, Hotel £ £ £ HOTEL BENNETT Bennett’s Champagne and oyster bar Overlooking Charleston’s historic Marion Square, Hotel Bennett was the most expensive hotel ever built in South Carolina when IMAGES: HOTEL BENNETT; THE MILLS HOUSE HOTEL; THE RYDER HOTEL it opened to much fanfare in early 2019. The £210m investment has paid for sumptuous design throughout, from Camellias — the egg-shaped Champagne and oyster bar inspired by the famous Fabergé jewel boxes — to the sleek rooftop pool bar. The onsite restaurant, Gabrielle, is one of the hottest reservations in Charleston, and the Bennett also benefits from a near-unbeatable location at the head of King Street, the centre of Charleston’s shopping scene. RO O M S : From £415. hotelbennett.com Best for solo travellers £ THE RYDER Like strolling into a pool party on Miami’s South Beach, the Ryder is a riot. At the heart of the action is the lush outdoor pool itself, complete with inflatable flamingos. An entire day can be spent here, ordering cocktails and aptly named ‘fun bites’ from the Hawaiian- shirted waiters at the poolside bar. You can also take advantage of the hotel’s ‘wellness passport’, granting a free fitness class at a different local gym daily. Or failing that, you can call reception and a Peloton bike will be delivered to your room. There’s also an £8.35 food-and-drink voucher gifted to guests each day of their stay. RO O M S : From £195. theryderhotel.com
SLEEP Best for traditionalists £ MILLS HOUSE HOTEL An iconic pink landmark sitting pretty at the busy intersection of Meeting and Queen streets, the Mills House Hotel has been in operation since 1853, but recently underwent a major renovation to become the city’s first Hilton Curio property. The result is an updated aesthetic throughout its 218 rooms, as well as a new rooftop pool. The hotel’s beloved restaurant, Iron Rose, remains the largest dining room in Charleston, specialising in elevated Lowcountry cuisine such as fresh blue crab fritters and moreish oyster gratin, served with lashings of Southern hospitality and delicious, rose-themed cocktails. RO O M S : From £180. themillshousehotel.com APRIL 202 3 61
SLEEP Best for peace-seekers £ £ THE PINCH The newest addition to Charleston’s boutique hotel scene, The Pinch sits on a secluded courtyard, insulated from the liveliness of the bars and boutiques on nearby King Street. Once you’re inside and the door is closed, it feels like you’re visiting a rich relative on Manhattan’s Upper West Side who has a keen eye for design. The rooms are generous and stylish, and there’s an onsite spa. The real star of the show, however, is the adjoining Quinte Oyster Bar, a turn of the century-themed oyster house and cocktail lounge. RO O M S : From £310. thepinch.com IMAGE: MATTHEW WILLIAMS Best for drama queens Best for people watchers Best for local living £ £ 20 SOUTH BATTERY £ £ £ THE CHARLESTON PLACE £ THE RESTOR ATION Built in 1843, this former private mansion is now a B&B, Previously a Belmond flagship hotel, The Charleston Tucked away on a leafy side street in Charleston’s Historic but has retained all of its Victorian charm. A quartet Place was bought by a local billionaire in late 2021 District, The Restoration has 54 apartment-style suites of lavish suites with four-poster beds, chandeliers and has since undergone a significant facelift. The and huge 19th-century paintings corkscrew off a spread across five intertwined old buildings, with exposed spiral staircase, while there are an additional 10 cosy undisputed grande dame of the French Quarter, it now brick walls, high ceilings and private kitchens. The Rise rooms out in the old carriage house. The latter sit on has an upgraded spa (including an incredible saltwater coffee bar on the ground floor helps guests slip into a palm-shaded courtyard filled with statues — the infinity pool under a retractable roof), and revamped perfect spot for an early evening glass of wine. The Charleston living, as it’s usually full of chatty locals getting complimentary breakfast is a particular treat, while eating options: the fine-dining Charleston Grill, and their daily caffeine hit. It’s a similar scene at The Watch, the the breakfast and lunch haunt, The Palmetto Cafe, hotel’s seventh-floor restaurant — a popular local brunch wine and cheese are served in the drawing room every which feels like a five-star greenhouse. The lobby, day from 5-6pm. Even the location — facing the ocean which includes the Thoroughbred Club, with its piano spot with incredible views of the city and ocean beyond. player and potent cocktails, doubles as downtown There are also dedicated ‘guest service curators’ to help on Charleston’s windswept Battery — is dramatic. plan activities including everything from rooftop yoga and RO O M S : From £388, B&B. 20southbattery.com Charleston’s unofficial living room. carriage rides to private crabbing lessons in the harbour. RO O M S : From £495. charlestonplace.com RO O M S : From £240. therestorationhotel.com APRIL 2023 63
SLEEP IMAGES: CHARLESTOWNE HOTELS; THE LOUTREL Best for high flyers on a budget £ THE SPECTATOR Many luxury hotels claim to have butler service, but most of the time that means a glorified concierge. But The Spectator really does have butler service — right down to the old-school uniforms. When you check in, you’ll be assigned one of these doting professionals, who can assist you with everything from securing hard-to-get reservations to drawing candlelit rose petal baths. The hotel itself feels very good value, from its walk-in showers to its complimentary breakfasts and generous mezcal cocktails in the 1920s-themed bar. RO O M S : From £235, B&B. thespectatorhotel.com Best for trendsetters £ £ THE LOUTREL Opened in November 2021, The Loutrel is a 50-room luxury boutique hotel just a stone’s throw from Charleston’s historic City Market. Featuring a breezy, porch-style foyer and a relaxed roof terrace, its vibe is casual and carefree, but there’s keen attention to detail under the surface — including customised experiences for guests, such as organised picnics and guided tours of the city led by in-house historian Dana Levine. From the sofa swing in the lobby to the private club room and armchairs on the roof, The Loutrel is designed to feel very much like a home from home. RO O M S : From £320. theloutrel.com
...the place to be in Santorini! Perched on the cliffs of the caldera, our boutique hotel puts you in the most sought-after location in Fira. Just meters away from the vibrant town center, Athina Luxury Suites immerses guests in tranquility. Breathtaking views, world-class service and exquisite accommodations combine to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Athina Luxury Suites - Fira - Santorini - Greece Tel +30 2286024910 - www.athinasuites.com - [email protected]
IMAGE: AWL IMAGES 66 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
THE GREEK ISLANDS GREECE’S NUMEROUS ISLES ARE BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR IDYLLIC BE AC HES , TOES - IN -THE-SAND TAVERNA S AND LAIDBACK PACE OF LIFE. BUT FOR THOSE WILLING TO EXPLORE A LITTLE FURTHER, CLOUD-CIRCLED CLIFFTOP VILLAGES, LOCAL M ARKETS STOCKED WITH MOUNTAIN HERBS AND SECRET STRETCHES OF SAND AWAIT. THERE’S A GREEK ISL AND TO SUIT E VERY TR AVELLER — IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK APRIL 202 3 67
Hiking through Samaria Gorge, Crete Previous pages: Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes
GREEK ISLANDS 0 1 CRETE Walk this way Threaded through steep mountains and ancient gorges, Crete’s network of hiking trails offers insights into the soul of Greece’s largest island. Words: Daniel Stables IMAGE: AWL IMAGES “It’s like Buddhist philosophy: bringing nature into order,” leaves of oleander, known in centuries past as a poison. says Yianna Kouridaki, motioning to the cairns of carefully “Ancient ladies would put it on the table when they knew stacked rocks all around us. “People want enlightenment their husbands weren’t too faithful,” she says. A warning: from these stones; they’re so ancient.” Yianna is guiding “Next time it’s going in your tea.” Toxic plants aside, the me through Samaria Gorge, one of a series of dramatic biggest danger is falling rocks; at one point, I’m nearly clefts that concertina the southwestern coastline of Crete, decapitated by a cat-sized boulder, set loose by the hoof of from the White Mountains down to the Libyan Sea. a kri-kri on the canyon wall above. It regards me from on high with a look of thinly veiled amusement. In the classical age, the city of Tarrha flourished here, becoming significant enough to mint its own coins. They Crete’s gorges and mountains echo not just with tumbling bore the image of the kri-kri, the Cretan goat, which rocks, but with myth, infusing every realm of Cretan life continues to roam Samaria today. “It’s long been a symbol just as olive oil infuses every Cretan recipe. According to of the unenslaved Cretan spirit,” says Yianna. Later, that Greek mythology, it was on this island that Zeus was born spirit, coupled with the gorge’s unique topography, saw in a mountain cave and that Theseus braved the Labyrinth Samaria become a centre of resistance against successive to slay the Minotaur. And the fridge of every taverna is well- invaders. First came the Venetians, then the Turks. stocked with Mythos, Greece’s best-selling beer. In the 1770s, 1820s and 1860s, Cretans used Samaria as a base for uprisings against the Ottomans, who couldn’t The day after my adventures in the gorge, I set off to penetrate beyond the so-called Iron Gates — the narrowest explore the north of the island, following a dried-up riverbed point of the gorge, where 1,000ft-tall rocks close to a gap to the village of Gavalochori. I poke around the darkened just four metres wide. The Nazis faced similarly staunch ruins of a pre-industrial olive mill and rest from the heat in a local resistance; in retaliation, they burned neighbouring plane grove scattered with the remains of Venetian wells. villages to the ground. Descending a track into a pine forest, I lose my way, The hardy souls who once made their home here are spending 20 minutes in a panic before salvation comes in gone now, moved out to make way for Samaria National an unlikely form: a succession of Mythos cans, stuck on Park in 1962. The 10-mile hike through the gorge isn’t fenceposts, which lead me back to the path. A modern-day particularly dangerous or difficult, but nothing motorised Theseus, led out of the labyrinth by a trail of beer cans. can reach down here and the nearest helipad is several The lager gods are smiling on me. miles down the track — break a leg, and you’re carried out the old-fashioned way: on the back of a mule. In sudden want of a drink, I catch a bus to Chania, Crete’s second city, a short way up the coast. I ensconce Trees of cypress and maple shade the path as rock myself in Chrisostomos, a traditional restaurant where formations rear up on either side, the latter’s faces formidable agricultural hardware hangs on the walls twisted and deeply ridged like carved flames. The air is and the menu reflects the culinary quarry of Crete’s heavy with the aroma of mountain herbs: wild thyme, mountains and gorges: mutton slow-baked with feta; dark oregano, Jerusalem sage. Yianna points out the spiky wild chicory; rabbit with thyme and oregano. “The goat is very good,” says Georgios Seraklidis, who’s worked as a APRIL 2023 69
waiter here for 20 years. “Tender, with a flavour like lamb.” struggle with yourself, with your will. I may want to go out, Clockwise from above: IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; JEREMY FLINT; GETTY Remembering my brush with a kri-kri in the gorge, I smile but I’m not allowed to. But we look at this as a blessing.” Kri-kri in Samaria National and place my order. My stomach rumbles vindictively. Park, Crete; Spetses Bound by no such blessing, I set off from Agia Triada and island, a filming location Monasteries in the mountains head along a dirt track into the mountains of the Akrotiri for Olivia Colman’s Peninsula. The roadside is dotted with immaculately The Lost Daughter; “Sorry I’m late,” puffs Father Vartholomeos, one hand cared-for shrines, the primary colours and gold leaf of their Gentilini Retreat & clutching his kalimavkion hat, the other pressed to his chest icons vivid against the baked earth. As the path proceeds, Winery, Kefalonia in a mea culpa. “I’m becoming a deacon this Saturday. I’m a time unspools backwards. At the top of the mountain, I little stressed.” His youthful features are framed by round pass the 16th-century Gouverneto monastery, then zigzag glasses and a dense beard; coal-black Nike Air Max trainers sharply downwards to the crumbling Katholiko monastery, sweep him along beneath an equally dark cassock. the oldest in Crete, founded in the 11th century. I meet Father Ephraim, a monk from Gouverneto, tending to a Father Vartholomeos is showing me around the Agia shrine carved into the mountainside. Why, I ask, would Triada monastery, a Byzantine masterpiece built by two anyone build a monastery here, somewhere so hard to Venetian brothers in the 17th century. My eye is drawn reach? “That’s kind of the point,” chuckles Father Ephraim. to strange artefacts: watches dangling in glass cases “To get far away from society.” alongside saintly icons (donations from those whose prayers have been granted) and ostrich eggs hanging I descend to the valley floor, where thorny shrubs erupt from incense burners. “They symbolise God, who watches from the dry ground. It’s a scene so biblical I keep expecting his offspring from a distance like the ostrich watches one of them to burst into flame and start pontificating. her eggs,” explains Father Vartholomeos. “They’re very Reaching a rocky cove, I dip my feet in the cool Aegean fragile,” he adds quickly, casting me a wary glance as I blue before beginning the daunting schlep back up the extend my hand towards them. “And very expensive.” mountain, pausing halfway to speak again with Father Ephraim. “Do you really come down here every day?” I pant, We cross a threshold into an ossuary, where femurs disbelievingly, through bursting lungs. A half-smile. “It poke out of wooden boxes and glass cases full of skulls keeps me busy,” he says. A blessing, in a place like this. line the walls. Some are emblazoned with Greek script or How to do it: Aegean Airlines connects Chania and Christograms. Others bear bullet holes between the eyes. Heraklion with destinations across Europe. On arrival, hire “Monks, killed by the Nazis,” says Father Vartholomeos. a car; PanCar operates at both airports. Almyrida Resort “They used to bury them in the graveyard, but it got too full.” (from £56, B&B) is a good base from which to explore Crete’s hiking trails. Strata Tours has expert guides. en.aegeanair. I wonder how Father Vartholomeos ended up here. com pancar.gr almyridaresort.com stratatours.com “I wanted to work in shipping in London, but I found no More info: chrisostomos.gr visitgreece.gr meaning in the common life,” he says. “It was like food without salt. Here in the monastery, the main thing is to 70 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
0 2 KEFALONIA GREEK ISLANDS Ionia’s wine country 0 3 SPETSES The rugged mountains and cream-coloured beaches of Island-hopping Kefalonia have been winning over travellers for decades, but as Greek wine’s international profile grows, the Ionian For the perfect getaway from busy Athens, head to Spetses. island’s wine country is providing another reason to visit. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour cruise away, meaning it tends Kefalonia is renowned for its signature Robola grape, to avoid the bulk of the day-tripping crowds. Piney and which is used to produce an excellent, crisp white wine. beachy, it greets arrivals with a jigsaw waterfront of The grape’s heartland is the Omala Valley, on the western tile-roofed sea captains’ houses, palms and cypresses. slopes of Kefalonia’s Mount Ainos. The main square is carpeted in pebble mosaics and overlooked by a statue of a woman, dressed in traditional The vineyards of the Omala Valley benefit from a costume, with a pistol. This is Laskarina Bouboulina, hillside position and limestone-enhanced soils that a naval commander and heroine of the Greek War of account for the grapes’ balanced acidity and rich flavour. Independence. Nearby, her family home now houses a At Orealios Gaea, a winemaking cooperative supporting small museum dedicated to her legacy. around 300 growers, and at wineries including Vassilakis, you can sample the latest vintages of Robola, as well Author John Fowles taught English on Spetses before as other Greek varietals like Mavrodafni and Muscat. writing The Magus, the novel forever linked to the island. Sticking with the wine theme, travellers can spend the Cinematic hits The Lost Daughter, with Olivia Colman, night at Gentilini Retreat (from £96, room only), set within and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, with Daniel Craig, a seaside winery. aenosnationalpark.gr orealios.gr were filmed here, and a TV miniseries of The Magus is in kumquatvasilakis.gr gentiliniretreat.gr the works. Spetses is largely car-free (taxis are permitted), so hire a bike to pedal the 17 miles around the island; don’t ALEXIS AVERBUCK miss Zogeria beach, where The Lost Daughter was filmed. The best place to stay is the Poseidonion Grand Hotel (from £178, B&B), built in 1914 to lure wealthy Athenians to Spetses and the first Greek island hotel to offer bespoke spa treatments. poseidonion.com DA N A FAC A RO S APRIL 2023 71
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GREEK ISLANDS 0 4 SANTORINI 0 5 MILOS Below: Nea Kameni Volcano touring Sea kayaking Volcanic Park, Santorini Honeymooners love the Cycladic island of Santorini, To the west of Santorini, Milos was formed by a volcanic where sugar-white villages and bubble-domed churches eruption and its 80-mile coastline is scattered with teeter on blackened cliffs, offering spine-tingling views geological wonders. You have to go by sea, ideally in a over the fathomless caldera, formed in around 1620 BC kayak, to see its highlights, among them the formations in one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the past 10,000 of volcanic ash as white and frothy as meringue, the red- years. Frescoes from the Late Bronze Age town of Akrotiri and-yellow precipices, and an abandoned sulphur mine that were buried in ash following the eruption are on with a yellow beach. Also look out for the black basalt display at the Museum of Prehistoric Thera and are so cliffs, the towering sea rocks shaped like dancing bears, charming you’ll wonder if Santorini really was Atlantis. and the pocket-sized ports with colourful boat garages To experience the volcano’s heat and sulphurous smell, sail hollowed out of the stone. Stay at White Rock Milos Suites across the caldera to Nea Kameni island, whose volcano last near the kayak base in Adamas (from £102, B&B). erupted in 1950. There’s also the island of Thirasia, where villages delightfully evoke pre-tourism Santorini. The real For jaw-dropping inland views, hire a quad to tackle the action, however, is underwater: the submerged volcano road up Profitis Ilias, whose 2,450ft summit makes it the Kolumbo, the most active in the Aegean, is rumbling again. tallest mountain on the island. In the capital, Plaka, you’ll The Santorini Paradise Cave Houses in Oia (from £135, B&B) find the nation’s only catacombs and the Archaeological has the frisson-giving views. odysseus.culture.gr Museum of Milos, which houses a replica of the Louvre’s santorini-view.com santoriniparadise.com D F famed Venus de Milo sculpture. seakayakgreece.com whiterockmilos.com catacombs.gr odysseus.culture.gr D F IMAGE: ALAMY APRIL 2023 73
GREEK ISLANDS 0 6 HYDRA Artist residency Just two hours from Athens by boat, car-free Hydra has long been known as an island of artists, with galleries, studios and cultural festivals creating a spirited atmosphere Gliding into Hydra’s harbour, tiers of stone houses glitter craggy coves with deep cerulean waters. Settle down and IMAGES: VICKY TSATSAMBA; ALAMY in the soft sunlight, rising up imposing rocky mountains. enjoy the views over a coffee or cocktail at Hydronetta This car-free island in the Saronic Gulf attracts visitors beach bar before strolling a mile down the northwest with its lively port and sense of utter timelessness — there coast for a leisurely seafood taverna lunch at Marina in are no billboards or scooters here, and the influence of the beachside hamlet of Vlychos, or the Four Seasons technology feels very far away. Made famous by singer- — no relation to the large hotel chain — at Plakes Beach songwriter Leonard Cohen, who wrote music here when he for sunbeds and iced cappuccinos. fourseasonshydra.gr lived on the island in the 1960s, Hydra has also long been facebook.com/hydronetta a magnet and inspiration for artists, from painters such as Panayiotis Tetsis, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas and Brice For keen hikers, one of the island’s best trips is the heady Marden to writers Henry Miller, Charmian Clift and Lord two-hour trek up Hydra’s highest mountain, Eros. The path Byron. Its cultural scene shines brightest in summer, when leads through a pine forest to Prophet Elias Monastery, sun-seekers descend, along with occasional celebrities which was founded by 13 monks who travelled from Mount such as Meghan Markle and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. Athos in 1813. Monks usually greet passers-by and the terraces of the monastery provide sweeping views from the A visit to Hydra is an immersion in the best of Greek Saronic Gulf over to the Cyclades. life and art. Start your explorations by strolling beyond the cannons on the point to reach the DESTE Foundation, Those who’d rather spend their days on flatter ground where an annual installation of art world stars fills a former should head to The Pirate Bar for coffee or fresh juices in slaughterhouse on the seafront. Previous highlights have Hydra’s harbour, before checking out the boutique shops included massive, spinning animatronics by sculptor Jeff dotted around the town. piratebar.gr Koons and a giant hand by New York artist Kara Walker, made of sugar. deste.gr As night draws in across the quiet mountains, grab a patio table for a seafront sunset and food at elegant Techne, near Head over to the port to find the grand Historical the Boy on a Dolphin statue, which commemorates the Archives Museum for temporary exhibitions and displays 1957 film of the same name that was shot here in Hydra and about Hydra’s storied naval history. The island played a starred legendary Academy Award-winning Italian actress central role in Greece’s War of Independence in the 1820s Sophia Loren (who fell in love with the island). For a more — a legacy that’s celebrated during June’s Miaoulia off-the-beaten-path meal, wind through the narrow lanes to Festival, which involves days of dance, music and the back of town, where low-key Giasemi pairs traditional fireworks, culminating in a staged naval battle and boat recipes and grilled meats with simple barrel wine. Night burning in the harbour. iamy.gr hydra.gr owls can continue onto the port’s people-lined plateia (square) for cocktails at 1821 HYDRA and Amalour. techne- Visit the inspiring former home and studio of Panayiotis hydra.com facebook.com/giasemihydra Tetsis (1925-2016), high above the port and open year-round, to learn about one of Greece’s most celebrated post- For somewhere to stay, try the new Keresbino hotel impressionist painters, famous for his marine landscapes. (doubles from £150, room only) deep in the heart of Hydra Visitors will find paints still dotted around his pigment- town. Painstakingly renovated to preserve its 18th-century encrusted tabletop. Downstairs, his family’s pantopoleío architecture, its rooms feel pared back and comfortable (grocery store) contains original tins and products behind a with wood-beamed ceilings and exposed stone walls. vintage counter. nhmuseum.gr The public spaces, which include a secluded garden and the chance to see traditional fourni (ovens), are due to start For a change of scene, take a walk along Hydra’s marble hosting art workshops and cultural events later this year. lanes and onto its rustic coastal trails, which lead to myriad keresbinohydra.gr AA 74 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL
Lunch at the Four Seasons on Plaka Beach Below: Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion; the Boy on a Dolphin statue by George Xenoulis LIKE A LOCAL Dimitris Fousekis’ top-three Hydra art experiences Dimitris is an artist and illustrator who leads art workshops in Hydra instagram.com/dimitris.fousekis LAZAROS KOUNDOURIOTIS HISTORICAL MANSION This branch of the National Historical Museum contains artwork dating to the 18th and 19th centuries and also hosts exhibitions of local artists such as Panayiotis Tetsis and Periklis Vyzantios. Last year, it showed Robert McCabe’s photos of Hydra from the 1950s and 1960s. nhmuseum.gr HYDRA SCHOOLS PROJECT Artist Dimitrios Antonitsis creates an under-the-radar art show in July and August called the Hydra Schools Project. It brings cutting- edge international and Greek artists to the island at the Merchant Marine Academy on the port. SOUTH COAST HYDRA When I take classes, or even just my own easel, outside, I love painting the hills, mountains and scattered pine forests, especially those overlooking the southern coastline, with hidden coves, like Nisiza and Limnionisa, as well as spectacular views of the Myrtoan Sea. These places are really only accessible via a hike or hired boat ride. APRIL 2023 75
0 7 KASTELLORIZO Yiayia Eleni’s halva Cultural fusion SERVES: 25 Far on the outer fringes of the archipelago, east of Rhodes, this little island is where Greek and Turkish customs come together. Words: Anastasia Miari INGREDIENTS 200g margarine ‘Airport’ is a grandiose term for the narrow yiayia — the woman behind the recipe that 130ml olive oil strip of tarmac and shed that greet me on Eleni shares with me. 470g granulated sugar arrival on the island of Kastellorizo. Closer 700ml lukewarm water to the Turkish mainland than it is to Athens, “Here we make halva with flour,” she 300g plain (all-purpose) flour it’s the country’s most far-flung island, where says, whipping butter, flour and sugar in a ground cloves and cinnamon, permanent residents number just 300 and pan as the biscuity mixture begins to the only action happens around the harbour, bubble. Like many Greek dishes, halva, a to serve where wild turtles bob sedately between confectionery a bit like fudge, has its origins traditional fishing kaikia (boats). much further east than Europe, in the Middle METHOD East. Meaning ‘sweet dish’ in Arabic, this In a large, non-stick frying Naturally, it’s there I’m headed. There’s just thick, saccharine paste is most likely to have one taxi on the island and I jump in, bound for made its way into Greece via Turkey. pan, melt the margarine with the the pretty, pastel-hued coast. “Turkey,” says olive oil over a medium heat. the heavily moustached driver, pointing to the I ask Eleni if she visits the Turkish mainland. mirage-like stretch of land visible across the “We go every week,” she replies. Contrary to In a separate bowl, mix the sea when we arrive. the often negative portrayals of Greco-Turkish sugar and water until the sugar relations, she explains, Kastellorizans hop dissolves, then set aside. I’m here to meet yiadiades (Greek on a boat for their weekly shop in the Turkish grandmothers) as part of my research for my bazaars across the water, while their Turkish Once the margarine has next book, Yiayia, a collection of their recipes. neighbours come to celebrate Orthodox Easter melted in the pan, gradually stir The reason is simple: Kastellorizo is where and party together — despite their differences. in the flour, increasing the heat Greek and Turkish customs and cultures slightly but stirring constantly collide, which means it’s home to some of Later I find Yiayia Maria, who’s well into her so that the flour doesn’t burn. Greece’s most interesting dishes. nineties, living further along the harbour. She Keep stirring slowly for about promises to make me a Greek coffee as I watch 10 mins until it takes on a nice, The ancient Greek concept of filoxenia, or taxi boats speeding off with swimmers eager to deep biscuit tone. showing kindness to strangers, is strong here, explore the nearby caves. She laughs when I ask and it’s common for locals to welcome guests to later what makes the coffee Greek. “Some people Add the water and sugar Kastellorizo by ushering them into their homes call it Greek, others call it Turkish — we’re all solution, increasing the heat to share plates of local nibbles and wine. the same in the end,” she says, taking a sip. to high, and cook for 5 mins, or Anastasia Miari is a Greek author best until it begins to thicken and I find Yiayia Eleni, her skin tanned from her known for Grand Dishes, an anthology of bubble. Once it begins to come many years under the Greek sun, living in one grandmothers’ recipes from around the world. away easily from the pan onto of the centuries-old homes beside the water’s Her latest book, Yiayia: time-perfected recipes your wooden spoon, the halva edge. Behind beaded curtains, the house has from Greece’s grandmothers, is out 25 May is ready. high ceilings with its original dark, wooden (£27, Hardie Grant). beams, and once belonged to Eleni’s own Use a tablespoon to scoop the halva into small bite-size pieces and arrange on a plate or serving tray. Yiayia Eleni serves hers with a sprinkling of ground cloves and cinnamon. 76 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
GREEK ISLANDS 0 8 MYKONOS Beyond the nightlife The beaches on Mykonos’s southwest coast are among the Med’s best for parties, but head east to find a different vibe among a rocky, filigreed coastline dotted with sandy coves 1 BEST FOR FAMILIES 2 BEST FOR SOLITUDE 3 BEST FOR AN 4 BEST FOR 5 BEST FOR Park your vehicle in the Stroll west around the EASY OUTING ACTIVE TYPES QUIET SUNSETS dirt lot and stride over headland to the next the low dunes to find beach along — the gentle If getting your own In the far southeast, Sunset is universally perfect little Fokos Bay, arc of Mersini beach, wheels isn’t an option, about seven miles from enjoyed on Mykonos, but where deep, sheltered which is usually the Agari is only a 15-minute Mykonos town, the broad most places that cater to waters offer delightful least-crowded on walk east of the more crescent of Kalafati Beach sundowners — whether swimming for all ages. Mykonos. Bring your famous Elia Beach and is beloved for its steady the club-filled strands Once you’ve worked up own sun mat and even an on the south coast beach winds that blow the sails of the southwest or the a bit of an appetite, head umbrella as this beach is ferry route. It’s one of of windsurfers and kite famed windmills in on over to the renowned service-free: wild and raw, the closest uncrowded surfers — perfect if you’re town — get mobbed as taverna overlooking the and perfectly matched to beaches to Hora, Mykonos’ looking for sporting action. the sky turns pink. For sand for a lazy seafood the nakedness of many of main town, and home to a Rent boards and get some quiet, head to the lunch. facebook.com/ the sunbathers who make sole taverna that provides lessons right at the beach undeveloped, west-facing fokosbeach the pilgrimage out here. sunbeds and doles out at Windsurfing Mykonos. Kapari Beach and bring drinks and snacks. windsurfing-mykonos.com your own drinks. A A IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; MARCO AGUELLO; ALAMY Undeveloped Kapari Beach, Mykonos Opposite page, from far left: Castellorizo Island; Yiayia Eleni’s halva APRIL 2023 77
0 9 KARPATHOS Making fresh pasta in GREEK ISLANDS Traditional ways the small village of Olympos, Karpathos APRIL 2023 79 Dropped into the inky Aegean between Crete and Rhodes, Karpathos feels like it belongs Below: Handmade apple to a different age. This pristine, far-flung spot pies on the far-flung in the Dodecanese is locally renowned for its island of Karpathos white-sand beaches, hugged by pine trees up IMAGES: MARCO AGUELLO until the water’s edge. Nestled atop a cliff, you’ll find one of Greece’s best-kept secrets. Olympos has held onto its traditional ways thanks to its remoteness. Here, local women still sport the colourful, traditional folk dress — embroidered waist coats, full skirts and leather boots — that’s long since been abandoned in the rest of the country. It’s a chance to experience a part of Greece as it once was, and worth the drive. AM 1 0KYTHERA Old Greece Kythera remains a nugget of Old Greece, isolated south of the Peloponnese, where family-run hotels dot the beaches, welcoming tavernas spill out onto the streets and old- timey kafeneions (coffeeshops) still echo to the click clack of games of backgammon. It’s a bucolic island of dramatic landscapes, sacred to Aphrodite, who was born here in sea foam. Stay in the Palaeopoli Villas (from £66, room only) near the fishing village of Avlemonas, and hire a car to explore the pretty castle-topped capital Chora, the waterfall at Milopotamos, the Venetian-era ghost town of Palaiochora and the Sunday farmers’ market in Potamos, where all the locals meet. palaeopolivillas.com D F 1 1 ELAFONISOS Simple pleasures Simos beach, where twin crescents of dunes form an hourglass in the turquoise sea, is irresistible. But you have to work to get there; Elafonisos is in the southeast Peloponnese, a short ferry hop from Pounta, which is a four- hour drive from Athens airport or just under three hours from Kalamata. All the hotels are small, including the Elafonisos Resort (from £82, B&B). There are other gorgeous sandy beaches but only one ‘sight’, the world’s oldest submerged city, 5,000-year-old Pavlopetri, so bring your snorkel. Elafonisos is no longer a secret, but it’s not spoiled; Elafonisos Eco, the first environmental association on a Greek island, is dedicated to keeping it that way. pavlopetri.org elafonisoseco.org elafonisosresort.com D F
GREEK ISLANDS Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights, Rhodes 1 2 AGISTRI 1 3 SKIATHOS 1 4 RHODES Quick escape Design hotels Family-friendly IMAGE: AWL IMAGES This tiny, pristine teardrop of an island sits a The queen of the Sporades Islands is a magnet Families are never bored on Rhodes, even mere 50 minutes from Athens. The high-speed for beach lovers. It’s also the ideal option for during cooler spring and autumn breaks. ferry zips first to the island of Aegina and then those looking for alternative accommodation, Young imaginations are fascinated by the Old 10 minutes further to the even more remote- thanks to its blossoming design hotel scene. City, with its walls, moats and Palace of the feeling shores of Agistri. Built into the hillside, the Atrium Hotel (from Grand Masters built by the Knights of St John. £185, B&B) is top of the list — a rural haven A new cinema, the Throne of Helios, brings The island is easily walkable, with a created by a family of architects. Over by the the island’s action-filled history and famous dense blanket of pine trees offering welcome powdery blonde strand of Koukounaries, at Colossus to life for little ones. shade. In July and August, Agistri’s pair of the western end of the island, Elivi Skiathos harbours, Skala and Megalochori, thrum with (from £275, B&B) is making a five-star splash Away from Rhodes Town, stroll through sunseekers who come for the island’s radiant with its flowing spaces and calming neutral- the Valley of the Butterflies, or Farma Rhodes waters. June and September are the ideal toned rooms. Or there’s the adults-only where kids can feed ostriches. Near the months to visit for fewer crowds and warm Aegean Suites (from £260, B&B), which has waterpark in Faliraki, under-12s stay free seas. Head for beaches such as Draghonera just 20 rooms opposite Megali Ammos beach. at the Grecotel LuxMe Dama Dama (rooms and Aponissos in the west, or closer to Skala atriumhotel.gr elivihotels.com for four from £247). odysseus.culture.gr there’s clothing-optional Chalikiada Beach, santikoscollection.com I SA B E LL A N O B LE throneofhelios.com valleyofbutterflies.com backed by cliffs. A A farma-rhodes.com damadama.grecotel.com D F APRIL 2023 81
1 5 IKARIA Island of immortals Remote and savagely beautiful, Ikaria is one of the world’s five Blue Zones. Locals believe it’s blessed by the gods, but what else contributes to its remarkable association with long life? Words: Kerry Walker In the golden haze of a September afternoon, my pulse you know what? It kept us fit, both in body and up here” IMAGES: GETTY races as I scramble over wind-scarred granite rocks and he chuckles, tapping his head. drop into lichen-draped holm oak woods in Magganitis on Ikaria’s southwest coast. Above me, ragged, cloud-wisped In The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer, The New mountains punch nearly 3,500ft from sea to summit and York Times bestselling author and National Geographic huge boulders litter the landscape — as if the Greek gods Fellow Dan Buettner zooms in on the world’s five Blue have dropped their marbles. Zones, places with inhabitants of remarkable longevity, with incredibly high percentages of centenarians. Ikaria, The faint, overgrown trail isn’t easy to follow, throwing which is just 30 miles off the coast of Turkey, in the eastern up many dead-ends, but I’m in good company. Alexandros, Aegean, is one of them — alongside Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa my host where I’m staying at Ikaria Studios, bounds ahead, (Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica) and Loma Linda (California). sometimes stopping to pick a ripe fig or point out an endemic More than 30% of Ikarians live into their nineties, generally wild herb with no English translation. In his seventies, he’s free from chronic illness and dementia, and many hit 100. as fast and nimble as one of the island’s wild goats. One possible reason for this is genes. But Ikarians also “When I was young, we had to climb these monopátia benefit from an outdoor lifestyle in tune with nature, a (old footpaths) to visit friends and family, swap homegrown plant-based diet rich in wild herbs, vegetables, pulses, produce and buy groceries,” he says. “Before the roads were olive oil and natural wine, a lack of stress and tight-knit finished in the mid-1990s, these tracks were the only way communities. Today’s centenarians have had tough, self- up to hamlets in the mountains; the only way home. And sufficient lives, working in the fields and tending vines and 82 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
GREEK ISLANDS olive groves, often without roads, phones or convenience most impressive example of this architectural legacy: foods. In short, the opposite of what the western world Theoktistis monastery, wedged between boulders, like perceives as progress. something from a Stone Age fairytale. When I arrive at dusk, the sun’s last rays are illuminating the chapel’s faded In Ikaria, no one looks at the clock and time moves in a icons and silhouetting the forested mountains, which dip slow, dreamlike way — but that suits me just fine. My days to the sea, as if touched by a celestial hand. slip into an intuitive rhythm. In the mornings, I swim off white-pebble coves, licked by a glassy turquoise sea. In Ikaria’s past is intertwined with stories of the gods. the afternoon, Alexandros serves fish fresh from his boat, Legend has it the most hedonistic of the lot, Dionysus, god of which we eat with our fingers. If the mood takes me, I head wine, revelry, ecstasy, fertility and grape harvests, was born out along treacherously twisty, cliff-skimming roads, past here and worshipped in a cave above the remote and lovely blue-domed orthodox churches and olive groves droning cove of Lero in the island’s northeast. One of the first written with cicadas, rarely meeting another car. mentions of wine is in Homer’s epic Odyssey, extolling the Ikarian red wine Pramneios Oinos, which supposedly made Bathing in the south coast’s hot springs — superheated the heroes of the Trojan War superpowered. at temperatures between 31C and 58C and among the world’s most radioactive — is cited as another contributing From Theoktistis monastery, I go in search of the factor to the islanders’ longevity. The town of Therma, with island’s famed wine. The road snakes west to the tiny its ruined Roman baths, has free public hot springs that are hamlet of Profitis Ilias and family-run Afianes Winery. a popular choice for a dip, but Lefkada — a couple of bays Here I meet wine-maker Eftychia Afianes, the daughter of over — is quieter. I slip straight from the rocks to drift in the family, who gives me an insight into biodynamic wine- piping-hot healing waters, rich in radon, iron and sulphur, making. Grapes are picked here according to the lunar and smelling faintly of rotten eggs. cycle, crushed by foot in a granite press, left to ferment in pitharia (underground clay pots) and extracted with a Of gods and mountains gourd — a process little changed since antiquity. One of their flagship natural wines is Pithari, a resveratrol-rich, The coast is ravishing but, as all Ikarians say, you feel the reddish-brown wine made with the native fokiano grape. island’s true heartbeat in the mountains of the north. Here Slightly astringent and cloudy, it tastes profoundly of the Ikaria’s otherness is most apparent; forged by a period island — ripe forest fruits, minerals and wet granite. I sip of reclusiveness born out of conflict in the ‘century of a glass as the sun creeps behind the mountains, and get obscurity’ (1521 to 1601). During this time, Turkish pirates Eftychia onto the subject of longevity. Is wine the answer? drove islanders into the hills, where they hid in chimney- less, windowless ‘anti-pirate’ houses, capped off by giant “Wine and diet play a part, but there’s also something in rocks that were the only thing visible from a distance. the air,” enthuses Eftychia. “Science has shown that when the sun hits the granite, it releases magnesium, which is I follow a zigzagging road through a pine forest, like a natural antidepressant. Breathing this air keeps us past vineyards and rugged, heather-clad slopes to the Traditional monastery in Theoktistis, within the woods, on Ikaria Left: Agios Kirykos village on Ikaria APRIL 2023 83
happy. Stress and loneliness are almost non-existent and From left: A sandy bay BLUE ZONES IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY families stay close together — and this helps people stay with tents, on Ikaria; youthful. You’ll see people in their eighties and nineties Episkopi church in 9 Lessons for Living climbing fruit trees, joking about sex and dancing at Chora, the capital of Longer author panigyria (village parties). We don’t count the years here.” Skyros; the Folklore and Dan Buettner on Ethnological Museum of Ikarian longevity On my final day in Ikaria, I stop in Vaoni on the south Chora Skyros coast to follow a rough path skidding through gnarled olive WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT groves, with the midday sun beating down mercilessly. THE IKARIAN DIET? I almost give up, thinking I’m on the wrong track, The Ikarians have around 80 when I spot it: a little fang of rock. It’s one of the most different kinds of wild greens and underwhelming rocks on an already very rocky island, herbs in their diet, some with 10 but it’s special. Legend has it that when Icarus flew too times the antioxidant levels of red close to the sun and melted his wings, this is where he fell, wine. These lower inflammation bumped his head and drowned, thereby giving Ikaria its and blood pressure. As well as name. Sitting transfixed by the lapping of the brilliant blue oregano, mint, rosemary and sage Aegean Sea on this island of gods and immortals, I think, tea, they drink natural, sulphite- what a way to go. free red wine in moderation. How to do it: There are no direct flights to Ikaria, but there are flights from the UK via Athens with Aegean Airlines. DO YOU THINK Or, fly to Mykonos or Kos and then catch a connecting IK ARIAN S ALSO HAVE ferry. Hellenic Seaways run several ferry services a A UNIQUE PSYCHE? week between Mykonos and Évdhilos in the north of During the war many communists the island (two hours). Dodekanisos Seaways ferries go were exiled to Ikaria and it has left weekly from Kos to Agios Kirykos in the south (3½ hours). them with a communal mentality. Kerame Studios (from £45) in the north is a good base People here take care of each with sea-view apartments. visitgreece.gr aegeanair.com other and their ageing parents. hellenicseaways.gr 12ne.gr Old people still tend their gardens and play an active role in family 8 4 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC . life. They’re loved and needed, and it’s this strong sense of purpose that keeps them physically fit and mentally sharp. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SECRETS TO IK ARIA’S BLUE ZONE? Because the island is so mountainous, people constantly have to walk up and downhill. But here it’s not exercise, it’s life — a life wired for longevity. The Ikarians are nearly always outdoors, whether working or socialising, breathing clean air or eating the food they grow. It’s important to understand that Ikarians don’t just live long, they remain happy and healthy right into their old age.
GREEK ISLANDS 1 6 SKYROS Greece’s craft heartland Skyros may be less well-known than its island group counterparts of Skiathos and Skopelos, but it’s beating its own path as an artisanal heartland for local arts In the Sporades island group north of Athens, are a lively documentation of the island’s duck into the Monastery of Agios Georgios to Skyros is a vision of deep-blue bays bordered tradition,” says Chrysanthi. A tailor-made see its series of intricate frescoes. by pine trees, with a string of chic, laid-back, three-day course costs from around £80 per whitewashed villages. Famously the last home person. feelingreece.gr EXPLORE THE M ANOS & ANASTASIA for the endangered Skyrian horse, a miniature FALTAÏTS MU SEUM Greek breed that roams in the mountains, the WANDER AROUND SKYROS TOWN An art-filled 19th-century mansion is the island is also unique for its thriving artisanal The island’s living artisanal scene can be setting for this unmissable gallery. Fiercely tradition, stretching back to the Byzantine experienced on a stroll through the tangled, devoted to preserving the island’s traditions, era. Here’s how visitors can tap into it. white-walled streets of the capital, Skyros the Manos & Anastasia Faltaïts Museum Town, which cascades down the hillside from was founded in the 1960s by the Greek artist LEARN FROM A SKYRIAN ARTISAN a now-restored kastro (fortress) of Byzantine and author Manos Faltaïts; you’ll spot some “Skyros is known all over Greece for its rich and Venetian origins. From ceramicists of his paintings on the walls as you explore tradition in the arts of ceramics, woodcarving and embroiderers to watercolour painters the rambling complex, which showcases and embroidery,” says Chrysanthi Zygogianni, and woodworkers, this is where most of the everything from hand-crafted Skyrian who organises crafts-focused courses with local island’s artisans have their workshops and ceramics to locally made textiles. faltaits.gr artisans, as well as informal visits to workshops sell their pieces to people who pop in for a in Skyros Town. “These pieces were used both chat. At the town’s Archaeological Museum, WHERE TO STAY as utensils and as decorative elements for the full-sized interior of a local Skyrian house Just a few feet away from sparkling Magazia the interior architecture of Skyrian houses,” is on show, complete with a richly carved beach, Perigiali Hotel has Skyros-inspired she adds. Today, Skyrian craftspeople run wooden dividing screen called a boulmes, rooms with local embroidery, fresh island- workshops as a way for tourists to discover these traditional embroidery around the hearth produce breakfasts and a seawater pool set popular local arts. “Important for their artistic and a typical fabric-covered, low-rise sofa among bougainvillea-filled gardens. From value, rarity and historical origin, the objects bed called a krevatsoula. Within the kastro, £50, B&B. perigiali.com I N
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1 7 KOS Private yacht at anchor in GREEK ISLANDS Secret beaches a lagoon, Ithaka APRIL 2023 87 Dolphin-shaped Kos in the Dodecanese was Above: Colourful furniture at the 5th-century BC birthplace of Hippocrates, The Fish House restaurant, Kos the ‘Father of Medicine’. His followers IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; GETTY founded the Asklepieion, the most important healing sanctuary in the ancient world, where relaxation was part of the cure. Today, the ‘cure’ visitors seek in Kos is on the sunbeds of smart beach resorts. When Kos Town seems too busy, head out west to Kefalos and the ‘dolphin’s tail’ for its secret beaches: sandy Agios Theologos, with an excellent taverna and gorgeous sunsets; picturesque and rocky Tripiti, or cliff-backed quiet Kata, at the end of half-a-mile of rough road. For a place to stay, try Kouros Palace in Mastichari (from £99, B&B). kourospalace.com odysseus.culture.gr D F 1 8 ITHACA Homer’s Odyssey Homer’s adjectives ‘narrow’, ‘rocky’, ‘unfit for riding horses’ describe Ithaca perfectly, but was this Ionian island the kingdom of Odysseus? Some scholars say no, but the locals disagree. Stay in Hotel Familia in the capital Vathy (from £75, B&B) and seek out the sites where they believe the Odyssey took place. South of Vathy, there’s the field where Odysseus met his father Laertes, the Cave of the Nymphs where he hid his treasure, and the plateau of Marathias, where he stayed with Eumaeus. North of Vathy, Stavros has Mycenaean-era walls identified as Odysseus’s palace and an archaeological collection that includes a 2nd-century BC mask inscribed ‘Pray to Odysseus’. islandwalks.com/ walksholidays hotel-familia.com D F 1 9 EVIA Idyllic escape Most visitors to Greece’s second-largest island are Greek, but even only a few of them have heard of the Lichadonisia. Lush and volcanic, these seven uninhabited islets off Evia’s northwest coast are nicknamed the ‘Seychelles of Greece’ for the thousands of blue-and-green shades in the shallow sea in which they sit. Boats to the islands depart from Kavos on Evia’s Lichada peninsula. While here, stop at the seafood tavernas in the fishing village of Agios Georgios Lichados, take a tour of the Vriniotis vineyards, or brave the dirt road to the often deserted Krokodil beach. Reward yourself with a soak at the Thermae Sylla in the spa town of Edipsos. The Ilia Mare, east of Edipsos, is a great base (from £66, B&B). vriniotiswinery.gr thermaesylla.gr iliamare.gr D F
2 0 MEGANISI Sailing away Exploring the islands by sea is sometimes the best way to travel. Claire Shields, country operations manager for Greece at Sunsail, shares her top tips WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ISL AND FOR WHERE SHOULD I ANCHOR? ANY ADVICE FOR A FIRST-TIME SAILOR? SAILING? Spartochori is a village with sugar-cube houses, Don’t expect to be served G&Ts all day like on Meganisi is a no-brainer. Like all of the Ionian, ladies making bread and grandmothers the TV series Below Deck. Sailing is a bit like it has gentle morning winds that get stronger wearing black. The bay where you moor is caravanning on water — you should book a into the afternoon, there’s uncomplicated deep and clean, so you can swim off the boat. catamaran for maximum living space. But navigation and you can sail somewhere new in Vathy, next door, is bigger and busier. There are life afloat is so relaxed; it’s all about shorts two hours. But it’s next to Le as and between amazing anchorages in the north east, such as and flip-flops, leaving the hairdryer at home, Corfu and Zakynthos, so most people don’t Kato Elia Bay, but I love the wild coves west and swimming and embracing the elements. take the time to discover it. It’s so unspoilt south, which are only reachable by yacht. — still very local, with little fishing harbours HOW DO I DO IT? and residents who are just phenomenal. WHAT ARE THE RESTAUR ANTS LIKE? Yacht charter is from Le ada. You can Everything you eat on Meganisi is local — even go alone — a ‘bareboat’ — or join a flotilla, WHAT DOES THE ISL AND LOOK LIKE? the olive oil is from family groves. Places are which may be best if you have kids. If you’re not Beautiful! It’s green year-round because of family-run, with a brother or grandmother a sailor, you’ll need a professional skipper — it’s pine and olive trees, and most beaches are cooking, then younger generations out front, a good way to learn the ropes. Some companies pebbly, so the sea is crystal clear. It looks a bit and good value at £15-30 a head with wine. One let you take a qualification at the same time. Or like a lamb chop from above, with sheltered we use a lot is Rose Garden, in Vathy. It’s on the you could buy a cabin on a shared yacht. harbours around the top and unexplored bays harbour, covered in bougainvillea, and serves INTERVIEW: JAMES STEWART along the tail, where white cliffs drop sheer traditional food like kleftiko and stifado. Also into deep sea. There are a few beaches with in Vathy, Errikos, by the pier, does the best fish Sunsail runs yacht charters plus a sailing sunloungers but no big hotels. — whatever the owner’s boats caught that day. school from its base at Le as. sunsail.co.uk 8 8 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
GREEK ISLANDS 2 1 IOS Traditional windmills above Coming into its own the town of Chora, Ios A short ferry hop from its sister in the Cyclades, Santorini, From far left: The hillside Ios has been dogged for decades by its reputation as a hippy village of Spartochori, hangout and party island — the latter acquired in the on Meganisi ’80s, when backpackers flocked here to sleep on its sandy Below: Excursion boat beaches and blast away the cobwebs in the bars along the Stella, Alonissos bougainvillea-lined alleys of capital Chora. In 2014, though, all that started to change when Greek stockbroker-turned-artist Angelos Michalopoulos and his wife, Vasso, bought a chunk of the island around the ancient Cycladic site of Skarkos and launched the Mediterranean’s largest private conservation project, to be left exactly as nature intended — only with 55,000 new trees. Vowing to develop only 1% of their land, the couple built their flagship luxury resort, Calilo, comprising a dozen plush suites clad in monochrome mosaics and featuring lagoon-like pools, on a remote plot of land overlooking Papas Beach (suites from £422, B&B), and Pathos Sunset Lounge, a chill-out venue that hosts big-name DJs. Gone are the tacky souvenir shops in Chora’s windmill-studded port, and in are indie boutiques selling Greek designer wear, hyper-local tipples — innovative vintner Georgós Zanganas has just launched the island’s first modern winery — and chic new cocktail bars such as Click. calilo.com pathoslounge.com georgoswine.com clickcocktailbar.com H E I D I F U LLE R- LOV E IMAGES: GETTY; STELLA CRUISES 2 2 ALONISSOS Underwater museum Alonissos is a short hop from cosmopolitan Skiathos, but couldn’t be more different: rustic, sparsely populated, forested and tranquil. Queen of its own little uninhabited archipelago, it’s surrounded by the pristine seas of Europe’s largest marine reserve, home to the critically endangered monk seal, as well as Eleanora’s falcons, dolphins and whales. Visit aboard the Stella, from where you may just spot some of the resident wildlife between swims off islands. In 1985, Dimitris Mavrikis was fishing off nearby Peristera island when he spotted an ancient, 30-metre- long shipwreck that turned out to be loaded with 4,000 amphorae dating to around 425 BC. Soon the wreck was dubbed the Parthenon of Shipwrecks, and last year it became Greece’s first underwater museum. Divers can book an immersive experience; landlubbers can enjoy a virtual-reality tour at the information centre in Chora, the former hilltop capital. The village was devastated by an earthquake in 1965 but is now mostly restored and famous for its glorious sunsets. stellacruisesalonissos.gr alonissos-park.gr museum.alonissos.gov.gr Most residents live near the port of Patitiri in the south of the island, where the Ikion Eco Boutique Hotel (from £109, B&B) is a great place to stay. ikion.com D F APRIL 2023 89
GREEK ISLANDS 2 3 CORFU An island reborn Corfu’s magic, immortalised in the works of both Homer and Gerald Durrell, lies in its wild, deserted beaches, terracotta-tiled Old Town and sapphire-blue seas. Words: Zoë McIntyre Crouching on a limestone rock, I peer over the precipitous Patounis soap, where olive oil soap is handmade on site. At Clockwise from top IMAGES: GEORGE SELLEY ridge. Descriptions online had warned of the steep descent the morning market, where fishermen display their catch left: Walking in Old to Giali, a wild beach only accessible on foot or by boat, but and shawl-wrapped grandmothers sell mountain herbs Perithia; bees at I hadn’t anticipated a journey quite this arduous. Tellingly, and fig cakes, locals greet one another so intently I fear a Bioporos farm; Alexis it was here on Corfu’s western shores that Homer’s quarrel until back-pats and laughter break out. dairy shop in Corfu mythical hero Odysseus was cast ashore on his long voyage Old Town; a tasting at to Ithaka; the views of water-chiselled rocks and sapphire- The next day, I head for the Ropa Valley, Corfu’s Theotoky Estate blue sea, hemmed in by a perfect crescent of deserted, pale agricultural heartland. Among neat rows of twisted vines, I sand, are certainly worthy of epic poetry. find the sparkling, whitewashed facade of Theotoky Estate. It’s one of the oldest wineries in Corfu and the founder’s Cautiously releasing my fingers from the crag — tufted son, John Theotoky, served as Prime Minister of Greece. with fragrant sage — I navigate the primitive ropes and ladders that slalom down the rock face. All I can hear are Today, John’s granddaughter uses only organic or thrumming cicadas and the occasional jangles of goat bells biodynamically grown grapes to produce the winery’s carrying on the warm breeze. award-winning vintages. During our cellar tour, guide Stefania Lukanari shows a clip of the 1981 Bond film For This is Corfu in holiday season, but not as most people Your Eyes Only, where Roger Moore forgoes a Cephalonian know it. Summers here typically draw thousands, yet wine, saying: “I prefer the Theotoky áspro.” A visitor asks: writer and naturalist Gerald Durrell’s portrayal of Corfu “How much did that marketing cost?”. Stefania smiles and his exuberant childhood there in his novel My Family wryly: “Actually, we knew nothing about it,” she replies. and Other Animals still holds true. ‘The magic of the island “But the Theotoky family would never need to pay.” settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen’, he wrote. Since my own childhood summers here, I’ve been in love With my car boot clinking with bottles, I drive to meet with Corfu’s rose-gold light and verdant mountains, the my next local guide, Marcella Van Hemert, to make further sweet jasmine that scents the air and the cool Ionian Sea. inroads into the island on foot. We’re to tackle a northeast It’s an affinity that deepens with discoveries like Giali chunk of the Corfu Trail: a 136-mile walking route that beach — proof that storybook Corfu persists, but only for stretches from the southern village of Kavos to the resort those willing to look hard enough. of Agios Spyridon on the northern coast. Floating between the heel of Italy and the western shores Hiking the whole trail takes around 11 days, but we of mainland Greece, close to the border with Albania, the aim to tackle a seven-mile section on the northeast coast, strategic position of Kerkyra (as locals know it) has lured looping from the high-up hamlet of Spartilas to Mount in outsiders since antiquity. It’s this legacy of foreign rule Pantokrator and back. Yellow waymarks point us up a that you can see reflected in every street of the island’s steep, stony footpath from Spartilas through thickets and a atmospheric Old Town. Its two forbidding forts and tunnel of native holm oaks. patchwork of sinuous alleys, crammed with terracotta-tiled townhouses, are testament to four centuries of Venetian “Every day the landscape changes,” says Marcella. occupation; the elegant arcades and pavement cafes of the For centuries, these thoroughfares were the only routes Liston extend to a lawned cricket ground left by the British connecting villagers to their olive groves, she explains. in the 19th century. Further on, we enter the roofless ruins of a tiny chapel to admire faded frescos of long-abandoned angels. We emerge It’s because of this Corfu wields a spirit that’s uniquely from mossy woodland onto a rust-hued plateau dwarfed by its own. The mummified remains of the island’s patron the dry slopes of Mount Pantokrator, Corfu’s highest peak. saint still lie enshrined in a gilt casket in the domed Saint There’s an elemental pulse to this wilderness; birds of prey Spyridon Church, while, concealed among tourist shops, swoop in the cloudless blue sky and yellow crocuses burst are treasured, family-run enterprises, from the Alexis dairy into life from between jagged limestone karsts. Marcella shop (renowned for its cinnamon-topped rice pudding) to tells me she met her husband, Spiros, while hiking the trail; they spend their holidays clearing the footpaths. 90 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL
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GREEK ISLANDS Criton Vlassis touring Bioporos, his family’s organic farm Left: Chillies drying in the sun at Bioporos IMAGES: GEORGE SELLEY I finish for the night in Old Perithia, the oldest village groves. When he’s not tending his bees or digging in his on the island, high on the northeast coast. In the 1300s, vegetable plot, he’s welcoming guests for farm walks and this lofty hinterland kept locals safe from pirate raids, overnight stays in his two rustic guest rooms. His farm but when tourism hit, the villagers abandoned it for the represents a new vision for tourism in Corfu — one that coast. Today, it’s bouncing back from near-extinction and embraces both past and present. many of the 130 or so stone house ruins are gradually being brought back to life. Like so many Corfiots, Criton’s attachment to the land is strong. “We have four distinct ecosystems: cedar forest, I meet Marieke Schellen, who runs The Merchant’s lake, dunes and wetlands,” he explains as we explore the House, the village’s only guesthouse, with her husband, grounds, which are bathed in bright, afternoon sunlight. David. “We visited the village and fell in love with it,” she The sea-grass-strewn lagoon and its surrounding says. The couple have preserved a rich sense of history in wetlands are separated from the sea by wind-blown the 350-year-old mansion — my suite has wooden beams dunes. Criton points out cormorants, egrets and flocks and shuttered windows, which open out over views of the of leggy flamingos. Below, Halikounas Beach, set on a village’s stone houses, in various states of ruin and repair. narrow strip of land between lake and sea, is a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles. At Foros taverna, in the village square, later that evening, I feast Corfu-style on flaky feta pastries, veal cooked in As the hazy sun begins to set, I sit on the terrace of my wine, and tsigarelli — wild mountain greens stewed with favourite taverna, Alonaki, a short drive north west up hot paprika. The air is cool, the stars magnificent. the coast, overlooking the bay, and make a final toast to Corfu with a glass of crisp Theotoky white. It’s a family- In the morning, before another soul wakes, I explore the run affair here, where the home-cooked dishes have village’s eight crumbling chapels and umpteen derelict changed little since my childhood. Gazing at the horizon, houses, some partially intact, others almost entirely which is threaded with tangerine swirls, I’m reminded of reclaimed by nature. They’re tranquil and eerie — beautiful Gerald Durrell’s words about the island: ‘Each day had a relics frozen in time. As I’m leaving, I spot a ‘for sale’ sign. tranquillity, a timelessness, about it, so you wished it would never end.’ On my final day, I drive south west via a road that snakes How to do it: Airlines including easyJet, Jet2 and British past gnarled olive trees, cypresses and somnolent villages. Airways offer direct flights to Corfu from across the UK. Down a bone-rattling dirt track, past creaking gates and Aperghi Travel can organise guided day walks up to multi- a gaggle of ducks and dogs, I find Bioporos’s crimson day trips along the Corfu Trail. easyjet.com jet2.com farmhouse. Criton Vlassis steps out, barefoot with a fraying britishairways.com aperghitravel.gr straw hat that he tips in greeting. With his siblings, he’s now the custodian of his family’s 70 acres of organic farmland, Doubles at The Merchant’s House from £93, B&B. demarcated by the turbid waters of Lake Korission. themerchantshousecorfu.com More info: visitgreece.gr theotoky.com bioporos.gr Criton loves rural life and being outside, he tells me. In the summer months, he sleeps in a tent among the olive APRIL 2023 93
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GREEK ISLANDS Mastic trees grow in a rocky area of southern Chios Left: The unique mastic resin is used to make a liqueur for mojitos 2 4 CHIOS Greek mojitos Beyond Chios’s famed mastic trees — their resin used to make the liqueur in a Greek mojito — the island is made for touring, its history everywhere to see IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY Greeks call the big, north-Aegean island of Chios ‘Myrovolos’ lived in Kambos, which is another picturesque corner. (‘fragrant’) for its citrus groves and wild herbs, but above all Hire a bike to tour its narrow lanes, lined with centuries- for the gum mastic trees that grow only here. Even on this old stone mansions, gardens, walled tangerine groves and island, they only flourish on the hills of the south; evergreen, wells with colourful water wheels. Some are now charming with trunks that writhe like dancers at a bacchanalia. In guesthouses, such as Mouzaliko (from £48, B&B) and Bella summer, the trees undergo the ‘needling’ that will make the Cisterna (from £88, B&B). trees weep ‘tears’ — the sweet resin that dries and hardens and has been prized since antiquity, used to treat stomach Chios is made for touring. Don’t miss the Byzantine ailments, to make cosmetics, sweets and the liqueur in a mosaics at 11th-century Nea Moni monastery (a UNESCO Greek mojito, and as a varnish for paintings. World Heritage Site) and the ghost town of Anavatos, abandoned since a massacre of the townsfolk by the Mastic gum appears on UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Ottomans in 1822 (Eugène Delacroix’s famous painting Cultural Heritage of Humanity; its cultivation supports of this, now in the Louvre Museum, rallied international around 5,000 families in the 24 Mastichochoria (‘mastic support for the Greek War of Independence). ‘Craggy Chios’, villages’), built by the island’s 14th-century Genoese as Homer called it, defines the north of the island — here, rulers, who monopolised the mastic trade. Two of these aim for the village of Volissos, with its medieval castle, high are must-sees: Mesta, a walled, medieval time capsule, above beautiful Agia Markella Beach. and spectacular Pyrgi, whose houses and churches are covered in black-and-white geometric designs. Near Pyrgi, The lively capital, Chios Town, rebuilt after an you can visit the excellent indoor-outdoor Chios Mastic earthquake in 1881, still has its Byzantine castle walls, Museum and black Mavra Volia beach, near the ruins of the as well as several museums and four seafront windmills. town of Emborios, which dates back to the eighth-century Just to the north, Vrontados is popular over Greek Easter, BC — the time of Homer. Islanders claim he was born here. when rival churches bombard each other with homemade Elsewhere on the island, the Genoese aristocrats generally fireworks. piop.gr odysseus.culture.gr mouzalikohotel.gr bellacisterna.gr DF APRIL 2023 95
GREEK ISLANDS NORTH MACEDONIA CORFU SKIATHOS ALONISSOS SKYROS MEGANISSI ITHACA EVIA CHIOS ATHENS KEFALONIA AGISTRI IKARIA HYDRA MYKONOS SPETSES NAXOS MILOS KOS IOS ELAFONISOS SANTORINI RHODES KYTHERA KASTELLORIZO KARPATHOS CRETE 2 5 NAXOS GETTING THERE & AROUND island-hop in. Book via ferryhopper.com ILLUSTRATION: GETTY For food lovers Crete, Corfu, Mykonos, Rhodes, or individual ferry companies. Santorini and Skiathos have regular Average flight time: 4h The Cyclades’ largest island has been a celebrated food direct flights from the UK in summer. producer for centuries, thanks to its fertile soil and Airlines serving some or all of these WHEN TO GO freshwater springs. The island’s sixth-century Temple islands include British Airways, EasyJet, The best time to visit is May to of Demeter, built to honour the goddess of the harvest, is Ryanair and TUI. All islands, with the September; average temperatures in a symbol of this prowess. Surrounding it are mountain exception of the few that lack airports August are around 30C but it can get vineyards, village tavernas and markets. (such as Agistri, Elafonisos, Hydra, Ios, much hotter. In April and October, and Spetses), are linked to Athens by some businesses operate shorter All of which makes Naxos one of Greece’s most delicious regular flights on Aegean Airlines and hours or close completely. Some ferry destinations. In the whitewashed capital of Hora, crowned its affiliate Olympic Airlines, as well as services only run in summer. by a hilltop Venetian castle, visitors should try the popular other Greek carriers such as Sky Airlines. restaurant Doukato, set in a former monastery, for island All islands have regular ferry services MORE INFO recipes such as kalogeras (beef, aubergine and cheese). For in high season (July and August) visitgreece.gr a more modern spin with small plates and views across the and some, such as Mykonos and Cyclades, there’s Avaton 1739, located on the roof of the Santorini, are ferry hubs with routes HOW TO DO IT castle. Escaping town, visitors can join a culinary tour with that serve many other islands. Greek island specialists include Vioma to meet local producers and chefs, or learn to make The boat networks in the Ionian and Olympic Holidays and Sunvil, while Naxian specialities on one of its cooking classes. Drive Aegean Seas have myriad routes and for active itineraries, try Much Better inland to sample the island’s signature liqueur, kitron, operators, so consult openseas.gr or Adventures. Responsible Travel has a made from the leaves of the citron fruit, at Vallindras ferries.gr. Ferries from Athens number of sailing trips. sunvil.co.uk Distillery. facebook.com/doukatonaxos avaton1739.com leave from the port of Pireaus. olympicholidays.com vioma.gr facebook.com/kitronaxouvallindras A A The Cyclades has the largest ferry muchbetteradventures.com network and is the easiest region to responsibletravel.com 96 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL
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ISLAND SPIRIT Downtown Kingston is in the throes of a creative rebirth, while across the country, Jamaica’s farmers and fishers are carving a new path, with enterprises such as a floating clubhouse and waterfall retreats. Six decades after independence from the British, this Caribbean island nation is looking to a brighter future WORDS: STEPHEN PHELAN PH OTO G R APH S: H O LLY M ARI E- C ATO 98 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .
APRIL 2023 99
JAMAICA Reggae singer and tour guide Ricky Chaplin greets me at Tuff Gong studios with a fist bump and the word “Rastafari”, affirming his religion in lieu of a hello. He wears his dreadlocks coiled up inside a equipment over to this facility, located in the Clockwise from top left: baggy tam, crocheted in the colours of the industrial zone behind the port. Vegetarian Rastafari faith — yellow for the gold of Ethiopia, green cuisine being served at for Jamaica’s mystic forests, red for the blood Marley’s wooden soundproofing panels the Rastafari Indigenous of the slaves transported here to Jamaica. and reel-to-reel tape decks are still in situ Village; rum tasting His Trenchtown Lions football shirt has Bob alongside the modern digital gear. His old at Hampden Estate; Marley’s name on the back. hand-operated record press is out back, beside the Galleon marine the new machinery that Tuff Gong recently sanctuary attracts birds Trenchtown is just down the street. Marley brought in to start producing vinyl discs once such as pelicans got his start in that Kingston ghetto, from again. His original sound engineer still works which “heavy vibrations” still emanate, here too — an ancient-looking Malaysian man Previous pages, according to Ricky. Marley’s former home isn’t with long, wispy white hair, introduced to from left: Jamaica flag far away, either, at 56 Hope Road. The house is me as Mister Chow. And so, without warning, flying high at Pelican Bar; now a museum that draws crowds of pilgrims, I find myself positioned at one degree of Janet Crick leading a as does his mausoleum, near his birthplace in separation from Marley himself, watching street art tour through Nine Mile. But if the singer’s sainted spirit is Mister Chow tune a piano while practicing jazz Downtown Kingston anywhere to be found, you might just as well chords scribbled in a notebook. seek it at Tuff Gong. “You don’t really need to read music,” he “His energy is still right here,” says Ricky, tells me. “You only need to listen.” Assuming standing amid dormant musical instruments that it would be vulgar to bother him for a and unplugged amps in the very rehearsal Marley anecdote, I weakly ask when Chow room where Marley and his band The Wailers was last back in Malaysia. “Oh, some time in worked on some of their best-known songs, the 1970s,” he says. “In my country, they cut including One Love. Ricky tries to reconstruct your hair short and they don’t let you smoke. their process: “Sitting and strumming over Jamaica is more … broad-minded.” there, Bob Marley sings ‘one’. The next one in the circle sings ‘love’. The next sings ‘one Ricky, continuing the smoking thread, heart’. Then they all sing ‘let’s get together starts sniffing at an invisible herbal tendril in and feel all right’,” he says. “That one-two beat the air. “Just by the smell, I know there was is the sound of your heart, and that chicka a session in here last night. But reggae isn’t rhythm of the guitar is the blood pumping just music to smoke to, and marijuana isn’t through your carburetor.” just smoke to a Rasta. It’s a burned offering, a sacrament, a way of confronting with the most More than 40 years after Marley’s death high Jah,” he says. “So we smoke, we play and (from bone cancer, aged 36, in 1981), aspiring we reason together, and our music becomes Jamaican musicians practically audition the eyes, ears and voice of the people.” before his ghost in this room. “Young reggae artists feel that if they don’t rehearse here, Ricky feels a need to evangelise like then they’re not ready,” says Ricky. To this, he says, because music and marijuana “graduate”, as he puts it, is to record in the so often condense into false or superficial adjoining studio. Formerly known as Federal impressions of the Rastafari, especially out in Recording, it was renamed Tuff Gong, a brand the wider Western world, which his brethren name associated with a number of Marley’s call Babylon. businesses, by his widow Rita, who bought the place and moved much of his personal Many visitors arrive in this country knowing nothing about its history and culture, except what little they might have picked up 10 0 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL
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