Activities in Greece

Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Games, is ideal for participating in a sport or taking part in events or games (sports tourism). In the recent past the country has frequently organized many large sports/athletic events (world championships, Pan-European games, significant international tournaments, etc), with the crowning event being the 2004 Olympic Games that were held in Athens.

These sports/athletic events contributed significantly to the construction of many modern large and small sports facilities, stadiums and training centers throughout the country, covering a wide range of sports, where today local residents and visitors to the region are able to exercise or train in their favorite sport: from athletics, soccer, volleyball and basketball to tennis and golf, sailing and surfboards.

Moreover, many hotels offer their guests special facilities for sports activities (basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, sea-sports, etc). More details can be provided by the relevant hotel official (check the hotel guidebook).

Water Sports

Greece is all about sea, an aquatic heaven, full of life. Bounding the mainland from side to side, Greek seas create an amalgamation of images, interchanging with each other, completing one another, fostering absolute harmony and sheer beauty.

Water sports are very popular in Greece, a country of seas with emerald waters and wonderful sea beds. Greece offers the sea sports lovers a great deal, since it is endowed with awesome natural attractions in Aegean and Ionian Sea; in addition our country boasts the fully equipped supplies with high quality services on the islands and around the mainland. The 3,000 island Greek archipelago is an ideal place to explore, an opportunity to discover unspoiled beaches and more than 20,000 km of coastline to admire.

Land Sports

The relationship between men and the land, mountains, hills and plains are both primordial and profound. In Greece this relationship has been etched in the history, art and soul of its inhabitants.

From ancient times, high peaks comprised the shelters, hide-outs and symbols of freedom, as well as the challenges for man who always wanted to explore the limits of the planet. A highlands hike follows ancient trails carved in the mountain and the hiker finds himself lost in the physical beauties of the highlands as he enjoys their secrets. Exploring caves (spelunking) always challenges the daring who want to discover the mysteries of the inner worlds of the earth, where light rarely reaches. Thousands of years later, these passions became recreational sports and activities, but a primordial spark was always maintained: man’s need to become one with nature, to shatter the limits, to learn the unknown.

Greece offers an endless choice of land sports and activities: Mountaineering, climbing, trekking, mountain biking, spelunking (caving), canyoning, horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, etc, are just a few of the sports that you can enjoy in Greece throughout the year as the climate is ideal for outdoor activities and sports.

Air Sports

The attempt of man to fly and slip the surly bonds of Earth is reflected in an absolute way in the adventurous sky sports. Like the legendary hero Icarus, sky sports enthousiasts in Greece get excited by the thrill of flying that offers them unique freedom in conjunction with spiritual tranquility and absolute concentration. This is an adventurous, authentic and quite romantic way to see the natural beauties of Greece from above, moving with the air currents as your guide.

Greece has the ideal climate for gliding, hang gliding and parapente (paragliding) flights, since the drier the climate of a region or a country is, the better it is for the development of the above-mentioned sports, which utilize the upward currents in the atmosphere to help the glider, the kite-glider or the parapenter to fly for quite a while. The period between April and October is the best time to fly.

Gliding (also known as soaring) is a sports activity in which the pilot seeks to maintain or gain altitude in unpowered flight (aided by the rising air) by flying unpowered aircrafts – the gliders or sailplanes. When soaring conditions are good enough, experienced pilots can fly hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airports. Gliding has been active in Greece since 1935, pioneered by the Athens Gliding Club under the auspices of the Hellenic Aero Club, while one of the oldest and more experienced is the Tripolis Air Sports Center that has been operating since 1956.

In hang gliding, the pilot “hangs” (tied in a special harness) underneath the glider (a flying machine consisting of Dacron fabric and aluminium tubes of aircraft alloy), in such a way that his/ her body hangs in the air like a pendulum. By shifting his/ her weight in the appropriate way and by taking advantage of the rising air currents, the pilot follows the desired direction moving along three axes: longitudinal, transversal and vertical. Depending on the degree of training, the pilot can reach a height of 5,000 metres and stay in the air for up to 10 hours.

The sport started in the ‘70s in the USA and Australia where it became quickly popular. In the years to follow, it became known all over the world; in Greece hang gliding first appeared in 1978 and in 1999 was incorporated into the Hellenic Air Sports Federation (HASF). The sport today is very popular, and the result is that many Greek clubs are now involved in training any and all interested parties.

Parapente (paragliding) acquired its name from the French words “parachute” and “pente” (mountainside), since it was established in the mid 1980’s in France.

This sport requires good physical condition, excellent technical, psychological and metal alertness, perceptiveness, as well as knowledge of meteorology and aerodynamics which are taught by special instructors. Taking into account weather conditions, the parapente can reach a height of 4,000 m and can travel a distance of 2.0-2.5 km. Flights may last several hours, with speeds ranging from 48 to 60 kph. It was introduced in Greece in the early 1990’s mainly by persons involved in hang gliding -flying by kite-, which was already quite popular as a sport.

The first competitions took place in Plataies in the beginning of the 1990’s. A national championship has been organized and a national team has been created, while local competitions are being held in many regions throughout Greece, organized by the Hellenic Paragliding Committee, which is part of the Hellenic Air Sports Federation

Parapente (paragliding) flights take place in Attica (Kandili, Megara), Viotia (Plataies Thivon), as well as in many other regions in Greece, such as Konitsa, Agrinio, Arta, Ioannina, Edessa, Thessaloniki, Patras and Crete). Training requires around 4-5 weekends and includes flight theory, meteorology lessons and a practical exercise. However, when flying, the beginner will be accompanied by an instructor for a period of time.