Athens
Athens is the country's capital situated on the island of
Attica. Vibrant, lively and now considered very desirable, Athens
is too busy and polluted for some but since the 2004 Olympics the
capital has cleaned up its act. The infrastructure is far better
than previous years and there are lots of upmarket shops, hotels
and restaurants. Standard apartments, even in central locations can
be remarkably cheap while prestigious suburbs such as Ekali or the
nearby island of Aegina can command very high prices. With mild
winters and hot summers this is a perfect destination for
holidaymakers.
Corfu
Located in the Ionian Sea, Corfu is the second largest island in
Greece and an international tourist centre which caters to all of
its visitor's interests. It is a very green island with pine
forests and a mixture of long sandy beaches and small shingle
coves. There are incredible sightseeing opportunities, a huge night
life, music festival, numerous beaches, water parks and much
more.
Property tends to be divided into high-end villas, often in
small fishing villages on the north-east coast, cheap apartments in
large-scale resorts and village properties. Much of the island is
very well developed due to the long history of tourism and this
offers scope for a longer season. Investing in property in Corfu
can potentially earn back great returns during the summer seasons
by letting flats and apartments out to tourists.
Peloponnese
A large land mass joined to the Greek southern coast, the area
is a mix of developed coastal resorts, a wealth of historic sites,
peaceful mountain villages and rural areas. This is also an
attractive holiday destination to Athenians who come to escape the
city. The beaches down the west coast of Peloponnese are considered
some of the best in Greece because apart from their natural beauty
they are considerably less crowded than those in other tourist
destinations.
Like the islands, property ranges from standard apartments and
new-build developments in popular tourist locations, to small
cottages in undisturbed villages or coastal towns.
Crete
This is the largest of the Greek islands and is very popular
with both Dutch and UK buyers. Two airports on the island mean both
halves of Crete have their fair share of tourists. To the western
side of the island are the busy towns of Chania and Rethymnon,
while the east has the major towns of Heraklion and Malia's
sprawling resorts. Crete is the most popular holiday destination in
Europe mainly due to the amount it has to offer visitors from its
clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in its developed tourist spots
to quieter areas that offer small mountain villages, quiet coves
and hidden beaches.
There are many small, pretty villages both inland among the
mountains, and along the coast that offer a mix of traditional
stone houses, renovated property and ruins ripe for restoration.
There has been an increase in new-build villas and apartments and
several developers have now moved into key coastal locations. As a
result of the increased interest prices have risen significantly in
the past few years.
Rhodes
A part of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes is one of the largest
islands in Greece and often referred to as the isle of sun. It has
a mature tourist market and offers a combination of cultural and
historic sites, good beaches and lively resorts. Some of the
beaches are able to offer water sports and the night life is
boasted to be one of the best in Greece although it is usually
within the resorts.
There are restrictions on development to protect the coast and
rural areas and there is a large ex-pat population of all
nationalities. The northern part of the island is less developed by
tourism and is popular with property buyers. Popular towns such as
Lindo and Tsambika are particularly expensive.
Patras
Patras is the third largest city of Greece and the capital of
the Achaea prefecture. A beautiful and historic city, it is the
2007 European Capital of Culture and has had much interest from the
media and tourism as a result. Carnival seasons, festivals, good
restaurants, little cafes and lively inner city streets all add to
the atmosphere and culture of the city. Patras is also home to the
second largest port in Greece and so thrives on its shipping
business.
Substantial investment has gone into infrastructure and
commercial investment. Property is in short supply here and
therefore prices are higher than some areas with new apartments
selling from around €37,000.
Kos
Kos shows a mixture of old historic Greek and Roman architecture
imbedded within the modern restaurants, shops and cafes. It's no
secret that Kos's main attraction from tourists is its lively
nightlife and clubbing scene in locations such as Kos Town and
Kardamena and is said to be the touristiest place in Greece. One of
Kos' most popular monuments is the castle of the knights of St
Johns which is a very popular attraction. Tigaki Beach offers over
ten kilometres of sand and is one of the most popular beaches on
the island while Kefalos beach has the added quaintness of the
Monastery of Agios Nikolaos positioned on a rocky mass a few
hundred metres out to sea.
When investing in Property in Kos you can expect to buy a two
bedroom 75 sq m house for around 165,000 Euros or a 75 sq m
apartment for around 135,000 Euros.
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