Three things you probably didn’t know about Greek islands sailing

Greece may appear to be one of the most familiar holiday destinations due to its widespread popularity. The picture-postcard scenery, the great food and many hours of sunshine will come as no surprise; however, there are other aspects of this country that you might well discover on your Greek islands sailing holiday.

Thousands of islands

You can probably name a few, but there are over 2,000 islands in Greece’s territory, although only around 170 are populated. Many of the rest are very small, but this simply adds to their charm. A sailing trip is the ideal way to visit some of these lesser-known gems.

Tonnes of marble

It is no surprise that Greece is famed for its incredible statues, with an estimated 7% of the entire world’s marble coming from Greece. The unusual volcanic nature of the geology in this regions has produced some incredible natural resources. Much of this marble comes from the islands, with Paros in particular being noted for its stunning translucent stone. There are many abandoned mines and quarries on this island, but it still attracts plenty of visitors drawn by the millennia-old creative atmosphere. Strangely, although we might think of the statuary as all being white, much of it was brightly painted and has simply peeled over time to reveal the pale stone below.

You are not in Greece

Greece is known by the Greeks as Hellas or Ellada. The name Greece was actually given to the country by the Romans and comes from the Latin word Graecia, meaning ‘home of the Greeks’. To confuse things further, it is possible that the Romans were not even referring to Greece as we know it but to a part of southern Italy where many Greeks lived.

Greece quite rightly remains a firm favourite when it comes to island sailing breaks.