A lot of people through the years have chosen Greece as their new home. Great ex-pat communities exist on several islands. Yet, rarely you will find non-Greeks living in the off-the-beaten-track areas of Greece. The mainland… The mountains… If you happen to wonder why… the answer is quite straightforward. People visit one of the usually well-marketed destinations for vacation, and they fall in love and decide to move to that destination.
Rural Greece, not being part of any travel itinerary remains a virgin territory waiting to be explored and enjoyed. You may wonder though how life is in rural Greece. One word can describe it all. Life is delightful. We do know that everyone nowadays needs the internet. And we can happily confirm that you have nothing to worry about. 93% of the rural territories have DSL, 97.3% offer HSPA, and 100% enjoy Satellite coverage.
Things got even better at the end of 2022 when Starlink became available in the country. Mobile telephony is not a problem either. All over the country, there is a good signal and 4G is available almost everywhere while 5G recently arrived and is only available in the metropolitan areas of Greece.
The next thing on our list is housing. Renting a house can be an obstacle in a lot of areas. The majority of Greeks have a second or third home in their villages, but they are not very willing to rent them out long-term. It may sound strange but this is the truth. In the last few years, that is slowly changing and opportunities exist. However, buying a house is very possible and at amounts that will more than pleasantly surprise you. Value for money is unquestionable. Of course, you can always consider buying land where you can build your dream home.
In terms of mobility, in most cases, you will need a car. Even for basic everyday things such as going to the grocery store. As for health services, even if locals tend to complain a lot about their Health Care System, it is more than adequate. We have recently discovered villages with 1000 permanent residents that have their own pharmacies. And they had it for years and years. A doctor is usually within very easy reach and a public medical center is the same. While general hospitals are located in every main town and city.
But these are just the logistics and for us matters that have more than one solution.
The greatness of living in rural Greece is a combination of factors. Quality of life is the first and most important. Then comes the hospitality, kindness, caring, and humane approach of the locals.
In rural Greece, you will never feel like a stranger. And every single person in the community you choose to build your home will be there for you. Greeks the majority are extroverts. Their homes are open to everyone. They enjoy the company of others. They care for every member of their community. True sentiments that are hard to come by. Locals will also come by your home unannounced and without even calling bringing you goodies of their own produce or food they just cooked. They don’t expect anything in return. It is just how they are. We have heard that this can be annoying to some. And if that sounds annoying to you too, then maybe these parts of Greece are to be avoided.
Another important factor for us is that living in the rural parts of mainland Greece comes with a great advantage in most cases. Meaning that you can be at the top of the mountains or by the sea in less than an hour’s drive. There are times of the year when you can go skiing in the mountains in the morning and then go swimming in the afternoon. And that is a blessing.
And guess what… you can travel with ease and explore the rest of the country. You just hop on your car and drive off. Any time of day or night. Just because you feel like it. No need to check ferry schedules or flight times or to be stopped by them.
Our list of areas that we believe deserve to be considered includes:
The Region of Epirus
All of it. The regional units of Ioannina, Arta, Preveza, and Thesprotia. Not the cities of course. But the villages of each unit. In Ioannina, we vote for Zagoria or Konitsa or Dodoni, or Metsovo. In Arta for Central Tzoumerka or the villages by ancient Horraon. In Preveza for any of the coastal villages or somewhere near the lake of Ziros.
The Regional Unit of Aetolia-Acarnania
This part belongs to the geographic unit of Central Greece. I doubt it if you have ever heard of it. In this part of the country, there are limitless possibilities but we will just name a few. Our favorite place is Lake Trichonida. The largest freshwater lake in the country. Then we move on to the village of Petrochori for its architecture and majestic views of the lake. Or the small town of Thermo with its beautiful piazza full of plane trees and water springs, where the ancient Greek site of Thermios Apollon is also located. But for an even remoter and more traditional place, you can go further afield to the village of Kato Chrisovitsa; spread in a valley surrounded by mountains and very close to Evinos River which is popular amongst lovers of canoeing and kayaking.
And if all this is not enough… get in touch with us through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
#ruralgreece #offthebeatentrack #greeceunknown
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