# Which Greek Island?



## Ade101 (Sep 10, 2010)

I wonder if I could draw on your collective wisdom on Greek Island. I am planning a trip and want some advice on which one. I have been to a few islands myself but this time I am bringing my wife who has never been to Greece.

Requirements are:

Peaceful – away from the main tourist areas
Green and leafy - for walking and cycling
We won’t spend much time on the beach but a few nice beaches would be welcome.

I am thinking maybe one of the Ionians like Lefkas or Kefalonia. Maybe some parts of Crete could meet the bill.

Thanks

Ade


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I was in Kefelonia long before Captain Corellis mandolin hit the screen and found it a beautiful peaceful island but it is small . Crete is my all time favourite island as it fits everything you want.. try walking the Gorge..


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## Yalides (Dec 4, 2010)

For us its Skiathos. Owned a small villa there a few years ago before selling it. Mistake. Now looking to buy there again and move from Turkey.


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## wicked1 (May 27, 2009)

Lefkas is the nicest of the Islands.
If you want peace and quiet stay away from the town of Nidri
Lygia and Kariotes and that on the west coast are small fishing villages but traffic can get busy in summer, walks and cycling are nearby as is a selection of small supermarkets and a selection of good tavernas.
For a real get away the village of Karia in the mountains would suit you fine.
I would avoid the summer months for these activities as the daytime temprature can reach 42 degrees.
The great advantage of Lefkas is it can be accessed easily out of season as it is connected to the mainland by a floating bridge, there is a regular bus service from Athens Bus station to the island


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## Toto (Feb 25, 2008)

I moved to Kefalonia almost 3 years ago and would highly recommend it. It meets all your requirements and many more!


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## fellinlove (Jan 4, 2011)

Hello

I have had 3 Holidays in Kefalonia i love it, would like to move but where do i start can you help


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## Toto (Feb 25, 2008)

Of course. What would you like to know?


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## fellinlove (Jan 4, 2011)

where to look for property prob renting for a while, do i need visa, permits, is it better done from greece? i am on holiday again this yr? anything u can tell me would be good i dont know what to do 1st, also need school (english) for 9yr old


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## Toto (Feb 25, 2008)

Okay, as far as I know there are no English schools on Kefalonia (in fact there may be none on any other Greek island - including Crete!).

Renting is fairly inexpensive (300-400 Euros per month for a large house of v. good quality). If you are planning to build your own home there are some reputable developers and some not so good ones so avoid those!

No visa/permits required to start with.


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## fellinlove (Jan 4, 2011)

ok thank you thats a good start might look into schools when i visit again as i thought our tour guide said english schools maybe she meant they can speak english but as we would learn greek as we go along (hopefully) not a problem, how long do you get before you have to apply to stay? i will leave you now for a while thanks for you help


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## wanderers2 (Jan 5, 2011)

No residency requirements for Greece? Only if you plan to leave in 90 days. Laws have changed. Gone are the days of relaxed border crossing requirements. From what I understand, if you intend to stay for an extended period, you DO need a residency permit. Lots of red tape involved. Suggest you check out the website "livingingreece.gr" If anyone know how to circumvent the health insurance requirement for a residency permit, I'd love to know! We're old people and can't pay both Medicare (which is NOT optional) and insurance to cover us in Greece. Any thoughts?


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## Nisan1967 (Jan 23, 2011)

Perhaps we can get together we are also ın Turkey and are lookıng to relocate to Greece


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## fellinlove (Jan 4, 2011)

Hello,

100% Kefalonia the most beautiful of the Islands any town will suit you has lovely beaches through out, quiet green and leafy but may i say if your cycling i would go May or Sept far to hot otherwise
Jacqui




Ade101 said:


> I wonder if I could draw on your collective wisdom on Greek Island. I am planning a trip and want some advice on which one. I have been to a few islands myself but this time I am bringing my wife who has never been to Greece.
> 
> Requirements are:
> 
> ...


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## annaskop (Jan 20, 2011)

*skopelos!*

You want to go to the Sporades Islands! Skopelos! beautiful, green, still traditional.....not spoiled at all - 
More info - just let me know.............
Anna 







Ade101 said:


> I wonder if I could draw on your collective wisdom on Greek Island. I am planning a trip and want some advice on which one. I have been to a few islands myself but this time I am bringing my wife who has never been to Greece.
> 
> Requirements are:
> 
> ...


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## xenos (Dec 20, 2009)

wanderers2 said:


> No residency requirements for Greece? Only if you plan to leave in 90 days. Laws have changed. Gone are the days of relaxed border crossing requirements. From what I understand, if you intend to stay for an extended period, you DO need a residency permit. Lots of red tape involved. Suggest you check out the website "livingingreece.gr" If anyone know how to circumvent the health insurance requirement for a residency permit, I'd love to know! We're old people and can't pay both Medicare (which is NOT optional) and insurance to cover us in Greece. Any thoughts?


...




FOR THE FINAL TIME

the old RENEWABLE Residency Permit (for EU Citizens) DOES NOT EXIST AND HAS NOT DONE SO FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

I quote

Under article 8 of the new presidential decree and article 8 of the EU directive, EU citizens who wish to stay in another member state for more than three months are required to apply for a registration certificate (veveosi eggrafis) at their local aliens bureau. The registration certificate does not have to be renewed.

Previous legislation required non-Greek EU citizens to obtain a residence permit that had to be renewed every five years.

To register, EU citizens are required to submit the following documents: a valid identity card or passport; confirmation of engagement from the applicant's employer or a certificate of employment or proof that they are self-employed. Those who are not active in the labour market will only need to submit proof of medical insurance and that they have sufficient monetary resources for themselves and their family.

The registration certificate should be issued on the spot. It is also free of charge.

EU citizens who do not register will be subject to a fine of at least 59 euros, based on articles 8 and 27 of the new decree and article 458 of the Greek Penal Code.


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## karonnz (Mar 8, 2011)

Ade101 said:


> I wonder if I could draw on your collective wisdom on Greek Island. I am planning a trip and want some advice on which one. I have been to a few islands myself but this time I am bringing my wife who has never been to Greece.
> 
> Requirements are:
> 
> ...


Cephalonia, Skopelos, Samothraki, Thassos are the ones that first come to mind.


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## Tahoe2Greece (Apr 4, 2011)

The person you responded to is not an EU citizen, but from the US. Does what you aid below help them (and us) at all? Do you have any advice that would answer their question. Thank you.



xenos said:


> ...
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> 
> ...


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## xenos (Dec 20, 2009)

Tahoe2Greece said:


> The person you responded to is not an EU citizen, but from the US. Does what you aid below help them (and us) at all? Do you have any advice that would answer their question. Thank you.


........

I answered the ORIGINAL poster who was from the UK. What I stated was 100% correct. Perchance the US citizen should have read MY post correctly BEFORE saying that a permit was required


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## Ade101 (Sep 10, 2010)

OP here,

Thanks everyone for your advice, It's been really helpful. In the end I decided on Crete over Easter (a little place on the south coast called Makrigialos). Then I plan to go to Lefkas or Kefalonia in Autumn.

Can't wait!


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## Elena morfi (Feb 22, 2013)

Ade101 said:


> I wonder if I could draw on your collective wisdom on Greek Island. I am planning a trip and want some advice on which one. I have been to a few islands myself but this time I am bringing my wife who has never been to Greece.
> 
> Requirements are:
> 
> ...


I think that crete is a good idea....you can find a lot if calm places ....and it's ideal for walking or anything else you want...I recommend you apokoronas villages....there you can find peaceful areas...you can taste Cretan traditional kitchen...


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## maikom (Nov 15, 2015)

*Visit Skiathos...*

Skiathos is one of the most green and leafy islands in Greece, with 65+ unique beaches.
If you are looking for a peaceful place to stay away from the main tourist area but suitable for walking and cycling i recommend to stay in VillaEleven, located in a calm place just five minutes from port and airport.


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