Greece

The Greek island of Paros is located in the center of the Aegean Sea. It is located west of Naxos, which is part of the Cyclades island group, and is divided from it by a canal that is roughly 8 kilometers (5 miles) wide. It is roughly 93 miles (150 kilometers) southeast of Piraeus. A total of 196.308 square kilometers (75.795 square miles) of uninhabited offshore islets make up the Municipality of Paros. Southwest of it is the municipality of Antiparos, which is its closest neighbor. The island was home to the city-state of Paros in ancient Greece.Due to Paros's reputation for producing exquisite white marble, the name "Parian" was coined to refer to marble or china with comparable characteristics.Although the island is home to both active and closed marble quarries and mines, Paros is mostly a well-liked tourism destination. Because of its exceptional transparency and purity, Parian marble is one of a kind and unmatched in its ability to be both hard and flexible. The Venus de Milo, Hermes of Praxiteles, Nike of Delos, the Temple of Apollo, and the Treasury of Sifnos in Delphi are just a few of the most well-known sculptures created in this amazing technique.The seawater sculptures, known to the locals as Kolymbithres, are made of golden sand that has been woven around granite boulders and flattened into amazing designs by the wind and sea. They appear to have been created by an artist. Wind-driven sea sports in the strait separating Paros from the islands of Antiparos and Naxos are endless. For people who enjoy water activities, particularly kitesurfing and windsurfing, Paros is the perfect place to go because of the strong, consistent winds. International competitions have been held there for many years. Additionally, you can take classes at Chrysi Akti or Pounta if you're not an expert already. 

Together with its smaller satellite islands, Corfu, also known as Kerkyra, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea that forms the northwest border of Greece. Along with the islands of Othonoi, Ereikoussa, and Mathraki, the island is governed by three municipalities and is a part of the Corfu regional unit. Corfu is also the name of the island's main city, which has a population of 32,095. Ionian University is located in Corfu.The island is associated with Greece's history from the earliest days of Greek mythology and has seen many conflicts and conquests. Ancient Korkyra participated in the Battle of Sybota, which Thucydides claims was the biggest naval conflict between Greek city states up to that point and served as a prelude to the Peloponnesian War. Along with Athens and Corinth, Thucydides states that in the fifth century BCE, Korkyra was one of Greece's three major maritime powers.Palaiopolis is home to the remains of Greek temples and other ancient Korkyra archaeological sites. As a result of the Middle Ages' battles against Ottoman and pirate invasions, the island is dotted with medieval castles at key spots. Its capital, the only city in Greece to be fortified in this manner, is surrounded by two of these fortresses. Thus the Greek government has formally designated the capital of Corfu as a kastropolis (or "castle city"). Venice is the source of Corfu's urban architecture, which is indicative of the island's Venetian control from 1386 until 1797. The Old Town of Corfu, one of Greece's World Heritage Sites, features architecture with a distinctly Venetian flavor, as do its winding lanes, known as the kantounia. Other noteworthy structures from the Venetian era include the first Greek opera house, the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù, and Liston, a multi-story commercial and residential complex with an arched colonnade at ground level that is lined with eateries and cafes on the east side and eateries and other shops on the west.Mass gatherings, including parades, frequently take place on Liston's main avenue. The Spianada (Esplanade), the expansive main plaza and park that includes Maitland's memorial, a pavilion, and a cricket field, is where Liston is located. Notable are the Old and New forts, the recently renovated Palace of Sts. Michael and George, which was once the seat of the Ionian Senate and the residence of the British colonial governor, and the summer Palace of Mon Repos, which was once owned by the Greek royal family and the birthplace of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.The Park of Mon Repos is situated on a portion of Kerkyra's Palaiopolis, where the Greek Archaeological Service carried out excavations in cooperation with scholars and universities from across the world. Examples of the discoveries are on display in the Archaeological Museum of Corfu and the Museum of the Palace of Mon Repos.

According to legend, Delphi, once known as Pytho, was a huge sacred precinct and the home of Pythia, the principal oracle who was consulted on significant choices throughout the classical era. As evidenced by the stone monument known as the Omphalos of Delphi (navel), the ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world.The Delphyne, a she-serpent (drakaina) who dwelt there and was slain by the deity Apollo, is said to have given Delphi its name, according to the Suda (in some stories the serpent was the male serpent (drakon) Python).A designated area on the southwest slope of Mount Parnassus is home to the sacred precinct.Since 1938, it has been a part of Parnassos National Park and is now a vast archaeological site. The numerous monuments erected there by the majority of the major ancient Greek city-states, proving their basic Hellenic unity, attest to the precinct's significant importance in the ancient world and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The majority of the ruins that are still standing now are from the sixth century BC, when the site was most active.According to ancient belief, the location is home to a series of mythological temples, the first constructed from Tempe's olive branches, the second made of beeswax and wings, and the third constructed by Hephaestus and Athena. The architects Trophonios and Agamedes are said to have designed the first edifice with archaeological evidence, which dates to the seventh century BC. The Alcmaeonids constructed a new building, which also burned down in the fourth century BC, when it burned down in 548/7 BC. The Temple of Apollo was a peripheral Doric structure, and the remnants that may be seen now date from the fourth century BC. Agathon, Xenodoros, and Spintharus were the ones who built it.

A Greek island in the Cyclades, Mykonos is situated between Tinos, Syros, Paros, and Naxos. The island is 85.5 square kilometers (33.0 square miles) in size, and its highest point is 341 meters (1,119 feet) above sea level. There were 10,704 people living there as of the 2021 census, with the majority residing in Mykonos, the largest town on the west coast. As is customary in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the main town, the town is also called Chora, which translates to "Town" in Greek. Because of the extremely powerful winds that frequently blow on the island, Mykonos is known as "The Island of the Winds" . One of the main industries is tourism, and Mykonos is well-known for its exciting nightlife. According to Herodotus, the island's first occupants were Carians. In the early 11th century BC, Athens-based Ionians appear to have come next. Only 2 km (1.2 miles) distant, the nearby island of Delos was home to a large population, making Mykonos a crucial location for transit and supplies. But in the past, it was a relatively impoverished island with few agricultural resources. Its people worshipped numerous gods and were polytheists. During the Roman Empire, Mykonos was ruled by the Romans. From the 12th century onward, it was a member of the Byzantine Empire. After Constantinople fell during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Andrea Ghisi took control of Mykonos. The island was finally turned over to direct Venetian administration in 1390 after being devastated by the Catalans at the end of the 13th century.Suleiman the Magnificent's admiral, Hayreddin Barbarossa, attacked Mykonos in 1537, when the Venetians were still in power, and an Ottoman navy anchored on the island. Under Kapudan Pasha's command, the Ottomans enforced a self-governance system that included an appointed council of syndics and a governor. The last Venetians left the area in 1718 after the Ottomans captured the castle of Tinos.   Despite having many Mediterranean climate (Csa) traits and being heavily impacted by the Aegean Sea, Mykonos has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climatic classification: BSh) due to its low overall precipitation, according to the National Observatory of Athens. The months of October through March are considered the rainy season. The vegetation grows around mid-autumn and terminates in the early summer, according to the usual trend for the area.The average daily temperature is approximately 27.0 °C (80.6 °F) in the summer and 15 °C (59 °F) in the winter. In the winter, the average overnight temperature is 11 °C (52 °F), and in the summer, it is 24 °C (75 °F).