The Hellenic Republic, generally known as Greece is a country in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean. From east to west Greece borders Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania. Greece has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, with thousands of islands in 9 geographic regions. The Aegean Sea is to the east, the Mediterranean Sea including the Sea of Crete are to the south and the Ionian Sea to the west.
Greece is famous for being the cradle of western civilisation and the birthplace of many staples of western society including democracy, literature, scientific and mathematical principals, theatre and the Olympic Games. There is immense history here with advanced civilisations being recorded as early as 3200BC. Athens was at the heart of ancient Greece and is one of the worlds oldest cities. It remains the capital and largest city to this day, located in the Attica region of Central Greece.
Greece has a huge and intricate coastal area with over 1200 islands, 240 of which are inhabited. The huge coastline means Greece has a well earned reputation as a fantastic seaside holiday destination. The hot, dry summers of the Mediterranean climate has made Greece a top choice for sun seekers, with tourism being a major economic driver along with the maritime industry.
Aside from the draw of the sun and sea, Greece has a phenomenal cultural draw, with such a rich and varied history, there are numerous well preserved archeological sites, and the country is rich with unique art, food, music and architecture. Each area and island has its own unique personality drawing visitors back time and time again.
Diving tourism is still relatively new in Greece as diving was prohibited by law in all but a few specific locations until 2006 to protect underwater antiquities from theft. In 2006 some of the restrictions were eased opening the door to scuba diving and dive centres opened on many islands. Some special sites are still restricted, but more and more areas are becoming accessible. The laws that protect antiquities are still in force, so there is a strict look but don’t touch rule for all divers.
Discover more