The Olympic Effect

Suddenly my mailbox is filled with requests from readers looking for various physical activities to do as part of their travel in Greece, such as bike trips. I think this must be the Olympic effect - Greece is now once again firmly associated with physical activity. While I'm personally a little sorry to see its long association with sitting at a taverna sipping a frappe or lying on the beach doing absolutely nothing losing ground, it's great to see Greece on the cutting edge of so many sports. I was surprised last year when I found that Greek surfing is surging in popularity, but nothing will surprise me now. There's even an all-year, all-weather surf camp on Crete if you were wondering what to do next January.

Wakeboarding and kitesurfing are also thriving in Greece, and a new non-profit Greek Wakeboard and Kitesurfing Association is devoted to these sports.