Normally, August is the peak season for travel in Greece, but in 2004, the Athens Summer Olympic Games changes everything. The Olympic Games run from August 13th through the 29th. Early August travel seems to be down substantially from last year, but many providers are reporting full bookings for the end of the month and the beginning of September. Greeks may not be taking their usual holidays; many went away in July instead of abandoning businesses during the Olympic Games.
In Athens, special traffic and parking regulations apply throughout the city. A new suburban railway now reaches to the airport at Spata, and the Metro Line 3 now runs back and forth to the airport as well. Special free art, music, and other cultural presentations are going on throughout Athens, in addition to the usual plays, shows, and festivals.
As with every year, August weather tends to be hot. Delicate travelers may well prefer to choose another month to explore, but if high energy delights you, the party scene is usually at its peak in August with September's return to school and work looming only weeks away.
The mornings will be your best bet for sightseeing, as the heat grows strongest about 1pm, making the Greek habit of taking an afternoon nap or relaxation period very attractive.
In "normal" years, many Greeks travel home for the Festival of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is celebrated throughout Greece. Because of the increased domestic travel, transportation is jammed. Travelers with Greek surnames reportedly seem to fare better on getting that last seat during the first two weeks of the month.
Many Greeks will also be observing a Lenten-like fast for the period between August 1st and the 15th, when the fast gives way to feasting. This generally does not affect what is available for tourists to eat, though some additional fast-friendly specialty dishes may be worth a try.
Travel on and around the 15th itself is usually limited. The 15th is a national holiday, the Greek Orthodox observance of the Feast of the Dormition also known as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and many sites will be closed for the day. The effect of the Olympics on this observance and celebration is not clear yet.
The cultural festivals of Greece are in full swing as the Athens Festival continues, the Patras Festival begins, and dozens of other major and minor festivals take advantage of the crowds to present the best of Greek culture to as many minds and souls as possible, particularly in this Olympic summer.
Grape harvest festivals are underway in several places. The Dodecanese islands of Samos and Rhodes both host major festivals. See the full August festival list, or go on to the next page for a quick look at rates, weather, and crowd levels for August.
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Some of The Best Greek Islands
Temple-crowned Aegina - Natural Alonissos - Traditional Carpathos - Chewy Chios - Cos, The Doctors' Island - Queenly Crete - Dignified Delos - Do it all on Donoussa - Hydra, Artist's Island - Odysseus' Ithaca - Kalokairi "Mamma Mia" Island - Spongy Kalymnos - Aphrodite's Kythira - Lesvos, More than Sappho - Lovely Leros - Mighty Mykonos - Paros Paradise - Pirate Islands - Pastoral Patmos - Volcanic Santorini - Sexy Skopelos - The Dreamy Small Cyclades - Easy Spetses - Symi Summers - Very Greek Syros - Honeyed Thassos - Tilos, Island of Elephants
