☺️Finally some good news!
While there are more and more positive news coming from many countries in regards to Covid-19 restrictions, Etna volcano... went boom! So, here is what happened.
Hi there,
I recently posted my predictions on when Greece will probably open its doors to tourists but…that’s just a prediction.
Here are some recent positive Covid-19 updates for Greece and other countries:
Greece, Israel and Cyprus signed an agreement of free movement for everyone who has a “vaccine-passport” and there are lots of rumours that this will be applied across all Europe in the next months. The idea of a vaccine certificate that will allow people to move between countries without restrictions was pitched to the EU leaders by the Greek Prime Minister last month. However, the deal between Israel, Greece and Cyprus gets into effect on the 1st of April 2021 (Source)
Covid-19 numbers are going down but there is still a lot to be done for all european countries to ease restrictions. The numbers for Greece though are not declining that fast. Here is where they are now:
Greece is planning a re-opening of some activities in March including retail and schools but dates have not been confirmed yet (Source)
Greece is in a good place in regards to vaccination numbers and above the European average:
Greece is also planning to issue Vaccination Certificates as a tool to facilitate and help people who want to travel:
UK finally announced its plans to end Covid-19 restrictions by June 21st. Is that too late? Is that too early? Nothing is still 100% for sure, but the good news for the UK is that the Covid-19 cases numbers are going down while the vaccination numbers are some of the highest in the world (Source)
So…
Chances are that if you are from the UK you should be able to travel without any restrictions and without any quarantine from the 21st of June 2021 , onwards!
Happy days!
Summer is still on!😊🌞🍹🏖️
The only thing for sure though is that while Covid-19 stll keeps most of us at home, the rest of the world (or better: our planet) is still doing what it’s been doing for the last few billion years: changing!
🌋You may have heard the news that Etna, Europe’s most active volcano and one of the most active in the world, has errupted last week with some spectacular lava shows:
I am not sure how excited the nearby residents are, but it’s certainly an impressive view!
Many people don’t actually know that Greece has lots of active volcanoes and most of them are on the famous greek islands.
What’s the most famous of them all?
Santorini’s volcano of course!
(this small island is the other one)
Visiting the active volcano in Santorini is one of the best things you can do while on the island actully and there are lots of organized tours and sailing cruises that can take you there (this is a great one).
Here is a video that describes exactly how Santorini’s volcano was created (make sure you turn English Subtitles on):
At the moment, Santorini’s volcano seems quite “lazy”, but that wasn’t the case a few decades ago.
Here are some of the most recent eruptions of the volcano in Santorini:
So… is there anything to worry about?
Not really.
Chances are there won’t be any activity while you are on the island, but one thing you can definitely do is to visit the stunning Akrotiri pre-historic ruins of a lost civilization of people who hadn’t been so lucky with the volcano.
In other words: this is Greece's Pompei!
These are ruins from 1700-1800 B.C. and are some of the oldest ruins in Europe and one of the most impressive civilisations ever existed in Greece.
Just to put everything into perspective here:
These buildings and baskets are older than Tutankhamun’s mummy in Egypt…
You can easily spend a few hours on this archaeological site but you can also combine that with a visit to the nearby Red Beach (many would probably argue it is unsafe to visit it, but you can always take pictures from distance and you don't really have to stay underneath the wobbly rocks).
Make sure you wear proper shoes when you get there eventually and please avoid flip flops!
My advice for the Akrotiri archaeological site though, is to hire a local guide for a few hours. You will get all the knowledge quickly, you will understand what you are seeing and you will also be supporting the local economy and the people of the island.
So, that’s it from me this week!
I will keep you updated as regular as possible and if you are not subscribed yet make sure you are subscrie to my newsletter to get weekly updates on Greece and the greek islands as I am planning to send even more tips for hotels, things to do, restaurants and tips on how to avoid the usual tourist traps.
Have an awesome day and speak soon! 😘
Pavlos