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Last Updated: Jan 28th, 2008 - 17:11:39 |
Thousands of visitors flocked to the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo last week to witness Wednesday's solar eclipse.
The tiny sunspot is the easternmost Greek island, only a few miles from Turkey, and was the only place in Europe where the total eclipse was fully visible.
Kastellorizo was thrown into complete darkness at 10:52 GMT as the moon blocked the sun's light for around four minutes.
The tourism season is not due to start for another month but over 3,000 visitors filled the island's hotels and the calm getaway spot will undoubtedly benefit from the welcome exposure.
Kastellorizo, home to around 200 inhabitants, is largely reliant on tourism, with visitors coming to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of one of the quietest inhabited islands in the Mediterranean.
The island's only transport is a small shuttle bus and a single taxi and, with hardly any streets, it is the perfect location to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Don't be tricked into thinking that the island holds little interest for tourists however.
The small harbour, with its handful of fishing boats and yachts, provides an excellent location for swimming and the island's crystal clear water offers an excellent opportunity for sports such as windsurfing and fishing.
Coffee bars, restaurants and shops line the promenade, making it an ideal place to relax and watch island life.
The castle in the port was built in the 14th century on the ruins of an ancient stronghold and the island's archaeological museum displays a wide range of Hellenistic and Roman artefacts as well as examples of folk art.
For nature lovers, there can be fewer places more undisturbed than Kastellorizo; as a result of minimal human interference, the island is home to large numbers of water turtles, dolphins and the monachos seal, and Mandraki beach provides a popular breeding site for fish.
The beach therefore offers superb snorkelling and swimming and great views of the nearby Turkish coast.
Local boats will take you to the neighbouring island of Saint George and to the blue cave, a huge grotto decorated with stalactites and stalagmites where you are free to swim in the deep blue water.
Olympic Airways offers five flights a week from nearby Rhodes, a flight time of some 25 minutes which touches down on the island's tiny landing strip, and ferries also visit the island regularly from Rhodes harbour.
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Last year was one of the best years on record for tourism in Greece and it is likely to be a non-stop holiday destination over the summer months.
Kastellorizo offers the ideal opportunity to avoid the inevitable flood of tourists, while still enabling visitors to enjoy the Greek way of life and soak up the Mediterranean sun in peace.
(c) Adfero Ltd 2006
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