Summer is approaching rapidly and AKS Hotels in Porto Heli, Crete and Paros are ready to open for the new season. Our opening dates are as follows:
Join us for unforgettable holidays, relaxation and fun!
Argolida is a rich, blessed land. It’s been inhabited since the ancient years, with important towns that contributed significantly to Greek history, that’s why it is full of ancient monuments and ruins, like Mycenae and Epidaurus. It is by the sea and endued with amazing beaches and picturesque settlements, like Porto Heli. It has a fertile plain and products, like its oranges, that are sought for throughout the world. And finally is has an unknown side, its mountains and forests that can bring the visitor really close to nature.
It is normal to prefer staying close to the towns and beaches of Argolida, when you make the, admittedly easy, decision to visit it. But if you have time some day, we would advise you to spend it on a quick trip to the traditional villages in the mountains of Argolida, like Karya or Krya Vrysi. With people experienced in hardship, but also smiling, with a simple yet refreshing life, surrounded by endless virgin forests, these villages will give you a new perspective in life. Breathe the absolutely clean air, drink crystal clear water from the springs, discover creaks and gulches, just walk, far away from civilization.
This is a day we all have need of. Argolida, which offers everything else we seek for when on vacation, can also offer this.
Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli – AKS Hinitsa Bay
Porto Heli, Hinitsa, Tolo, Epidaurus, Nafplio, Ermioni. Argolida is so close to Athens and its beaches are in no way inferior to those on the Greek islands. Whether you’re looking for a weekend of relaxation or vacations of a longer duration, then Argolida might be an ideal destination because it combines the mountains and the sea, modern towns and ancient monuments, all very close to the capital. The biggest question if of course which beach in Argolida is the best. And since in such cases it’s all a matter of opinion, we will declare our preference to be Hinitsa with its wonderful sand, the beautiful scenery, the good crowds and its facilities. This doesn’t mean that the other beaches fall behind. If your base of operations is, for example, Porto Heli, then it’s very easy to enjoy the beaches of the magical Ermioni, go to Tolo, where you might find the biggest crowds, and discover the relatively unknown beaches close to Nafplio, like Katharonas, which the locals trust unquestioningly. The variety of beaches in Argolida is rare for the Greek mainland. The fact that they’re only a short drive away from Athens is a bonus to those who wish to escape and do something different. The Peloponnese, after all, is not only its beaches. It has everything and it offers it to the visitor. Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Hinitsa Bay
The Epidaurus Festival 2014 will transport you once more to the magic of the ancient Greek theater with select performances prepared by prominent as well as promising directors and protagonists. Under the umbrella of the Greek Festival, every summer Epidaurus brings to life the most glorious moments of the art of theater. The performances this year include traditional and more daring choices and it is certain that they won’t hesitate to face the difficult issues that torment today’s society. The program of the Epidaurus Festival 2014 is as follows:
It is refreshing and hopeful to see many women directors trying to bring a modern and inquisitive eye to the traditional performances. If we could, we’d watch each and every one, but if we had to choose, we must admit that we are mostly interested in the approach of Philoctetes by the Theater of Patras and definitely in Lydia Koniordou’s Hippolytus. Finally we are certain that the struggle between Angela Brouskou and Euripides’ difficult satyrical drama will have the audience as winners. Hotels in Peloponnese – AKS Porto Heli
A text found buried in the ground in a palace basement, written in an unknown alphabet, dated to a time about which we know very little: The circular clay Phaistos Disc has everything it needs to attract dozens of archeologists who want to solve one of the biggest mysteries of mankind. After more than a century of study, since the Phaistos Disc was found in 1908 from the Italian Luigi Pernier and is now at the Heralkion Archaeological Museum, the questions remain more than the answers.
Was the disc made in Crete? In which language is it written? What was its purpose? None of these has a definite answer, even if there are conspiracy theories that claim it is the oldest text in the world; this, of course, is not true, since the Phaistos Disc was made approximately in the seventeenth century BC while, for example, the ancient Sumerian cuneiform writing and the Egyptian hieroglyphics were already being used during the fourth millennium BC.
So, what do we know about the disc? It is probably not written in Greek (there is no absolute certainty on that, though). Its alphabet is called Linear A and it hasn’t been deciphered, as opposed to the Mycenaean (and completely Greek) Linear B, which we can read. The rest of our knowledge is archaeological details, accompanied by a healthy dose of conjectures and arbitrary conclusions. What’s certain is that it will keep archeologists busy for quite some time still.
Myths and Truths about the Benefits of Orange Juice
Orange juice cures your cold or flu, orange juice makes you strong, orange juice fixes your blood, orange juice contains antioxidants, orange juice has Vitamin C. We constantly hear these phrases. The Mediterranean climate and Greece favor the orange-tree and in Argolida grow some of the sweetest oranges in the world. However, is orange juice that miraculous food that seems to solve all health issues and keep our bodies in shipshape? The answer is yes and no.
Is orange juice good for us in general?
Yes. It is rich in Vitamin C and fiber and it contains traces of Vitamin A and B-6, Potassium and Calcium. That is true, though, only if the juice contains as much of the original orange as possible. Strain the juice and it’s just orange-flavored sugar water.
Is orange juice fattening?
As much as a typical soft drink. A small glass of orange juice or soft drink contains about forty calories. But juice has so many added benefits, while soft drinks have none.
Can orange juice prevent cold?
Not exactly. A 2007 study showed that under normal living conditions people who drank juice got sick as often as those who didn’t. Under extreme circumstances (really cold climates, intense physical exercise), however, orange juice seems to help.
Should we drink orange juice then?
Absolutely! Every day! We have daily access to fresh delicious oranges from Argos, Nafplio or Porto Heli; shouldn’t we take advantage of that?
Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Hinitsa Bay – AKS Porto Heli
Anyone that has been to the beautiful county of Argolida and has visited Nafplio, has without doubt turned his head upwards to look at the fortress, Palamidi, that overlooks the city. Built by the Venetians at the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth, it is probably the most famous fortress in Greece for its imposing appearance, its ambitious architecture and because within its bastions the cell of the Greek hero of the revolution, Kolokotronis, can be located.
A tour of Palamidi is not complete if the visitor does not confront the equally known 999 steps, or at least that’s the number according to tradition. Most people probably prefer getting to the fortress using the road and climb down the steps when they leave. The truth is that the 999 steps are a myth, sustained because the number sounds magical. From the town to the main area of the fortress the steps are about 860 and end up being more than 1000 if someone reaches the top. These numbers, however, are not impressive. The 999 steps have been linked to occult practices, they have been mentioned by poets and novelists and found a place in songs. If someone has climbed them and counted them differently, then somewhere, somehow a mistake was made…
Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli -AKS Hinitsa Bay
Christmas is approaching, the kids have started making their lists and writing their letters to Santa. Many ‘big kids’ are also waiting for Christmas in order to leave behind the daily routine and live their own fairy tale. Christmas trees and Christmas lights have already appeared in houses, shop windows, public places and everything is on a countdown to December 25th.
Christmas has always been a celebration of love, hope and happiness. They are the days in which families and friends gathered round to enjoy each others company. If we strip those days from the materialism of modern Christmas, which we all have includeded in our life and expecations we will feel relaxed without any anxiety of the coming holidays. We will discover the true meaning of Christmas without expensive gifts or glamorous dinners. These days are days of offering. Let us think of the people next to us that may not be as fortunate as we are, and lets share what we can with them, even if we do not have that much to share. These are the moments that will reveal the true meaning of Christmas….
Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli
Aris Kosntantinidis is without any doubt one of the leading Greek architects of the late 20th century. Born in Athens in 1913 he studied extensively in Munich during the 1930ies and returned to Greece in the 40ies where he worked in various positions in the Greek public sector, the ministry of public works and the Greek Tourist Agency.
The rebuilding of Greece in the 19050ies was an ideal situation for the growth of architecture and Konstantinidis as a leader of the relevant department in the Greek Tourism Organization, designed and managed the beliding of the famous Xenia Hotels in ideallic and remarkably scenic locatuons all over Greece, as part of the plan for developing tourism industry in Greece.
Konstantinidis’s architecture belongs to the modernist school but the influences of anbcient tradition are evident throughout his work. Moreover Konstantinidis was an case of a rare intellectual who was combining his love for architecture with a broadness of knowledge and the need to express himself through words. “First I built what I had to say and then I rebuilt it with words. That is why all I was writing are in accortdance to what I was building”. Buildings according to him are ‘Life Vessels’ and through them the architect shows his view of life throgh them. Konstantinidis view of life is one in which people live united in a comfortable and simple environment.
During the years of the Greek junta Konstantinidis left for Switzerland where he remained in self exile for seven years. On his return to Greece he worked again for the Greek Tourism Orgainization where he was now treated as asimple public servant and he retired due to old age in 1978. He spent the last years of his life, not building, but writing in an increasingly pessimistic mood that was unfortunately completed with his suicide on 1990.
AKS Porto Heli Hotel was build by architect Tasis Papaioannou who belongs to the school of students of Aris Konstantinidis with obvious influences from his work and teachings.
Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli
Grape must cookies are a Greek delicacy which is traditonally prepared during the must season in autumn and is a rather popular cookie for both kids and adults due to its high nutrition value and its wonderful taste. These cookies are made with must extracted from grapes which is available in late September/October. Here is a simple recipe for grape must cookies that you can easily follow at home: Ingredients
In a large bowl we mix the grape must with the olive oil, the sugar, the cinnamon and the clove. We add the baking soda and the cognac and we mix thoroughly. We add the flour and baking powder until we make a soft dough that doesnt stick in our hands. We use this dough to form the cookies in any shape we like and we bake them in a baking tray at 170 degrees for 40 minutes. Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli
