Is It Safe to be in Greece?

Is it safe in Greece right now?

 

Agios Nikolaos, our village, this summer

The question has been asked in a variety of ways and with increasing frequency on Greek and European travel pages in recent weeks, particularly after the recent military conflict between Israel and Iran.  

Even earlier in the year, safety was front and center on social media travel sites following the earthquakes that struck the island of Santorini.

Then a few days ago, we began getting emails asking us if we were safe from the wildfires and heat wave that have again put Greece in international headlines. 

Pantazi Beach coffee klatch on a normal day in Mani

Safety, hmmm, it is a good question.  But in our slice of the Greek Peloponnese, it really wasn't something we had given much thought to as we are and have been far removed from the incidents and areas making headlines.  

It did make for a topic to ponder over a recent morning coffee with my friend Jean though. How would we answer it? What assurances could be offered to a nervous traveler?  

Tux the taverna cat awaits a head scratch

We were at our regular meeting place, the taverna at Pantazi Beach. We watched sun and sea worshippers settling into sunbeds near the water.   A few dogs rested at their owner's feet as it was too hot to race and chase as they do in the cooler off season.  The regular taverna cats came by for a head scratch.  

It was another calm, relaxed and the rather laidback morning; a regular sort of day for the two of us, both American expats who've lived in Greece for several years. 

Mani, the region of the Peloponnese we call home

We pretty much agreed that while we couldn't offer assurances, we certainly wouldn't be living here if we didn't feel safe doing so. But for a traveler who may never have ventured far from home, or one coming to Greece or any foreign country as close to the Middle East as we are here, safety is a valid consideration.   We concluded it would be a timely subject for a blog post.

Fishing boat returns to Agios Nikolaos

The problem is that no one can honestly assure another's safety. Life happens and changes instantly sometimes.  And something I see as safe, like living in Greece, may be totally out of your comfort zone (and vice versa). To discuss safety is like the proverb, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' -- what one person thinks is safe isn't to another. It is in the eye of the beholder. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at:

 Wildfires and Heat Waves

Peloponnese July 7, 2025 weather

We have a healthy fear of wildfires in our slice of Greece, the Mani in the southwestern Peloponnese. Summer temperatures are already in the 80's and 90's (26 to 32 Celsius). Our land is parched; spring rains are long forgotten. And we have a continuing water shortage in our area. Just this last week we've had no municipal water running to our homes (the new desalination plant that I wrote about in my last post hasn't solved the water shortage it appears.).  Domestic water began flowing yesterday, seven days after it had stopped.

Uncut dry grass along our road home

So how do we fight a fire that breaks out during one of our dry spells?  Recent laws require landowners to cut back grasses and growth but as with so many laws here, it goes unheeded and unenforced. We have a team of trained firefighters in the area, fire spotters are on duty, but it is a concern. While we've been so far spared from wildfires, two Greek islands haven't been as lucky.

Chios, light blue on the right, Crete, green, at the bottom

Just a stone's throw from Turkey's coastline, the island of Chios lost some 2,500 hectares, or 6,100 acres in a recent blaze. The fire, finally controlled and extinguished in late June, was believed to have been intentionally set.  

As I write this piece, a wind-driven wildfire rages on Crete's southern coast, near the town of Ierapetra, and has consumed some 15 square kilometers of forests, olive groves and structures and forced the evacuation of an estimated 5,000 tourists, residents and hospitality workers. The blaze is directly impacting about 1.8 percent of the 8,336 square kilometer island. 

This time of year, fire danger is a fact of life in Greece. 

Earthquakes

Santorini, a popular port of call for cruise ships

The island of Santorini made headlines earlier this year when a couple hundred earthquakes and tremors were recorded on or near this popular Cycladic Island within a short span of time. While Greece is known for its propensity of quakes when so many occur in such a compacted timeframe, it caused a whirlwind of safety precautions. Schools were closed, emergency response teams were on alert and many residents and tourists fearing 'the big one was coming' left the island. 

The 'big one' didn't hit. Residents and tourists have returned, and life is going on as normal although tourism is reportedly down this season. Overtourism hasn't been the concern there that it was last year at this time.  

Tourists, Santorini June 2024

In the last couple of years, there's been at least three quakes occur in our region of Greece that were strong enough to be felt by many. We've not felt any of them. But the fact remains, we have chosen to live in earthquake country. 

Bottom line: a 'big one' or many small ones could happen anywhere, anytime. We don't sit around worrying about it.

Israeli and Iranian Conflict

Travel sites came to life with safety questions. 'Is it safe to go to Greece in light of the Israeli and Iranian conflict?'  After all, on a map the countries don't seem to be that far apart.

Straight line distance is 746 miles between Athens and Tel Aviv

And they really aren't that far apart. The straight-line distance between Athens and Tel Aviv is 746 miles/1,201 kilometers. It is a mere two-hour flight away.  However, we learned of the military strikes via world headlines just like most of you did.

Summer scenes in the Mani

It seems from media reports here that the only tangential involvement Greece had was with the Israeli equivalent of the US Air Force One.  Both Greek and Israeli media reported that following the launch of the Israeli air strikes on Iran, the Israeli state plane, Wing of Zion, used by Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog for overseas travel, was relocated to Athens in what media called a 'precautionary' move'. 

Kalamata waterfront, about an hour from us

What did make headlines in Greece - back in the fall of 2022 -- was Greece's launch of a new international armed forces pilot training center in partnership with Israel. While it opened in 2022, projections were 2024 before it would be fully operational.  

What made it most interesting is that the training center is at the air force base near the Kalamata airport. Kalamata is our 'go to' city, about an hour's drive away.  

A lone helicopter flies over our house 

The only thing we residents feared when the new facility was announced was the noise that fighter jets might make as they flew over our houses.  The flights have been far fewer than we had expected, and the noise factor is similar to any jet that zooms past at breakneck speed.  On occasion we have one fly over so low that it rattles all things including the brain cells, but that happens very infrequently.

So, is it safe?

Kalamata beach front is filled with visitors this summer

Each person will need to make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with their travel plans. Some sources we turn to for information are the online Greek English language newspapers Ekathimerini and Greek Reporter.  

American travelers also have information from the US State Department available on Facebook, X or Threads.  You can also get information about your travel destination from the State Department's STEP, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. The free program allows you to register your travels, and the State Department will provide you updates about weather, safety, conflicts, etc.  

Days end at The Stone House on the Hill

I'll end the look at safety with figures from Greek tourism folks: in the first four months of this year, Greece welcomed 4.1 million tourists, an increase of 5.8 percent over last year.  I've seen nothing on social media from any of them saying they regretted having come to Greece.

A big thank you to all who have inquired about our safety!  It means a lot to know someone is thinking of you!!  We close with a wish for continued safe travels wherever you might be headed. Thanks for the time you've spent with us, and we hope to see you back again soon!

It is a New Day!

The bus no longer inches its way along the waterfront. During our early years here, watching its slow creep between buildings and tables was a great source of entertainment. 

Those were the days - back in 2016

For years, almost as regular as clockwork, the long-distance bus from Kalamata made two stops in the village, one at each end of the harbor three times a day. Its trip between the two gave many a visitor a start as they looked over their shoulders and realized they were seated just inches away from the behemoth bus.

The bus no longer runs this route through the village

A waterfront rehabilitation and resurfacing project marked the end of the bus run through town. After the work finished this year, the harborside eateries expanded their street seating areas, and the bus remains relegated to the main highway, with a single stop now at the south end of the village.   

Pleasure craft fill the harbor in summer

The harbor along which the bus once traveled is this time of year filled with pleasure craft. We've noted that during the last few summers our small fleet of traditional wooden kaiki, fishing boats, have been relegated to a small section of the harbor to make space for the influx of recreational boats.

Remodeling the old souvlaki place for a new eatery opening soon

While the excitement caused by the passing bus is gone, harborside dining and sipping has flourished.  There's still a nice mix of old traditional Greek tavernas with modern day entertainment hotspots. New places have opened; old places have modernized. This time of year, expanded roadside seating areas, leave just enough room for delivery vans and emergency vehicle access. 

Sunday night in the village

Three retail stores -- two selling clothing and a local products gift shop -- are now operating seasonally on the harbor road. A decade ago, there were no such stores here.

It is a new day in the village. 

Agios Nikolaos, is a fishing village in the heart of the southwestern Peloponnese olive growing country. It is where we make our expat home. It is still a charmer, but it's definitely a new day in the village as it is far more upscale than it was when we arrived a decade ago. 

A new day means a new road in the village

The harbor road itself is a reflection of the change. The once cracked, patched-up ankle-breaker asphalt surface has been replaced with a smart cobblestone design complete with streetlights and garbage/recycle cans installed at regular intervals. We didn't have such refuse collection before as several locals pointed out, there was no one to empty them when they were full.

New streetlights and garbage cans line the harbor front

I am delighted to report that we even have a person who collects the garbage from those cans now! 

Souvenirs from the villages

Similar improvement projects have taken place in our neighboring villages, Stoupa and Kardamyli giving each a much-needed boost. 

And in recent years the village shops have begun stocking logo tourist items. A decade ago, souvenirs were somewhat scarce in these parts. Now they even carry the village name! 

It is a new day in the neighborhood.

Just down the street from us - a new home in the grove

There's been a construction boom in recent years in our slice of the Messinian Mani. Olive groves once created a silvery green carpet below and above our hillside location. Now it is more a colorful patchwork quilt of red-clay roof tiles, gray- and brown- stone homes, and several swimming pools of a brilliant blue accent color. 

3.5 million euro village home is on the market

The housing market is flourishing and homes for sale can now carry hefty price tags, some reaching into the millions of euros. One recently renovated home in the heart of Agios Nikolaos is on the market for 3.5 million euro, (that's just over $4 million in US dollars).

Another home just down the road from us

There are eight new homes within a few minutes' walk of our Stone House on the Hill. I've often described our neighborhood as a little United Nations with the fabulous mix of nationalities represented by the homeowners. It appears that great mix will continue with the new residents joining our 'hood. 

Gigantic power poles installed on our road

With the new home construction comes the need for improved infrastructure.  For the last several weeks, the power company has been installing new mega-sized power poles and lines along our road to increase capacity.  (And, yes, that has meant power cuts to get the work done.)

New road and parking lot surface at Pantazi Beach

The road and parking areas near a number of beaches in the area have been resurfaced this summer.  Word on the street is that our Pantazi Beach parking lot - once a dirt surfaced, potholed place, will be striped and trees will be planted along the riverbank that it abuts.   

It is a new day in the Mani.

Agios Nikolaos harbor from To Limeni Restaurant

Tourism isn't new to our area, but it is expanding. Europeans have been coming here for decades - they understood and were caught in Mani Magic long ago. Rick Steves, the US travel guru, has led sold-out group tours to the area for years. The Liokareas family, just to our south, produces an award-winning olive oil. They have recently begun hosting Olive Harvest tours to the area, that include hands-on olive picking and celebrating at an oil pressing party.

 

Sunset jazz at the Patrick Leigh Fermor house

The Kardamyli Jazz Festival, was a fledgling event when we arrived. A decade later it has expanded from its 10-day spring celebration to include an additional fall festival of music as well.  The West Mani Summer Music Festival fills July and August with musical events at locales throughout our area.

West Mani Sports Festival - photo credit: Bert Robertson

The Taygetos Challenge, marking its 14th year, continues to offer its hundreds of participants a number of racing options including a 40-kilometer race with a 2,500-meter vertical ascent up the side of a mountain. This last weekend another sporting event marked its debut, the West Mani Sports Festival, drawing hundreds of participants to swimming and running events.

Our Mayor in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market

This year our West Dimos Mani (our municipality) has been a prominent participant in a tourism event aimed at the Chinese market as well as having been a presence at a Travel Market International Tourism Fair in Dubai.

It is a new day and a most exciting time in our slice of Greece.  Those of you who haven't yet visited the area should definitely give a trip here some consideration. Those who've been here should return - what was good when you were here has gotten even better!

That's it from a sunny, warm Greece.  Thanks for the time you spent with us and hope you'll be back for another serving of our slice of Greece! Safe travels to you and yours~ 

Who will take care of our kids?

 There is no end to the travel temptations that The Scout finds. 

The question though isn't 'Where will we go next?' but more. . .

Island of Kos - another travel temptation

'Who will take care of our kids while we are gone?' Our 'fur kids', that is.

Our Greek family consists of two felines. There's our 12-year-old 'Princess' who reigns supreme and our part-time roustabout 'Nermal' who's been a regular at our house for five years. Their care while we are gone is as much a consideration as the trip itself. 

Princess watching for jackals and wild boar in the grove

Gone are the days of having someone stop by for morning and evening feedings with the cats fending for themselves in between. As the numbers of jackals and wild boar in our rural slice of the Peloponnese continues to rise, so does the need to have 24/7 cat care. Jackals have killed five cats in our area within the last year.

Nermal making sure it is safe to step outside

It was a fortunate happenstance when over coffee in the village a few years ago that an acquaintance mentioned how happy she'd been with a recent house and pet sit; her dogs had been well cared for and she returned to a clean house as well.

A chance conversation - a life changer

That chance conversation was our introduction to Trusted Housesitters,(THS), an online community marketplace where pet parents and pet sitters meet.   We are now among the 230,000+ members of THS, a 10-year-old pet sitting resource that encompasses 100 countries. 

The only cost for this pet sitting is in the annual membership fee paid by both sitter and pet owner.  No money changes hands between sitter and pet owner. The sitter pays their travel expenses, and daily expenses during their stay. The homeowner provides the accommodation and pays all utilities. 

Details of our home are part of the profile

As a pet owner I've created an on-line THS profile about us, the cats and our home. When we need a sitter, we post the dates and wait for applications. We review applicants, often video chatting with them before making a selection. The sitters also have on-line profiles, and recommendations.  Reviews of both the sitter and the homeowner appear on the respective profiles after the sits begin.  

Nermal isn't sure about the pet sitter in the computer

Even with all the checks and balances provided by THS, I have to admit that I was skeptical at first.  Our cats are very particular about who they like and who they don't. I wasn't sure that either of them would be comfortable with 'a stranger' caring for them, no matter how comfortable we humans were with the individuals we'd selected. It could be compared to on-line dating, but the pets have no say in with whom they'll be spending time.

A Game Changer

THS Merri and Ivana are among village friends at this gathering 

I am here to tell you, that we've been blown away by the way 'the kids' took to their new caregivers! It is humbling - yet comforting - to realize that you can be replaced. 

One of the unexpected benefits of the pet sit program, has been the friendships made. Each person that has arrived here as a sitter, has left as a friend. We stay in touch on social media and see each other when the opportunities arise.  

So, with their permission to tell you a bit about them and show you some of the candid photos they us sent while we were away, let me introduce you to our new friends:  

 Ivana from the Czech Republic.

Ivana saying goodbye to Princess

We met Ivana a few summers ago when she sat for our friend, Chuck, in the village. Two summers ago, when she returned for another sit at his house she agreed to care for our two cats as well. As a remote worker (one who can work from anywhere there is internet access), Ivana divided her time between our two homes.  Our cats were contented and well cared for as were his two dogs and cats. 

Ivana, Princess and Maggie

This sit was our introduction to the wonders of getting daily reports, photos, like the one above, and videos. Getting these reports and seeing 'the kids' is most reassuring - we were sold on the program. Our cats back then, Maggie (who's since crossed the Rainbow Bridge) and Princess didn't seem to miss us at all.  They no longer roamed the neighborhood looking for human interaction and love in between feedings.

Mouthwatering homemade Czech dessert awaited

And if coming home to happy cats, and a clean house wasn't the icing on the cake, the plate of fresh-baked Czech dessert we found waiting for us on our return was!  

Ivana continues to watch Chuck's 'kids', so we get to see her socially while she's here. We stay in touch the rest of the year on FB.

Merri from New Mexico, now Mani

We met THS Merri when she cared for the feline family of our friends Mic and Jean in November 2023. We met up a couple times during that stay. We had her over to meet Princess who made it clear she liked her within minutes of her arrival. We stayed in touch after she returned to the States and were delighted when she said she'd come back to watch our kids for a month last summer.

'Wake up, Merri! Time to play with me,' said Princess

Merri was unruffled by the Mani storms that struck during her November stay not to mention the heatwave and drought that struck last summer while at our place. Even that pesky rat, I've written about, who struck our car's electrical system, did so while Merri was here. While she insisted that she had enjoyed our area, we worried she might not consider another sit here. . .

Who needs sunset when you have Merri scratching your head?

The THS website explains that these sits can be life changing and Merri can attest to that.  She really did like the area, but she won't be sitting here any longer. Merri, with a digital nomad residency permit in hand, has moved here! We'are sad to have lost a great THS but now have a new friend just down the road. (Within her first two months she was adopted by three stray cats!)

Gabrielle and Steve from England

This twosome arrived on a glum, gray January day for a three-week stay to care for our feline family.  They were the first sitters we'd not met in real life prior to the sit although we'd done a WhatsApp video call with them. We were delighted that they'd traveled here from England, but I fretted about whether Princess would like them or not.  

We hadn't been gone 48 hours when we received the photo below. . .and I quit fretting.

Princess seemed to think Steve was a perfect fit

There is nothing better for a fretting fur kid parent than to get daily reports with photos of how the kids are doing. It is listed as a condition of a sit for our fur kids. Gabrielle and Steve notched up those reports as I had pointed out to them the street cats I feed when in the village, but assured them, that wasn't expected of them.  Imagine the joy when they sent photos of the cats in the village they had fed as well!  

'Nermal, our 'part-time' cat,' I had forewarned them, 'is a 'cat of the hill' - he might show up, he might not.' He might be too afraid to come in and eat if he sees strangers in the house. He is afraid of humans. If he didn't show, they were not to worry. 

Gabrielle cuddling Nermal!

Need I say we were gobsmacked when this photo popped up in our messages?  Gabrielle had achieved a trust with our scaredy cat we'd never would have thought possible!

Jeanne from Switzerland

An island-hopping ferry trip in March would be determined by whether we could get a THS on rather short notice.  No sitter, no trip, we'd decided. We were hoping to leave in two weeks. 

We posted our travel dates and to our surprise had seven applicants within the first hour.  The one who stood out among them was Jeanne from Switzerland. And luck was with us - she was already traveling in the Peloponnese and was but a few hours' drive away.

I took this photo- Princess preferred Jeanne!

Because she had a flexible travel schedule, we were able to leave sooner than we'd hoped and stay longer than we'd originally planned.  We had a face-to-face video chat and then a few days later we met for coffee and a home tour as she continued her travels in the area.  A few days later she returned for the sit, and we left confident that our cats were in good hands (and feet as evidenced by Nermal below).

Nermal wrapped around Jeanne's leg

Despite rather unseasonably wet weather she was able to get out and explore our immediate area and do some hiking while taking care of the wee ones.  Like Gabrielle, she won the heart of Nermal and had Princess never far from her side.  

We returned home a day early due to bad weather so overlapped with Jeanne. The next morning when we said goodbye, it felt like a longtime friend was leaving.

Not for Everyone

THS was a game changer for us

We found al our sitters to be extremely focused on the care of our fur kids and our home.  They enjoy the benefits of the accommodation and the area, but don't approach the stay with the idea of it being a vacation. Not everyone would want to take on that responsibility. Just as not every homeowner would want to have someone they don't know well, come into their homes and care for their pets. 

For us, it has worked extremely well. We recommend it highly.  This summer we have another THS couple coming from America to watch the kids and water plants while we are back in the States. They have not only been to the Mani but have been pet sitting in the neighborhood!  

If any of you are interested in joining Trusted Housesitters, (either as pet sitter or pet owner) you can get 25% off your membership if referred by a current THS member. The referring member, if you join, gets their membership extended by two months.  (Send us an email and I will make sure to divide the referral opportunities between the sitters I've introduced you to.)  

That's it for this week. We'll be back with more travel tales soon ~ thanks for the time you've spent with us!