Is May the month to see the very best of Greece?

Many of our guests return to our wonderful Healthy Options centres each May and it's easy to explain why.

First of all, you'll be welcomed perhaps more than at any other time. After the long winter break the locals are delighted to be showing off their beautiful country to visitors once more, and if you're recognised as a ‘regular' visitor this welcome is all the more enthusiastic. There are far fewer tourists around at this time of year than there are at the height of summer, so you can take advantage of great service and the feeling of being able to find your own little corner to escape to with some of the beaches almost completely deserted.

Secondly, May is really the best time of all to enjoy the Greek landscape and countryside. It is said that Persephone, (the mythical goddess of vegetation), endowed Greece with more than 5600 species of plant, 750 of which are unique to Greek land. So, when winter turns to spring in Greece, thousands of wild flowers bloom and the fields around Vassiliki and Syvota are filled with an array of multi-coloured wild flowers. It's a particularly great time then to enjoy Aris' unique herbal walk where he explores some of the mythology of Greek plants and their uses in cooking today (Vassiliki only) – or to experience the rafting experience in the foothills of the Pindos mountains where Alexia can translate for you the selection of natural herbs and teas that an old Greek herbalist sells on a roadside market on the way to the Acheron springs (Syvota only)

Wherever you find yourself it is well worth taking one of our bikes and cycling around the orange and olive groves to take in the beautiful springtime colours, aromas and wonderful views. You can also pick up from roadside sellers, some of the most delicious local honey that you’ll have ever tasted.

Before the heat of the summer kicks in, the air feels really fresh and you’ll be able to taste the scents of the wildflowers and the lemon trees in particular. The temperature at this time of year reaches a pleasant 24 degrees though you will need a sweater during the evenings.

On May evenings all around Vassiliki and Syvota, you can take in the spectacle of the fireflies. Little flashes of light can be seen all around the Healthy Options centres, especially on your way back home after a meal on the harbourside. The fireflies are doing their annual mating dance, a unique pattern of flashes that attract a suitable mate.

Taking your Healthy Options earlier in the season is a great way to kickstart your summer fitness routine and will put you into good habits that you will carry on throughout the rest of the year.