In Greece, they say Ikaria is the island where people forget to die –and has gained fame in the last 20 years as being a “Blue Zone” where inhabitants enjoy longer and higher quality of life in comparison with most other places in the world. When you visit, you can understand why this is true. Perhaps part of the reason could be that the islanders for whatever reason did not want the Greek government to invest in developing Ikaria after it became part of Greece in 1912–and until 1973, it was the island of exile for political prisoners and communists. These factors led to a diverse and independent community that worked together to achieve a completely self-sufficientand tranquil existence. So, perhaps this is why Ikarians do not pursue the stress of mass tourism that might ruin their lifestyle and thus, have remained completely genuine and unpretentious. They could care less about catering to difficult tourists who want 5 star luxurious resorts and instagram pics. What is important to Ikarians is having a stress-free everyday life, by being optimistic, enjoying a rich sense of community with regular village feasts and festivals, walking more than driving, following a nutritious diet of fresh local ingredients & herbs and drinking local herbal teas and red wine.
Be My Guest in Greece’s retreat on Ikaria will be based in the town of Therma on the south coast of the island, which has been celebrated since ancient times for its therapeutic radioactive hot mineral springs and always has calm seas in summer. We will be staying on the peninsula overlooking Therma with a lovely beach just down the hill and a path to a swimming spot with hot springs coming out from the rocks like a natural jacuzzi! Also, the town has delicious restaurants with unpretentious, delicious home cooked local dishes, traditional coffee shops and bakeries with welcoming locals.
Therma’s highly therapeutic radio-energized springs are regarded as some of the best in the world and has been a very popular place particularly for hydrotherapy since the 4th century BC. There are 3 main therapeutic springs in Therma–two are housed –one in a natural cave sauna (the cave spring) and another built just a few yards away over the Apollo spring–and also one that is a short swim away in the sea. It is said that the therapeutic springs are radio-energic and is known to heal and relieve a variety of diseases, ailments and disorders including: Rheumatic, Endocrine Gland, Gynecological, Respiratory, Kidney, Bladder and traumatic-postoperative diseases; Neuralgia, Neuritis, Arthropathies, skin problems, Gout, lower back pain, Sciatica, indigestion, fatigue, anxiety and stress.
The island also produces delicious wine, honey and herbs. It has an impressive monastery and ancient temple to Artemis as well as medieval fortress remains, rivers and lovely hiking paths–and many local festive feasts–all of which we plan to visit and enjoy during our retreat July 12-19, 2024.
