According to the Greek magazine “Playboy”, the islands of Spetses, Hydra and the eastern coast of Peloponnese constitute the Greek Riviera which is the equal to any other the other popular summer destinations abroad. Due to the lack of exclusive hotels or private clubs, these islands attract primarily Greek tourists and owners of villas in the area.
The region has a very unique beauty with pine trees, olive trees and bushes, and its coasts have hundreds of private beaches. The region Kosta across from Spetses is considered the most beautiful part of the area.
Around the 1920s, the place was still virgin land as only a few young people spent their vacations there with friends. Then Theofilos Papadopoulos, who established the very famous Greek biscuit industry, thought to buy a house in the region and, after the Second World War, he made the area well-known to other rich families as well.
In the 1950s, the region began to change very rapidly. Villas and luxurious hotels were built and even botanists came to study the flora. Then, in 1971, the region became one of the best locations to film many Greek movies. Access to the region became easier with ports and jetties, and a man named Alexiou built a private airport. Consequently, the easy access, in combination with the low price of real estate and the natural beauty of the area, made it very popular for rich Greeks.
Nowadays, the area continues to be popular among wealthy Greeks. Famous Greek ship owners have bought small islands across from Spetses and Hydra. In addition, Vardis Vardinogiannis and his wife Marianna, the ship owner Diamadis Diamadidis, Giorgos and Iro Kova, as well as the last King of Greece, Konstantinos, and many others own property in the area.
Greek celebrities usually invite friends from Greece or abroad, making the region even more popular. There are also two annual events which take place in the area and attract visitors, the celebration of Easter at the church of the villa of Giorgos and Iro Kova and a party of Giannis Triantafyllou, grandson of Theofilos Papadopoulos, which is held on the second Friday of September.
Generally, the days and evenings are quite calm and quiet, as there are no popular restaurants or clubs in the area, which is really pleasant for celebrities since they can relax. However, this situation is about to change. The exclusive hotels Aman Resort and Nikki Beach are soon going to open to attract Russian tourists and people from around the world. Luxurious villas are being planned and Russians are expected to buy real estate across from the island Poros. Victor Restis has also bought the historical hotel Porto Hydra for 20 million euros and later this year, it will be renovated. Thus, the area is destined to become even more popular for jet setters.
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