The Dos-and-Don’ts…
Driving / Parking
Kardamili is a small village. The main street is limited to two narrow lanes, pavements are even narrower and shops are small.
- We do not drive through the village high street at speeds in excess of 30 km/hour.
- We do not park on the sidewalks right in front of the cafés and shops with engines running “for just a couple of minutes”.
- Parking at the supermarkets is perpendicular, not parallel. We observe and respect the marked parking spaces and fit our cars into them, not across them, so that other customers can park their cars, too.
Hospitality
Vis-à-vis booking and staying…
- When making reservations for guestrooms, please note that a 25% to 50% deposit (payable by credit card or bank transfer or credit card) is normally required to book accommodation anywhere in Greece. Reservations are secured upon receipt of remittance, and confirmation of your specific accommodation, booking dates and deposit is then forwarded to you via email. This is standard practice.
- Kardamili has guesthouses as well as hotels. Many accommodation owners go the extra mile and give small gifts to their guests at end-of-stay. Don’t get shown up: bring along a small little something from your country in exchange. Traditional snacks/sweets or useful trinkets (like bookmarks or refrigerator magnets) are always appreciated.
Beach
Kardamili is clean and green. When you go to the beach…
- Bring a garbage bag for your personal refuse and dispose of it at designated collection points (ie, not on some corner on the beach).
- If you’re a smoker, don’t extinguish your cigarettes on the pebbles or in the sand and then discard the butts into the environment.
- Fishing is strictly prohibited during the month of August.
- Crabs, octopi and starfish are not toys. If you’re an urbanite, learn to appreciate nature and teach your kids to respect wildlife.
- The pebbles at Ritsa are sacred. A beach composed chiefly of surface pebbles has armoring characteristics with respect to wave erosion, as well as ecological niches that provide habitat for animals and plants.
Them Lil Critters
Kardamili is a paradise of fauna and flora.
- If you don’t like insects (ants, beetles, butterflies, spiders, etc.)… Don’t come here! We’d rather not poison our rich bio-diverse environment with bug sprays just in order to appease metropolitan phobias.
- Live crabs and starfish are not toys. If you’re an urbanite, learn to appreciate nature and teach your kids to respect wildlife.
Shopping / Sightseeing
Greece is a modern country with very relaxed dress-codes, but…
- Never enter a shop or supermarket bare-chested, no matter how hot it is outside or how good-looking you believe you are. In Greece, we always extend respect to elders and locals who may have more traditional mentalities towards public appearance.
- When visiting churches and monasteries you are expected to dress in a respectable manner: long trousers for men, long-sleeved dresses (no miniskirts or shorts) for women.
Vernacular
Even if many people speak English, it is always a good idea to greet or thank foreigners in their own vernacular: it shows good manners and reflects positively on your own nationality. Make it a point to learn at least a couple of Greek words, such as Good morning or Thank you. You’ll find this enormously effective.
- Kalimèra = Good morning / good day
- Kalispèra = Good evening
- Parakalò = Please…
- Signòmi = Excuse me…
- Nè = Yes
- Òhi = No
- Efkaristò Thank you