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NIGHTLIFE IN GREECE

Theatre Under the Stars (Athens and Epidaurus, Peloponnese)

If you can, take in a performance of whatever is on at Odeion of Herodes Atticus theatre in Athens or the theatre at Epidaurus. You'll be sitting where people have sat for thousands of years to enjoy a play beneath Greece's magical night sky.

Greeks enjoy their nightlife so much that they take an afternoon nap to rest up for it. The evening often begins with a leisurely volta (stroll); you'll see this in most neighbourhoods, including the main drags through the Plaka and Kolonaki Square. Most Greeks don't think of dinner until at least 9pm in winter, 10pm in summer. Around midnight, the party may move on to a club for music and dancing.

Check the Athens News (published Fri) or the daily Kathimerini insert in the International Herald Tribune for listings of current cultural and entertainment events, including films, lectures, theatre, music, and dance. The weekly Hellenic Times and monthly Now in Athens list nightspots, restaurants, movies, theatre, and much more.

New festivals spring up every year in Athens and throughout Greece. You may want to check with the Greek National Tourism Organization to see what's new at your destination.

Ticket Information for the Athens (Hellenic), Lycabettus & Epidaurus Festivals--Tickets for the Athens, Lycabettus, and Epidaurus festivals are available at the Hellenic Festival Box Office, 39 Panepistimiou (in the arcade; tel. 210/928/2900). Hours are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 2:30pm. (The name "Hellenic Festival" is an umbrella term for a number of summer festivals, including the Athens and Epidaurus festivals.) Advance booking for most events in the Hellenic Festival starts 3 weeks before each performance, 10 days before each event for the Lycabettus Festival. Ticket reservation and telephone booking (as above) are also possible by credit card (MasterCard or Visa), with the exact date and performance, number and category of tickets, and number and expiration date of the credit card. Tickets (if available) also go on sale at the box offices at each theater 2 hours before each performance. Events at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus on the slopes of the Acropolis are usually sold out by the day of the performance; for information, call tel. 210/323-2771.

Additional information is available at www.hellenicfestival.gr, www.cultureguide.gr, and www.greektourism.com.

Hellenic Festival -- Early June through September, the Athens Festival (also known as the Athens or Greek Festival) features famous Greek and foreign artists from Elton John to Placido Domingo performing on the slopes of the Acropolis. You may catch an opera, concert, drama, or ballet here -- and see the Acropolis illuminated over your shoulder at the same time. To enjoy the performance to the fullest, bring a cushion to sit on (the cushions available are often minimal). Schedules are usually available at the Hellenic Festival Office, 39 Panepistimiou (in the arcade; tel. 210/928-2900). The office is usually open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 2pm and 5 to 7pm, Sunday from 10am to 1pm. You will have better luck if you come here in person rather than try to reach the office by phone. If available -- and that's a big "if" -- tickets can be purchased at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus (tel. 210/323-2771 or 210/323-5582) several hours before the performance. Again, you will have better luck going to the ticket office than phoning, although if your hotel has a concierge, he or she may be able to obtain tickets (15€-50€) over the phone. Shows begin at 9pm.

Lycabettus (Likavitos) Festival -- The Pet Shop Boys, Buena Vista Social Club, and other pop musicians make appearances here at the outdoor amphitheatre near the top of Likavitos during the summer. For information on music and special events, check with the Hellenic Festival Office or Likavitos Theatre (tel. 210/722-7209). Tickets may also be available at Ticket House, Panepistimiou 42 (tel. 210/618-9300 or 210/360-8366).

Epidaurus Festival -- From late June to late August, performances of ancient Greek tragedies and comedies (usually given in modern Greek translations) take place at Epidaurus, in Greece's most beautiful ancient theater. This makes for a long evening, but a memorable one. If you purchase bus service along with your ticket (about 2 hr. each way), the evening doesn't have to be exhausting. You may want to inquire as to whether the bus/boat excursion from Piraeus to Epidaurus offered in 2002 has been re-instituted; contact the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Hellenic Festival Office , or the Rex Theatre box office (tel. 210/330-1881) on Panepistimiou just outside Spiromilios Arcade. You can sometimes get tickets at Epidaurus (tel. 275/302-2-009) just before a performance.

Rockwave Festival -- What started as a one-time event in 1996 has taken place every summer since, with concerts at various venues in and around Athens. Popular groups from around the world perform each year, although this festival is plagued by last-minute cancellations. For more information on what's taking place during your visit, check with the Greek National Tourism Organization or Ticket House .

Athens International Dance Festival -- Founded in 2003, this festival takes place during the first two weeks in July at the Technopolis arts complex, 100 Piraeus, Gazi. This is not the place to go for a traditional rendition of Swan Lake; groups performing here push the envelope of contemporary dance. The 2005 festival featured the American Pretty Ugly Dance Company. Schedule and ticket information at tel. 210/346-1589 or 210/346-7322.

Mykonos (Cyclades)

Mykonos isn't the only island town in Greece with nightlife that continues through the morning, but it was the first and still offers the most abundant, varied scene in the Aegean. Year-round, the town's narrow, labyrinthine streets play host to a remarkably diverse crowd -- Mykonos's unlimited ability to reinvent itself has assured it of continued popularity. Spring and fall tend to be more sober and sophisticated, while the 3 months of summer are reserved for unrestrained revelry.

Mykonos has the liveliest, most abundant, and most varied nightlife in the Aegean. It's a bar hopper's paradise, and you'll enjoy wandering through the maze of streets looking for the right spot -- and looking at everyone else looking. Our suggestions include a few durable favorites and some new places that were popular last year. We've given phone numbers where available; if you dial one of these places and get no reply, don't assume the place is closed: Business might be brisk.

Be forewarned: Drinks in Mykonos often cost more than they do in London or New York.

Watching the sunset is a popular sport at the sophisticated bars in Little Venice. Kastro (tel. 22890/23-072), near the Paraportiani Church, is famous for classical music and frozen daiquiris. This is a great spot to watch or join handsome young men flirting with each other. If you find it too crowded or tame, sashay along to Le Caprice, which also has a seaside perch; or try Porta (tel. 22890/27-807), a popular gay cruising spot. Montparnasse (tel. 22890/23-719), on the same lane, is cozier, with classical music and Toulouse-Lautrec posters. Veranda (tel. 22890/23-290), in an old mansion overlooking the water with a good view of the windmills, is as relaxing as its name implies. Galeraki (tel. 22890/27-118) has a wide variety of exotic cocktails (and customers); the in-house art gallery gives this popular spot its name, "Little Gallery."

The decibel level is considerably higher along the harbour, where Pierro's (tel. 22890/22-177), popular with gay visitors, rocks all night long to American and European music. Adjacent Icarus is best known for its drag shows. The Anchor plays blues, jazz, and classic rock for its 30-something clients, as does Argo. Stavros Irish Bar and Scandinavian Bar-Disco draw customers from Ireland, Scandinavia and, quite possibly, as far away as Antarctica. If you'd like to sample Greek music and dancing, try Thalami (tel. 22890/23-291), a small club underneath the town hall. If you'd like to relax at a movie, head for Cinemanto (tel. 22890/27-190), which shows films nightly around 9pm. Many films are American; most Greek films have English subtitles.

How much are you going to spend going out on the town for a drink or two in Mykonos? As little as 10€ -- and after that, the sky really is the limit!

If you're visiting between July and September, find out what's happening at Anemo Theatre (tel. 22890/23-944), an outdoor venue for the performing arts in a garden in Rohari, just above town. A wide variety of concerts, performances, and talks are usually planned.

Rhodes (Dodecanese)

From cafes to casinos, Rhodes has not only the reputation but also the stuff to back it up. A good nightlife scene is ultimately a matter of who shows up -- and this, too, is where Rhodes stands out. It's the place to be seen, and if nobody seems to be looking, you can always watch.

Rhodes by night brims with energy. Outside of Athens, Rhodes claims one of the most active nighttime scenes in Greece. Granted, some of that energy is grounded in the resort complexes north of the city, but there is enough to go around.

Your own common sense is as good a guide as any in this ever-changing scene. In a city as compact as Rhodes, it's best to follow the lights and noise, and get a little lost. When you decide to call it quits, shout down a taxi to bring you back, if you can remember where you're staying.

As a rule of thumb, the younger set will find the New Town livelier than the Old Town. Cafe scenes are located on the harbor, behind Academy Square, or on Galias near New Market. The bar scene tends to line up along Diakonou. There are at least 100 nightclubs on Rhodes, so you're sure to find one to your liking.

Gambling is a popular nighttime activity in Greece. Rhodes for many years housed one of Greece's six legal casinos, a government-operated roulette and blackjack house adjoining the Grand Hotel. In January 1999, however, this was replaced by a much more extensive casino operated by Playboy International. The home of this complex is the once-grand Hotel Rodon facing Elli beach.

The sound-and-light (son et lumière) presentation at Papagou, south of Plateia Rimini (tel. 22410/21-922), dramatizes the life of a youth admitted into the monastery in 1522, the year before Rhodes fell to invading Turks. In contrast to Athens's Acropolis show, the dialogue here is more illuminating, though the lighting is unimaginative. Nevertheless, sitting in the lush gardens below the palace on a warm evening can be pleasant, and we heartily recommend the experience to those smitten by the medieval Old Town. Check the posted schedule for English-language performances. Admission is 6€ for adults, 2€ for youths, and free for children under 11.

Also thoroughly recommended is the Traditional Folk Dance Theatre, presented by the Nelly Dimoglou Dance Company, Adronikou, off Plateia Arionos, Old Town (tel. 22410/20-157). This internationally acclaimed company is always lively, colorful, and utterly entertaining. Twenty spirited men and women perform dances from many areas of Greece in often embroidered flouncy costumes. The five-man band plays an inspired repertoire. Performances take place May through early October: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:15pm. Admission is 12€ for adults.

Skiathos (Sporades)

With as many as 50,000 foreigners packing this tiny island during the high season, the many nightspots in Skiathos town are often jammed with the mostly younger set. If you don't like the music at one club, cross the street.

The Aegean Festival presents nightly performances of ancient Greek tragedies and comedies, traditional music and dance, modern dance and theatre, and visiting international troupes. Festival events take place from late June to early October in the outdoor theatre at the Bourtzi Cultural Center, on the promontory on the harbour. (The centre itself, open daily from 10am to 2pm and 5:30 to 10pm, hosts art exhibits in its interior.) Performances begin at 9:30pm and usually cost 15€; call tel. 24270/23-717 for information.

Skiathos town has a lively nightlife scene, more concentrated on each end of the port, but many prefer to pass the evening with a volta (stroll) along the harbour or around and above the Plateia Trion Ierarchon.

The main concentration of nightclubs is in the warren of streets west of Papadiamandis (left as you come up from the harbour). On the street opposite the post office is the Blue Chips Club. Farther along Papadiamandis, another turn to the left leads to Borzoi, which you may want to check out several times during the evening, as it generally gets livelier toward midnight. Continue past it to find the Admiral Benbow Club, which offers something a bit quieter. Across from Admiral Benbow Club is flashy Spartacus. At the next intersection south you'll find Kirki.

Wander back down the main street to find Kentavros Bar, on the left beyond the Papadiamandis House, which plays classic rock and jazz.

On the far west end of the harbour, if you want sports with your drinks, try Oasis Cafe; if there's a game of any sort going on, it'll be on the tube. Meanwhile, at the far eastern end of the harbour are a few clubs popular with the younger set -- among them, Remezzo and Rock 'n' Roll Bar.

Movie fans might enjoy the open-air showings at Attikon (on Papadiamandis, opposite Mare Nostum Holidays), or at Cinema Paradiso (up along the "ring road"). Both have two shows nightly, the first around 8:30 pm; tickets are 5€.

Corfu (Ionian Islands)

If raucous nightspots are what you look for on a holiday, Corfu offers probably the largest concentration in Greece. Most of these are beach resorts frequented by young foreigners. More sedate locales can be found in Corfu town. Put simply, Corfu hosts a variety of music, dancing, and "socializing" opportunities.

Corfu town definitely has a nightlife scene, though many people are content to linger over dinner and then, after a promenade, repair to one of the cafes at the Liston, such as the Capri, Liston, Europa, or Aegli -- all of which have a similar selection of light refreshments and drinks. (Treat yourself to the fresh-fruit salad at the Aegli!) Others are drawn to the cafes at the north end of the Esplanade, just outside the Liston -- Cafe Bar 92, the Magnet, or Cool Down. For a special treat, ascend to the rooftop cafe/bar at the Cavalieri hotel. Another change of scene is the Lindos Cafe, overlooking the beach and facilities of the Nautical Club of Corfu; it is approached by a flight of steps leading off Leoforos Demokratias, just south and outside the Esplanade. And one of the best-kept secrets of Corfu town is the little Art Cafe, to the right and behind the Palace that now houses the Museum of Asian Art; its garden provides a wonderful cool and quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the town.

If you enjoy a bit more action, there are several nightspots along the coast to the north, between Corfu town and the beach resort of Gouvia; they include Ekati, a typical Greek nightclub; Esperides, featuring Greek music; and Corfu by Night, definitely touristy. Be prepared to drop some money at these places.

As for the younger crowd, there are any number of places that go in and out of favor (and business) from year to year. Among the more enduring up around the Esplanade are the relatively sedate Aktaion, just to the right of the Old Fort, and the Café Classico, in an old mansion at 10 Kapodistriou, featuring the latest music. Young people seeking more excitement go down past the New Port to a strip of flashy discos -- Apokalypsis, Hippodrome, and DNA. Be aware that these clubs charge a cover (usually about 10€, including one drink).

In summer, there are frequent concerts by the town's orchestras and bands, mostly free, on the Esplanade. Corfu town boasts the oldest band in Greece. The Sound-and-Light performances are described in the listing for the Old Fort. September brings the Corfu Festival, with concerts, ballet, opera, and theater performances by a mix of Greek and international companies. Carnival is celebrated on the last Sunday before Lent with a parade and a burning of an effigy representing the spirit of Carnival.

For those who like to gamble, there's a well-known casino at the Corfu Holiday Palace, a few miles outside of town. Bets are a 4€ minimum and a 750€ maximum. Open nightly, it may not have the glamour of Monte Carlo, but it attracts quite an international set during the high season.


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