Are holidays different when we are over 50?

Yes, because we have changed too. According to research, we now seek other joys and pleasures and have different needs.

So, let's see how we should organize our holidays, to have a great joyful time!

Traveling

As the train crosses the countryside, your gaze is lost abstractly in the beautiful landscape.

How long have you been waiting to travel carefree, to have all the time to yourself and an endless desire to get to know cultures and places that you got to know through your textbooks?

You gave so much. You fought, you got tired, you made it. You have so much to talk about how you raised your children, how you faced so many obstacles in your career.

Now that your children have their own lives, now that work is not a priority, now it's your turn to live the life you've always dreamed of.

You have the time, the mood and the ability to live your golden age. You owe it to yourself!

Over 50 holidays

If something clicked in you while reading the previous paragraph, you probably also belong to the lucky group of people over 50-55, who have retired or are about to retire.

In today's world, people in the silver age (remember our hair colour), we are living our golden age.

Unlike previous decades, we are healthy, educated, raised and live in better conditions and benefit from an information-rich society.

We live a much healthier lifestyle than in the past, taking care of our health with exercise and a careful diet.

We are interested in being socially active and value rich experiences more than rich material goods.

What's better than traveling?

Travel is an ideal form of entertainment for us because it can improve our mental and physical health and well-being, thus contributing to the quality and length of our lives. After all, we are much healthier and more active than our ancestors and we actually feel much younger than our biological age!

We have all the abundant time, ability and fun, to experience the most wonderful vacation! Let's see what we should pay attention to, how we should organize our holidays, to enjoy them to the maximum!

Factors influencing vacation satisfaction

Nowadays, as nothing is left to chance, so also the holidays over 50, have been studied and the factors that influence the satisfaction of the travellers have been found.

What is most important in choosing a destination, what gives us the most joy and pleasure while staying at the vacation spot, and in which places did we get the most pleasure?

Let's see them in detail

How to choose a destination for a wonderful holiday over 50

Where you will go?

According to the studies, the criteria for choosing the right destination for the holidays over 50 are:

• Safety – Easy to move

The most important factor of all for a great holiday for people over 50 is safety and easy travel. It is important to know that you will not face risks, unpredictable situations and that you will be able to be wherever you want at any time. Countries with a calm social life, safety and rich transport, figure first on the list as holiday destinations for travellers over 50.

• Nature

Contact with nature is the second important factor. The peace and tranquillity offered by a beautiful landscape is one of the greatest pleasures for travellers over 50. We love to enjoy nature with leisurely activities, walking, or drinking our coffee on a balcony with an endless view of a green landscape.

• Health and wellness facilities

Our health is the most important thing to us. We choose to visit places that offer health and wellness facilities, such as places with hot springs or spas. We feel safer knowing that there are medical professionals at the destination who can take care of us if something happens. Of course, we should take care, when we follow a treatment, to take with us from our home country, several packages of medicines, so as not to face a problem during long vacations.

• Quality of service

Travelers over 50 pay particular attention to the quality of service and the courtesy of the staff. They will hardly ever stay in a campsite but will prefer the comfortable facilities of a hotel in the middle of nature. We want quality in the food and in all the services we pay for. We will certainly look for the greatest value for the money we will spend.

• Places with history

The history, the culture of the country we are visiting is of great importance to us. We want to get to know the place and its inhabitants, to read more about the historical monuments we visit. People over 50 don't choose to visit destinations without personality.

How to enjoy your holidays over 50

What will you do?

According to studies, people over 50 enjoy their holidays when:

• They find rest and peace

Rest, peace and quiet, is the number one factor in enjoying a holiday over 50. Nothing more important than that. We want to calm down, relax, escape from noises and stress. It's not the adventures that make us happy anymore, but the calm and peaceful moments.

• They spend time with loved ones

Second satisfaction factor for our holidays is the time with our loved ones. Now that we have free time, we want to spend it with the ones we love. Our partners, our children and grandchildren, our friends.

• They improve their quality of life

It is very important in our vacation destination to enjoy services that improve our quality of life, such as excellent food, wellness services, relaxing activities beneficial to the body and spirit, contact with nature and art.

• They live new experiences and make new friends

Communication with other people, new friendships, interesting conversations and exchanges of views in a relaxed holiday environment is another great pleasure in our holidays. Search for interesting people in your vacation destinations. Be sure to add to your program new experiences that will be unforgettable. Keep in touch with the people you met. Make new friends.

• They are looking for new life partners

If we are looking for a new life partner, what could be more amazing than meeting him or her on our vacation?

Closing all the above, we should add that according to the research, people over 50, on their holidays, do not want intense activity, sports, construction, dance, gymnastics, etc., but kindness, ease of access, respect, cleanliness, personalized service and quiet environment.

Greece as a holiday destination for over 50s

• Greece is the ideal country to find the physical health, emotional fulfilment and spiritual upliftment we seek. We will feel healthy, beautiful and achieve the balance of soul, mind and body that we desire, in a beautiful country with an excellent, healthy and delicious cuisine.
• Greece differentiates itself from all other countries as a country of diverse and quality tourist destination, with its history, culture, religion, climate, traditions, natural beauties, medical, spa and wellness tourism that can offer.
• Greece is a country with an excellent climate and natural environment and a unique cultural heritage.
• Its inhabitants are always friendly to tourists and fluent in languages.
• The standard of living is high and the ratio of doctors to the population is high.
• Greece is a safe country
• Compared to Northern European countries, it has a lower cost of living and cost of health services.

 The Asklepions

Speaking of Greece and its history, as well as the preference of travellers over 50 to seek health and wellness facilities, let's get to know Asklepions.

The ancient Greeks were the first in the world to deal with people's health problems in an organized manner. Asklepions were the first healing centers created in the world. They were sanctuaries and places of worship of the hero, holy physician and healer god Asclepius. There were more than 500 Asklepions in Ancient Greece.

The first Asklepion was founded by Asclepius himself, in Ancient Trikki.

The work of the Asklepions was unprecedented, well-studied and colossal. They offered health and wellness services to patients of all social groups of that time. They approached health holistically and sought to heal the whole body and soul.

They were centers of healing and religious worship, where the sick was treated with holy water, interpretation and analysis of dreams, hot and cold bath therapy, mud therapy, natural herbs, prepared medicines, musical entertainment, theatrical arts performances, etc.

For those who lived in this health and religious center for their treatment, their lives were a daily program of therapeutic treatment, musical and theatrical entertainment, religious worship in the famous Temple of Asclepius, which adorned and dominated the space, with the architecture of, its marble sculpture and the magnificent columns of the Doric and Corinthian style.

Asklepions were functional states with building facilities and construction projects, on a huge area of many acres. Doctors and medical staff were temporarily or permanently stationed there, as well as sick visitors who temporarily resided there for their treatment.

The Montanema Handmade Village as a holiday destination for people over 50

Very close to the place where Asclepius was born, where he collected his first herbs and founded the first Asclepius, is the Montanema Handmade Village.

• Safety – ease of movement

Greece is a small safe country, with rich and safe transportation. Montanema Handmade Village is located in central Greece, close to Athens and Thessaloniki. If you are not coming with your own vehicle, a special vehicle will pick you up from the nearest station and take you safely to the hotel.

See where we are and how you can come to Montanema Handmade Village

• Beautiful nature - tranquility - peace

Montanema Handmade Village is located in a virgin fir forest, in the heart of a canyon and is the ideal environment to find relaxation, contact with nature and yourself!

Watch the video of our home page to admire the nature of Montanema from above!

• Quality of services provided in accommodation and food

How quiet can you be when there is commotion from the next room? At Montanema Handmade Village you have your own home! See the houses of Montanema and dream of your stay in this wonderful destination!

The quality of the services provided is unsurpassed in the food as well. From the smell of the burning wood-fired oven, the sourdough bread in the homemade breakfast and the traditional sweets, to the local flavors in the hull with the background of the fir trees, the harmonies of wines and dishes in the cellar and the sweet ending of the evening with fine music and local wines next to the fireplace in the bar.

Read more about the flavors and aromas of Montanema.

• Beautiful moments with your loved ones or with new friends

The neighbourhood of Montanema Handmade Village offers a base for amazing nature walks and we plan special seasonal activities to enjoy it. Leisurely walks in green canyons, picnics under the cherry trees with delicacies from our kitchen, cherry and blackberry picking to make jams or mushrooms to cook together in the evening.

Read more about the activities.

• A place with history

We organize small excursions to nearby historical monuments, to Lake Plastira and Meteora, so that you can get to know the place, its history and its inhabitants.

Read more about our place

• Health protection and wellness facilities near the first Asklepion

Our model in providing excellent hospitality services at Montanema Handmade Village was the ancient Asklepion. We believe in a holistic approach to human health and well-being, with respect for nature and the environment. An excellent hospitality experience close to nature, could not but include the ultimate experience of relaxation & rejuvenation. With rejuvenating wellness treatments, relaxing massages, exercise in the gym and cool dips in the pool, combined with a special healthy food menu. Read more about the health protection and wellness services offered by Montanema Handmade Village.

Sources

• 50plus.gr
• Greecetravelmag.com
• Eleftheria.gr
• Research on tourism over 50
• Greeking.me