19.10.2023
Angelina Jolie is currently in Greece for the filming of Maria, a movie about the life of Greece’s famous opera singer, Maria Callas. This Hollywood actress was seen in Pyrgos in the Peloponnese a few days ago at the Apollo Theater. A few scenes were being shot there, and then Jolie moved to the town of Katakolo, where the Christina O yacht was waiting for her.
Callas was massively famous as a singer even beyond Greece, and also infamous for her affair with Aristotle Onassis. Despite all the drama in her life, she became one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century.
Including the Christina O added realism to the film, because the boat was one of Maria Callas’s favorite places to be. The Christina O boat has a long history of its own as one of the most glamorous private yachts ever built. This was the boat of one of Greece’s most successful businessmen, Aristotle Onassis. In this private palace, he threw parties for the rich and famous. Maria Callas, his lover, was one of the regular guests. Angelina Jolie wore a replica of one of Callas’s most signature outfits while on the boat, which Callas wore during her romance with Aristotle Onassis. The Christina O is currently available for charter by Morley Yachts.
Jolie was quoted as saying, “I take the responsibility to Maria’s life and legacy.” She also spoke highly of the writer of the screenplay, who also wrote the script for Peaky Blinders: “To be allowed the chance to tell more of Maria’s story with him, and with a script by Steven Knight, is a dream.”
The movie will focus on the last years of Maria Callas’s life, when she lived in Paris in 1977. Also in the film are actors Valeria Golino, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Callas was charmed and overwhelmed by the wealthy but married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and his lifestyle of leisure, yachts, Greek islands, and freedom. Aristotle Onassis was one of the most well-known public figures in Greece, the owner of an airline and cigarette empire, and one of the richest men in Greece.
She fell madly in love with him and divorced her husband, deeply hoping to marry Onassis and have a family. During their years together, Maria’s appearances on stage became scarcer and her voice more fragile as she lost a lot of weight trying to fit in with the jet-set she was surrounded by. Callas got really close to fulfilling her dream until Onassis suddenly called it off and, even more surprisingly, married the widow Jackie Kennedy in 1968.
07.08.2026
Greece is taking an important step in environmental protection, becoming the first country in the world to deploy a national satellite system for wildfire detection and monitoring. First launched in May and expected to become fully operational in September 2026, the new Hellenic Fire System brings advanced space technology to Greece's efforts against wildfires.
06.08.2026
If you own a home in the Peloponnese or have been quietly thinking about buying one, there is some news you should be aware of: At the end of June, a 40-year concession for Kalamata International Airport "Kapetan Vasilis Konstantakopoulos" was signed by a consortium led by Fraport, together with the Kopelouzos Group's Delta Airport Investments and the Konstantakopoulos Group's PILEAS. According to the National Development Fund, which retains a 10% stake in the new company, the initial concession payment is 45 million euros, and the planned investment programme is expected to exceed 125 million euros over time.
In short: Kalamata's airport is set to roughly double its traffic by 2030, with a new terminal three times the size of the current one. For anyone with a house in the region, or an eye on one, that matters.
03.08.2026
A new regulation regarding the calculation of ENFIA (Eniaios Phoros Idioktesias Akineton/annual property tax) was announced by the Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance. The purpose of this regulation appears to be to address cases where property owners were previously taxed on more square meters than their property actually has. The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in the 2027 tax year, introduces the Electronic Building ID as a key factor in determining taxable floor area.
28.07.2026
As UNESCO recently announced, Mount Olympus – also known as the Home of Ancient Greek Gods, or Greece’s highest mountain – has been added to the list of World Heritage Sites. Of course, Greece welcomed the news with a wave of euphoria, as Mount Olympus is widely recognized for its cultural and natural significance.
23.06.2026
Moving your life to a new country brings enough to think about, including the costs. For those settling permanently in Greece, there is some welcome news on that front. Bringing your household belongings and even your car can come with relief from customs duty, VAT and vehicle registration tax. The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has recently set out clearer rules on how this works. It's important to clarify that this relief is not exactly new, but what has changed is a significant detail: a recent AADE circular (reference E.2027/2026) spells out the eligibility, the supporting documents and the procedure, with the aim of handling applications more consistently across customs offices.
14.05.2026
For many people who own, or plan to buy, a home in Greece, the journey is part of the experience. Some fly directly to Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, or Chania. Others prefer slower travel, combining trains, ferries, buses, and regional routes across Europe. Until now, however, planning a cross-border trip by train has often required patience, several booking platforms, and a healthy tolerance for uncertainty. A new proposal from the European Commission aims to make that process much simpler. The plan introduces a more unified system for booking cross-border journeys across Europe, especially train journeys involving more than one operator. The goal is clear: travellers should be able to search, compare, and book a complete journey through one platform, even when different transport companies are involved. For international buyers, second-home owners, and regular visitors to Greece, this could become an important step towards easier, more flexible travel across Europe.
07.05.2026
If you own property in specific areas of the Regional Unit of Rethymno in Crete, there is an important deadline to keep in mind. As of 30 April 2026, the posting of cadastral data begins for several areas in Rethymno, giving property owners the opportunity for the first time to review how their property has been recorded in the Hellenic Cadastre. This is an important stage in the cadastral process. It allows each owner to check the legal and technical details of their property before the records become final. In simple terms, this is the moment to confirm that your property has been correctly registered and, if something is wrong, to request a correction within the official deadline.
30.04.2026
Buying a home in Greece has always come with a long list of pleasures: sea views, sunny terraces, village squares, fresh fish by the water, and the small but serious joy of never being too far from a good bakery. Soon, for many destinations, there may be another reason to smile: better airports. Greece is preparing for a new wave of airport upgrades, with a major tender planned for 22 regional airports that are still under state management. The project is expected to mark the next chapter in the modernization of Greek aviation infrastructure, following the earlier upgrade of the 14 regional airports managed by Fraport Greece. For travellers, this means smoother journeys. For local communities, it means better connectivity. And for international property buyers, it could make certain areas of Greece even more attractive.
