There are Greek villages that are both in winter and summer filled with life.

Other villages have more life in the summer months when people return to their village for vacation. And there are those that are now called ghost villages, abandoned for more or less years for various reasons. Most of them have reached the point where they are no longer habitable due to geological or other natural phenomena. Landslides, floods and other phenomena have made them seem haunted. When you are there, you think that suddenly a child playing in the street will appear or the housewife will go to the balcony to shake the tablecloth. But neither of those things will happen.

The abandoned villages are slowly being taken over by nature. Legends and stories begin to spread by word of mouth and the houses fall into disrepair as there is no one left to look after them. And yet, most of the inhabitants of these villages struggled not to leave their place.

Kalami, Crete

In Kalami, the feeling of walking among the abandoned houses is fascinating, but perhaps a little creepy. You think a half-broken door will open and someone will suddenly appear. Trees and plants have begun to occupy the houses, and you know that in a few years they may have covered entire buildings. Kalami is located in the prefecture of Heraklion. You will find it if you drive a distance of about 30 kilometers from Ierapetra. Although it was abandoned, today you can still understand how beautiful it was. Built at an altitude of 500 meters, on the edge of a small basin, it was surrounded by orchards, rivers and hills. Here the village was not abandoned by natural phenomena, but because the inhabitants gradually sought a more modern way of life and work. This Greek village is believed to have been built between the end of the Venetian occupation and the beginning of the Turkish occupation. Today it is a ghost village.

Kallio, Fokida

This is probably the most famous abandoned village. And that's because of the way it was abandoned. Kallio seems to be nestled in its water hiding place, which was created after the construction of the Mornos dam. In 1979, the dam was built and the residents were compensated and left their homes to build their settlement higher. Within just two years, the plain between Vardousia Mountains and Giona began to fill with water and the stone houses of Kallio and other landmarks began to hide under the water. However, not forever. Characteristic of this village is that the houses are between land and water. Depending on the water level, they appear and disappear, which is a strange and impressive phenomenon.

Ropoto, Trikala

The village of Ropoto in Trikala is a typical case of a village that could no longer be inhabited. The inhabitants were in danger and although they did not want to leave it, there was no other choice. It all started around 2010, when landslides began to cause great damage to the once vibrant village of 800 inhabitants. Gradually, many of them began to leave. And they weren't wrong, as it turned out. Repeated landslides caused the village to shake and collapse. Buildings, houses and landmarks slowly began to collapse. Today, you can see churches and houses leaning and ready to fall as if they were made of paper. Within a few months, the village turned into a ghost village, uninhabited. Today, a few farms and furniture are scattered around as a reminder of where life once was.

Gavros, Kastoria

Another uninhabited village in Greece that belongs to the so-called Korestia villages. These are the brick built villages of Kastoria that now look like ghost towns. It is a really spooky and abandoned landscape that screams in every way that there was once life here. Gavros is one of the Korestia of Western Macedonia, which now sends a shiver down your spine. The village of Gavros was abandoned after the end of the Civil War, like other villages. The name comes from the "Gavros" tree and not from the fish. In fact, it used to be called Gavresi or Gabresi. When you drive through there, the brick houses will surely catch your eye and you will make a stop. To feel for a while how life might have been years ago.

The Greek ghost villages cause awe and surprise. On the other hand, they prove the power of nature and how it can change the course of things forever. However, they are all another attraction now that will probably be lost forever in a few years. And perhaps more will be added. Those whose few residents, close the door behind them forever or leave this life.