Hello steem people :D!!!

Today I have a post for you that is much anticipated ;)!!

So Ladies & Gents, I give you Loutraki! 

The place that took its name from the healing thermal baths that exist here! Loutra (Λουτρά) means Baths, so Loutraki literally means Little Baths and not only! 

Many people don't know but the first Casino in Greece opened here, in Loutraki!

And I am not talking about the one everybody knows and visits nowdays, with the beautiful hotel that if you look at it from the sky, it has the shape of the symbol of the dollar $ (too bad I cannot find the photos I have from a plane view that are really spectacular)!!!

I am talking about the one that opened in 1930 and brought a new status not just in Loutraki but in the whole of Greece! Sadly everything was  disrupted by WWII!!

Going back in History

So Peraia Gi, that was the name in the ancient times of the place and it's protector was the Goddess Artemis (Diana to the Latins)!

As a local, I can tell you what are the best palces to go, sightseeings or places to live, should you decide to spent the rest of your life here😉!!

So for sightseeing one of the best places is the Moni Osiou Patapiou!

Situated right in the middle of the Gerania mountain that feels like is a natural shelter to Loutraki the way that lays all around the place! The Saint Osios Patapios is well known all over the Greek Orthodox world, since a lot of miracles have happened here!

Another beautiful sightseeing place is the Vouliagmeni lake, a few kilometers to the west of Loutraki! The name Vouliagmeni means Sank!

There was a time that this place was inhabited but a big earthquake caused a tsunami, that literally swallowed the place and created this little lake that you can see behind me in the picture bellow! 

This lake now comes out in the Corinthian gulf with a very narrow little stream that is no wider than 6 meters!!!

Going back to Loutraki

Talking about the earthquake of Vouliagmeni, brought to my mind some more info regarding Loutraki. 

So back in 1928 when Corinth suffered from a disastrous earthquake that literally erased the city from the face of the earth, Loutraki also had severe damages!

One can see the difference in the photos below, on how the new architecture has stronger and more concrete buildings that came to replace the old ones!

The pictures bellow go back to 1915, after the earthquake of 1928, pre and post WWII!

After this beautiful and nostalgic travel into time we are coming back to here and now!

So what Loutraki has to offer to anyone that visits the place other than the best drinking water in the world?  I've been told so, by a very reputable heart surgeon in the US! You see the Magnesium levels in Loutraki water are a bit higher than 90% whereas, Evian, Volvic and Vittel they are all around 20%!!! That should say something, right?

By the way a little info about Magnesium. Why is called the most important mineral and what its absence can cause. Let's see : Insomnia and other sleep disorders Fatigue and low energy Body-tension Headaches Irregular heartbeat High blood pressure Other heart disorders PMS Backaches Constipation Kidney stones Osteoporosis Accelerated aging Depression Anxiety and irritability!  Ooooh scary!!!!!

Coming back on a more positive note here on my post though, besides water, amazing sightseeing places, night life and a hotspot for extreme sports lovers ( Paragliding, windsurfing among other) Loutraki is also surrounded by a beautiful sea, the Corinthian Gulf that hosts some of the most unique dolphins in the world!!!

According to WWF-Dolphin:  The Corinthian Gulf is A Unique Case
Two globally unique phenomena occur in the Corinthian Gulf, regarding the species of dolphins that reside there:

1. The Corinthian is most likely the only area in the world where a striped dolphin population lives isolated in an enclosed gulf. Its waters go as deep as 930 meters. As a result, striped dolphins thrive there thanks to the great and abrupt depths, which create a closed pelagic ecosystem.
2. In the Corinthian Gulf striped dolphins are found in mixed groups along with Risso’s and common dolphins.

A beautiful sunset, from the ones you see every day from Loutraki!!! And if you are lucky enough you might get to see one of those dolphins as well !!!

I think at this point, I will call it a day! 

I might have to come back  with a part II of this post though, since more and more things come to my mind! I do hope you will enjoy reading it and if you do want a part II just let me know 😉!!!

Until next time, stay tuned, be lovable and always keep shining with a big smile on your face  ❤ ❤ ❤  !!!  

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