Greece's strong summer sun and low humidity can lead to sunburn or sunstroke if you're not careful. A hat, long-sleeve shirt, and long pants or a sarong are essential for spending a day at the beach or visiting archaeological sites. Sunglasses, a hat, and sunblock are necessities, and insect repellent may keep the occasional horsefly and mosquito at bay. Drink plenty of water. Most beaches present few dangers, but keep a lookout for the occasional jellyfish and, in some areas, sea urchins. Should you step on one, don't break off the embedded spines, which may lead to infection, but remove them with heated olive oil and a needle.
Food is seldom a problem, but the liberal amounts of olive oil used in Greek cooking may be indigestible for some. Tap water in Greece is fine, and bottled spring water is readily available.
For minor ailments, go to the local pharmacy first, where the licensed staff can make recommendations for over-the-counter drugs. Most pharmacies are closed in the evenings and on weekends, but each posts the name of the nearest pharmacy open off-hours. Newspapers, including the Athens News, also carry a listing of pharmacies open late. If you speak Greek, you can dial a recorded message listing the off-hours pharmacies (107 in Athens, 102 outside the capital). Most state hospitals and rural clinics won't charge you for tending to minor ailments, even if you're not an EU citizen; at most, you'll pay a minimal fee. In an emergency you can call an ambulance (166), but waving down a taxi is faster, since cars in big cities give way reluctantly to ambulances. Most hotels will call a doctor for you. In Athens, you can locate a doctor on call 2 PM-7 AM on Sunday and on holidays by dialing 105 (101 outside of Athens), but the message is in Greek. For a dentist, check with your hotel, embassy, or the tourist police.
Poison center (Phone: 01/779-3777).
Hospital Emergency Rooms
Not all hospitals are open nightly. Call 106 (in Greek), check the Athens News or the English-language Kathemerini, or ask your hotel to check the Greek papers to find out which emergency hospitals are open.
Asklepion Hospital (Vasileos Pavlou 1, Voula, Phone: 01/895-8301 through 01/895-8306); KAT Hospital (Nikis 2, Kifissia, Phone: 01/801-4411; 166 for accidents); Ygeia (Er. Stavrou 4 and Kifissias, Maroussi, Phone: 01/682-7940 through 01/682-7949).
One maternity hospital is Mitera (Er. Stavrou 6 and Kifissias, Maroussi, Phone: 01/686-9000).
Children go to Aglaia Kyriakou Hospital (Levadias 3 and Thivon, Goudi, Phone: 01/777-5611 through 01/777-5619) or Ayia Sofia Hospital (Mikras Asias and Thivon, Goudi, Phone: 01/777-1811 through 01/777-1816). Note that children's hospitals answer the phone with "Pedon" and not the specific name of the institution.
