WATER WISE: Diving into one of Cape Sounio's conservation workshops
Who says holidays are about getting brown? For kids, getting greener can be far more fun. After a day of snorkeling, kayaking and exploring tide pools, six young marine detectives gleefully examine their findings — plankton, sea tomatoes and some seagrass — under high-tech microscopes. These aquatic adventurers are members of Ambassadors of the Environment, the children's club at the eco-luxury Cape Sounio hotel on mainland Greece's Attica coast. Aimed at kids between 4 and 12, the club is part of a far-reaching educational scheme devised by marine biologist Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of ocean pioneer Jacques.
The idea, Cousteau says, is to give children the opportunity to "gain environmental knowledge and respect for nature, as well as an understanding of how to live more sustainably back home." The workshops at Cape Sounio — which start from $87 for a three-hour session — include inventive games and activities ranging from underwater photography safaris to playing with solar power: kids are shown how to use the sun to run machines, make paper and even cook Greek pizza.
Meanwhile, grown-ups can work on conserving energy too, as they bask on the hotel's private beach or take in the stunning views of the Temple of Poseidon, built in the 5th century BC to honor the god of the seas. No doubt he would have approved of the Ambassadors' summer-holiday activities. www.grecotel.com