IKARIA ISLAND

Icaria, also spelled Ikaria is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. According to tradition, it derives its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who was believed to have fallen into the sea nearby.The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Agios Kirykos. Icaria has a tradition of producing strong red wine. Many parts of the island, especially the ravines, are covered in shrubbery, making the landscape lush with green. Icaria exhibits a typical Mediterranean climate.After the ravages of the war the nationalists and communists fought in the Greek Civil War (1946–49), and the Greek government used the island to exile about 13,000 communists. To this date, a number of locals have remained sympathetic to left parties and communism, and, for this reason, Icaria is referred to by some as the "Red Rock" .Today, Icaria is considered one of the world's five "Blue Zones" – places where the population regularly lives to an advanced age (one in three make it to their 90s).This is due to healthy diets and lifestyles. The medical and / or therapeutic tourism, existing for thousands of years, has become a common form of vacationing. The health benefits that the Ikarian springs have, are confirmed even from the antiquity as we see in many historical contexts and in many ancient ruined walls.