Frequently Asked Questions

Ionian Village is a unique summer camping program for Greek Orthodox teens located in Greece and operated by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Participants travel across Greece, venerate the relics of saints, walk in the footsteps of the Apostles and visit significant sites or Greek history and culture. They also participate in a fun and exciting summer camp program with a typical camp program setup- Arts and Crafts, Athletics, Evening Program, etc.

Ionian Village is located on a scenic stretch of ocean front property outside of Bartholomio, Greece. The property is about 32 acres, and lays along the western coast of the Pelopponese, directly across from the island of Zakynthos.

IV Next is 12 days. Sessions One and Two are both 20 days. Campers are expected to stay the whole duration of the camp to experience the fullness of the program. It is very difficult for our staff to accomodate pick ups outside of the normal dates not only because we are international, but also because we are coordinating many campers at once during our program.

Students who have completed or are currently enrolled in grades 9th through 12th grade are eligible for Summer Camp. Campers will register with the grades they are currently enrolled in. Young adults who have completed one year of college or vocational school until 25 years of age are eligible for IV Next. 

Both Session One and Session Two of Ionian Village Summer sessions are identical in program and travel.

Ionian Village Summer Camp can host 200 campers each session. IV Next can host up to 50. 

IV Next is programming specifically tailored to young adults, both in and, just out of college. It offers the similar programming as our summer camping sessions, but relies on the dependability of the participant’s maturity gained through their independence post-High School or University. The biggest difference between summer camp and IV Next is the role of the Staff. At summer camp, every cabin consists of 15-18 campers and 2 young adult staff. At IV Next, there is a small admin team and two primary “Trip Leaders,” that run the program. 

Many aspects of the Ionian Village summer program extend to IV Next, such as:

• Trips to Zakynthos, Patras, Kefalonia, Kalavrita, Olympia, Bartholomio, local towns and villages, with the same 3 days in Athens, and Aegina. 
• Knowledgeable staff to lead and facilitate such trips
• Orthodox life sessions with clergy and peers, staples of IV Next and summer camp, geared to their perspective of life.
• Utilization of the IV facility including the cabins, the beach, the pool, local cuisine, and daily chapel services daily

In additional to our classic IV program model, IV Next offers slightly more to assist during this current stage of life. 

8:00 am - Morning chapel service and breakfast
9:00 am - Activities (Arts and Crafts, Orthodox Life, Athletics, etc.) and Sessions
12:00 pm - Lunch followed by siesta
2:30 pm - Free swim at the beach or pool
4:00 pm - More activities and sessions
5:00 pm - Supervised free time for sports, crafts or just relaxing
7:30 pm - Evening chapel service and dinner
8:30 pm - Evening activities (Cabin olympics, glendi, music fest, etc.)

All campers love to receive mail from family and friends, so feel free to write your camper a letter or two! Campers are also encouraged to write postcards home and stamps are available in the Periptero (Camp Store).

Our email policy is an extension of our effort to slow our campers down. While emails are convenient for parents, too many emails lead to homesickness, so please use snail mail. Please note that unless there is an emergency, emails will not be delivered to your camper.

As campers embark on their journey to Ionian Village, it's essential to provide them with the space to explore and embrace this opportunity while finding a sense of belonging at camp.  Our office in Greece gladly accepts phone calls from parents interested in leaving a message for their child or inquiring about their progress at camp. Please do not be concerned if your phone call is answered by our answering machine – we are often traveling on excursions or away from the office supervising activities. Please do not call the camp hoping to speak with your camper, as it is our policy not to pull campers out of the program for a call from home. Campers will not be able to accept a phone call, unless in the case of an emergency, as this can contribute to homesickness and disrupt their experience in the program. 

Campers will have the opportunity to choose to call home during the hour-long Free Time period. They can purchase a calling card near the phones for 5 euros. Please note that campers must choose to call home.  If you have a family emergency, please reach out to our US Office for assistance. Every effort will be made to make contact as soon as possible.

Your child may bring a cell phone, however, once they arrive at Ionian Village their phone will be collected by our staff and will be returned to them when camp is over.  They will have the opportunity to use the camp payphone during daily free time if they choose. Laptops, tablets (iPads, etc.), or any devices that are WiFi capable (iPod Touch, Kindle Fire etc.) are NOT allowed at Ionian Village, and will be held during the camping session in the camp safe. Apple watches are only allowed with no data. In addition, please note that campers will NOT have the opportunity to access personal email accounts or social networking sites (such as Facebook) while camp is in session.

It is common for your child's email accounts to require "2-factor identification" involving a code sent to their phone. We see many campers give their email account information to their parents to handle college application deliverables while away. With cell phones inaccessible at camp, we advise that campers turn off their 2-factor identification settings on their accounts so parents can access them while camp is in session.

Please keep in mind that Ionian Village is an Orthodox Christian Camp and that the program resides in an Orthodox country. As an Ionian Village participant, all campers are a representative of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and should dress appropriately.

Additionally, please limit yourself to the essentials and pack lightly. On most airlines, you are only allowed one suitcase and one small carry-on bag, which should not weigh more than 50lbs (for the suitcase) and 15lbs (carry-on) respectively. Please realize that you will be traveling a great deal throughout the summer and it will be difficult to carry an extremely heavy bag everywhere you go. In fact, you might want to make your carry-on bag a backpack that you can use when traveling to each site.

Important Items

• Your Passport

• Your suitcase

• Any medication you will need

• Any flight information you will need

• Extra spending money, in euros

The currency in Greece is the Euro. Campers should bring money for souvenirs and any snacks they wish to purchase on travel days. Campers must bring their own euros to Greece with them. There will NOT be an opportunity to exchange dollars to euros. Campers may use an ATM card to make withdrawals on trips; however, ATMs will not be available on every travel day (small villages, monasteries etc). If campers bring travelers’ checks, Ionian Village will not be able to provide a Dollar to Euro exchange, and many merchants are hesitant to accept travelers’ checks.

No, you do not need to speak Greek to participate! Of course, you will be exposed to the language and culture of Greece and be given the opportunity to learn.

Yes! Ionian Village is able to accommodate special dietary needs based on the information you provide in your registration. Our kitchen staff takes pride in everything they cook, and ensures each camper is taken care of. Our camp chef, Kyria Sophia, stresses the importance of a well-balanced diet by offering a variety of traditional home-cooked Greek dishes, while also being able to alter them for dietary needs. Her food is simply amazing!

Yes. There are designated times in the program when campers can wash laundry "village style." The camp provides buckets and detergent for campers to wash their clothes by hand. They can then hang them on the line to dry.

There are gender-specific bathrooms located by their respective cabins. Bathrooms have individual stalls and showers.

As Ionian Village is an Orthodox camp, we ask that all clothing be in good taste. Please see our Packing for Camp section for guidelines on camp-appropriate dress and make sure to follow our dress code when packing. Campers dressed inappropriately will be asked to change. We want our campers to focus on the mission of the camp, the excursions we are taking and the experiences at the camp, as opposed to what each other are or aren’t wearing.  

Yes, Sunday afternoons that we are at the Ionian Village campsite are designated visiting times. In order to receive visitors at Ionian Village, parents of campers are required to complete a Parent/Guardian Release that is part of the online registration designating authorized visitors. If a relative wants to visit and is not authorized, you must email us immediately at ionianvillage@goarch.org or they will not be allowed to visit the camper. Relatives can visit the campsite between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on the specified Sundays. Please inform the relatives visiting that they will be limited to a small visiting area of our campus, and due to safety and our Youth Protection policies, are only allowed to go on tours of the campus with a Staff Member. In addition, no visiting relative may enter the camper cabins at any time. Please note that the only visiting time for campers is while we are at the campsite. There will be absolutely no visiting time allowed while we are in other locations, such as in Athens.

Flights will be chaperoned to and from Athens. Upon arriving at New York's JFK International Airport, campers will be greeted by Ionian Village staff. Each flight to and from Athens will be supervised by staff members that are responsible for escorting all campers safely aboard the flights, and to the Ionian Village staff awaiting them at the arriving airport. These chaperones will also ensure that all campers clear International Customs, collect their luggage, and board the Ionian Village chartered buses at the airport, which are supervised by more Ionian Village staff members. These buses will depart Athens for Bartholomio, where campers will settle in at the Ionian Village campgrounds.

As Ionian Village is a "travel" camp, parents should be aware that campers travel to each site by cabin, and that every trip is accompanied and supervised by cabin staff and administrative staff. As part of the intense training and orientation program that Ionian Village's staff members experience, all staff members have been educated on the sites we visit.

Ionian Village not only prides itself on the incredible spiritual and cultural experiences that it creates for its campers, but on its' camp standards and safety precautions, as well. In coordination with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Office of Camping Ministries, the Ionian Village Administrative Team joins camp directors in staying up-to-date on current events and best camping practices. Ionian Village implements a rigorous staff application process that requires a national background check, screening, and youth safety training. This helps assure that Ionian Village selects the best candidates from the numerous applicants each year.  Additionally, Ionian Village maintains a 1:7 staff-to-camper ratio.

Ionian Village employs qualified medical staff to maintain the health and well-being of each camper while in Greece. Typically, the medical staff is comprised of American physicians and or nurses (RN certified). Ionian Village also has a medical clinic on its grounds, which is annually stocked with medications and equipment to meet any medical need or emergency.

Since it is considered an international camp, Ionian Village has full liability insurance, which covers injuries, accidents, and kidnapping and ransom for all its' participants. Ionian Village also holds insurance that allows us to immediately fly back any seriously injured or ill participant to the United States on a medically equipped aircraft, so that he/she may receive the best medical attention from US physicians and medical teams.

The Ionian Village program places a high priority on its opportunity to educate our teens and young adults. Many of the Ionian Village staff members have backgrounds in education and curriculum development, and teaching experience. With this expertise, Ionian Village carefully designs and creates lessons to cater to all modalities in many areas. Participants are provided with interactive lessons in religious education, Greek history and culture, music, and the arts. Through these areas, Ionian Village is able to broaden the horizons of its' participants so that they return home with a better understanding of the Orthodox faith and Greek culture.

All international travel must be booked through our Travel agent. Most campers will travel to Greece on the start date of the program and will return to America on the last day of the program. There is also an option for campers to extend their ticket longer than the days of the program, either before or after. This must be done with the official travel agency of Ionian Village, ProTravel. Campers traveling on the start and end date of the program will travel as a group and with chaperones from Ionian Village. Campers are not allowed to book their international travel on their own.