‘It’s clear why. Free publicity carries positive endorsement for your brand by a trusted, independent editorial voice - it’s invaluable’.

But the rise of PR is not just a result of economic pressures, It’s an obvious extension of the new necessity for great creative ideas to travel.

‘Fight it if you dare, but advertising and PR must get closer to build a new creative economy. The internet is forcing the issue. PR agencies know their future lies in embracing the web, in online reputation management, interpreting and advising on social media and in honing search PR.’

‘Creative agencies know that online display advertising is a busted flush and creating and shaping social media platforms is one of the real online creative opportunities. ‘ ‘If (Martin) Sorrell’s analysis of the great importance of free publicity is right, PR could win the digital game’.

Sporting legend Rio Ferdinand and best pals, such as John Terry  and Gary Neville have turned ruling passions into profitable portfolios via specialist advisors, New Era Limited. Having fallen in love with Morocco’s Le Jardin de Fleur at Mediterrania- Saidia, Ferdinand has purchased two luxury villas for private use. Dozens of sporting stars have followed suit. Le Jardin de Fleur is being hailed as ‘The St Tropez of Africa’ with a marina kitted out for the superyachts. Move over Puerto Banus.

For the low down on emerging sporting hotspots call NEO now, www.neolimited.com.

Dismayed by the steady destruction of classical Greek olive groves June Field sets out to preserve her own fragment of antiquity

I’ve never needed much of an excuse to follow a story about Greece’s immortal olive trees. As part of the shimmering landscape, the greyish green groves have symbolised the meaning of life since 5,000 BC.

Last year I was saddened to hear that swathes of Corfu’s ancient groves were illegally being cut down, loaded into lorries and shipped off to Italy to make charcoal for pizza ovens. Sure enough, I witnessed some of this island’s most ancient groves reduced to stumps. There were trucks parked up here and there and teams of Albanians were using chainsaws to cut the trees down.

Landowners were selling them for around £28 each. I decided that one way to stop the destruction was to buy my own grove and leave it; better still, harvest my own organic oil as some of my Greek friends do. If nothing else, it would serve as a quiet place to camp out under the starry Aegean night skies.

Corfu, however, is ruled out by soaring land prices. Islands close to Athens are crowded in summer and dead in winter. So I chose Crete. It is the largest island and consequently there is more land for sale and it has the balmiest winters.

Before leaving, I got the lowdown from Katerina Samarapoulous, one of Athens’s leading property agents. “There’s no rhyme or reason to putting a price on plots; especially olive groves. They vary greatly depending on region, location and utilities. Some owners price their land per tree, perhaps around €200 (£138) per tree, but that again depends on the quality of the oil.” My best course of action seemed to be to use local agents combined with the Greek method - personal contacts.
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First stop is Mary and Kostas Damvoglu who live in Heraklion, a 50-minute flight from Athens (or high speed ferry, six hours) who own an organic smallholding. We drive two hours west to investigate the endless lush orchards surrounding Chania.

Here wealthy agricultural villages, such as Perivolas, are fed by waters from the White Mountains; olive trees reach up to 40ft; branches laden with juicy fruit are left to fall into ground nets until as late as June.

The former mayor of Kandanos village, a sprightly 93-year-old, emerges from the kafenion, and whisks us on a tour of the most ancient groves of Crete. “Ours produce world records; over 150 kilos of oil per tree each harvest,” he explains.

John Goodwin, a British agent who specialises in Crete, admits that land here is in high demand. “You may pick up a plot for as little as £5,000 to £10,000 but it’s too small to build on.” He sells most of his homes to foreigners and there’s a huge supply of new and renovated villas on the market. A brand new stone house with three bedrooms, fireplace, solar heating, sea views and swimming pool costs around £178,000; without pool, £161,000.
Lasithi

Next, we are lured towards Crete’s south coast, which is less accessible and quieter. It has the most dramatic scenery - a series of gorges open out towards the warm Libyan sea. George Cassimatis, the owner of the Triopetra Yoga Retreat at Agios Pavlos says that “plots near the sea are hard to come by, and expensive”.

How true. Just minutes later I locate my dream spot: a slab of land overlooking the prettiest of coves and metres from the beach and tavernas. Sheep are grazing among the olives, the sunset is a tropical golden orange. But the moment is shattered by the arrival of the local landowner in a truck. He informs me this acre is for sale at €300,000 (£206,000).

Moving swiftly on, we pause to take a photo. A very old lady hauls us into her tiny home and kick starts a deal over three nearby family plots. It pays to haggle in drachmas and speak the language. Temptingly, she’s selling a plot just 300 metres from the sea, for £60,000. At 4,225 square metres (1.1 acres), it is buildable. A second has a small house on it with electricity and water. I’m getting excited, but am not ready to commit.

Further east, in the olive heartland, we stumble across a new hotel in Zaros called “Eleonas” or olive grove. Owner Manolis serves up a Cretan feast; nearly everything seems to be home-produced including the orange cake. This seems the ideal spot, but can he find us a plot? He sends his father off to ask around the town, bustling with harvest activity in the blazing January sunshine.

By now I discover I’m not the only one hankering for an eco bolt hole. My order book is soon thick with requests from other jaded urbanites. Fellow grove hunters include Giles Henschel, who has lived and breathed olives, since his year-long motorcycle honeymoon around the Mediterranean in 1992. He and his wife founded Olives Et Al from a spare bedroom; today the Dorset-based company employs 30 staff producing marinated olives, tapenades and oils.

Giles has set his heart on a five-acre plot on the large island of Evia, three hours north of Athens, so he can help support the local olive farming community “and put something back into this fascinating industry”.
Others like Joy Hodson moved to Crete to retire but wound up working. Joy is now sales manager for Property on Crete based in Sitia - a three-hour drive east of Heraklion. Last year she sold over 23 homes, mainly to British buyers. “This area is the best investment on the island, but due to new tourism projects and a better airport, prices will rocket in three or five years,” she says.

Another investor is Stelios Hadjioannou founder of easyJet who is rumoured to be developing his estate near Scripero. Joy’s boss George escorts us here to view a grove of 12,000sq m, with olive trees and distant sea views. It’s on the market for £28,777.

The most beguiling, however, is a 8,500sq m plot, only 50m from the beach at Xerocambos. This is one of Crete’s prettiest corners, scattered with Minoan remains.

“These rarely come on the market; it’s buildable and linked to new roads,” says Joy. I want it now, but at £129,500 it’s a tad over.

Meanwhile house hunters can still find affordable properties around Sitia. For example, a compact stone-built, two-bedroom house in Handras village costs £46,700.

I catch up with Katerina back in Athens. While chatting over coffee she reveals that she has also acquired her own bolt hole. To many it may sound truly off the map, but on closer inspection it’s a clever investment. For a mere £3,400 she’s bought a couple of acres of virgin woodland in northern Greece, not far from the town of Xanthi. This area, close to the Nestos river and Rhodopi mountains, is becoming a sporting paradise; rafting, trekking and hunting are available.

In the meantime, my scouts tell me that I must return to Crete. After heavy networking they have found 300 olive trees on three acres, with a view of the Libyan sea. They tell me this grove has water and electricity but no dwelling. The price? No one knows. I’ll find out over a retsina at the local taverna.

For more information on the author’s olive grove and forthcoming book log on to www.greekgroves.com

• Purchase tax on Greek property is 11 per cent. However, there is a two-tier pricing system, which means that it may drop to around five per cent.

• Greece is an EU member, therefore British nationals have no restrictions on acquiring property.

• Due to the incomplete land registry, it is essential to appoint a reliable local lawyer to establish the legal boundaries of a property.

• Land designated as purely agricultural may undergo a long-winded process to obtain building permission. Beware if you are near archaeological sites; if artefacts are found, your chance is nil.

• Search off season; flights and hotels are cheaper, roads are less congested by tourists and locals generally have more time to spare.

Our passion is saving olive trees, especially ancient ones. Greece’s immortal trees are under threat, cut down to make way for roads, hotels and second homes. No one likes to see spectacular coastlines disappear under concrete. Or farmers give up their livelihood to work in tourism.

You can buy your own olive grove for as little as 5,000 euro. Others cost more, anything under 100,000 will be strictly for conservation as they ‘re too small to build on. Some plots sell per tree, around £140 each but the price varies greatly on the quality of the oil.  But you will have your own olive oil, and a fantastic eco hobby, not to mention a great big campsite under the Mediterranean stars.  We’re earmarked some tempting groves in the heartland of Crete, near Zaros. Also on the lush Ionian island of Corfu - the mountainous north coast is covered with knarled ancient trees scattered with timeless villages. Olive oil is inseperable from life and health yet costs less than Coca Cola or coffee.

Become an olive farmer. Greek Groves is offering a ’slice of Greek life’ - so you can invest a minimum of money with no hassle. For as little as £5,000 each, you own a portion of a private estate, producing quality organic olive oil. You get a year’s supply of your oil, privately labelled. Shipped overseas to your home. Visit any time of the year and take part in the harvest. Have full input into farm life. Make lifelong friends and have more memorabe holidays. Create a legacy for your family. Your stake will increase, it’s land after all, a gourmet product and in a mainstream tourist destination. Full title deeds and legal matters are being handled by Cluttons International Greece, a recognised agent of premium property.

Buy a vineyard. If you’re looking to downsize into a boutique winery, this is the place to ride out the credit crunch. Picture yourself in a quiet corner of Kefalonia, as the sun sets over the ripening grapes and surrounding olive groves. Your award wining wines are in demand from French sommeliers for around $40 per bottle. The charismatic owner has devoted a lifetime to this profitable estate, his wine tastings are legendary and will be on hand to help out the new owner before he coasts into real Greek retirement. Stroll to private beaches, and explore some of the most stunning sea caves in a private craft (spot Monk seals) on your days off. Nearest international airport, Argostoli, one hour via ferry/road. Direct flights to UK and Athens. Offers of 4m euros.

So if you want to rescue a grove, adopt an olive tree or tap into rural Greek culture, show your support on www.greekgroves.com.

We’re chuffed to be working with such a marvellous team with top notch travel credentials. Their growing fan base includes actor Ewan McGregor and buddy Charlie Boorman, who travelled with the PJ team when filming “The Long Way Round”.

Their chief guide, Goyo Radnaabazar has picked up a global award for ‘Best Guide’ recognised by the Royal Geographic Society. So if you’re looking for the ultimate wilderness escape, click onto www.panoramicjourneys.com.

Anyone hankering for a wild encounter? The team know how it feels. So don’t waste a minute, book onto The Gobi Explorer, a 14 day desert adventure, taking in 800 metre high ’singing’ dunes, nights at herder camps and days spotting shy wildlife like snow leopards. Shop for bargain cashmere in Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatur.

Otherwise bag a ticket on the Trans Mongolian Railway, the 30 hour ride will prepare you for ‘Land of the Reindeer’ which takes you to the remote Lake Khovsgol, the pearl of Mongolia surrounded by lush meadows and pines. Darkhad Mongolias - your hosts - are the world’s most isolated ethnic group. They’ll saddle you up on an eight day horse trek and hone your shamanic survival skills. You’re up against the elements here buddy.

Greece. You simply can’t beat it. Our current PR campaign is on a roll, generating £250,000 of international publicity to highlight the benefits of second home ownership. At last, Greeks are determined to share this unrivalled location, and shine the global spotlight on their God given assets. Last year, we attended HELEXPO Property in Athens, a three day event attended by the country’s leading developers and business leaders. Hot on its heels, Knight Frank research revealed that Greek property prices grew by 3%, whilst world prices slumped in Q3. Greek shipowners are shifting their bases back to home Port of Piraeus. Top drawer agents have opened their Athens branches offering luxury properties. Even a soaring euro didn’t stop The Daily Telegraph Travel readers as citing Greece as their second most popular country in Europe. Mamma Mia.

What’s new?

High quality builds with the full range of sales services and inspection trips. Global hotel chains like Aman and Small Luxury Hotels launching new five star locations on Crete, Milos and Kefalonia. Fates willing, openings of five star resorts with marinas and golf courses which will rival any in Europe. And importantly, new land registry system which will ease the buying process.

Partner with us now and benefit from our generic international campaign. Promote Greece as a lifestyle destination to the foreign community in key markets. Cut out the need for advertising budgets. Three Sixty will manage professional media visits to your property or hotel when it suits you. Put you in contact with leading property and travel journalists. Your company will appear in influential media and internet search engines, driving sales direct you your door.  contact us now for a trial campaign.