Thursday 20 July 1967 | Athens, Greece
On 20 July 1967, George Harrison and Pattie Harrison, Ringo Starr and Neil Aspinall flew to Athens, Greece, as part of The Beatles' plan to purchase a private island. They were met there by Alexis Mardas — known as Magic Alex — and his father, who was a member of the Greek military police. The party stayed at the Mardas family house in Athens until the rest of The Beatles arrived on 22 July.
The Greek Island Plan
The idea had been discussed the previous day, 19 July 1967. It was John Lennon's vision that The Beatles, their families and friends should all live together on the same island — in four separate villas, with a shared recording studio and entertainment complex. Magic Alex had identified a suitable island with around 80 acres, a small fishing village, beaches and 16 acres of olive groves, priced at £90,000.
We’re all going to live there, perhaps forever, just coming home for visits. Or it might just be six months a year. It’ll be fantastic, all on our own on this island. There’s some little houses which we’ll do up and knock together and live communally.
I’m not worried about the political situation in Greece, as long as it doesn’t affect us. I don’t care if the government is all fascist, or communist. I don’t care. They’re all as bad as here; worse, most of them. I’ve seen England and the USA, and I don’t care for either of their governments. They’re all the same. Look what they do here. They stopped Radio Caroline and tried to put the Stones away while they’re spending billions on nuclear armaments and the place is full of US bases that no one knows about.
John Lennon, 1967 — Anthology
Key Facts
| Date | Thursday 20 July 1967 |
| Travelling | George Harrison, Pattie Harrison, Ringo Starr, Neil Aspinall |
| Destination | Athens, Greece |
| Met by | Alexis Mardas (Magic Alex) and his father |
| Island price | £90,000 |
| Island size | ~80 acres, including 16 acres of olive groves, a fishing village and beaches |
| Rest of Beatles arrived | 22 July 1967 |
| Outcome | Island not purchased; party returned to England |
It Came to Nothing
Despite the excitement of the plan, The Beatles never bought the island. As Ringo Starr later recalled in Anthology:
It came to nothing. We didn’t buy an island, we came home. We were great at going on holiday with big ideas, but we never carried them out. We were also going to buy a village in England – one with rows of houses on four sides and a village green in the middle. We were going to have a side each.
That was what happened when we got out. It was safer making records, because once they let us out we’d just go barmy.
Ringo Starr — Anthology
The Greek island episode was characteristic of the group's mindset in the summer of 1967 — the height of the psychedelic era, just weeks after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Grand communal living schemes, utopian ideas and ambitious projects were very much in the air, even if few of them came to fruition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did The Beatles buy a Greek island?
No. In July 1967, The Beatles seriously explored buying a Greek island for £90,000, with plans for four villas, a recording studio and an entertainment complex. George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Neil Aspinall flew to Athens on 20 July, and the rest of the group followed on 22 July. However, the island was never purchased and the party returned to England.
Who was Magic Alex?
Magic Alex was the nickname of Alexis Mardas, a Greek friend of John Lennon who became head of Apple Electronics. He identified the Greek island that The Beatles considered purchasing in 1967, and met the group in Athens when they flew out to view it.
Whose idea was it for The Beatles to buy a Greek island?
The idea was John Lennon's. He envisioned The Beatles, their families and friends all living communally on the same island, with four separate villas, a recording studio and an entertainment complex.
How much did the Greek island cost?
The island identified by Magic Alex was priced at £90,000. It had around 80 acres including a small fishing village, beaches and 16 acres of olive groves.
When did The Beatles travel to Greece in 1967?
George Harrison, Pattie Harrison, Ringo Starr and Neil Aspinall flew to Athens on 20 July 1967. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and the rest of the party joined them on 22 July 1967.
→ 20 July in Beatles History
→ July in Beatles History
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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