Ranging from the pearly beaches of the Aegean islands to the rugged hills of Crete, the mythical massifs of Olympus in the north to the time-forgotten monasteries of Athos and the pulsing streets of modern Athens, Greece is alive with a truly eclectic range of destinations. Here, we take a look at 15 of the top hotspots that every traveler should have on their Grecian bucket list.
Lets explore the best places to visit in Greece:
1. Greek Islands
The beautiful and exotic Greek islands lure droves of tourists every year, making them one of the world’s top travel destinations. With more than 2,000 islands to choose from they may initially be bewildered by their number and variety. From gorgeous beaches, ancient ruins, colorful harbors and active volcanoes the Greek islands have it all.
Part of the Cyclades group, Santorini is among the most picturesque islands and definitely one of the best places to visit in Greece. Also part of the Cyclades, Mykonos features a modern, cosmopolitan society blended with traditional whitewashed houses and maze-like streets. Located in the Aegean Sea near the coast of Turkey, Rhodes is the capital and largest island of the Dodecanese archipelago, popular for its great beaches and historical significance. The northernmost of Greece’s Ionian Islands, Corfu was controlled by many foreign powers, notably the Venetians and British, which is reflected in its culture and the architecture on the island.
2. Arcopolis
Opened in 2009, the Acropolis Museum is now one of Athens' most-visited tourist attractions. Designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, it is an ultra-modern glass and steel structure with light and airy exhibition spaces, built specifically to display ancient finds from the Acropolis. Top things to see here include the 6th-century-BC Moschophoros (statue of a young man carrying a calf on his shoulders), the Caryatids (sculptures of female figures that held up the Erechtheion) and the highly controversial Parthenon marbles. From the museum's cafe-restaurant terrace, you can enjoy amazing views of the Acropolis itself.
3. Tinos
Tinos spent decades in the shadow of the Cycladic island cluster’s most popular destination – Mykonos – and was known mainly as a pilgrimage site for the Church of the Panaghia, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its reputation has undergone a massive turnaround in the past few years, however, and today it’s becoming the place to be, thanks to its many beautiful traditional villages, its local winemakers producing fine organic like Volacus, and cultural events such as Tinos Food Paths and the Tinos World Music Festival.
4. Corfu
A dog-leg of an island that bridges the gap between the Albanian Adriatic coast and the Ionian Sea of Greece, Corfu really is the stuff of travel brochures. Along its twisting and turning coastline, alabaster beaches like Pelekas and Chalikounas ooze with isolated beauty, while the likes of the Corfu Old Town and Old Perithia burst with Venetian relics, anti-pirate castles and sun-splashed esplanades. Inland and the territory gives way to Corfu’s more untrodden reaches, where forests of sharp cypresses and flailing Spanish fir trees rise with the mountains, and charming villages like Lakones offer a dash of whitewash amidst the greenery.
5. Crete
The largest of the Greek islands, Crete is a spacious land of pleasing contrasts where landscapes range from stunning coastline to rugged mountains and rolling countryside dotted with olive trees. Bustling metropolitan cities spread beyond to quiet villages centered around outdoor coffee shops. Steeped in history, Crete still bears archaeological traces of the many civilizations that inhabited it down through the centuries.
6. Mykonos
Greece's most glamorous island destination is Mykonos. After-dark activities center on Mykonos Town, noted for its chic boutique hotels, classy seafood restaurants, and live music venues. Other attractions include Paraportiani (a whitewashed church in Mykonos Town) and numerous sandy beaches along the island's south coast (served both by bus and taxi-boat from Mykonos Town). The island is particularly popular with international celebrities. Mykonos has an airport and is connected by ferry and catamaran to Athens' port, Piraeus, and Rafina.
7. Hydra
People are still leaving flowers outside the house where Leonard Cohen once spent his holidays, and this summer, the municipality is organizing a series of tributes and events dedicated to the celebrated singer for an international gathering of his fans. Cohen, however, was not the island’s only aficionado: princesses, top models, fashion designers and the art elite have all embraced the small Saronic island, which is not inundated by hotels, for its elegant simplicity. As cars are forbidden, transport duties are carried out by
donkeys, mules and small fishing boats. Learn more about the island in the film The Great Eastern by art group The Callas, which premieres this year.
donkeys, mules and small fishing boats. Learn more about the island in the film The Great Eastern by art group The Callas, which premieres this year.
8. Corinth
Straddling the join between ancient Attica and the Peloponnese, amidst the ridges of the Oneia Mountains and the sparkling waters of the Corinthian Gulf, Corinth boomed in ancient times. It was made formidable by its navy and its tactical position on the Isthmus of Corinth, which became an important contact point between the two super powers of Sparta and Athens during the tumultuous Peloponnesian War of the early 5th century BC. Corinth sided with the winner and was certainly an ally to be wooed, just as those formidable fortifications, the soaring ancient acropolis (perhaps even more striking than its counterpart in Athens) and the wealth of art and culture displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth show today.
9. Meteora
The Greek word meteora means “suspended in the air,” and this phrase aptly describes the spectacular cliffs that rise more than 1,200 feet (366 meters) into the air overlooking the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki in the north central mainland of Greece. What makes these cliffs even more inspiring are the historic monasteries perched along the summits. Dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries, the monasteries at Meteora were built by monks seeking spiritual isolation and freedom from religious persecution.
10. Nafplio
Often cited as Greece's most beautiful city, Nafplio is a popular weekend destination for wealthy Athenians. Built on a small peninsular on the east coast of the Peloponnese, it became the first capital of modern Greece in 1828 before Athens took over in 1834. The car-free old town is filled with neo-classical mansions and proud churches and overlooked by the 18th-century Palamidi Fortress. Nearby attractions include Tiryns, Epidaurus Theater, and Ancient Corinth.
11. Messinia
An under-the-radar destination until very recently, Messinia started to compete with Mykonos and Santorini thanks to Costa Navarino, home to two five-star, luxury hotels and Greece’s premier golf destination, featuring two 18-hole signature courses. Warmed by the southwest Peloponnese’s sunshine with white powder-like sand and crystal-clear waters, you will experience an archaeological safari while driving through the olive groves: from the ancient city of Messini head off to the recently conserved Nestor’s Palace and walk in the fields of the glorious Griffin Warrior, who was stirred from his slumber in 2015.
12. The Halkidiki Peninsula
Jutting its way out into the Aegean Sea like three arched fingers just south of the lively city of Thessaloniki, the Halkidiki Peninsula comes complete with some of the north’s best beaches and resorts. Golden, powdery sands at Kalamitsi on the end of the Sithonia headland draw a subdued crowd of ecotourists with thier concomitant campsites, while Kassandra knows how to party and comes with seaside cocktail bars and a smattering of swish hotel chains overlooking the Med. Then there’s mysterious Athos – the easternmost peninsular. Defiant and traditional in the extreme, this is where some of Greece’s most traditional monastic communities make their home, clinging fiercely to the ways of the Greek Orthodox Church from their high-perched cloisters in the hills.
13. Delphi
Second to the Acropolis in Athens, Delphi is Greece’s most popular archaeological site. Located about two and half hours from Athens along the slopes of the awe-inspiring Mount Parnassus, Delphi was once revered by the ancient Greeks as the center of the earth. Dedicated to the god, Apollo, Delphi was an important oracle. In ancient times, people would come to this sacred spot to inquire of the priestess for advice on a wide range of topics from farming to relationships and politics. Significant ruins and structures at Delphi include the Temple of Apollo, the Athenian Treasury, the theater and hippodrome that once hosted events of the ancient Pythian Games.
14. Thessaloniki
Overlooking the Aegean Sea in northern Greece, Thessaloniki (Salonica) is the country's second biggest city after Athens. Founded in 316 BC due to its position close to both Bulgaria and Turkey, it has always been a crossroads of various cultures and religions. Its main sightseeing attractions are its UNESCO-listed Byzantine churches, but there are also several Roman monuments (including the Triumphal Arch of Galerius and the 4th-century Rotunda), the 15th century White Tower on the seafront, and an excellent Byzantine Museum.
15. Kalymnos
When it comes to rock climbing, Kalymnos rocks. Flanked by Kos and Leros, the island of natural sponges is now considered to be the world’s best sport-climbing destination. If you have a good head for heights, you may just be one of the 10,000 or so climbers who comes every year to enjoy the good quality rocks and 3,000 routes (the Aegialis sport route is the most photographed in the world), which are organized in an exemplary way and follow a range of safety measures. Pull on your climbing shoes – but be sure you also pack a pair of flip flops so you can take a break at the beach.
Interesting Facts About Greece
1. St Andrew and St George, the patron saints of Scotland and England, are also patron saints of Greece.
2. Greece is the only country in Europe that has legislation to determine the permitted shelf life for milk, which is five days.
3. Greece has more than 2,000 islands, of which about 170 are populated.
4. In 1996, the Diagram Prize for the most oddly titled book went to ‘Greek Rural Postmen and their Cancellation Numbers’.
5. The average Greek adult has eight cigarettes a day. Only Serbia and Bulgaria smoke more.
6. Athens is an anagram of hasten as well as the less common words ‘sneath’ (the pole of a scythe) and ‘snathe’ (to prune or lop trees).
7. Until 1983, leprosy was grounds for divorce in Greece.
8. About seven per cent of the world’s marble comes from Greece.
9. Greece is the world’s leading producer of sea sponges, especially in the sea off Kalymnos island.
10. The Greek national cheese is Feta, which is eaten more in Greece than any other country.
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