Best Places to Visit in Greece
Introduction
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 look at 15 top hotspots that every traveler should have on their Grecian bucket list. Let’s explore the best places to visit in Greece.
Corfu
A dog-leg of an island that bridges the gap between the Albanian Adriatic coast and the Ionian Sea of Greece, Corfu 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.
Nafplion
The onetime capital of the 19th-century Greek State and a long-term favorite of Athens’ moneyed elite (just check the seaside mansions that line the shore and the bobbing millionaire yachts in the harbor!), Nafplion has been shaped over the centuries by Greeks, Ottomans, Byzantines, and others. Cue the soaring and formidable bulwarks of the Palamidi Citadel on the ridges above the town, a 17th-century fortification raised by the Venetians. Then there’s the pretty, marble-clad Constitution Square (a namesake of the national revival that took place here), not to mention the buzzing esplanade along the port – a great place for authentic, earthy Mediterranean seafood!
Ancient Corinth
Straddling the join between ancient Attica and the Peloponnese, amidst the Oneia Mountains’ ridges and the Corinthian Gulf’s sparkling waters, Corinth boomed in ancient times. Its navy and tactical position on the Isthmus of Corinth made it formidable, and it became an important contact point between the two superpowers, Sparta and Athens, during the tumultuous Peloponnesian War of the early 5th century BC. Corinth sided with the winner and was undoubtedly 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.
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 has some of the north’s best beacnorth’s resorts. Golden, powdery sands at Kalamitsi on the end of the Sithonia headland draw a subdued crowd of ecotourists with their concomitant campsites. At the same time, Kassandra knows how to party and comes with seaside cocktail bars and a smattering of swish hotel chains overlooking the Med. Then therethere’smysterious Athos – the easternmost peninsular. Defiant and traditional in the extreme, this is where some of GGreece’smost conventional monastic communities make their home, clinging fiercely to the ways of the Greek Orthodox Church from their high-perched cloisters in the hills.
Mycenae
Raised by mythical cyclops (at least if you believe the legends) and the ancestral home of the mighty King Agamemnon (the same of the Trojan Wars), Mycenae can be found draped over the limestone hills and olive-clad ridges of the Peloponnesian Argolid. One of Greece’s less-trodden and more off-the-beaten-track regions, the spot is unquestionably one of the most immersive and incredible archaeological remains. It comes from a much earlier time than the mighty Athenian Acropolis or the temples of Delphi. The ruined town here hit its zenith in the 14th century BC with the Atreid dynasty, and it’s from tit’stime that many of its monolith fortifications, striking burial sites, and colossal kingly tombs date.
Delphi
Hallowed ancient ground abounds in Delphi, standing on its perch on Mount Parnassus’s edge on the Corinthian Gulf’s fringes. For countless centuries this cascading set of breathtaking ruins and looming peristyles was the veritable religious center of the ancient world; a place sought out by kings and emperors, demagogues and democrats for the warnings of its famous oracle and the auspicious rulings of its Pythian priestesses. The piece de resistance of the site has to be the Temple of Apollo’s crumbling ruins, which conceal the old rooms of the sages below its hexastyle Doric columns. There are also lines of ancient treasuries to be seen, built by the various city-states of the ancient world, along with one glorious theatre and mountaintop stadium.
Rhodes
A teardrop in the Aegean, Rhodes draws booming crowds of tourists yearly with its unique combination of shimmering, sparkling beaches, secluded pebble coves, uber-luxurious five-star resorts, fascinating towns, and irresistible mountain interiors. Start with a trip to the ancient settlement of Rhodes city. It clung to the northeastern coast and was once the home of the mighty Colossus of Rhodes (one of the wonders of the ancient world), although it now showcases the beautiful medieval Grand Master’s Palace (a UNESCO site to boot). ElMaster’sthe Valley of the Butterflies blooms with color, the beaches around Ixia glimmer in the sun, Faliraki’s 18-30 clubs never sleep, and the inlFaliraki’ses and castles ooze a more laid-back, Dodecanese charm.
Zakynthos
Rugged and rocky Zakynthos rises like a glimmering pearl from the cerulean waters of the Ionian Sea. Chalk-white cliffs delineate its coast, which looms like bulwarks in the west to hide gems like the iconic Navagio Beach (or Shipwreck Beach if you prefer) and the deep, dark Blue Caves of the northern shore. In the middle of the island, hikers and adventure seekers will discover the fir-dotted, cypress-spotted olive groves that are rarely seen by visitors, while famous Laganas beats and booms in the south-west, an 18-30s hotspot of thumping clubs and cocktail bars that goes into overdrive during the summer high-season.
Thessaloniki
Greece’s second-largest city makes its home in a tight-knit inlet Greece’segean Sea in the country’s northern reaches. Part booming commercial port town, part elegant historical center, part lively university town (there are more students here than in any other place in Greece), the city offers many things to see and do. The center was primarily rebuilt following a destructive fire in the early 20th century and now mimics the Byzantine style of the east. At the same time, the heritage-packed Ano Poli (Upper Town) that was not burned showcases classic Greek and Balkan architecture. Travelers should be sure to delve into the exhibitions of the iconic White Tower, check out the Museum of Byzantine Culture, and see the Ataturk House here, all before letting loose in the tavernas and chic bars of Nikis Avenue and Krini. Read more about Thessaloniki.
Chania
Arching its way beautifully along the rugged coastal reaches of northern Crete, Chania conceals tight-knit lanes of Cretan tavernas and salt-smelling fish restaurants aplenty below its terracotta roofs and the stone-clad tower of its Venetian Lighthouse on the edge of the Med. It’s unquestionably one of the most attractive tIt’s on the island, mixing Turkic architecture and Italianate designs along its gorgeous harbourside. There are Ottoman relics and crumbling forts to see, too, not to mention some seriously great dishes to sample – from Crete’s highland greens to dakos pizza breads, Crete’sesh olive oils, and – of course – potent homebrewed raki.
Knossos
Just a short jaunt south out of the Cretan capital of Heraklion, travelers will discover the most significant Bronze Age relic in all of Greece: the sprawling Palace of Knossos. Meticulously excavated during the early 20th century and carefully reconstructed in parts, the site reveals many secrets of the ancient Minoans (who dominated this section of the Aegean for almost two millennia). It comes awash with gorgeous mosaics and the famous charging bull frescos, which adorn the central palace structure and the iconic red-painted columns that support it. There are also the remains of Minoan pottery to see, as well as the glorious throne room of the Bronze Age kings, where the famous legend of the Minotaur and labyrinth would have played out.
Athens
Few cities in the world can boast as much history as Athens. Crowned by the great Parthenon and the sprawling remains of the Agora, it was here that figures like Socrates and Plato, Euripides, and Pericles would have stood debating and discussing the issues of the day. It was the birthplace of democracy, which came with Cleisthenes in the late 6th century. It was the incubator of all great classical tragedy and comedy: Oedipus Rex, The Antigone, The Phoenician Women. The metropolis remains the largest in Greece, too; it’s pulsating, often troubled political kingpiit’sd a place peppered with pretty churches and parliament buildings. Don’t miss the Plaka area, where earthy tavernaDon’tcade through the ancient ruins of the Acropolis hill. Visit our Athens Less than 48 hours page to discover more.
Olympia
The Olympic Games’ birthplace is undoubtedly one of the most totemic UNESCO Heritage Sites in Greece today. Hailed as the heart of the so-called Valley of Gods for its mind-boggling wealth of honorific temples and looming monuments to the likes of Zeus and Hera (many of which are preserved in the on-site archaeology museum), the site also shows the excavated Olympic stadium and training grounds, where athletes would have competed for the prestige of their poleis (city-states) all those millennia ago. Nearby, travelers can seek out the natural beauties of the Alfios River valley and the rugged inland hills of the Peloponnese, complete with hiking and mountain biking trails aplenty. Read more about Olympia.
Epidaurus
Once revered by many as the most remarkable healing place in the ancient world, Epidaurus and its vast array of crumbling ruins can be found clinging to the edges of the Argolid Peninsula just around the Corinthian panhandle. The most famous relic here is the old Sanctuary of Asklepios, which boomed with healers and patients alike from the Classical to the Roman eras. ThatEpidaurus’y of Epidaurus’ modern visitors come solely for the colossal amphisite’sr at the site’s heart, a 4th-century BC masterpiece that has some of the finest acoustics of any outdoor stadium in the world!
Meteora
As something plucked straight oCameron’ses Cameron’s Avatar, Meteora’s great bluffs and hoodoos are guaranteed to draw a gasp. Set right in the heartlands of northern Greece, these dramatic pillars of sandstone play host to some of the ccountry’smost traditional Orthodox monasteries – the Holy Monastery of Rousanou, Varlaam, and Great Meteoron – which can be seen clinging tenuously to the precipices in glorious displays of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art and architecture. UNESCO-attested, these breathtaking structures were raised between the 14th and 16th centuries and dominated the incredible mountain landscape of the region. Learn more about Meteora.
