Fodor's Essential Greece: with the Best of the Islands
Whether you want to explore the Acropolis of Athens, watch the sunset in Santorini, or...
A visit to the land of Homer, Aristotle, and Sophocles is a journey to the dawn of classical civilization, with archaeological splendors from Athens to Crete. The towering monasteries of Meteora and soaring Mt. Olympus inspire awe, while relaxing islands like Corfu and Santorini invite simple pleasures and a taste of the good life on the Aegean Sea. The Greek countryside presents the perfect coda with idyllic landscapes of cypress groves, vineyards, and olive trees, as well as dramatic coves with sparkling white sand and rugged mountains that plunge into the sea.
Fodor's Essential Greece: with the Best of the Islands
Whether you want to explore the Acropolis of Athens, watch the sunset in Santorini, or...
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The Cyclades
Named after the circle they form around the sacred isle of Delos, the two hundred and twenty or so Cyclades are the most Greek of...
Athens
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and paradoxical metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the...
The Peloponnese
Over the millennia the rugged terrain of the Peloponnese—a vast region that hangs like a large leaf from the stem of the Corinthian isthmus—has nourished...
Rhodes and the Dodecanese
Wrapped enticingly around the shores of Asia Minor, the Dodecanese are Greece’s easternmost island chain, edging the sunny fringes of the Aegean sea. A historic...
Attica and Delphi
One of the great surprises of Athens is how much there is to see around it. The mountainous region of Attica (or Attikí), which incorporates...
The Northern Aegean Islands
Quirky, seductive, fertile, sensual, faded, sunny, worldly, ravishing, long-suffering, hedonistic, luscious, mysterious, legendary—these adjectives only begin to describe the islands of the northeastern Aegean. This...
Crete
Crete is a land of myth and imagination, where Theseus slayed the Minotaur, where Daedulus and Icarus set off on their ill-fated flight, and where...
The Sporades
Little mentioned in mythology or history, the Sporades confidently rely on their great natural beauty and cultural history to attract visitors. Some locals poetically claim...
The Saronic Gulf Islands
Only have a few days in Greece but need a taste of island life? Hopping over to one of the Saronic isles is the perfect...
Thessaloniki and Central Macedonia
A land shaped by gods, warriors, and ghosts, Northern Greece sparkles with the sights, sounds, scents, and colors of its melting-pot history and epic geography...
Corfu
Temperate, multihued Corfu—of emerald mountains; turquoise waters lapping rocky coves; ocher and pink buildings; shimmering silver olive leaves; puffed red, yellow, and orange parasails; scarlet...
Mykonos
From backpackers to the super-rich, from day-trippers to yachties, from Joe Average to celebrities who head here by helicopter, Mykonos has become one of the...
Epirus and Thessaly
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Santorini (Thira)
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shaped Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if you must enjoy the sensational...
Paros and Antiparos
In the classical age, the great sculptor Praxiteles prized the incomparably snowy marble that came from the quarries at Paros; his chief rival was the...
Thessaloniki
At the crossroads of East and West, where North blends into South, Thessaloniki (accent on the "ni") has seen the rise and fall of many...
Rhodes
The fourth-largest Greek island and, along with Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus, one of the great islands of the Mediterranean, Rhodes was long considered a bridge...
Naxos
"Great sweetness and tranquility" is how Nikos Kazantzakis, premier novelist of Greece, described Naxos, and indeed a tour of the island leaves you with an...
Mykonos Town
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one...
Lesvos
The Turks called Lesvos the "garden of the empire" for its fertility: in the east and center of the island, literally millions of olive trees...
Tinos
Tinos is among the most beautiful and most fascinating of the major Cyclades. The third largest of the island group after Naxos and Andros, with...
Rhodes Town
Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower area (Bourgo). Today Rhodes Town—sometimes referred...
Nafplion
Oraia (beautiful) is the word Greeks use to describe Nafplion. The town's old section lies on a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Argolis, and...
Corfu Town
Corfu Town today is a vivid tapestry of cultures—a sophisticated weave, where charm, history, and natural beauty blend. Located about midway along the island's east...
Skiathos
Part sacred (scores of churches), part sin (lots of nightlife), the hilly, wooded island of Skiathos is the closest of the Sporades to the Pelion...
Chios
"Craggy Chios" is what local boy Homer, the island's first publicist, so to speak, called this starkly beautiful outcropping that almost touches Turkey's coast and...
Aegina
The eastern side of Aegina is rugged and sparsely inhabited today, except for Ayia Marina, a former fishing hamlet now studded with hotels. The western...
Spetses
Spetses shows evidence of continuous habitation through all of antiquity. From the 16th century BC, settlers came over from the mainland and, as on Hydra...
Skopelos
This triangular island's name means "a sharp rock" or "a reef"—a fitting description for the dramatic terrain on the northern shore. It's an hour and...
Spetses Town
By most visitors’ standards, Spetses Town is small—no larger than most city neighborhoods—yet it’s nevertheless divided into districts populated with many well-to-do neoclassical mansions and...
Hydra
As the full length of Hydra stretches before you when you round the easternmost finger of the northern Peloponnese, your first reaction might not, in...
Kentro
The lively shopping streets, bustling markets, and cafés of the Kentro (City Center) and adjacent areas reward you with the unexpected encounters and sensual treats...
Naxos Town
As your ferry sweeps into the harbor, you see before you the white houses of Naxos Town (Chora) on a hill crowned by the one...
Skyros
Even among these unique isles, Skyros stands out. The rugged terrain resembles that of an island in the Dodecanese, and the spectacularly situated main town—occupied...
Ioannina
On the rocky promontory of Pamvotis Lake lies Ioannina, its fortress punctuated by mosques and minarets whose reflections, along with those of the snowy peaks...
Hydra Town
Even though Hydra’s beautiful harbor is flush with bars and boutiques, Hydra Town seems as fresh and innocent as when it was "discovered." The two-...
Syros
The mercantile bustle of modern Ermoupoli—Syros’s port, capital, and the archipelago’s business hub since the 18th century—often makes people do a double take. Seen from...
Chania
Chania surrendered its role as capital of Crete to Heraklion in 1971, but this elegant city of eucalyptus-lined avenues, miles of waterfront promenades, and shady...
Kos
Aglow with flowering oleanders and hibiscus, the island of Kos is the third largest in the Dodecanese. It certainly remains one of the most verdant...
Tinos Town
Civilization on Tinos is a millennium older than Tinos Town, or Chora, founded in the 5th century BC. On weekends and during festivals, Chora is...
Skiathos Town
The harbor is especially picturesque at sunset, when violet-orange lights cast a soft glow and houses on the hills behind the quay begin to glimmer...
Samos
The southernmost of this group of three Northern Aegean islands lies the closest to Turkey of any Greek island, separated by only 3 km (2...
Chios Town
The main port and capital, Chios Town, or Chora, is a busy commercial settlement on the east coast, across from Turkey. It lacks the historic...
Skopelos Town
Idyllic Skopelos Town, the administrative center of the Sporades, overlooks a sparkling turquoise bay on the north coast. Three- and four-story white-washed houses rise virtually...
Glyfada
Gateway to the Athens Riviera and the Apollo Coast—which stretches from Pireaus south to Cape Sounion's famed Temple of Poseidon—Glyfada is loved for its palm-fringed...
Fira
Tourism is Santorini's major industry and adds more than 1 million visitors per year to a population of 15,500. As a result, Fira, the capital...
Vouliagmeni
If Glyfada is all about credit cards and consumer bustle, Vouliagmeni showcases another side to the Athens Riviera. This classy seaside residential suburb is Athens's...
Heraklion
In Minoan times, Crete's largest city, the fifth-largest city in Greece, was a harbor for Knossos, the grandest palace and effective power center of prehistoric...
Aegina Town
As you approach from the sea, your first view of Aegina Town takes in the sweep of the harbor, punctuated by the tiny white chapel...
Naousa
Quaint fishing village no longer, Naousa (also Niaoussa) long ago discovered the benefits of tourism, and its outskirts are mushrooming with villas and hotels that...
Rethymnon
Rethymnon is Crete's third-largest town, after Heraklion and Chania. The population (about 40,000) steadily increases as the town expands—a new quarter follows the coast to...
Paros Town
First impressions of Paroikía (Paros Town. sometimes spelt Parikia), pretty as it is, may not necessarily be positive. The port flashes too much concrete, too...
Kos Town
The modern town lies on a flat plain encircling spacious Mandraki Harbor and is a pleasant assemblage of low-lying buildings and shady lanes, with a...
Ia
At the tip of the northern horn of the island sits Ia (or Oia), Santorini's second-largest town and the Aegean's most-photographed village. Ia is more...
Symi
The tiny island of Symi is an enchanting place, where life centers around sparkling Yialos Harbor and a 19th-century town of neoclassical mansions, known as...
Arachova
Gray-stone houses with red-tile roofs cling to the steep slopes of Mt. Parnassus, the highest mountain in Greece after Mt. Olympus, to form the small...
Marathon
Athenians enter the fabled plain of Marathon to enjoy a break from the capital, visiting the freshwater lake created by the dam, or sunning at...
Mytilini
Built on the ruins of an ancient city, Mytilini (so important through history that many call Lesvos by the port's name alone) is, like Lesvos...
Patras
Like all respectable Greek cities, Patras has the kind of storied history that puts even European capitals in the shade. Off the harbor in 429...
Molyvos
Also known by its ancient name, Mythimna, this is a place that has attracted people since antiquity. Legend says that Achilles besieged the town until...
Galaxidi
Unlike nearby Delphi, the history of Galaxidi tends more toward the modern. That's not to say it doesn't have a long past—settlements here date back...
Metsovo
The quaintly traditional village of Metsovo cascades down a mountain at about 3,300 feet above sea level, below the 6,069-foot Katara pass, which is the...
Agios Nikolaos
Ayios Nikolaos is clustered on a peninsula alongside the Gulf of Mirabello, a dramatic composition of bare mountains, islets, and deep blue sea. Behind the...
Patmos
For better or worse, it can be difficult to reach Patmos. For many travelers, this lack of access is definitely for the better, since the...
Kalambaka
Kalambaka may be dismissed as one more drab modern town, useful only as a base to explore the fabled Meteora complex north of town. Yet...
Skyros Town
From the southern landscapes, amid brown, desolate outcrops with only an occasional goat as a sign of life, Skyros Town suddenly looms around a bend...
South Coast
The popular south coast beaches stand on their own; hotels, restaurants, cafés, and beach bars have sprung up around them, drawn to their turquoise seas...
Kardamyli
The gateway to the Mani on the Messenian side is Kardamyli, considered part of the outer Mani (or Exo Mani), an area less bleak and...
Monemvasia
The eastern "finger" dangling off the southern edge of the Peloponnese is the dramatic setting for Monemvasia (meaning "single entrance"). This Byzantine town clings to...
Yialos
As the boat from Rhodes to Symi rounds the last of many rocky barren spurs, the port of Yialos, at the back of a deep...
Delphi
Up in the mountains, modern Delphi is perched dramatically on the edge of a grove leading to the sea, west of an extraordinary ancient site...
Skala
Skala, the island's small but sophisticated main town, is where almost all the shops and restaurants are located. It's a popular port of call for...
Folegandros
If Santorini is the Hollywood leading lady of the Greek islands, Folegandros is the demure, younger sister, star of off-beat independent cinema. Built between the...
Antiparos
This smaller sister isle to Paros may have once been a well-kept secret, but thanks to celebrity resident Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson...
Delos
Arrive at the mythical, magical, and magnificent site of Delos and you might wonder how this barren islet, which has virtually no natural resources, became...
Mt. Olympus
To understand how the mountain must have impressed the ancient Greeks and caused them to shift their allegiance from the earth-rooted deities of the Mycenaeans...
Lindos
Lindos, cradled between two harbors and dominated by its massive hilltop acropolis, is remarkably well preserved. Steep paths wind past its famous "captain's mansions," beautifully...
Pelekas
Inland from the coast at Glyfada is Pelekas, an attractive hilltop village that overflows with tourists because of its much-touted lookout point, called Kaiser's Throne...
Paleokastritsa
To quote one recent traveler: "I’d rather go to Paleokastritsa than to Heaven." Considered by many to be the site of Homer’s city of the...
Pythagorio
Samos was a democratic state until 535 BC, when the town now called Pythagorio (formerly Tigani, or "frying pan") fell to the tyrant Polycrates (540–22...
Samos Town
Also known as Vathi, the capital is tucked into the head of a sharply deep bay on the northeast coast. Red-tile roofs sweep around the...
Troullos
West of the Kalamaki Peninsula the coast road rounds Troullos Bay and comes to Koukounaries Beach—famous and beautiful but not a remote hideaway...
Olympia
Ancient Olympia, including the Sanctuary of Zeus, was famously the site of the ancient Olympic Games. Scenically located at the foot of the pine-covered Kronion...
Laconia
The Laconian plain is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on one side by the sea. Perhaps it was the fear that enemies could...
Kalamata
...
Volos
A relatively new city by Greek standards, Volos and surrounding Magnesia are steeped in history and myth, with Neolithic settlements dating to 7000 BC and...
Imerovigli
Set on the highest point of the caldera's rim, Imerovigli (the name means "watchtower") is quiet, traditional, and less expensive than other places on the...
Elounda
From its origins as a sleepy fishing village, Elounda has transformed into the de rigueur destination for luxury resorts. The shores of the Gulf of...
Southeast Coast
The southeastern beaches, the farthest beaches from Mykonos Town, are favorites for those looking for something calm, yet organized, such as Kalo Livadi. Water sports...
Mt. Parnitha
The summit of Mt. Parnitha (1,413 m [4,635 feet]), Attica's highest mountain, affords splendid views of the plain of Athens. Sadly, large swaths of its...
Zagorohoria Region
One of the most beguiling and untamed sections of Greece is the region of Zagorohoria (pronounced zah-go-ro-hor-ee-ah), also known as Zagori or Zagoria, which comprises...
Kavala
With 27 centuries of history, this port city draws from deep roots. Long a center of the tobacco industry, Kavala now earns much of its...
Lefkes
Rampant piracy in the 17th century forced thousands of people to move inland from the coastal regions; thus, for many years the scenic village of...
Mesta
Pirgi may be the most unusual of the mastic villages, but Mesta is the island's best preserved: a labyrinth of twisting vaulted streets links two-story...
Ayios Ioannis Bay
Heading east from Tinos Town, you’ll travel on a winding road surrounded by bare, rocky Cycladic island landscapes. It eventually slopes down into Ayios Ioannis...
Areopolis
In Areopolis, the typical Maniote tower houses begin to appear in earnest as spooky sentinels amid the harsh landscape. The town was renamed after Ares...
Pounta
Pounta is not even a village, just a few houses, a handful of restaurants, and a tiny harbor from which ferries leave for Antiparos. The...
Sounion
Poised at the edge of a rugged 195-foot cliff, the Temple of Poseidon hovers between sea and sky, its "marbled steep, where nothing, save the...
Chorio
It's a 10-minute walk from the main harbor of Yialos up to the hilltop town of Chorio, along a staircase of some 400 steps, known...
Ladakika
...
Ayia Anna
Ayia Anna is one of the island’s ideal beach towns, where long stretches of sand front a main road lined with tavernas, restaurants, and cafés...
Vai
The appeal of the surrounding, fertile coastal plain was not lost on the ancient Minoans, who left behind ruins that are not as grand as...
Chalki
You are now entering the heart of the lush Tragaia Valley, where in spring the air is heavily scented with honeysuckle, roses, and lemon blossoms...
Ano Polis
Ano Polis, where many fortified towers once bristled along the city's upper walls, is what remains of 19th-century Thessaloniki. It's filled with timber-framed houses with...
Kamari
Santorini’s most popular beach resort is just that—a long line of hotels and tavernas strung out along a stretch of red-and-black sand on the island’s...
Dimitsana
From the stone-built villages high above Lousios Gorge, a trail picks its way down to the river bed, passing medieval monasteries that dangle from the...
Souvala
Souvala is a sleepy fishing village that comes to life in summer, as it is a favorite resort of many Athenians. The tamarisks and pine...
The Meteora
As you drive through the mighty Pindos range, strange rock formations rise ever higher from the plain. Just beyond the dramatic sheer cliff that shelters...
Ornos
Ornos has always been more popular with Mykonians than tourists. The locals like its relaxed atmosphere for a family swim and beachside dining. There are...
Pirgi
Beginning in the 14th century, the Genoese founded 20 or so fortified inland villages in southern Chios. These villages shared a defensive design with double-thick...
Chora
As the boat approaches the dusty port of Karavostasi, bare, sun-scoured rocks offer little suggestion of the glory to come. After a steep 3-mile climb...
Agia Marina
The small, somewhat-overrun port of Ayia Marina has many hotels, cafés, restaurants, and a family-friendly beach with shallow waters. On the opposite side of the...
Ermones
On the coast, 8 km (5 miles) north of Pelekas lies the small, low-key resort of Ermones, with pebbly sand beaches, heavily wooded cliffs, and...
Kokkari
A spectacular stretch of coast road west of Samos Town is lined with olive groves and vineyards and ends in the fishing village of Kokkari...
Magazia and Molos
Coastal expansions of the main town, these two resort areas are the places to stay if you love to swim. Magazia, where the residents of...
Perdika
Follow the lead of the locals and visiting Athenians and, for an excursion, take a bus (a 25-minute ride from Ethneyersias Square) to the pretty...
Vergina
The modern city of Vergina wasn't established in its present form until 1922, but the ancient city of Aigai, the original capital of Macedonia, was...
Vouraikos Gorge
The Vouraikos Gorge is a fantastic landscape of towering pinnacles and precipitous rock walls that you can view on an exciting train ride. In addition...
Skala Eressou
The poet Sappho, according to unreliable records, was allegedly born here circa 612 BC. She most likely presided over a finishing school for marriageable young...
Kontokali
Kontokali is best known for providing the main entry point to Corfu's biggest marina, a delightful place to stroll and admire the yachts, especially in...
Ayios Stefanos
About a 45-minute walk north from Mykonos Town, Ayios Stefanos has water sports, restaurants, and umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent; kids love it, and...
Akrotiri
This village is most famous for its ancient ruins, but the little collection of houses surrounded by gardens and fields is a pleasant place in...
Ouranoupolis
Meaning "heaven's city" in Greek, Ouranoupolis (also spelled Ouranopolis) is an appealing cul-de-sac on the final point of land that separates the secular world from...
The Achilleion and Gastouri
...
Pyrgos
Though today Pyrgos has only 500 inhabitants, until the early 1800s it was the capital of the island. Medieval houses are stacked on top of...
Dion
At the foothills of Mount Olympus lies ancient Dion. Even before Zeus and the Olympian gods, the mountain was home to the Muses and Orpheus...
Panormos Bay
With a long beach and sheltered inner cove ideal for yachts, Panormos is fast becoming a holiday village, although so far this stretch of the...
North Coast
The beaches along the north coast are blessed with consistent winds suitable for windsurfing, and Ftelia is the island's center for the sport. Yet on...
Matala
Renowned in the 1960s as a stopover on the hippie trail, with Joni Mitchell immortalizing it in song, Matala today is a small, low-key beach...
Mystras
While little remains to attest to Spartan power and might, residents of the Byzantine capital just to the west left behind a treasure trove of...
Chora
Atop a hill due south of Skala, the village of Chora, clustered around the walls of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian, has become...
Kaminia
A small fishing hamlet built around a shallow inlet, Kamini has much of Hydra Town's charm but none of its bustle—except on Orthodox Good Friday...
Atsitsa
On the northwest coast, pine forests grow down the rocky shore at Atsitsa. The beaches north of town—Kalogriá and Kyra Panayia—are sheltered from the strong...
Firostefani
Firostefani used to be a separate village, but now it comprises the quieter, more pleasant northern end of Fira. The name derives from Fira +...
Pirgos
The village of Pirgos, second in importance to Chora, is inland and up from the little harbor of Panormos. Tinos is famous for its marble...
Mikri Vigla
Mikri Vigla is a small village known for its nearby pristine beaches. Several small room rentals and a few cafés and beach bars dot the...
Methoni
Methoni, a small fishing and farming village on a cape south of Pylos, has long cast a spell over visitors. It was one of the...
Monolithos to Kameiros
Rhodes's west coast is more forested, with fewer notable beaches than its eastern side. But what it lacks in sun beds it more than makes...
Mycenae
The ancient citadel of Mycenae, which Homer wrote was "rich in gold and once ruled much of the Mediterranean world," stands on a low hill...
Stemnitsa
Also called Ipsous, Stemnitsa is one of the most beautiful towns in southern Greece, wondrously perched 3,444 feet above sea level amid a forest of...
Sigri
Sigri is built around a lovely cove with exceptional dark-sand beaches nearby...
Vlichos
From Kamini, the coastal track continues to Vlichos, another pretty village with tavernas, a historic bridge, and a gray-pebbled beach on a bay. It's a...
Ano Meria
The island's paved road runs from the port, through Chora and along the backbone of the island to Ano Meria. Terraced fields where barley was...
Kionia
The little seaside town of Kionia is a short scenic drive, bike ride, or hike west of Tinos Town. A few simple tavernas and rooms...
Lasithi Plateau
The Lasithi Plateau, 2,800 feet high and the biggest of the upland plains of Crete, lies behind a wall of barren mountains. Windmills for pumping...
Panormos Bay
Panormos Bay, an unpretentious port once used for marble export, has ducks and geese, a row of seafood restaurants, and a good beach with a...
Argos
The city of Argos, set amid citrus groves on the western edge of the Argive plain, is the economic hub of the region, a workaday...
Lavrion
After Sounion, the road twists and turns along the coast, winding past holiday homes, before hitting a rather dreary stretch by Lavrion's boatyard, where there...
Sangri
Sangri is the center of an area with so many monuments and ruins spanning the Archaic to the Venetian periods it is sometimes called little...
Palace of Phaistos
On a steep hill overlooking olive groves and the sea on one side, and high mountain peaks on the other, the second-largest Minoan palace was...
Kamari
On Kefalos Bay, the little beach community of Kamari is pleasant and less frantic than the island's other seaside resorts though still plastered with tourist...
Epidauros
What is now a pleasant little agricultural village surrounded by orange and olive groves has been on the Greek map for millennia, and the ruins...
Megalochori
Megalochori is a picturesque, half-abandoned town. Many of the village's buildings were actually canavas, wine-making facilities. The tiny main square is still lively in the...
Isternia
The village of Isternia (Cisterns), lofty on the slopes of Mount Meroviglia, is verdant with lush gardens. Many of the marble plaques hung here over...
Vatera
The village of Vatera is all about its 9-km-long (5½-mile-long) sandy strip of sparkling water, lined with tamarisk trees and framed by green hills. You...
Agiassos
Agiassos village, the prettiest hill town on Lesvos, sits in an isolated valley amid thousands of olive trees, near the foot of Mt. Olympus, the...
Tripoli
History, along with the practicalities of the road network in this part of Greece, makes it very likely that you'll at least pass through the...
Ancient Corinth
The isthmus is where the Peloponnese begins. Were it not for this narrow neck of land less than 7 km (4½ miles) across, the waters...
Galanado
On a hill, Galando’s village streets offer a pretty view toward Naxos Town. It’s an agricultural village that is famous for the landmark Tower of...
Volissos
Homer's birthplace is thought to be here at Volissos, though Smyrna, Colophon, Salamis, Rhodes, Argos, and Athens also claim this honor. Once a bustling market...
Vouno
In the mountainous southern half of Skyros, a passable dirt road heads south at the eastern end of the isthmus, from Aspous to Ahilli. The...
Gerolimenas
Located at the end of a long natural harbor, Gerolimenas was an important port in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sleepy as it...
Plomari
Plomari, the second-largest town on Lesvos, is dramatically set in a cliff face overlooking a wide harbor and Aegean sunsets. This was once a major...
Malia
In its effort to serve mass tourism, the town of Malia has submerged whatever character it might once have had. The sandy beach, overlooked by...
Arkadi
As you approach Arkadi from the north, through the rolling lands at the base of Mt. Ida, one of the contenders in the dispute over...
Knossos
Paintings of bull-leapers, sculptures of bare-breasted snake charmers, myths of minotaurs, and the oldest throne in Europe are just a few of the wonders that...
Kanoni
The suburb of Kanoni was once one of the world's great beauty spots, made famous by countless pictures. Today the landscape has been engulfed by...
Asklepieion
The ruins of one of the great healing centers of antiquity still impress and fire the imagination, framed by a thick grove of cypress trees...
Ancient Messene
The ruins of this remarkable fortified ancient city, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the modern town of the same name, are set amid...
Kalamaki Peninsula
On the least-developed part of the south coast, villas are tucked above tiny, isolated coves. Access to most of the shoreline is by boat only...
Agnonda
Used as an alternative port by hydrofoils and ferryboats during bad weather, Agnonda has numerous tavernas along its pebbled beach. It's named after a local...
Gennadi and the South Coast
The area south of Lindos, with fewer beaches and less fertile soil, is traditionally not as well traveled as the stretch to its north but...
Eleusis
The growing city of Athens has long-since co-opted the land around what was Eleusis (now a modern city known as Elefsina), placing shipyards in the...
Temple of Apollo at Bassae
Typically seen as part of a day trip from either Olympia or Kalamata (it's about 1½ hours from both), the winding mountain roads here morph...
Marmari
You won’t find much that’s authentically Greek in this unattractively overbuilt resort town surrounded by holiday villages. Even so, the surrounding beaches are beautiful, and...
Epta Piges
...
Dodona
The only thing to do, or see for that matter, at the somewhat isolated Dodona, are the ancient ruins. This archaeological site, steeped in history...
Vori
Vori, the closest town to Phaistos and Ayia Triada, is a pleasant farming community of whitewashed houses on narrow lanes; you might enjoy stopping here...
Ayios Mamas
South of Galanado, and a kilometer (½ mile) past a valley with unsurpassed views is one of the island's oldest churches (9th century), Ayios Mamas...
Abram Village
The route through the mountains from Apeiranthos to the north is very scenic. Apollonas is a small resort with a couple of good beaches backed...
Nea Moni
...
Ayia Marina
Ayia Marina is the most cosmopolitan beach on the island, so head here if you want to see and be seen...
Monastery of Daphni
Daphni means "laurel tree," a species that was sacred to the god Apollo. The myth says that Eros made Apollo fall in love with a...
Skalohori
Skalohori is set beautifully in a valley, with tiered houses facing west toward the Aegean sunsets. Until recently, wild horses roamed the volcanic northwestern part...
Petaloudes
Shady lanes and babbling brooks winding through the forested grounds of a former Venetian estate would be quite enticing even without the presence of some...
Osios Loukas
The monastic complex at Osios Loukas, still inhabited by a few monks, is notable for its exquisite mosaics and its dramatic location, looming on a...
Ireo
Although Samos was a center for trade and commerce for a long time prior, it was Polycrates "the Tyrant" who really put the island on...
Moni
Off the fine asphalt Chalkiou-Keramotis road, Moni ("monastery") remains high in the mountains overlooking Naxos's greenest valley and has become a popular place for a...
Tiryns
...
Ayia Anargyroi
With plenty of water-sports options, this popular beach is set against a luscious green backdrop, offering the added prospect of seeing the nearby Bekiris cave...
Skala Sikaminias
At the northernmost point of Lesvos, past Pelopi, is the exceptionally lovely fishing port of Skala Sikaminias, a miniature gem—serene and real, with several good...
Ayia Paraskevi
In a sheltered cove and easily accessible by bus or water taxi, this is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. In the height of...
Marathonas
This small village a few miles south of Aegina Town is reachable by bicycle or bus. The beach is just beyond...
Zogeria
A pine-edged cove with deep sapphire waters, Zogeria has a gorgeous natural setting that more than makes up for the lack of amenities—there's just a...
Paliachora
The haunting remains of Aegina's medieval Paliachora (Old Town), built in the 9th century by islanders whose seaside town was the constant prey of pirates...
Pirgi Thermis
Pirgi Thermis is known for its tower mansions and for its 12th-century church, Panayia Tourlot, near the outskirts of town. The town's onetime big attractions—thermal...
Kastro
The ruins that are also known as the Old Town perch on a forbidding promontory high above the water, accessible only by steps. Skiathians founded...
Apeiranthos
Apeiranthos is very picturesque, with views and marble-paved streets running between the Venetian Bardani and Zevgoli towers. As you walk through the arcades and alleys...
Castle of Antimacheia
This proud fortress standing high above the sea is not just a symbol of the former might of the Knights of St. John. These days...
Moria
On the coast as you head north from Mytilini, Moria is best known for its Roman aqueduct. But the town is also famed for its...
Ancient Nemea
This quiet little town, surrounded by undulating vineyards, was once as famous as Olympia, site of biennial games that attracted athletes from throughout ancient Greece...
Lalaria
The much-photographed, lovely Lalaria Beach, on the north coast, is flanked by a majestic, arched limestone promontory. The polished limestone and marble add extra sparkle...
Filoti
Filoti, a peaceful village on the lower slopes of Mt. Zas, is the interior's largest. A three-day festival celebrating the Dormition starts on August 14...
Ano Mera
Inland, the little town of Ano Mera has a couple of quiet tavernas and a monastery. The town only lights up during the monastery's festival...
Pylos
With the blue waters in its port and the bougainvillea-swathed, pristine white houses fanning up Mt. St. Nicholas, Pylos may remind you of an island...
Glossa
Delightful Glossa is the island's second-largest settlement, where whitewashed, red-roof houses are clustered on the steep hillside above the harbor of Loutraki. Venetian towers and...
Mandamados
Pretty Mandamados has stone houses, wood carvings, and the ruins of a medieval castle. The village is famous for its pottery, koumari urns (they keep...
Mandraki
The only sandy beach on Hydra is an activity-centered beach by the Miramare Hotel, near Mandraki, which is currently closed (but you can still visit...
Monastery of Taxiarchis Michael Panormitis
The tiny hamlet of Panormitis on the south end of the island is a remote and idyllic setting for this holy assemblage, a popular place...
Sfageia
...
Depot
The Depot neighborhood was once where the wealthy, mainly Jewish, merchants lived in impressive 19th-century villas. Very close to the port and the city center...
Pella
Pella was Alexander's birthplace and the capital of the Macedonian state in the 4th century BC. The modern-day village is not the most alluring, (and...
Mt. Athos
The third peninsula of Halkidiki, Mt. Athos is called Ayion Oros (Holy Mountain) in Greek, although it does not become a mountain until its southernmost...
Vrisses
This appealing old village is famous throughout Crete for its thick, creamy yogurt—best eaten with a large spoonful of honey on top—that is served in...
Marathi
During the classical period, the island of Paros had an estimated 150,000 residents, many of them slaves who worked the ancient marble quarries in Marathi...
Ano Syros
One of the two towering peaks that rise over town, Ano Syros was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Venetians, who erected a walled...
Ermoupoli
Ermoupoli spills like multicolored lava from the twin colonial hills of Ano Syros and Vrodado, topped respectively by churches—Roman Catholic (St. George) on the left-hand...
Isthmus
...
Kini
This small village on the island's west coast has a couple of good beaches, a selection of tavernas and cafés, and a few places to...
Poseidonia
This small village has a few whitewashed taverns, cafés, and churches, which serve as a backdrop to a popular beach. Other good beaches are to...
Vari
Vari is a small beach town on a sheltered bay on the south side of the island. Its location attracts visitors who seek the low-key...
Pamfila
In the 19th century, Pamfila's traditional tower mansions were used by wealthy families as summer homes. The views across the straits to Turkey are wonderful...
Gythion
At the foot of the Taygettus range on the northeastern edge of the Mani, Gythion seems terribly cosmopolitan, compared to the stark countryside that surrounds...
Argostoli
...
Galissas
The village of Galissas has a selection of tavernas and beach bar-cafés as well as room rentals and the Dolphin Bay Family Beach Resort. Since...
Mega Yialos
Megas Yialos has slowly grown into one of the island’s more popular beach towns and is accessible by bus from Ermoupoli. Its nearby beaches, including...
Sparta
...
Athens
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and paradoxical metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the...
Thessaloniki
At the crossroads of East and West, where North blends into South, Thessaloniki (accent on the "ni") has seen the rise and fall of many...
Nafplion
Oraia (beautiful) is the word Greeks use to describe Nafplion. The town's old section lies on a peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Argolis, and...
Rhodes Town
Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower area (Bourgo). Today Rhodes Town—sometimes referred...
Corfu Town
Corfu Town today is a vivid tapestry of cultures—a sophisticated weave, where charm, history, and natural beauty blend. Located about midway along the island's east...
Spetses Town
By most visitors’ standards, Spetses Town is small—no larger than most city neighborhoods—yet it’s nevertheless divided into districts populated with many well-to-do neoclassical mansions and...
Kentro
The lively shopping streets, bustling markets, and cafés of the Kentro (City Center) and adjacent areas reward you with the unexpected encounters and sensual treats...
Naxos Town
As your ferry sweeps into the harbor, you see before you the white houses of Naxos Town (Chora) on a hill crowned by the one...
Ioannina
On the rocky promontory of Pamvotis Lake lies Ioannina, its fortress punctuated by mosques and minarets whose reflections, along with those of the snowy peaks...
Hydra Town
Even though Hydra’s beautiful harbor is flush with bars and boutiques, Hydra Town seems as fresh and innocent as when it was "discovered." The two-...
Chania
Chania surrendered its role as capital of Crete to Heraklion in 1971, but this elegant city of eucalyptus-lined avenues, miles of waterfront promenades, and shady...
Tinos Town
Civilization on Tinos is a millennium older than Tinos Town, or Chora, founded in the 5th century BC. On weekends and during festivals, Chora is...
Chios Town
The main port and capital, Chios Town, or Chora, is a busy commercial settlement on the east coast, across from Turkey. It lacks the historic...
Skiathos Town
The harbor is especially picturesque at sunset, when violet-orange lights cast a soft glow and houses on the hills behind the quay begin to glimmer...
Skopelos Town
Idyllic Skopelos Town, the administrative center of the Sporades, overlooks a sparkling turquoise bay on the north coast. Three- and four-story white-washed houses rise virtually...
Glyfada
Gateway to the Athens Riviera and the Apollo Coast—which stretches from Pireaus south to Cape Sounion's famed Temple of Poseidon—Glyfada is loved for its palm-fringed...
Fira
Tourism is Santorini's major industry and adds more than 1 million visitors per year to a population of 15,500. As a result, Fira, the capital...
Vouliagmeni
If Glyfada is all about credit cards and consumer bustle, Vouliagmeni showcases another side to the Athens Riviera. This classy seaside residential suburb is Athens's...
Heraklion
In Minoan times, Crete's largest city, the fifth-largest city in Greece, was a harbor for Knossos, the grandest palace and effective power center of prehistoric...
Aegina Town
As you approach from the sea, your first view of Aegina Town takes in the sweep of the harbor, punctuated by the tiny white chapel...
Naousa
Quaint fishing village no longer, Naousa (also Niaoussa) long ago discovered the benefits of tourism, and its outskirts are mushrooming with villas and hotels that...
Rethymnon
Rethymnon is Crete's third-largest town, after Heraklion and Chania. The population (about 40,000) steadily increases as the town expands—a new quarter follows the coast to...
Paros Town
First impressions of Paroikía (Paros Town. sometimes spelt Parikia), pretty as it is, may not necessarily be positive. The port flashes too much concrete, too...
Kos Town
The modern town lies on a flat plain encircling spacious Mandraki Harbor and is a pleasant assemblage of low-lying buildings and shady lanes, with a...
Ia
At the tip of the northern horn of the island sits Ia (or Oia), Santorini's second-largest town and the Aegean's most-photographed village. Ia is more...
Arachova
Gray-stone houses with red-tile roofs cling to the steep slopes of Mt. Parnassus, the highest mountain in Greece after Mt. Olympus, to form the small...
Marathon
Athenians enter the fabled plain of Marathon to enjoy a break from the capital, visiting the freshwater lake created by the dam, or sunning at...
Mytilini
Built on the ruins of an ancient city, Mytilini (so important through history that many call Lesvos by the port's name alone) is, like Lesvos...
Patras
Like all respectable Greek cities, Patras has the kind of storied history that puts even European capitals in the shade. Off the harbor in 429...
Molyvos
Also known by its ancient name, Mythimna, this is a place that has attracted people since antiquity. Legend says that Achilles besieged the town until...
Agios Nikolaos
Ayios Nikolaos is clustered on a peninsula alongside the Gulf of Mirabello, a dramatic composition of bare mountains, islets, and deep blue sea. Behind the...
Galaxidi
Unlike nearby Delphi, the history of Galaxidi tends more toward the modern. That's not to say it doesn't have a long past—settlements here date back...
Argostolion and Lassi
As both the island’s capital and the setting for Louis de Bernières’ wildly successful novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Argostolion’s name carries more weight than most...
Metsovo
The quaintly traditional village of Metsovo cascades down a mountain at about 3,300 feet above sea level, below the 6,069-foot Katara pass, which is the...
Skyros Town
From the southern landscapes, amid brown, desolate outcrops with only an occasional goat as a sign of life, Skyros Town suddenly looms around a bend...
Kalambaka
Kalambaka may be dismissed as one more drab modern town, useful only as a base to explore the fabled Meteora complex north of town. Yet...
Monemvasia
The eastern "finger" dangling off the southern edge of the Peloponnese is the dramatic setting for Monemvasia (meaning "single entrance"). This Byzantine town clings to...
Kardamyli
The gateway to the Mani on the Messenian side is Kardamyli, considered part of the outer Mani (or Exo Mani), an area less bleak and...
Zakynthos Town
Zakynthos's main town is often skipped over by visitors. The island attracts a beach-loving crowd, for whom the café-drenched squares, churches, museums, and convenience of...
Yialos
As the boat from Rhodes to Symi rounds the last of many rocky barren spurs, the port of Yialos, at the back of a deep...
Delphi
Up in the mountains, modern Delphi is perched dramatically on the edge of a grove leading to the sea, west of an extraordinary ancient site...
Skala
Skala, the island's small but sophisticated main town, is where almost all the shops and restaurants are located. It's a popular port of call for...
Antiparos
This smaller sister isle to Paros may have once been a well-kept secret, but thanks to celebrity resident Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson...
Lindos
Lindos, cradled between two harbors and dominated by its massive hilltop acropolis, is remarkably well preserved. Steep paths wind past its famous "captain's mansions," beautifully...
Samos Town
Also known as Vathi, the capital is tucked into the head of a sharply deep bay on the northeast coast. Red-tile roofs sweep around the...
Pelekas
Inland from the coast at Glyfada is Pelekas, an attractive hilltop village that overflows with tourists because of its much-touted lookout point, called Kaiser's Throne...
Pythagorio
Samos was a democratic state until 535 BC, when the town now called Pythagorio (formerly Tigani, or "frying pan") fell to the tyrant Polycrates (540–22...
Mt. Olympus
To understand how the mountain must have impressed the ancient Greeks and caused them to shift their allegiance from the earth-rooted deities of the Mycenaeans...
Paleokastritsa
To quote one recent traveler: "I’d rather go to Paleokastritsa than to Heaven." Considered by many to be the site of Homer’s city of the...
Laconia
The Laconian plain is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on one side by the sea. Perhaps it was the fear that enemies could...
Olympia
Ancient Olympia, including the Sanctuary of Zeus, was famously the site of the ancient Olympic Games. Scenically located at the foot of the pine-covered Kronion...
Plaka
North of Adamas lies the classical center of Milos. Plaka is the largest of a cluster of four villages that huddle beneath a small crag...
Kalamata
...
Troullos
West of the Kalamaki Peninsula the coast road rounds Troullos Bay and comes to Koukounaries Beach—famous and beautiful but not a remote hideaway...
Elounda
From its origins as a sleepy fishing village, Elounda has transformed into the de rigueur destination for luxury resorts. The shores of the Gulf of...
Imerovigli
Set on the highest point of the caldera's rim, Imerovigli (the name means "watchtower") is quiet, traditional, and less expensive than other places on the...
Mt. Parnitha
The summit of Mt. Parnitha (1,413 m [4,635 feet]), Attica's highest mountain, affords splendid views of the plain of Athens. Sadly, large swaths of its...
Volos
A relatively new city by Greek standards, Volos and surrounding Magnesia are steeped in history and myth, with Neolithic settlements dating to 7000 BC and...
Lefkes
Rampant piracy in the 17th century forced thousands of people to move inland from the coastal regions; thus, for many years the scenic village of...
Kavala
With 27 centuries of history, this port city draws from deep roots. Long a center of the tobacco industry, Kavala now earns much of its...
Mesta
Pirgi may be the most unusual of the mastic villages, but Mesta is the island's best preserved: a labyrinth of twisting vaulted streets links two-story...
Ayios Ioannis Bay
Heading east from Tinos Town, you’ll travel on a winding road surrounded by bare, rocky Cycladic island landscapes. It eventually slopes down into Ayios Ioannis...
Sounion
Poised at the edge of a rugged 195-foot cliff, the Temple of Poseidon hovers between sea and sky, its "marbled steep, where nothing, save the...
Chorio
It's a 10-minute walk from the main harbor of Yialos up to the hilltop town of Chorio, along a staircase of some 400 steps, known...
Areopolis
In Areopolis, the typical Maniote tower houses begin to appear in earnest as spooky sentinels amid the harsh landscape. The town was renamed after Ares...
Pounta
Pounta is not even a village, just a few houses, a handful of restaurants, and a tiny harbor from which ferries leave for Antiparos. The...
Souvala
Souvala is a sleepy fishing village that comes to life in summer, as it is a favorite resort of many Athenians. The tamarisks and pine...
Agia Marina
The small, somewhat-overrun port of Ayia Marina has many hotels, cafés, restaurants, and a family-friendly beach with shallow waters. On the opposite side of the...
Ayia Anna
Ayia Anna is one of the island’s ideal beach towns, where long stretches of sand front a main road lined with tavernas, restaurants, and cafés...
Ano Polis
Ano Polis, where many fortified towers once bristled along the city's upper walls, is what remains of 19th-century Thessaloniki. It's filled with timber-framed houses with...
Chalki
You are now entering the heart of the lush Tragaia Valley, where in spring the air is heavily scented with honeysuckle, roses, and lemon blossoms...
Chora
As the boat approaches the dusty port of Karavostasi, bare, sun-scoured rocks offer little suggestion of the glory to come. After a steep 3-mile climb...
Ermones
On the coast, 8 km (5 miles) north of Pelekas lies the small, low-key resort of Ermones, with pebbly sand beaches, heavily wooded cliffs, and...
Vai
The appeal of the surrounding, fertile coastal plain was not lost on the ancient Minoans, who left behind ruins that are not as grand as...
Dimitsana
From the stone-built villages high above Lousios Gorge, a trail picks its way down to the river bed, passing medieval monasteries that dangle from the...
Kamari
Santorini’s most popular beach resort is just that—a long line of hotels and tavernas strung out along a stretch of red-and-black sand on the island’s...
Pirgi
Beginning in the 14th century, the Genoese founded 20 or so fortified inland villages in southern Chios. These villages shared a defensive design with double-thick...
Ladakika
...
Kontokali
Kontokali is best known for providing the main entry point to Corfu's biggest marina, a delightful place to stroll and admire the yachts, especially in...
Skala Eressou
The poet Sappho, according to unreliable records, was allegedly born here circa 612 BC. She most likely presided over a finishing school for marriageable young...
Perdika
Follow the lead of the locals and visiting Athenians and, for an excursion, take a bus (a 25-minute ride from Ethneyersias Square) to the pretty...
Magazia and Molos
Coastal expansions of the main town, these two resort areas are the places to stay if you love to swim. Magazia, where the residents of...
Vergina
The modern city of Vergina wasn't established in its present form until 1922, but the ancient city of Aigai, the original capital of Macedonia, was...
Kokkari
A spectacular stretch of coast road west of Samos Town is lined with olive groves and vineyards and ends in the fishing village of Kokkari...
Vouraikos Gorge
The Vouraikos Gorge is a fantastic landscape of towering pinnacles and precipitous rock walls that you can view on an exciting train ride. In addition...
Ouranoupolis
Meaning "heaven's city" in Greek, Ouranoupolis (also spelled Ouranopolis) is an appealing cul-de-sac on the final point of land that separates the secular world from...
Matala
Renowned in the 1960s as a stopover on the hippie trail, with Joni Mitchell immortalizing it in song, Matala today is a small, low-key beach...
Pyrgos
Though today Pyrgos has only 500 inhabitants, until the early 1800s it was the capital of the island. Medieval houses are stacked on top of...
Dion
At the foothills of Mount Olympus lies ancient Dion. Even before Zeus and the Olympian gods, the mountain was home to the Muses and Orpheus...
Akrotiri
This village is most famous for its ancient ruins, but the little collection of houses surrounded by gardens and fields is a pleasant place in...
Panormos Bay
With a long beach and sheltered inner cove ideal for yachts, Panormos is fast becoming a holiday village, although so far this stretch of the...
Sami
There isn’t all that much to recommend the town of Sami, the island’s busiest port. Mainland ferries dock here and at the similarly anonymous Poros...
Adamas
Adamas, also known as Adamantas—diamond in Greek—is one of the largest natural harbors in the Aegean but remained a sleepy hamlet until it was populated...
Firostefani
Firostefani used to be a separate village, but now it comprises the quieter, more pleasant northern end of Fira. The name derives from Fira +...
Monolithos to Kameiros
Rhodes's west coast is more forested, with fewer notable beaches than its eastern side. But what it lacks in sun beds it more than makes...
Pollonia
Crouching around a sheltered bay with a church at each end, Pollonia started life as a fishing village but has now developed into a low-key...
Pirgos
The village of Pirgos, second in importance to Chora, is inland and up from the little harbor of Panormos. Tinos is famous for its marble...
Mikri Vigla
Mikri Vigla is a small village known for its nearby pristine beaches. Several small room rentals and a few cafés and beach bars dot the...
Chora
Atop a hill due south of Skala, the village of Chora, clustered around the walls of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian, has become...
Atsitsa
On the northwest coast, pine forests grow down the rocky shore at Atsitsa. The beaches north of town—Kalogriá and Kyra Panayia—are sheltered from the strong...
Mystras
While little remains to attest to Spartan power and might, residents of the Byzantine capital just to the west left behind a treasure trove of...
Stemnitsa
Also called Ipsous, Stemnitsa is one of the most beautiful towns in southern Greece, wondrously perched 3,444 feet above sea level amid a forest of...
Kaminia
A small fishing hamlet built around a shallow inlet, Kamini has much of Hydra Town's charm but none of its bustle—except on Orthodox Good Friday...
Methoni
Methoni, a small fishing and farming village on a cape south of Pylos, has long cast a spell over visitors. It was one of the...
Mycenae
The ancient citadel of Mycenae, which Homer wrote was "rich in gold and once ruled much of the Mediterranean world," stands on a low hill...
Sangri
Sangri is the center of an area with so many monuments and ruins spanning the Archaic to the Venetian periods it is sometimes called little...
Argos
The city of Argos, set amid citrus groves on the western edge of the Argive plain, is the economic hub of the region, a workaday...
Megalochori
Megalochori is a picturesque, half-abandoned town. Many of the village's buildings were actually canavas, wine-making facilities. The tiny main square is still lively in the...
Ancient Corinth
The isthmus is where the Peloponnese begins. Were it not for this narrow neck of land less than 7 km (4½ miles) across, the waters...
Agiassos
Agiassos village, the prettiest hill town on Lesvos, sits in an isolated valley amid thousands of olive trees, near the foot of Mt. Olympus, the...
Tripoli
History, along with the practicalities of the road network in this part of Greece, makes it very likely that you'll at least pass through the...
Epidauros
What is now a pleasant little agricultural village surrounded by orange and olive groves has been on the Greek map for millennia, and the ruins...
Kamari
On Kefalos Bay, the little beach community of Kamari is pleasant and less frantic than the island's other seaside resorts though still plastered with tourist...
Vatera
The village of Vatera is all about its 9-km-long (5½-mile-long) sandy strip of sparkling water, lined with tamarisk trees and framed by green hills. You...
Vlichos
From Kamini, the coastal track continues to Vlichos, another pretty village with tavernas, a historic bridge, and a gray-pebbled beach on a bay. It's a...
Sigri
Sigri is built around a lovely cove with exceptional dark-sand beaches nearby...
Lavrion
After Sounion, the road twists and turns along the coast, winding past holiday homes, before hitting a rather dreary stretch by Lavrion's boatyard, where there...
Isternia
The village of Isternia (Cisterns), lofty on the slopes of Mount Meroviglia, is verdant with lush gardens. Many of the marble plaques hung here over...
Kionia
The little seaside town of Kionia is a short scenic drive, bike ride, or hike west of Tinos Town. A few simple tavernas and rooms...
Panormos Bay
Panormos Bay, an unpretentious port once used for marble export, has ducks and geese, a row of seafood restaurants, and a good beach with a...
Ano Meria
The island's paved road runs from the port, through Chora and along the backbone of the island to Ano Meria. Terraced fields where barley was...
Volissos
Homer's birthplace is thought to be here at Volissos, though Smyrna, Colophon, Salamis, Rhodes, Argos, and Athens also claim this honor. Once a bustling market...
Epta Piges
...
Ancient Messene
The ruins of this remarkable fortified ancient city, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the modern town of the same name, are set amid...
Marmari
You won’t find much that’s authentically Greek in this unattractively overbuilt resort town surrounded by holiday villages. Even so, the surrounding beaches are beautiful, and...
Gennadi and the South Coast
The area south of Lindos, with fewer beaches and less fertile soil, is traditionally not as well traveled as the stretch to its north but...
Gerolimenas
Located at the end of a long natural harbor, Gerolimenas was an important port in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sleepy as it...
Mandraki
As famous as neighbor Sarakiniko for its photogenic-ness, Mandraki is home to the distinctive and colorful dwellings known as syrmata, the two-story houses built into...
Plomari
Plomari, the second-largest town on Lesvos, is dramatically set in a cliff face overlooking a wide harbor and Aegean sunsets. This was once a major...
Kalamaki Peninsula
On the least-developed part of the south coast, villas are tucked above tiny, isolated coves. Access to most of the shoreline is by boat only...
Kanoni
The suburb of Kanoni was once one of the world's great beauty spots, made famous by countless pictures. Today the landscape has been engulfed by...
Agnonda
Used as an alternative port by hydrofoils and ferryboats during bad weather, Agnonda has numerous tavernas along its pebbled beach. It's named after a local...
Temple of Apollo at Bassae
Typically seen as part of a day trip from either Olympia or Kalamata (it's about 1½ hours from both), the winding mountain roads here morph...
Eleusis
The growing city of Athens has long-since co-opted the land around what was Eleusis (now a modern city known as Elefsina), placing shipyards in the...
Vouno
In the mountainous southern half of Skyros, a passable dirt road heads south at the eastern end of the isthmus, from Aspous to Ahilli. The...
Asklepieion
The ruins of one of the great healing centers of antiquity still impress and fire the imagination, framed by a thick grove of cypress trees...
Galanado
On a hill, Galando’s village streets offer a pretty view toward Naxos Town. It’s an agricultural village that is famous for the landmark Tower of...
Apeiranthos
Apeiranthos is very picturesque, with views and marble-paved streets running between the Venetian Bardani and Zevgoli towers. As you walk through the arcades and alleys...
Filoti
Filoti, a peaceful village on the lower slopes of Mt. Zas, is the interior's largest. A three-day festival celebrating the Dormition starts on August 14...
Kastro
The ruins that are also known as the Old Town perch on a forbidding promontory high above the water, accessible only by steps. Skiathians founded...
Ayia Marina
Ayia Marina is the most cosmopolitan beach on the island, so head here if you want to see and be seen...
Castle of Antimacheia
This proud fortress standing high above the sea is not just a symbol of the former might of the Knights of St. John. These days...
Mandamados
Pretty Mandamados has stone houses, wood carvings, and the ruins of a medieval castle. The village is famous for its pottery, koumari urns (they keep...
Tiryns
...
Ancient Nemea
This quiet little town, surrounded by undulating vineyards, was once as famous as Olympia, site of biennial games that attracted athletes from throughout ancient Greece...
Skala Sikaminias
At the northernmost point of Lesvos, past Pelopi, is the exceptionally lovely fishing port of Skala Sikaminias, a miniature gem—serene and real, with several good...
Ayia Anargyroi
With plenty of water-sports options, this popular beach is set against a luscious green backdrop, offering the added prospect of seeing the nearby Bekiris cave...
Osios Loukas
The monastic complex at Osios Loukas, still inhabited by a few monks, is notable for its exquisite mosaics and its dramatic location, looming on a...
Ayia Paraskevi
In a sheltered cove and easily accessible by bus or water taxi, this is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. In the height of...
Vori
Vori, the closest town to Phaistos and Ayia Triada, is a pleasant farming community of whitewashed houses on narrow lanes; you might enjoy stopping here...
Zogeria
A pine-edged cove with deep sapphire waters, Zogeria has a gorgeous natural setting that more than makes up for the lack of amenities—there's just a...
Paliachora
The haunting remains of Aegina's medieval Paliachora (Old Town), built in the 9th century by islanders whose seaside town was the constant prey of pirates...
Moria
On the coast as you head north from Mytilini, Moria is best known for its Roman aqueduct. But the town is also famed for its...
Ireo
Although Samos was a center for trade and commerce for a long time prior, it was Polycrates "the Tyrant" who really put the island on...
Lalaria
The much-photographed, lovely Lalaria Beach, on the north coast, is flanked by a majestic, arched limestone promontory. The polished limestone and marble add extra sparkle...
Moni
Off the fine asphalt Chalkiou-Keramotis road, Moni ("monastery") remains high in the mountains overlooking Naxos's greenest valley and has become a popular place for a...
Ayios Mamas
South of Galanado, and a kilometer (½ mile) past a valley with unsurpassed views is one of the island's oldest churches (9th century), Ayios Mamas...
Skalohori
Skalohori is set beautifully in a valley, with tiered houses facing west toward the Aegean sunsets. Until recently, wild horses roamed the volcanic northwestern part...
Glossa
Delightful Glossa is the island's second-largest settlement, where whitewashed, red-roof houses are clustered on the steep hillside above the harbor of Loutraki. Venetian towers and...
Mandraki
The only sandy beach on Hydra is an activity-centered beach by the Miramare Hotel, near Mandraki, which is currently closed (but you can still visit...
Pylos
With the blue waters in its port and the bougainvillea-swathed, pristine white houses fanning up Mt. St. Nicholas, Pylos may remind you of an island...
Dodona
The only thing to do, or see for that matter, at the somewhat isolated Dodona, are the ancient ruins. This archaeological site, steeped in history...
Abram Village
The route through the mountains from Apeiranthos to the north is very scenic. Apollonas is a small resort with a couple of good beaches backed...
Marathonas
This small village a few miles south of Aegina Town is reachable by bicycle or bus. The beach is just beyond...
Nea Moni
...
Sfageia
...
Pirgi Thermis
Pirgi Thermis is known for its tower mansions and for its 12th-century church, Panayia Tourlot, near the outskirts of town. The town's onetime big attractions—thermal...
Monastery of Taxiarchis Michael Panormitis
The tiny hamlet of Panormitis on the south end of the island is a remote and idyllic setting for this holy assemblage, a popular place...
Depot
The Depot neighborhood was once where the wealthy, mainly Jewish, merchants lived in impressive 19th-century villas. Very close to the port and the city center...
Petaloudes
Shady lanes and babbling brooks winding through the forested grounds of a former Venetian estate would be quite enticing even without the presence of some...
Pella
Pella was Alexander's birthplace and the capital of the Macedonian state in the 4th century BC. The modern-day village is not the most alluring, (and...
Mt. Athos
The third peninsula of Halkidiki, Mt. Athos is called Ayion Oros (Holy Mountain) in Greek, although it does not become a mountain until its southernmost...
Ano Mera
Inland, the little town of Ano Mera has a couple of quiet tavernas and a monastery. The town only lights up during the monastery's festival...
Pamfila
In the 19th century, Pamfila's traditional tower mansions were used by wealthy families as summer homes. The views across the straits to Turkey are wonderful...
Argostoli
...
Gythion
At the foot of the Taygettus range on the northeastern edge of the Mani, Gythion seems terribly cosmopolitan, compared to the stark countryside that surrounds...
Isthmus
...
Vrisses
This appealing old village is famous throughout Crete for its thick, creamy yogurt—best eaten with a large spoonful of honey on top—that is served in...
Sparta
...
Marathi
During the classical period, the island of Paros had an estimated 150,000 residents, many of them slaves who worked the ancient marble quarries in Marathi...
The Cyclades
Named after the circle they form around the sacred isle of Delos, the two hundred and twenty or so Cyclades are the most Greek of...
The Peloponnese
Over the millennia the rugged terrain of the Peloponnese—a vast region that hangs like a large leaf from the stem of the Corinthian isthmus—has nourished...
Rhodes and the Dodecanese
Wrapped enticingly around the shores of Asia Minor, the Dodecanese are Greece’s easternmost island chain, edging the sunny fringes of the Aegean sea. A historic...
Attica and Delphi
One of the great surprises of Athens is how much there is to see around it. The mountainous region of Attica (or Attikí), which incorporates...
The Northern Aegean Islands
Quirky, seductive, fertile, sensual, faded, sunny, worldly, ravishing, long-suffering, hedonistic, luscious, mysterious, legendary—these adjectives only begin to describe the islands of the northeastern Aegean. This...
The Saronic Gulf Islands
Only have a few days in Greece but need a taste of island life? Hopping over to one of the Saronic isles is the perfect...
The Sporades
Little mentioned in mythology or history, the Sporades confidently rely on their great natural beauty and cultural history to attract visitors. Some locals poetically claim...
Thessaloniki and Central Macedonia
A land shaped by gods, warriors, and ghosts, Northern Greece sparkles with the sights, sounds, scents, and colors of its melting-pot history and epic geography...
Mykonos
From backpackers to the super-rich, from day-trippers to yachties, from Joe Average to celebrities who head here by helicopter, Mykonos has become one of the...
Epirus and Thessaly
...
South Coast
The popular south coast beaches stand on their own; hotels, restaurants, cafés, and beach bars have sprung up around them, drawn to their turquoise seas...
Fiskardo and Assos
The two towns of Fiskardo and Assos, sitting high in Kefalonia's wild northern tip, offer a glimpse of how the island used to look. Even...
The Vasilikos Peninsula and Laganas
The area south of the main town bears witness to two very different sides of the island. The first is the gloriously lush, hilly peninsula...
Southeast Coast
The southeastern beaches, the farthest beaches from Mykonos Town, are favorites for those looking for something calm, yet organized, such as Kalo Livadi. Water sports...
Zagorohoria Region
One of the most beguiling and untamed sections of Greece is the region of Zagorohoria (pronounced zah-go-ro-hor-ee-ah), also known as Zagori or Zagoria, which comprises...
The Meteora
As you drive through the mighty Pindos range, strange rock formations rise ever higher from the plain. Just beyond the dramatic sheer cliff that shelters...
Agios Nikoloas and the North
The northern half of Zakynthos is day-trip country. Resorts on the east coast of the island pitter out above Alikes Beach, and to the west...
North Coast
The beaches along the north coast are blessed with consistent winds suitable for windsurfing, and Ftelia is the island's center for the sport. Yet on...
The Achilleion and Gastouri
...
Mount Ainos and the Omala Valley
The center of Kefalonia is dominated by Mount Ainos, the highest point in the Ionian archipelago and home to a 30-square-kilometer national park. Its upper...
Lasithi Plateau
The Lasithi Plateau, 2,800 feet high and the biggest of the upland plains of Crete, lies behind a wall of barren mountains. Windmills for pumping...
Crete
Crete is a land of myth and imagination, where Theseus slayed the Minotaur, where Daedulus and Icarus set off on their ill-fated flight, and where...
Corfu
Temperate, multihued Corfu—of emerald mountains; turquoise waters lapping rocky coves; ocher and pink buildings; shimmering silver olive leaves; puffed red, yellow, and orange parasails; scarlet...
Santorini (Thira)
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shaped Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if you must enjoy the sensational...
Paros and Antiparos
In the classical age, the great sculptor Praxiteles prized the incomparably snowy marble that came from the quarries at Paros; his chief rival was the...
Rhodes
The fourth-largest Greek island and, along with Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus, one of the great islands of the Mediterranean, Rhodes was long considered a bridge...
Naxos
"Great sweetness and tranquility" is how Nikos Kazantzakis, premier novelist of Greece, described Naxos, and indeed a tour of the island leaves you with an...
Mykonos Town
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one...
Lesvos
The Turks called Lesvos the "garden of the empire" for its fertility: in the east and center of the island, literally millions of olive trees...
Kefalonia
What saved lush, mountainous Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands, from the first waves of package tourism in the 1960s is likely that which...
Tinos
Tinos is among the most beautiful and most fascinating of the major Cyclades. The third largest of the island group after Naxos and Andros, with...
Skiathos
Part sacred (scores of churches), part sin (lots of nightlife), the hilly, wooded island of Skiathos is the closest of the Sporades to the Pelion...
Chios
"Craggy Chios" is what local boy Homer, the island's first publicist, so to speak, called this starkly beautiful outcropping that almost touches Turkey's coast and...
Aegina
The eastern side of Aegina is rugged and sparsely inhabited today, except for Ayia Marina, a former fishing hamlet now studded with hotels. The western...
Spetses
Spetses shows evidence of continuous habitation through all of antiquity. From the 16th century BC, settlers came over from the mainland and, as on Hydra...
Skopelos
This triangular island's name means "a sharp rock" or "a reef"—a fitting description for the dramatic terrain on the northern shore. It's an hour and...
Hydra
As the full length of Hydra stretches before you when you round the easternmost finger of the northern Peloponnese, your first reaction might not, in...
Skyros
Even among these unique isles, Skyros stands out. The rugged terrain resembles that of an island in the Dodecanese, and the spectacularly situated main town—occupied...
Syros
The mercantile bustle of modern Ermoupoli—Syros’s port, capital, and the archipelago’s business hub since the 18th century—often makes people do a double take. Seen from...
Kos
Aglow with flowering oleanders and hibiscus, the island of Kos is the third largest in the Dodecanese. It certainly remains one of the most verdant...
Zakynthos
Zakynthos is the island that launched a million “I thought it was this, but it was that . . .” travel articles. Its appeal is...
Samos
The southernmost of this group of three Northern Aegean islands lies the closest to Turkey of any Greek island, separated by only 3 km (2...
Symi
The tiny island of Symi is an enchanting place, where life centers around sparkling Yialos Harbor and a 19th-century town of neoclassical mansions, known as...
Milos
...
Patmos
For better or worse, it can be difficult to reach Patmos. For many travelers, this lack of access is definitely for the better, since the...
Folegandros
If Santorini is the Hollywood leading lady of the Greek islands, Folegandros is the demure, younger sister, star of off-beat independent cinema. Built between the...
Delos
Arrive at the mythical, magical, and magnificent site of Delos and you might wonder how this barren islet, which has virtually no natural resources, became...
Ornos
Ornos has always been more popular with Mykonians than tourists. The locals like its relaxed atmosphere for a family swim and beachside dining. There are...
Ayios Stefanos
About a 45-minute walk north from Mykonos Town, Ayios Stefanos has water sports, restaurants, and umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent; kids love it, and...
Ermoupoli
Ermoupoli spills like multicolored lava from the twin colonial hills of Ano Syros and Vrodado, topped respectively by churches—Roman Catholic (St. George) on the left-hand...
Ano Syros
One of the two towering peaks that rise over town, Ano Syros was greatly expanded in the 13th century by Venetians, who erected a walled...
Vari
Vari is a small beach town on a sheltered bay on the south side of the island. Its location attracts visitors who seek the low-key...
Poseidonia
This small village has a few whitewashed taverns, cafés, and churches, which serve as a backdrop to a popular beach. Other good beaches are to...
Mega Yialos
Megas Yialos has slowly grown into one of the island’s more popular beach towns and is accessible by bus from Ermoupoli. Its nearby beaches, including...
Kini
This small village on the island's west coast has a couple of good beaches, a selection of tavernas and cafés, and a few places to...
Galissas
The village of Galissas has a selection of tavernas and beach bar-cafés as well as room rentals and the Dolphin Bay Family Beach Resort. Since...
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Shop NowFodor's Essential Greece: with the Best of the Islands
Whether you want to explore the Acropolis of Athens, watch the sunset in Santorini, or...
Fodor's Essential Greek Islands: with the Best of Athens
Whether you want to explore the Acropolis of Athens, watch the sunset in Santorini,or...
