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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Kalamata
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Achilleion and Gastouri
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Tiryns
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
...
Argostoli
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Kalamata
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Tiryns
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Isthmus
...
Argostoli
...
Sparta
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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
...
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...
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...
The Achilleion and Gastouri
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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...
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...
Zakynthos
Zakynthos is the island that launched a million “I thought it was this, but it was that . . .” travel articles. Its appeal is...
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...
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...
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The 6 Best Hotels for Being in the Heart of Athens' Nightlife Scene
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best for nightlife
The 6 Best Hotels for Being in the Heart of Athens' Nightlife Scene
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Guidebooks
Guidebooks
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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...
