Greece Travel Guide: Destinations

Every region, city, island, ancient site and landmark covered in this guide, in one index.

Attica

4.9Acropolis and Parthenon · The 5th-century BC citadel: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Propylaea.

4.8Acropolis Museum · The 2009 museum under the rock, built around the Parthenon marbles debate.

4.8Temple of Poseidon, Sounion · The sea-god's temple on Cape Sounion, 70 km south; the classic sunset trip.

4.7Plaka · The old neighborhood under the Acropolis: lanes, tavernas and neoclassical houses.

4.6National Archaeological Museum · Greece's greatest museum: the Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism.

4.6Panathenaic Stadium · The marble stadium of the 1896 first modern Olympics; finish line of the Athens Marathon.

4.4Monastiraki flea market · The flea market streets under the Acropolis: antiques, records and souvlaki.

4.3Syntagma and the Parliament · The square, the Evzones guard and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

4.3Temple of Olympian Zeus · The giant unfinished temple below the Acropolis.

4.5Aegina and the Temple of Aphaia · The Saronic island 40 minutes from Piraeus, with its 5th-century BC temple.

4.1Marathon · The battlefield of 490 BC and the start of the authentic marathon route.

Athens · Athens City Guide

PiraeusAeginaMarathonLavrioRafina

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Central Macedonia

4.6White Tower · Thessaloniki's 15th-century waterfront tower, now the city museum.

4.8Royal tombs of Vergina · The tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander, under the great tumulus.

4.6Mount Athos · The autonomous monastic peninsula: 20 monasteries, men only, permit required.

4.5Ano Poli · The old upper town: Ottoman walls, the Heptapyrgion and the city views.

4.4Aristotelous Square and the waterfront · The great square and the promenade along the Thermaic Gulf.

4.3Pella · The ancient Macedonian capital: mosaics and the museum.

4.2Dion · The sanctuary city at the foot of Mount Olympus.

4.5Sithonia beaches · The middle Chalkidiki peninsula: coves and pine-backed beaches.

4.3Kassandra · The western peninsula: resorts and beach clubs.

Thessaloniki · Thessaloniki City Guide

LitochoroEdessaVeriaPellaOuranoupoli

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Western Macedonia

4.5Kastoria old town · The lake town: Byzantine churches and fur-merchant mansions on the peninsula.

4.4Prespa lakes · The border lakes: Dalmatian pelicans, the island of Agios Achillios.

4.3Nymfaio · The stone mountain village and the Arcturos bear sanctuary.

4.0Florina · The northern town, gateway to the Vigla-Pisoderi ski center.

KastoriaFlorinaNymfaioKozaniGrevena

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Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

4.6Kavala · The aqueduct, the castle and the Panagia old town over the harbor.

4.8Philippi · UNESCO site: the Roman forum, the theatre and St. Paul's prison.

4.5Samothrace · The island of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and the waterfalls of Fonias.

4.2Xanthi old town · The tobacco merchants' mansions and the carnival.

4.3Evros Delta · The wetland at the Turkish border: flamingos, pelicans and raptors.

KavalaXanthiKomotiniAlexandroupoliThassos

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Epirus

4.8Vikos Gorge · The great gorge of the Zagori: viewpoints at Oxia and Beloi.

4.7Zagori villages · Stone villages, arched bridges and the steps of Vradeto.

4.5Ioannina castle and lake · The walled old town on Lake Pamvotida and Ali Pasha's island.

4.5Parga · The colorful harbor town under its Venetian castle.

4.4Acheron Springs · The mythical underworld river: a gorge walk and rafting.

4.3Dodona · The ancient oracle: one of Greece's largest theatres.

IoanninaPargaMetsovoPrevezaSyvota

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Thessaly

4.9Meteora monasteries · Six active monasteries on the rock pillars; the Great Meteoron is the largest.

4.7Mount Olympus · The 2,917-m home of the gods: the classic two-day ascent from Litochoro.

4.5Pelion villages · Makrinitsa and Portaria: stone mansions, the 'balcony of Pelion'.

4.0Vale of Tempi · The gorge between Olympus and Ossa, with the chapel of Agia Paraskevi.

3.9Larissa · The regional capital: the ancient theatre and the Alcazar park.

VolosKalambakaLarissaTrikalaPortariaMakrinitsa

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Central Greece

4.9Delphi · The sanctuary of Apollo and the oracle; the museum's Charioteer.

4.6Hosios Loukas · The 10th-century Byzantine monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4.2Thermopylae · The pass of the 300 Spartans: the Leonidas memorial.

4.3Parnassus ski center and Arachova · Greece's best-known ski slopes and the stone village below them.

4.3Galaxidi · The seafaring town and its Clean Monday flour war.

4.2Chalkida and Evia · The tidal strait of Evripos and Greece's second-largest island.

Delphi · Delphi Site Guide

ArachovaChalkidaLamiaLivadeiaKarpenisi

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Western Greece

4.9Ancient Olympia · The sanctuary of Zeus and the original Olympic stadium; the Hermes of Praxiteles in the museum.

4.6Nafpaktos · The walled Venetian harbor, one of Greece's prettiest small ports.

4.5Rio-Antirrio Bridge · The 2.9-km cable-stayed bridge over the Gulf of Corinth.

4.4Diakopto-Kalavryta railway · The narrow-gauge rack railway up the Vouraikos gorge.

4.2Patras · The carnival city: the castle, the Apollon Theatre, the lighthouse.

4.0Messolonghi lagoon · The shallow lagoon of Byron's last stand; birdwatching and salt flats.

PatrasNafpaktosKalavrytaMessolonghiAigio

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Peloponnese

4.8Nafplio · The first capital of modern Greece: Palamidi fortress, Bourtzi and the old town.

4.9Theatre of Epidaurus · The 4th-century BC theatre with perfect acoustics; still used by the summer festival.

4.8Mycenae · The Lion Gate and the Treasury of Atreus: the Bronze Age citadel.

4.7Mystras · The Byzantine ghost city on the Taygetus slope, a UNESCO site.

4.7Monemvasia · The rock of Monemvasia: a walled medieval town in the sea.

4.8Palamidi fortress · The 1714 Venetian fortress above Nafplio; the climb is 999 steps.

4.4Corinth Canal · The 1893 canal cut through the isthmus; bungee jumping from the bridge.

4.5Mani peninsula · Tower houses, the Diros caves and Cape Matapan, the southern tip of mainland Greece.

4.2Kalamata · The olive capital: the old town, the castle and the long beach.

4.2Nemea wine region · The Agiorgitiko reds of ancient Nemea.

4.0Sparta · The ancient city and the museum; Mystras is the real draw nearby.

Nafplio · Nafplio Town Guide

MonemvasiaKalamataSpartaCorinthGytheioAreopoli

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North Aegean

4.6Chios mastic villages · Pyrgi and Mesta: the fortified mastic villages of the south.

4.5Pythagoreion and Heraion, Samos · The UNESCO site: the ancient port and the great temple of Hera.

4.5Molyvos, Lesbos · The stone village under its Genoese castle.

4.4Ikaria · The Blue Zone island: slow life, hot springs and panigiria festivals.

4.3Mytilene · The capital of Lesbos: the fortress and the waterfront.

4.3Petrified Forest of Lesbos · The 20-million-year-old fossilized sequoias near Sigri.

MytileneMolyvosPythagoreionChios TownPlomariEvdilos

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South Aegean

4.9Santorini caldera · Oia's blue domes, Fira on the cliff, the Minoan city of Akrotiri.

4.8Rhodes old town · The medieval walled city: the Palace of the Grand Master, the Street of the Knights.

4.8Lindos · The white village under its acropolis and the Temple of Athena Lindia.

4.6Mykonos · The windmills of Kato Mili, Little Venice and the Delos day trip.

4.7Delos · The sacred island of Apollo and Artemis: the Terrace of the Lions.

4.6Naxos and the Portara · The largest Cycladic island and the giant gate of the Temple of Apollo.

4.7Patmos · The Monastery of St John and the Cave of the Apocalypse.

4.6Symi · The neoclassical harbor: one of the prettiest ports in Greece.

4.5Milos · The island where the Venus de Milo was found in 1820; Sarakiniko's white rock.

4.5Paros · Naoussa's harbor, the Panagia Ekatontapiliani church.

4.4Sifnos · The food island: birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, Greece's great chef.

4.3Kos · The island of Hippocrates: the Asklepieion and the plane tree.

4.4Karpathos · The wild Dodecanese island: Olympos village keeps its traditions.

4.0Ios · The party island: Mylopotas beach and the Homer legend.

4.2Ermoupoli, Syros · The neoclassical regional capital: the Apollo Theatre.

Santorini · Santorini Island Guide

Mykonos · Mykonos Island Guide

Rhodes · Rhodes Island Guide

LindosNaxos TownPatmosSymiNaoussaOiaFiraMykonos Town

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Crete

4.8Palace of Knossos · The Minoan palace: the throne room, the grand staircase, the bull frescoes.

4.8Heraklion Archaeological Museum · The world's great Minoan collection: the Phaistos Disc, the Snake Goddess.

4.8Chania Venetian harbor · The lighthouse, the arsenals and the waterfront tavernas.

4.8Samaria Gorge · The 16-km gorge through the White Mountains to Agia Roumeli.

4.7Elafonissi · The pink-sand beach of the southwest.

4.7Balos lagoon · The turquoise lagoon of the Gramvousa peninsula.

4.5Rethymno Fortezza · The Venetian fortress over the old town.

4.4Koules fortress · The Venetian sea fortress at the Heraklion harbor mouth.

4.5Agios Nikolaos and Spinalonga · The resort town and the former leper colony island.

4.4Phaistos · The second Minoan palace, with the Messara plain below.

4.3Preveli · The palm beach where the river meets the Libyan Sea.

Heraklion · Heraklion City Guide

Chania · Chania City Guide

RethymnoAgios NikolaosSitiaIerapetraMatala

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Ionian Islands

4.8Corfu old town · The UNESCO town: the Old Fortress, the Liston, the Spianada.

4.8Navagio Beach · The Shipwreck beach of Zakynthos: the viewpoint above the cove.

4.7Myrtos Beach · Kefalonia's great beach: white pebbles under limestone cliffs.

4.6Paleokastritsa · Corfu's coves and the monastery on the headland.

4.5Fiskardo · Kefalonia's Venetian harbor, untouched by the 1953 earthquake.

4.5Melissani Cave · Kefalonia's underground lake: boats under the collapsed roof.

4.5Lefkada beaches · Porto Katsiki and Egremni: the great west-coast beaches.

4.5Paxi and Antipaxi · The small islands: olive groves and the Voutoumi beach.

4.4Ithaca · The home of Odysseus: Vathy and the quiet north.

4.3Achilleion · Empress Sissi's palace above Corfu town.

4.4Laganas Bay turtles · Zakynthos: the loggerhead nesting beaches, a national marine park.

Corfu · Corfu Island Guide

FiskardoZakynthos TownLefkada TownVathyAssosKassiopi

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