Top Ten Destinations of Greece
Are you planning for a trip to Greece, but don't have any idea where to start? The list below is just a recommendation, but I am sure you would love to see these places.
1. Athens - The Acropolis
Say what you like (or don't like!) about Athens, no one's trip to Greece can be complete without a visit to its supreme symbol, the outcropping of rock called the Acropolis, crowned with Athena's sacred temple, the Parthenon.
It looks great all day, but visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Skip the Sound and Light show - cold in temperature and corny in tone. New pedestrian pathways make it easy to visit via the Athens Metro.
Background:
Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man,Cecrops, the first Athenian king.
2. The National Archaeological Museum - Athens
Even if you hate museums, grit your teeth and get cultured here. It's a world-class display of seemingly endless artifacts. Most dramatic are the tall, enigmatic kouroi, archaic statues of godlike young men or man -like young gods, displayed against a rich red background that reminds us that the real temples, statues, and walls of Ancient Greece weren't bleached white by centuries of sun and rain. If you can bear to be (briefly) unfaithful to Greece, the Egyptian antiquities collection upstairs and in back is well worth a look.
Background:
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. It is situated in the Exarhia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic.
3. Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon
It's worth the tour bus trip or car ride to visit this clifftop temple at Sounion, the empty spaces between the columns framing the sky and looking like a portal into eternity. You will feel poetic or heroic just looking at these ruins. With the Aegean Sea below spread out below like an endless shimmering sea of silk, one wonders if seagod Poseidon misses the loss of his temple's roof and walls very much. Most popular at sunset, it's as beautiful in the early morning, and much, much less crowded. Give the on-site restaurant a miss for anything but a snack.
Background:
Cape Sounion is noted as the site of ruins of an ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788–1824).
The site is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, with sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after spectacle.
4. The Island of Santorini (Thira, Fira)
Santorini offers Atlantis legends, missing Minoans, a living volcanic legacy, swell sunsets, good local wine, fine restaurants, vampire stories, oodles of tourists. There's nothing like it. But rearrange your trip, cancel your tickets, do anything in your power to be able to arrive at Santorini by sea, slowly crawling up the coast watching the banded cliffs of brown, black, and red crowned by snow-white tufa, a light lava which still clings to parts of the island like frosting on a cake. Signature sight of the once-buried city of Akrotiri is under a tin roof, gets extraordinarily hot - go early in the day - after making sure its open. The hotels carved into the cliffsides are not for those with vertigo. Looking for activity, bustle, lots of restaurant choices? Stay in Fira. Want more of a retreat but still with all the amenities? Stay in Oia.
Background:
Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and created the current geological caldera. A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The main island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon is connected to the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende.
5. The Island of Mykonos
Mykonos, arguably the most famous Greek island, got that way for good reason. Mykonos is charming, fun, beautiful, and now, renowned for sophisticated, international goings-on. Vibrant nightlife, terrific shopping, more famous nude and non-nude beaches per square mile than anywhere else in Greece, loved by gays, straights, honeymoon couples, Greeks, tourists...though half of all these groups will insist that the island is passé or over-developed, they still come in droves. Genuinely sick of the frenzy? Get over onto the other side of the island for an entirely different Mykonos, one which boasts a chapel for every day of the year.
Background:
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 km2 (33 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast. Mykonos is one of the most cosmopolitan[clarification needed] islands in Europe, and has attained an iconic[clarification needed] status among European holidaymakers; many international celebrities visit the island every year.
6. The Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
A relatively easy drive from Athens, the site of Epidaurus on the Peloponnese Peninsula is worth a special trip. The Theatre, functional enough for plays to be regularly presented during the summer Epidaurus Festival, has unbelievable acoustics. Enjoy the small, good onsite museum. On your way, there's a great little village bakery in Adami.
Background:
The prosperity brought by the Asklepieion enabled Epidauros to construct civic monuments too: the huge theatre that delighted Pausanias for its symmetry and beauty, which is used once again for dramatic performances, the ceremonial Hestiatoreion (banqueting hall), baths and a palaestra. The theater was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. As is usual for Greek theatres (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the skênê is an integral part of the theatre itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 15,000 people.
The theatre is marveled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken word from the proscenium or skênê to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating (see Ref., in Greek). Famously, tour guides have their groups scattered in the stands and show them how they can easily hear the sound of a match struck at center-stage. A 2007 study by Nico F. Declercq and Cindy Dekeyser of the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that the astonishing acoustic properties are either the result of an accident or the product of advanced design: The rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify/reflect high-frequency sounds from the stage.
7. Mycenae
Combine this Peloponnesian stop with your trip to Epidaurus. This Mycenean fortress disgorged much of the gold displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, and is a fascinating place, with gargantuan walls, cylindrical tomb shafts, and the double-lion gate.
Wear good shoes and watch your step - the rampway leading to the gate was made steep to permit easy defense of the palace from marauders, and guess what, tourists still qualify. The snack bar has been known to run out of water on hot days...bring your own for this hot, dusty, but intriguing site.
Background:
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf.
In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.
8. The Island of Crete
The big island of Crete is like a separate nation within Greece, with a bit of everything,from party-hearty beach towns like Mallia (practically on top of the remains of the Minoan palace) to the sophisticated, expensive little city of Agios Nikolaos, or the natural wonders of the Samaria Gorge and the "real Crete" city of Chania, or the counterculture enclave of Matala near the Roman ruins of Gortyn and the Minoan palace of Phaistos. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is world-class, and the Minoan site of Knossos is a must-see.
The interior is filled with steep mountains, obscure villages, the windmill-jammed Lassithi Plain, and some challenging roads. The southern coast is wilder, with some great retreat spots including nude beaches. Don't trust the maps - roads are much wigglier, often high-altitude, when you meet them in person. Exception: the north coast road from Iraklio to points east and west is freeway-wide and quick.
Background:
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own dialect, poetry, and music). Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), one of the first civilizations in Europe
9. The Minoan Palace of Knossos
Worthy of its own entry, irresistible, labyrinthine reconstruction of a destroyed Minoan palace from the time when King Minos ruled the Aegean and the mainland Greeks paid tribute, long before the Golden Age of Greece. Disorienting, easy to get lost even today, with a mystery around every corner. It seems strange to be able to just hop on a public bus to get to this ancient, enigmatical place, but the Number 2 Knossos bus from downtown Iraklion does just that for about a Euro.
Definitely not a retreat from the city, Iraklio has grown up around it and Knossos is approached by a busy, narrow road. Once inside, the Cretan landscape visible from the palace looks untouched since ancient times. Eat upstairs at one of the local tavernas for a nice look at the surrounding countryside.
Background:
Knossos, also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square. Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans.
The city of Knossos remained important through the Classical and Roman periods, but its population shifted to the new town of Chandax (modern Heraklion) during the 9th century AD. By the 13th century, it was called Makryteikhos 'Long Wall'; the bishops of Gortyn continued to call themselves Bishops of Knossos until the 19th century. Today, the name is used only for the archaeological site situated in the suburbs of Heraklion.
10. The Island of Hydra
Easy hydrofoil access from Athens makes this sophisticated little island which bans vehicle traffic a local version of Mykonos - with the shopping, without the nude beaches. Charming harbor, nice church architecture, fun shops, and pricey but generally good quality tavernas. Feel like a day's pilgrimage? Walk to the monastery above and behind the town... making sure that, whether you're a man or a woman, you have something to cover those illicit bare arms and legs once you arrive.
Background:
Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water. In ancient times, the island was known as Hydrea (derived from the Greek word for "water"), which was a reference to the springs on the island.
The municipality Hydra consists of the islands Hydra (area 50 km2), Dokos (pop. 13, area 12.5 km2) and a few uninhabited islets.
There is one main town, known simply as "Hydra port" (pop. 2,526 in 2001). It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is centered a strand of restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries that cater to tourists and locals (Hydriots). Steep stone streets lead up and outwards from the harbor area. Most of the local residences, as well as the hostelries on the island are located on these streets. Other small villages or hamlets on the island include Mandraki (pop. 33), Kamini, Vlychos, Palamidas, Episkopi, and Molos
Source
Are you planning for a trip to Greece, but don't have any idea where to start? The list below is just a recommendation, but I am sure you would love to see these places.
1. Athens - The Acropolis
Say what you like (or don't like!) about Athens, no one's trip to Greece can be complete without a visit to its supreme symbol, the outcropping of rock called the Acropolis, crowned with Athena's sacred temple, the Parthenon.
It looks great all day, but visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Skip the Sound and Light show - cold in temperature and corny in tone. New pedestrian pathways make it easy to visit via the Athens Metro.
Background:
Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man,Cecrops, the first Athenian king.
2. The National Archaeological Museum - Athens
Even if you hate museums, grit your teeth and get cultured here. It's a world-class display of seemingly endless artifacts. Most dramatic are the tall, enigmatic kouroi, archaic statues of godlike young men or man -like young gods, displayed against a rich red background that reminds us that the real temples, statues, and walls of Ancient Greece weren't bleached white by centuries of sun and rain. If you can bear to be (briefly) unfaithful to Greece, the Egyptian antiquities collection upstairs and in back is well worth a look.
Background:
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. It is situated in the Exarhia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic.
3. Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon
It's worth the tour bus trip or car ride to visit this clifftop temple at Sounion, the empty spaces between the columns framing the sky and looking like a portal into eternity. You will feel poetic or heroic just looking at these ruins. With the Aegean Sea below spread out below like an endless shimmering sea of silk, one wonders if seagod Poseidon misses the loss of his temple's roof and walls very much. Most popular at sunset, it's as beautiful in the early morning, and much, much less crowded. Give the on-site restaurant a miss for anything but a snack.
Background:
Cape Sounion is noted as the site of ruins of an ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788–1824).
The site is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, with sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after spectacle.
4. The Island of Santorini (Thira, Fira)
Santorini offers Atlantis legends, missing Minoans, a living volcanic legacy, swell sunsets, good local wine, fine restaurants, vampire stories, oodles of tourists. There's nothing like it. But rearrange your trip, cancel your tickets, do anything in your power to be able to arrive at Santorini by sea, slowly crawling up the coast watching the banded cliffs of brown, black, and red crowned by snow-white tufa, a light lava which still clings to parts of the island like frosting on a cake. Signature sight of the once-buried city of Akrotiri is under a tin roof, gets extraordinarily hot - go early in the day - after making sure its open. The hotels carved into the cliffsides are not for those with vertigo. Looking for activity, bustle, lots of restaurant choices? Stay in Fira. Want more of a retreat but still with all the amenities? Stay in Oia.
Background:
Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and created the current geological caldera. A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The main island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon is connected to the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende.
5. The Island of Mykonos
Mykonos, arguably the most famous Greek island, got that way for good reason. Mykonos is charming, fun, beautiful, and now, renowned for sophisticated, international goings-on. Vibrant nightlife, terrific shopping, more famous nude and non-nude beaches per square mile than anywhere else in Greece, loved by gays, straights, honeymoon couples, Greeks, tourists...though half of all these groups will insist that the island is passé or over-developed, they still come in droves. Genuinely sick of the frenzy? Get over onto the other side of the island for an entirely different Mykonos, one which boasts a chapel for every day of the year.
Background:
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 km2 (33 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast. Mykonos is one of the most cosmopolitan[clarification needed] islands in Europe, and has attained an iconic[clarification needed] status among European holidaymakers; many international celebrities visit the island every year.
6. The Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
A relatively easy drive from Athens, the site of Epidaurus on the Peloponnese Peninsula is worth a special trip. The Theatre, functional enough for plays to be regularly presented during the summer Epidaurus Festival, has unbelievable acoustics. Enjoy the small, good onsite museum. On your way, there's a great little village bakery in Adami.
Background:
The prosperity brought by the Asklepieion enabled Epidauros to construct civic monuments too: the huge theatre that delighted Pausanias for its symmetry and beauty, which is used once again for dramatic performances, the ceremonial Hestiatoreion (banqueting hall), baths and a palaestra. The theater was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. As is usual for Greek theatres (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the skênê is an integral part of the theatre itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 15,000 people.
The theatre is marveled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken word from the proscenium or skênê to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating (see Ref., in Greek). Famously, tour guides have their groups scattered in the stands and show them how they can easily hear the sound of a match struck at center-stage. A 2007 study by Nico F. Declercq and Cindy Dekeyser of the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that the astonishing acoustic properties are either the result of an accident or the product of advanced design: The rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify/reflect high-frequency sounds from the stage.
7. Mycenae
Combine this Peloponnesian stop with your trip to Epidaurus. This Mycenean fortress disgorged much of the gold displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, and is a fascinating place, with gargantuan walls, cylindrical tomb shafts, and the double-lion gate.
Wear good shoes and watch your step - the rampway leading to the gate was made steep to permit easy defense of the palace from marauders, and guess what, tourists still qualify. The snack bar has been known to run out of water on hot days...bring your own for this hot, dusty, but intriguing site.
Background:
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf.
In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.
8. The Island of Crete
The big island of Crete is like a separate nation within Greece, with a bit of everything,from party-hearty beach towns like Mallia (practically on top of the remains of the Minoan palace) to the sophisticated, expensive little city of Agios Nikolaos, or the natural wonders of the Samaria Gorge and the "real Crete" city of Chania, or the counterculture enclave of Matala near the Roman ruins of Gortyn and the Minoan palace of Phaistos. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is world-class, and the Minoan site of Knossos is a must-see.
 |
| The palm beach of Vai, Crete |
The interior is filled with steep mountains, obscure villages, the windmill-jammed Lassithi Plain, and some challenging roads. The southern coast is wilder, with some great retreat spots including nude beaches. Don't trust the maps - roads are much wigglier, often high-altitude, when you meet them in person. Exception: the north coast road from Iraklio to points east and west is freeway-wide and quick.
Background:
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own dialect, poetry, and music). Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), one of the first civilizations in Europe
9. The Minoan Palace of Knossos
Worthy of its own entry, irresistible, labyrinthine reconstruction of a destroyed Minoan palace from the time when King Minos ruled the Aegean and the mainland Greeks paid tribute, long before the Golden Age of Greece. Disorienting, easy to get lost even today, with a mystery around every corner. It seems strange to be able to just hop on a public bus to get to this ancient, enigmatical place, but the Number 2 Knossos bus from downtown Iraklion does just that for about a Euro.
Definitely not a retreat from the city, Iraklio has grown up around it and Knossos is approached by a busy, narrow road. Once inside, the Cretan landscape visible from the palace looks untouched since ancient times. Eat upstairs at one of the local tavernas for a nice look at the surrounding countryside.
Background:
Knossos, also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square. Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans.
The city of Knossos remained important through the Classical and Roman periods, but its population shifted to the new town of Chandax (modern Heraklion) during the 9th century AD. By the 13th century, it was called Makryteikhos 'Long Wall'; the bishops of Gortyn continued to call themselves Bishops of Knossos until the 19th century. Today, the name is used only for the archaeological site situated in the suburbs of Heraklion.
10. The Island of Hydra
Easy hydrofoil access from Athens makes this sophisticated little island which bans vehicle traffic a local version of Mykonos - with the shopping, without the nude beaches. Charming harbor, nice church architecture, fun shops, and pricey but generally good quality tavernas. Feel like a day's pilgrimage? Walk to the monastery above and behind the town... making sure that, whether you're a man or a woman, you have something to cover those illicit bare arms and legs once you arrive.
Background:
Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water. In ancient times, the island was known as Hydrea (derived from the Greek word for "water"), which was a reference to the springs on the island.
The municipality Hydra consists of the islands Hydra (area 50 km2), Dokos (pop. 13, area 12.5 km2) and a few uninhabited islets.
There is one main town, known simply as "Hydra port" (pop. 2,526 in 2001). It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is centered a strand of restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries that cater to tourists and locals (Hydriots). Steep stone streets lead up and outwards from the harbor area. Most of the local residences, as well as the hostelries on the island are located on these streets. Other small villages or hamlets on the island include Mandraki (pop. 33), Kamini, Vlychos, Palamidas, Episkopi, and Molos
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