Aegina
This enchanting remote hillside is dotted with the remains of a Byzantine village. More than 30 surviving churches punctuate the rocky heights of the…
Must-see attractions in Greece
Dodecanese
A visit to the caldera is like stepping into a science fiction movie, cows grazing amid strange coloured rocks in what resembles a lunar landscape.
Hania
There are few places where Hania's historic charm and grandeur are more palpable than in the old Venetian Harbour. It's lined by pastel-coloured buildings…
Thessaloniki
This enormous 7th-century basilica honours Thessaloniki’s patron saint. A Roman soldier, Dimitrios was killed around AD 306 at this former Roman bath site…
Rhodes
Cradled in a natural hillside amphitheatre 1km up from the sea, the remarkably complete ruins of ancient Kamiros stand 34km southwest of Rhodes Town…
Samos
Follow the north-coast road out of Vathy for 10km and look for a signposted dirt road to the left leading to Livadaki Beach. Here, tropical azure waters…
Iraklio
After six years of restoration, Iraklio’s symbol, the 16th-century fortress called Rocca al Mare by the Venetians, reopened in August 2016 with a brand…
Meteora
Of all the Meteora monasteries, Moni Agias Triados, which featured in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, feels the most remote. A long down-then…
Aegina
The well-preserved remains of this impressive temple stand proudly on a pine-covered hill with far-reaching views over the Saronic Gulf. Built in 480 BC,…
Peloponnese
This monastery clings to the cliff face in memorable fashion. The monastery church is adorned with frescoes, while up the hill where the road ends is a…
Fira
Opposite the bus station, this well-presented museum houses extraordinary finds excavated from Akrotiri, which has been settled since neolithic times…
Peloponnese
This extraordinary private collection gets into the literal nuts and bolts behind the technological achievements of the Ancient Greeks. Marvel at the…
Korais Library & Philip Argenti Museum
Chios
On the upper floor of the remarkable Korais Library, the Philip Argenti Museum contains a 19th-century birthing chair, along with shepherds' tools,…
Meteora
Dramatically perched atop a steep pinnacle and accessed via a high narrow wooden bridge, Rousanou convent has an intimate atmosphere. Its small community…
Hora (Naxos)
The most alluring part of Hora is the 13th-century residential neighbourhood of Kastro, which Marco Sanudo made the capital of his duchy in 1207. Behind…
Syntagma & Plaka
The former royal gardens, designed by Queen Amalia in 1838, are a pleasantly unkempt park that makes a welcome shady refuge from summer heat and traffic…
Karpathos
However determined you may be to reach Olymbos, allow time to take the precipitous spur road that drops seawards from the east-coast highway 17km north of…
Thasos
Alluring and easily accessible, the island's crown gem includes the considerable and photogenic remains of an ancient temple where the gods were once…
Santorini
First settled by the Dorians in the 9th century BC, Ancient Thira consists of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ruins and is an atmospheric and rewarding…
Skiathos
Framed by electric-green pine trees, two forested headlands and a small salt-water wetland, Koukounaries' silky 1200m-long sweep of bleach-blonde sand is…
Kos
The island’s most important ancient site stands on a pine-covered hill 3km southwest of Kos Town, commanding lovely views across towards Turkey. A…
Museum of Greek Popular Instruments
Syntagma & Plaka
A single avid ethnomusicologist collected almost 1200 folk instruments; the best are on display in three floors of this house-turned-museum. Headphones…
Ikaria
This small, stunning beach is 3km east of Manganitis. Its marble pebbles, emerald water and giant rocks polished by the waves make you feel you've been…
Ikaria
Westward 3.5km from Armenistis lies the pebbled beach of Nas, lying below the road and the few tavernas. A nudist-friendly beach, it has an impressive…
Athens
Whether you want a shot of art, a clever design morsel or a refreshing drink, stop in at TAF, a just-barely updated complex of 1870s brick buildings. The…
Corfu Town
Set atop a steep coastal hill 12km south of Corfu Town, the Achilleion Palace was built during the 1890s as the summer palace of Austria's empress…
Skiathos
Perched dramatically on the island's rocky northernmost headland, 9km north of Skiathos Town, Kastro was the fortified pirate-proof capital from 1540…
Thessaloniki
This fascinating museum has plenty of treasures to please Byzantine buffs, plus simple explanations to introduce this long-lived empire and its culture to…
Skiathos
Centred on a triple-domed church, this historic 18th-century monastery was a hilltop refuge for freedom fighters during the War of Independence, and the…
Corfu Town
Home to stunning artefacts ranging from prehistoric bronzes to works in onyx and ivory, this excellent museum occupies the central portions of the Palace…
Kythira
Crowning the rocky headland that soars at the southern end of Hora, this tumble-down 14th-century fortress was built by Kythira’s first Venetian governor…
Chios
Brave new architecture arrives in Chios in the form of this airy hilltop structure that casts a curious glance on mastic gardens and ancient stone houses…
Nafplio
Inside a splendid Venetian building, this museum traces the social development of Argolis, from the hunter-gatherers of the Franchthi Cave to the…
Archaeological Museum of Rethymno
Rethymno
Set inside the atmospheric Venetian-built Church of St Francis, this well-curated museum features a stunning collection of well-preserved relics unearthed…
Kefallonia
From the road that zigzags down to it, you'll understand why Myrtos is touted as one of the most breathtaking beaches in all of Greece. From afar it's…
Peloponnese
This excellent little museum is an entertaining romp through the region’s pre-industrial past. It occupies a complex 1.6km south of town (signposted),…
Lesvos
Extraordinary. It's worth coming to Lesvos for this alone – the Teriade Museum and its astonishing collection of paintings by artists including Picasso,…
Cyclades
The enigmatic 8m-long Kea Lion, chiselled from schist sometime between the 9th and 6th century BC, lies along the ridge beyond the last of Ioulida’s…
Santorini
This atmospheric gallery is on the way to Kamari, in Argyros Canava, one of the oldest wineries on the island. The walls and niches of the wine caverns…
Alonnisos
Patitiri's excellent town museum takes in antique nautical maps, traditional island costumes, an impressive collection of pirates’ weapons and boarding…
