Gazing over the picturesque fishing port of Assos on the north coast of Kefalonia (p. 339), one of the low-key Ionian islands.
A Look at athens & the Greek Islands
Ah, Greece! This Mediterranean country is one of the world’s most seductive travel destinations, and there are so many ways to fall under its spell. Greece excels at ecstatic experiences—eternity viewed from the Acropolis heights, the stunning approach to Santorini’s cliff-ringed harbor, the rugged walls of Crete’s Samaria Gorge—but ultimately it wins your heart with more intimate moments: wildflowers blooming amid toppled marble columns, a Byzantine icon gleaming in a shadowy church, a donkey toiling up a steep hill, an elderly woman embroidering patterns that her village has stitched for centuries. Let our writer Stephen Brewer help you dig beneath all the Zorba the Greek and Mamma Mia clichés, to explore Greece’s cultural heritage in all its richness.
Gazing over the picturesque fishing port of Assos on the north coast of Kefalonia (p. 339), one of the low-key Ionian islands.
ATHENS & BEYOND
From much of Athens, you need only look up to spot Athens’ ancient “high city,” the Acropolis (p. 78), especially dramatic at night.
While replica sculptures battle the elements on the Acropolis itself, their priceless originals are conserved and displayed downhill at the state-of-the-art Acropolis Museum (p. 80). Picture windows tie it all together with sweeping views of the sacred hilltop.
Street musicians regale pedestrians with traditional Greek folk music, played on bouzoukis and other stringed instruments.
Outside Greece’s Parliament (p. 86), soldiers of the elite Presidential Guard parade in colorful 19th-century costumes.
The National Archeological Museum (p. 94) is like a treasure chest, full of the world’s finest collection of Greek antiquities, including precious relics from the Mycenean, Cycladic, and Minoan civilizations.
The perfect proportions of the Parthenon (p. 79), that iconic temple of the city’s patron goddess Athena, are best appreciated in person, clambering about the ancient stones of the Acropolis.
Set in a 19th-century mansion in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood, the Benaki Museum (p. 96) is a wide-ranging trove of Greek art and cultural artifacts.
Trendy nightspots have revitalized the once-derelict Psyrri neighborhood (p. 107).
On the flanks of Mount Parnassus, the ancient sanctuary to Apollo at Delphi (p. 130) compels visitors with its air of eternal mystery.
Charioteer helmets are among the evocative relics displayed at Olympia (p. 126), where the first Olympic Games were held in 776 b.c.
The clifftop monasteries of the Meteora (p. 132) offer a window into the spiritual lives of medieval priests who preserved Greek Christianity during centuries of invasion by foreign powers.
THE CYCLADES & DODECANESE
On seen-and-be-seen Mykonos (p. 143), the most popular place for a pre-dinner drink is Little Venice, where bars in old sea captains’ mansions hang over the water’s edge.
An essential day trip from Mykonos is the isle of Delos (p. 156), legendary birthplace of Apollo. Among its haunting ruins, these marble lions spring from a terrace on the Sacred Lake.
Mykonos’ adopted mascot, Petros the Pelican, took shelter from a storm here in the 1950s and stayed for 30 years. His successors continue to charm visitors.
On the northwestern edge of the island of Santorini, the clifftop village of Ia (also known as Oia), is a prime viewpoint for spectacular sunsets. See p. 180.
A Byzantine icon from one of the many Orthodox churches on Paros (p. 167), with its rich Venetian-Ottoman heritage and world-famous marble.
The traditional craft of pottery is still alive on Naxos (p. 158), known for its golden beaches, verdant landscapes, and scenic villages, like quiet mountainside Apiranthos.
Shop-lined Hippocrates Square is a hive of activity in old Rhodes Town (p. 208). Its walled medieval quarter, once the stronghold of Crusader knights, is the heart of the largest city in the Dodecanese Islands.
A mosaic portrays Aesculapius, god of medicine, greeting the great Greek physician Hippocrates, who founded the world’s first medical school on his native Kos (p. 222). Today, visitors to Kos find their cures in the form of golden-sand beaches.
Pastel-colored houses line the horseshoe-shaped harbor of Yialos, the main town of the tiny, rugged island of Symi (p. 216), rightfully called “the jewel of the Dodecanese.”
CRETE
The massive 16th-century Koules fortress, built by the Venetians, still protects the old harbor of Iraklion (p. 240), Crete’s capital city.
The ancient Minoan palace at Knossos (p. 247) was partly reconstructed and painted in vibrant colors in the early 20th century—a sacrilege to purists, but for many visitors a rich re-creation of this early civilization.
Thatched umbrellas shade sun-worshippers on the white sands of popular Vai beach (p. 278), at Crete’s eastern tip, famous for its vast forest of Cretan date palms.
At the fish market in Iraklion, a vendor shows off spiny lobsters, a prized local delicacy.
An incredibly scenic 15km (9-mile) trail winds through Crete’s unspoiled Samaria Gorge.
Chania (p. 259), on Crete’s northwest coast, is one of Greece’s most beautiful cities. Shoppers stroll along its colorful Venetian harbor, built to bolster Venice’s power in the southern Mediterranean.
THE OUTER ISLANDS
Beautiful pine-clad Skopelos (p. 287) has some 360 churches, many built by grateful islanders after surviving attacks by the Ottoman pirate Barbarossa.
The endangered Mediterranean monk seal is protected in a National Marine Park, encompassing the pristine waters around the Sporades island of Alonissos (p. 292).
Charming, unspoiled Skyros (p. 295) is a good place to buy local crafts, especially embroidery and ceramics, decorated with traditional folk designs.
Near the hilltop medieval Castle of Molyvos (p. 309), a working donkey overlooks the green northeast coast of Lesbos.
On Chios, the village of Pyrgi (p. 319) is known for the elaborate decorations on its houses.
Sea hammocks dangle over the blue waters of a secluded bay in Samos (p. 319), an Aegean island known for its excellent beaches and a wealth of get-away-from-it-all resorts.
Corfu (p. 327) often seems like many islands in one—cosmopolitan and fun-loving, yet also rich in history and tradition. Here, an Orthodox priest says Mass in a monastery in the ancient coastal town of Paleokastritsa.
In Corfu town (p. 343), Eastertide customs include uniformed bands of musicians processing through the arcaded streets of the historic quarter.
The mountainous south coast of Kefalonia draws visitors with excursions to its spectacular sea caves. Sunlight pours into the roofless Melissani Cave (p. 332), casting multicolored light on the rocks and water.