Greece Tourist Attractions and Sights

Athens, the spectacular capital city of Greece, is home to over one third of the Greek population. The capital city since 1834, the total land area of Athens is around 250 square miles (340 square kilometers). Athens is one of the most vibrant and dazzling cities in Europe and its unique blend of old and new has made it a popular destination for both business and leisure. Athens is one of the few places on earth that can boast a history of over 5000 years!

Redolent with mythology, smeared with grime, Athens is an affable city enlivened by outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks, gardens and urban eccentrics. If you get into the Athenian mindset, you might not even notice the layer of nefos (smog) overhead.

Modern tourists have the ancient Athenians to thank for the ease of getting to major landmarks around the city. Old Athens was miniscule compared to today's sprawling metropolis, which means that all the must-sees are conveniently huddled together in a fairly easy-to-manage rectangle.

Recommended Hotels Athens

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Rio Hotel Athens  Hotel Rio is located in the centre of Athens, on the quiet pedestrian street of the Karaiskaki square, next the subway station Metaxourghio and quite near the international railway station. It is just one km away from the Syntagma square, a 35 minutes drive from the Athens international airport and 15 minutes from the port of Pireaus by subway. Rio is a beautiful neoclassical building entirely restored, blending every modern convenience with the classical aesthetic. The Bar-Restaurant, on the ground floor, is the ideal place to relax enjoying drinks, food and pleasant music. >> click here for last minute offers | Click here for more information and Booking Details »

Crete

• In middle of the sable sea there lies
• An isle call'd Crete, a ravisher of eyes,
• Fruitful, and mann'd with many an infinite store;
• Where ninety cities crown the famous shore,
• Mix'd with all-languag'd men.

—Homer, Odyssey

Steeped in Homeric history and culture, scented by wild fennel and basil, Crete welcomes and overwhelms visitors with its wealth of myths, legends and history, a blessed and dramatic landscape, an extraordinary fusion of past and present, and an abundance of choices and experiences.

Hotels Crete | Last Minute Hotels Crete

A Boat Trip to Spinalonga Island - Aghios Nikolaos - Elounda From the pretty village of Elounda, reached by journeying the north coastal route, take a boat to the island of Spinalonga. This former leper colony includes preserved houses and churches, and a strong Venetian influence in the form of a fortress surrounding the village. Swim in the crystal blue water then enjoy a BBQ lunch. The way home takes you to the charming town of Aghios Nicolaos for a delightful coffee break. Here, see the quaint harbour and 'bottomless lake'…

Crete was the birthplace of one of Europe's oldest and most fascinating civilisations, the Minoan. Iraklio, the capital, has some fine musuems in which you can learn more about the island's history, or you can visit the ancient Minoan site of Knossos. Hania has a beautiful old Venetian quarter.

Highlights of Crete

• The Minoan civilization, flower of Bronze Age Crete, endures in palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, and Malla.
• Samaria Gorge, 6 hours all the way down, is Europe's longest.
• At Matala, cliffs full of caves overhang the waves of the Libyan Sea.
• Arab, Venetian, and Ottoman architecture mingle around the harbors of Rethymnon and Chania.
• Remains of Europe's last leper colony, Spinalonga, linger off the coast of Agios Nikolaos, Crete's most sophisticated resort town.

Dodecanese Islands

Whitewashed walls, deep blue sky, olive groves, fig trees, azure Aegean waters...the heavenly Dodecanese Islands have all this and more. In this diverse group of islands you can experience the traditional life without the tourist trappings.
This Dionysian group of islands is perched on the easternmost edge of the Aegean, where ancient history jumps out at you at every turn. Island-hop your way to heaven, or just indulge in a spot of people-watching in the bar and beach scene of the big resorts.
The Dodecanese is complex of over 163 islands and islets, of which only 26 are inhabited, situated at the most eastern part of Greece, at the borders of Europe. You will find here a wonderful blend of architectural styles of eastern and western cultures. Almost every island has its Classical remains, its Crusaders Castle, and its traditional villages. The most important are: Astypalea, Halki, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Kos, Leros, Lipsi, Patmos, Rhodes, Simi, Tilos

Full Day Tour of Kos Island
The perfect way to discover Kos Island. On your air conditioned tour you will explore the natural beauty of Kos. Visit Asklepeion, the windmill, Kefalos and Kardamena. Learn from your official guide everything from history to mythology on the island.

More KOS Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions from Viator

Karpathos - Tucked between Rhodes and eastern Crete, Karpathos feels exotic and has a spine of rugged mountains. To the south is the popular village of Pigadia. Brave the unpaved road north and discover the village of Olympos spilling down the mountainside.

Rhodes - Sparkles from beauty the island of Rhodes and charms its visitors of all world with the monuments and the cosmopolitan physiognomy. Each corner each village is dowered from the nature or the persons with so much fascinating talents that cannot than give birth of admiration, ecstasy and the awe.

Symi - A sleepy island near the Turkish coast, Symi is a day-tripdestination from Rhodes. It couldn't be more different from Faliraki, and its rugged beauty is well worth a few days' stay. Life centres around the pretty Yialos harbour, a string of 18th- and 19th-century houses, cafés and restaurants on the hillside around the bay.

Tilos - What this small island lacks in sandy beaches and classical ruins has saved it from the fate of more popular neighbours. The slow pace of Tilos and its varied landscape from the cliffs and rocky inlets of the coast to its oleander-crammed interior, are now an increasing draw.

Ionian Islands

Give into temptation and succumb to the lure of the idyllic Ionian group of islands - Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Kefallonia, Ithaki, Zakynthos and Kythira - far more lush than those barren Aegean islands, and tinged with a distinctly Venetian flavour.

Each island has its idiosyncrasies of culture and cuisine, and differing dollops of European and British influences. Their surfeit of charms include mountainside monasteries, Venetian campaniles, unspoilt villages, ancient olive groves, famous wines, white beaches and ludicrously blue-heaven waters.

Zakynthos - It is an island with innumerable natural talents and remarkable cultural offer. Its cultural presence becomes obvious through the monuments, the work of music, through the historical spaces and the distinguished forms of Solomos, Kalvos, Xenopoylos.

Corfu - The beauty of landscape, the important historical course, the artistic and cultural offer, are what maintains Corfu in the first places of preferences for Greek and foreigner tourists. Forests, gardens, beaches, mansions, squares, streets, museums, castles, monasteries, all these charm the visitors.

Cruise the Blue Lagoons of Corfu including Lunch An unforgettable sea and sun experience to the Greek mainland. Visit beautiful bays of azure blue water, picturesque villages and the amazing underwater world. You will feel like Odysseus returning to Ithaka, after a full day of unforgettable sights and sounds. More CORFU Sightseeing Tours Events & Attractions

Kefallonia - The biggest island in Ionian sea that offers in the visitor a lot of choices for his vacations with the immense variety of natural landscape of Kefalonia. Combines harmoniously the impressive coasts, the marvellous sandy beaches, the light blue colour of sea, deep green of fir.

Delphi

The Tholos Temple, Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia 

One hundred miles northwest of Athens, soaring high above the Gulf of Corinth, stands the holy mountain called Parnassus. Nestled amidst the pine forested slopes and rocky crags of the sacred peak are the beautiful and exceptionally well-preserved ruins of Delphi. A city of wondrous artistic achievements and grand athletic spectacles during the flowering of Greek culture in the first millennium BC, Delphi is best known, however, as the supreme oracle site of the ancient Mediterranean world. more ...

Meteora

The monasteries of Meteora are one of the most extraordinary sights in mainland Greece. Built into and on top of huge pinnacles of smooth rock, the earliest monasteries were reached by climbing articulated removable ladders. Later, windlasses were used so monks could be hauled up in nets, a method used until the 1920s.

The monasteries provided monks with peaceful havens from increasing bloodshed as the Byzantine Empire waned at the end of the 14th century.

Apprehensive visitors enquiring how often the ropes were replaced were told 'When the Lord lets them break'. These days access to the monasteries is by steps hewn into the rocks and the windlasses are used only for hauling up provisions.

Northeastern Aegean Islands

There are seven major islands in the northeastern group: Samos, Chios, Ikaria, Lesvos, Limnos, Samothraki and Thasos. Huge distances separate them, so island hopping is not as easy as it is within the Cyclades and Dodecanese. Most of these islands are large and have very distinctive characters. Samos, the birthplace of philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, is lush and humid with mountains skirted by pine, sycamore and oak-forested hills. Egg-shaped Samothraki has dramatic natural attributes, culminating in the mighty peak of Mt Fengari, which looms over valleys of massive gnarled oak and plane trees, thick forests of olive trees and damp dark glades where waterfalls plunge into deep icy pools.

Samos - The birthplace of the goddess Hera and Pythagoras, Samos is steeped in history. It is increasingly popular with tourists but it's still easy to escape the crowds. Don't miss the archaeological museum in Vathy, which houses the largest known standing kouros.

Ikaria - The birthplace of Dionysus is quirky, charming and renowned for its odd timekeeping - shops stay open into the early hours. Ikaria's hot springs have long lured visitors, but the island's unspoilt rural charm is best enjoyed by the idyllic beach at Livadia.

Peloponnese

Greece's southern peninsula is rich in history and scenically diverse. Packed into its northeastern corner are the ancient sites of Epidaurus, Corinth and Mycenae. The ghostly Byzantine city of Mystras clambers up the slopes of Mt Taygetos, its winding paths and stairways leading to deserted palaces and fresco-adorned churches.

Saronic Gulf Islands

The five Saronic Gulf islands are the closest of all to Athens, and Salamis is virtually a suburb of the capital. Aegina, Hydra, Spetses and Poros are all surprisingly varied in architecture and terrain, but they all receive an inordinate number of tourists and are expensive. Hydra, once the rendezvous of artists, writers and beautiful people, is now overrun with holiday-makers but manages to retain an air of superiority and grandeur. Motor vehicles, including mopeds, are banned from the island: donkeys rule.
These islands are all within an hour or two from Athens by Flying Dolphin, which makes them not only convenient for day trips, but Aegina, Poros and Agistri can be used as a place to stay while commuting to Athens to see the sites. There are many ferries a day and Hydrofoils can run hourly or more.

Aegina - was a city state in it's own right in ancient times, and at times a visible thorn in the side of classical Athens. Aegina is a nice day trip from Athens. Take the ferry rather then the Flying Dolphin (hydrofoil) so that you can relax and enjoy the scenery of the short trip...

Angistri - is a small island near Aegina with beautiful sandy beaches and a devoted following. Angistri is famous for being one of the first places in Greece to experiment with naturalism, (or in plain English it was one of the first islands to have a nudist beach)...

Hydra - is perhaps the most beautiful port village in all of Greece. A tiny harbor ringed with cafes, restaurants and gold shops is surrounded by a village of stone houses and villas that rise up the hills like an amphitheatre. But one of the best things about Hydra is that there are no cars. Everything is moved by donkey, including groceries, building supplies, people and their luggage. Hydra is the former home of Leonard Cohen and stomping grounds of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Pink Floyd and many other famous and not so famous people. Hydra is a little expensive, but not as much as Mykonos and there are still bargains to be found on the back streets in the way of food, hotels and entertainment.

Sporades

There are four inhabited islands in this mountainous and pine-forested northern archipelago: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos and Skyros. They are all heavily touristed and expensive. People go to Skiathos for the exquisite beaches and the nightlife; if you're there for anything else, you'll probably leave quickly. Skopelos is less commercialised than Skiathos, but is following hot on its trail. There are some lovely sheltered beaches, but they are often pebbled rather than sandy. Alonnisos is still a serene island, partly because the rocky terrain makes building an airport runway impossible. The water around Alonnisos has been declared a marine park and consequently is the cleanest in the Aegean. Every house has a cesspit, so no waste goes into the sea. Skyros is less developed than the other three, designed to attract posers rather than package tourists.

Alonissos - Alonissos and the small islets that are surround constitute a dreamed bunch of flowers full natural beauties and offer shocking experiences.

Skyros - East of Evia in the northern Aegean, this is a gem. Traditional charm meets legend where Achilles is said to have had a hideaway. You need determination to reach Skyros, but its remoteness has preserved the peace of the place. No wonder the island draws the yoga crowd.

Skopelos - On the western edge of the Aegean, Skopelos is idyllic postcard Greece. The coast is craggy but the interior is green. You'll find a near-Eden-like arrangement of orchards, olive groves and fig trees near the centre of the island.

Cyclades Islands

Cyclades islands are a group of islands of varying sizes scattered over the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Some of them are well-known both to the public at large and the international 'jet-set', while others remain little known and scarcely figure on the tourist scene. taken as a whole, they make ideal holiday destination for visitors of the varied tastes. A fusion of stone, sunlight and sparkling sea, the Cyclades lie to the east of the Peloponnese and south-east of the coast of Attica; they stretch as far as Samos and Ikaria to the east, and are bounded to the south by the Cretan Sea.

According to the most likely tradition, they owe their name to the notional circle which they appear to form around the sacred isle of Delos. The Cyclades have exercised a powerful charm since ancient times, even though access to them was not particularly easy.

Folegandros - In its setting of bare hills dotted with almond and pepper trees, tiny Folegandros moves at a slow place. It is also home to one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades, Hora, its medieval kastro crowded with bougainvillea-draped homes.

Milos - Set in the west Cyclades, Milos has volcanic origins. Geologically dramatic, with strange rock formations and hot springs, this mining island has only recently sought to attract tourists. Even in the peak season, in the goat-nibbled west of the island you may actually get a beach to yourself.

Sifnos - A monotonous grey landscape of rock, broken up here and there by a gleaming white chapel, is the first impression made on visitors as the ferry draws into the harbour. But this gives them no idea of the beauty spots waiting to be discovered inland, which, together with the island’s superb architecture, rank it among the jewels of the Aegean.
On a plateau six kms from the port, you will encounter a unique spectacle; the whole of the plateau with its olive trees is covered with sparkling white villages which virtually blend into one another. This sight is unique in the Cyclades.
The island was famous in ancient times for the wealth, which came from its gold and silver mines and the quarries of Sifnos stone. It enjoyed great prosperity in classical times, as can be seen from its Treasury, dedicated to Apollo at Delphi.

Tinos - The third-largest of the Cyclades islands is known as the Holy Island, and hailed as the Lourdes of the Aegean. It is a pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians honouring the Virgin Mary. On 15 August, don't miss the spectacular celebrations for the Feast of the Assumption.