35 Best Sights in Attica and Delphi, Greece

After a square surrounded by late-Roman porticoes, pass through the main gate to Ancient Delphi and continue on to the Sacred Way, the approach to the Altar of Apollo. Walk between building foundations and bases for votive dedications, stripped now of ornament and statue, mere scraps of what was one of the richest collections of art and treasures in antiquity. Thanks to the 2nd-century-AD writings of Greek geographer Pausanias, archaeologists have identified treasuries built by the Thebans, the Corinthians, the Syracusans, and others—a roster of 5th- and 6th-century-BC powers. The Treasury of the Athenians, on your left as you turn right, was built with money from the victory over the Persians at Marathon. The Stoa of the Athenians, northeast of the treasury, housed, among other objects, an immense cable with which the Persian king Xerxes roped together a pontoon bridge for his army to cross the Hellespont from Asia to Europe.

The Temple of Apollo visible today (there were three successive temples built on the site) is from the 4th century BC. Although ancient sources speak of a chasm within, there is no trace of that opening in the earth from which emanated trance-inducing vapors. Above the temple is the well-preserved theater, which seated 5,000. It was built in the 4th century BC, restored in about 160 BC, and later restored again by the Romans. From a sun-warmed seat on the last tier, you see a panoramic bird's-eye view of the sanctuary and the convulsed landscape that encloses it. Also worth the climb is the view from the stadium still farther up the mountain, at the highest point of the ancient town. Built and restored in various periods and cut partially from the living rock, the stadium underwent a final transformation under Herodes Atticus, the Athenian benefactor of the 2nd century AD. It lies cradled in a grove of pine trees, a quiet refuge removed from the sanctuary below and backed by the sheer, majestic rise of the mountain. Markers for the starting line inspire many to race the length of the stadium.

Visiting this museum is essential to understanding the site and sanctuary's importance to the ancient Greek world, which considered Delphi its center (literally—look for the copy of the omphalos, or Earth's navel, a sacred stone from the adytum of Apollo's temple). The museum is home to a wonderful collection of art and architectural sculpture, principally from the Sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronoia.

One of the greatest surviving ancient bronzes on display commands a prime position in a spacious hall, set off to advantage by special lighting. Known as the Charioteer (said to be scaled to life), it was created around 470 BC and its human figure is believed to have stood on a terrace wall above the Temple of Apollo, near which it was found in 1896. It was part of a larger piece, which included a four-horse chariot. Scholars do not agree on who executed the work, although Pythagoras of Samos is sometimes mentioned as a possibility. The donor is supposed to have been a well-known patron of chariot racing, Polyzalos, the Tyrant of Gela in Sicily. Historians now believe that a sculpted likeness of Polyzalos was originally standing next to the charioteer figure. The statue commemorates a victory in the Pythian Games at the beginning of the 5th century BC. Note the eyes, inlaid with a white substance resembling enamel, the pupils consisting of two concentric onyx rings of different colors. The sculpture of the feet and of the hair clinging to the nape of the neck is perfect in detail.

Two life-size Ionian chryselephantine (ivory heads with gold headdresses) from the Archaic period are probably from statues of Apollo and his sister Artemis (she has a sly smirk on her face). Both gods also figure prominently in a frieze depicting the Gigantomachy, the gods' battle with the giants. These exquisitely detailed marble scenes, dated to the 6th century BC, are from the Treasury of the Siphnians. The caryatids (supporting columns in a female form) from the treasury's entrance have been repositioned to offer a more accurate picture of the building's size and depth. The museum's expansion also allowed curators to give more space to the metopes, marble sculptures depicting the feats of Greece's two greatest heroes, Heracles and Theseus, from the Treasury of the Athenians. The museum also has a pleasant outdoor café (weather permitting).

Sacked by Crusaders, inhabited by Cistercian monks, and desecrated by Turks, this UNESCO World Heritage site remains one of the most splendid Byzantine monuments in Greece. Dating mostly from the 11th century (the golden age of Byzantine art), the church contains a series of miraculously preserved mosaics without parallel: powerful portraits of figures from the Old and New Testaments, images of Christ and the Virgin Mary in the Presentation of the Virgin, and, in the golden dome, a stern Pantokrator ("ruler of all") surrounded by the 16 Old Testament prophets who predicted his coming. The mosaics, made from chips of four different types of marble, are set against gold. An ongoing long-term restoration project makes it hard to see some of the mosaics, but this doesn't take away much of the awe inspired by the craftmanship of the Byzantine masters.

Part of the joy of this thousand-year-old monastery is its setting: wrapped by the green foothills of Mount Parnassos. It takes its name from Luke (Loukas) the Hermit—not the evangelist who wrote a book of the New Testament but a medieval oracle who originally founded a church at this site and lived here until his death in AD 953. The monastery was later founded by the emperor Romanos II in AD 961, in recognition of the accuracy of Loukas's prophecy that Crete would be liberated by an emperor named Romanos.

The katholikon, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, was built in the 11th century over the tomb of Luke. It follows to perfection the Byzantine cross-in-a-square plan under a central dome and was inspired by the Agia Sophia in Constantinople; in turn, it was used as a model for both the Monastery of Daphni and Mystra churches. Impressive mosaics in the narthex and in portions of the domed nave are set against a rich gold background and done in the somber but expressive 11th-century hieratic style by artists from Thessaloniki and Constantinople. Particularly interesting are the reactions evident on the faces of the apostles, which range from passivity to surprise as Christ washes their feet in the mosaic of Niptir, to the far left of the narthex.

In the second niche of the entrance is a mosaic showing Loukas sporting a helmet and beard, with his arms raised. The engaging Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, and the Baptism of Christ mosaics are on the curved arches that support the dome. Two priceless icons from the late 16th century, Daniel in the Lion's Den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Flames of the Furnace, by Damaskinos, a teacher of El Greco, were stolen a few years back from the white marble iconostasis in the little apse and have been replaced with copies.

The tomb of Osios Loukas is in the crypt of the katholikon; his relics, formerly in the Vatican, were moved here in 1987, making the monastery an official shrine. A highlight of the complex, evocatively clinging to a pine-scented hillside, is the Theotokos (Mother of God), a small communal church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, on the left as you enter. On the periphery are the monks' cells and a refectory, now restored, which has been used as a sculpture museum since 1993. To visit you must wear either long pants or a skirt. Bring a small flashlight to help see some of the frescoes.

Start your tour of Ancient Delphi in the same way the ancients did, with a visit to the Sanctuary of Athena. Pilgrims who arrived on the shores of the Bay of Itea proceeded up to the sanctuary, where they paused before going on to the Ancient Delphi site. The most notable among the numerous remains on this terrace is the Tholos (Round Building), a graceful 4th-century-BC ruin of Pentelic marble, the purpose and dedication of which are unknown, although round templelike buildings were almost always dedicated to a goddess. By the 2nd millennium BC, the site was already a place of worship of the earth goddess Gaia and her daughter Themis, one of the Titans. The gods expressed themselves through the murmuring of water flooding from the fault, from the rustle of leaves, and from the booming of earth tremors. The Tholos remains one of the purest and most exquisite monuments of antiquity. Theodoros, its architect, wrote a treatise on his work: an indication in itself of the exceptional architectural quality of the monument. Beneath the Phaedriades, in the cleft between the rocks, a path leads to the Castalian Fountain, a spring where pilgrims bathed to purify themselves before continuing. (Access to the font is prohibited because of the danger of falling rocks.) On the main road, beyond the Castalian Fountain, is the modern entrance to the sanctuary.

The best public beach in the north of Attica, just beyond Marathon, is this long, sandy, pine-backed stretch called Schinias. It's crowded with Athenians on the weekend, has a few simple tavernas along the sand and quite a lot of beach bars, and is frequently struck by strong winds that windsurfers love in summer. A dirt-and-sand track skirts the pine groves behind the beach, providing access to some relatively remote stretches. Campers like to settle in the Schinias forest during the summer, taking care not to disturb its precious natural habitat, which is environmentally protected. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Although the columns at the Temple of Poseidon appear to be gleaming white from a distance in the full sun, when you get closer you can see that they are made of gray-veined marble, quarried from the Agrileza valley 2 km (1 mile) north of the cape, and have 16 flutings rather than the usual 20. Climb the rocky path and beyond the scanty remains of an ancient propylon (gateway), you enter the temple compound. On your left is the temenos (precinct) of Poseidon; on your right, a stoa (arcade) and rooms. The temple itself, now roped off, was commissioned by Pericles, the leader of Greece's golden age. It was probably designed by Ictinus, the same architect who helped design the Temple of Hephaistos in the ancient Agora of Athens, and was built between 444 and 440 BC. The people here were considered Athenian citizens, the sanctuary was Athenian, and Poseidon occupied a position second only to Athena herself. The badly preserved frieze on the temple's east side is thought to have depicted the fight between the two gods to become patron of Athens.

The temple was built on the site of an earlier cult to Poseidon. Two colossal statues of youths, carved more than a century before the temple's construction, were discovered in early excavations and were perhaps votives to the god. Both now reside at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The 15 Doric columns that remain stand sentinel over the Aegean, visible from miles away. Lord Byron had a penchant for carving his name on ancient monuments, and you can see it and other graffiti on the right corner pillar of the portico. The view from the summit is breathtaking. In the slanting light of the late-afternoon sun, the landmasses to the west stand out in sharp profile: the bulk of Aegina backed by the mountains of the Peloponnese. To the east, on a clear day, one can spot the Cycladic islands of Kea, Kythnos, and Serifos. On the land side, the slopes of the acropolis retain traces of the fortification walls.

If you're lucky enough to be in Arachova for the festival on St. George's Day—April 23 (or the Monday after Easter if April 23 falls during Lent)—you're in for the time of your life. St. George the dragon slayer is the patron saint of Arachova, and the largest church on the top of the highest hill in town is dedicated to him. So, naturally, the festival here lasts three days and nights, starting with a procession from the church, in which the villagers don traditional clothes, many of them ornately embroidered silken and brocaded heirlooms that testify to the rich heritage of the town. The festival is kicked off in fine form with the race of the yeroi, the old men of the town, who are astonishingly agile as they clamber up the hill above the church without so much as a gasp for air. The following days are filled with athletic contests, cooking competitions, and, at night, passionate dancing in the tavernas until long after the goats go home. Visitors are welcome to partake of a feast held outside St. George (Agios Georgios) church that features Mt. Parnassus's legendary roast lamb and feta cheese and a steady flow of Arachova wine.

The cathedral, perched atop a hill above the harbor and Old Town, is named after the patron saint of sailors and possesses a beautifully carved 19th-century altar screen.

The town's longest stretch of beach is one of the most popular on the Riviera. The entrance fee has rocketed in recent years but gives you access to elegant wooden lounge chairs, white umbrellas, and shiny beach bars. Also on-site are basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts as well as a playground for pre- or post-swimming fun. There's also Wi-Fi and a first-aid station during the summer. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The town of Alimos has the nearest developed—and clean—beach to Athens. The so-called Akti Tou Iliou ("Sunshine Coast") extends over 60,000 square meters and has umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent, beach bars, a couple of tavernas, and one minimarket. Expect it to be packed over the hot summer months. There is an entry fee (slightly higher on weekends) for non-locals; sun beds start from around €2/€4 depending on whether it's a weekday or weekend. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The broad, sandy beach at Anavyssos is very popular with windsurfers (especially the stretch called Alykes), and it is usually pretty busy. There's a children's playground and beach volleyball courts, as well as sun beds and umbrellas for hire. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; windsurfing.

This sprawling, upmarket complex draws a hip young crowd as well as families with children, who enjoy different sides of the beach. It is built around a fine sand shore and landscaped grounds shaded by elegant pergolas, but the high-concept branding and glitz is just another attempt to glamorize (and monetize) the Riviera sands. On balance it offers a fair amount of facilities, including lounge chairs, umbrellas, pools, lockers, changing rooms, showers, trampolines, a playground, restaurants, bars, and water sports. Yet for the cost of €8 and the privilege of spending even more on high-priced drinks and food, it makes you yearn for simpler pleasures. The youthful Balux poolside café-club offers a spot to cool off on abundant pillows with a chilled coffee in hand or sip a cocktail long after sundown. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This beach club on the Laimos promontory is not just a place to get a tan; it's where you go to be seen. Yes, it is open to the public daily from 8 am to 9 pm, but its exclusive location has always commanded a hefty entrance fee (to the indignation of locals), which means its green lawns and sandy stretch are usually not so crowded. It is also home to a slice of ancient history. The 6th-century Temple of Apollo Zoster was discovered here when a couple of young boys from a nearby orphanage—which still exists—dug it up while playing in the sand in the early part of the 20th century. If that doesn't do it for you, a range of services (including shopping, dining, water sports, and yoga on the beach) are offered at an extra cost. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming. If you don't fancy paying €60, directly across the road is a small public beach where locals paddle in the water for free.

This small, two-room museum has some fascinating old black-and-white shots of traditionally dressed locals and festivals as well as examples of their clothing. Proceed behind the museum for access to the wonderfully moody-looking clocktower, which has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, having been leveled by earthquakes and Nazis alike. The view from above soars over the red-tiled roofs of this noble town and across to the spectacular gorge below.

This stretch of coast extends north from Vouliagmeni to Voula and is one of the more easily accessible free public beaches near the city. It has fine golden sand and is a good choice for families. There are a few modest cafés along the beach as well as some shops, while umbrellas and sun beds are available for rent. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The huge man-made reservoir formed by the Marathon Dam (built by an American company in 1925–31) warrants a visit solely to see the only dam in the world said to be faced with real marble. At the downstream side is a marble replica of the Athenian Treasury of Delphi. This is a main source of water for Athens, supplemented with water from Parnitha and the Boeotia region. Wonderful views glimpsed from the tall front windows help make this a perfect and refreshing stop on your way back to Athens from Schinias Beach.

Even if you're just drifting through, this small mineralogical museum is worth a stop to get a gist of the history of the area. Its 700 exhibits—including several rare and beautiful specimens of laurionite and azurite—are housed in a charming late-19th-century building once used by the French Mining Company to wash minerals. Coins made from the silver that the ancient Greeks mined around Lavrion are also on display.

On your approach to the Temple of Poseidon, there is a decent sandy beach at Legrena (a stop on the bus from Athens). The fine golden sand is reminiscent of the Cycladic islands, while an added bonus is the usual lack of crowds. A few miles before you arrive (from the west coast), look for the sight of the small island of Patroklos. It is uninhabited today, has ancient fortress ruins, and is said to belong to a wealthy Greek family. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

A "limanakia" isn't so much a place as a description. It means "small cove" in Greek, and these litter the coast south of Lake Vouliagmeni. They are especially popular among young Athenians, who go to sprawl on the hot rocks, cool off in the water, and then party in the evening. One in particular has gained something of a cult following in the city, geared around a popular bar called Lefteris Canteen—the bus south of Vouliagmeni even stops here. This is where you'll find the beautiful people, jazzed on coffee and their own sense of youthful invulnerability. A short walk east is a nudist cove. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: nudists; swimming.

Five rooms contain well-preserved objects from excavations in the area, ranging from neolithic pottery from the cave of Pan to Hellenistic and Roman inscriptions and statues (labeled in English and Greek). Eight larger-than-life sculptures came from the gates of a nearby sanctuary of Egyptian gods and goddesses. In the center of one of the rooms stands part of the Marathon victory trophy—an ionic column that the Athenians erected in the valley of Marathon after defeating the Persians. Next to the museum, the Middle Hellenic cemetery is well sheltered from the forces of nature and very visitor-friendly.

Medals, photos, and other memorabilia are an homage to the Athens Marathon, run since 1896, as well as other marathons around the world. The experience of a visit seems all the more poignant since the museum is near the site where the courier Pheidipiddes is said to have set off on his impressive feat of running 26 miles to Athens to bring home the news of victory over the Persians in 490 BC.

This 30-foot-high tumulus is built over graves containing the cremated remains of the 192 Athenians who died in the 490 BC battle against Persian forces. At the base, the original gravestone depicts the Soldier of Marathon, a hoplite, which has been reproduced here (the original is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens). The battle is plotted on illustrated panels.

Housed in an 1868 neoclassical building, this small collection includes paintings with nautical themes (though some are rather undercooked sketches) and many local artifacts from Greek ships and old sea captains' houses. There's nothing jaw-dropping, but you'll come away with a good background of the history of the village. There is also a small archaeological collection excavated from a series of ancient cemeteries and isolated tombs around Galaxidi on view.

This overgrown, isolated spot on a small promontory overlooks the sea between continental Greece and the island of Euboia. It is a bit off the beaten track but if you want to escape the crowds of Athens and make it a day trip together with a swim at nearby Schinias Beach, this is definitely worth the drive (especially if you have your own vehicle). From at least the Archaic period, Rhamnous was known for the worship of Nemesis, the great leveler, who brought down the proud and punished the arrogant. The scenic site, excavated during many years, preserves traces of temples from the 5th and 6th centuries BC. The smaller temple from the 6th century BC was dedicated to Themis, goddess of Justice. The later temple housed the cult statue of Nemesis, envisioned as a woman. Many fragments have turned up, including the head, in the British Museum. The acropolis stood on the headland, where ruins of a fortress (4th and 5th centuries BC) are visible. As you wander over the usually serene, and always evocative, site you discover at its edge little coves where you can enjoy a swim. You really need your own transport to visit, though a taxi from Marathon is pricey but worth it.

The coves at Rhamnous, approached via a rough road about 2,000 feet before the entrance to the archaeological site, are cozy and remote. These are favorite swimming spots of nudists and free campers, although the latter is technically forbidden. Beware of spiny sea urchins when swimming off the rocks from this pebbly beach. Amenities: free parking. Best for: nudists; solitude; walking.

This once-sacred site lies at the foot of an acropolis that used to protect the ancient settlement of Eleusis. Today it is hardly visible amid the buildings of the modern city of Elefsina (formerly Eleusis), but its role in Greek myth is undiminished. It was here that the goddess Demeter was said to have traveled in search of Persephone after the girl had been kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld. Zeus himself interceded to restore her to the distraught mother but succeeded only partially, giving the pair just half a year together.

In gratitude to King Keleós of Eleusis, who had given Demeter refuge in her time of need, Demeter presented his son, Triptolemos, with wheat seeds, the knowledge of agriculture, and a winged chariot so he could spread them to mankind. Keleós built a megaron (large hall) in the goddess's honor, which became the first Eleusinian sanctuary.

The worship of Demeter took the form of a series of mysterious rites, which were part purification and part drama but largely kept a secret from the rest of the ancient world. Both the Lesser and the Greater Eleusinian rituals closely linked Athens with the sanctuary in the form of a pilgrim trail: initiates would undertake a procession that followed the route of this Sacred Way (along an avenue still known as Iera Odos today) from Athens' Kerameikos to Eleusis. 

Much of what you see now in the sanctuary is of Roman construction or repair, although physical remains on the site date back to the Mycenaean period. Follow the old Sacred Way to the great propylaea (gates) and continue on to the Precinct of Demeter, which was strictly off-limits on pain of death to any but the initiated. The Telesterion (Temple of Demeter), now a vast open space surrounded by battered tiers of seats, dates to 600 BC, when it was the hall of initiation. It had a roof supported by six rows of seven columns, presumably so the mysteries would be obscured, and it could accommodate 3,000 people.

The museum, just beyond, contains pottery and sculpture, particularly of the Roman period. Although the site is closed at night, you can see the sacred court and propylaea from a distance thanks to special lighting by Pierre Bideau, the French engineer who also designed the lighting for the Acropolis in Athens and Paris's Eiffel Tower.

Since 1983, the primary objective of Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, has been to safeguard sea turtles and their habitats in Greece. At the Glyfada rescue center, housed in five disused train wagons donated by the Hellenic Railways, you can watch the team of volunteers in action (caring for turtles at the last stage of rehabilitation), lend a helping hand by bringing much-needed supplies, and learn about ongoing rescue efforts throughout Greece.

The tiny Sesi Beach is about 400 meters long and has a small canteen, while the main pebble beach has crystal clear waters, a couple of tavernas, and a beach bar. There are also a few smaller stretches of sand accessible on foot that are fairly private. Bring your own sun beds and umbrellas because there's nothing for rent here. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; swimming.

If you are spending the morning visiting the Temple of Poseidon, you might also want to take a swim on the free public beach just below it. It's a nice stretch of coast, even if the sun beds are far from free (two for €20 on weekdays; €30 weekends). This sandy strip—known locally as Kavokolones—can also become uncomfortably crowded in summer, but you can glimpse the temple from its waters. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: sunset; swimming.