697 Best Sights in Greece

The thick, well-preserved walls of this 14th-century fortress look out over the sweeping Aegean and Kos's green interior. Antimacheia was another stronghold of the Knights of St. John, a military order of crusading monks, whose coat of arms hangs above the entrance gate. After numerous fierce attacks by the Ottomans in the late 15th century, the Knights eventually retreated from Kos in 1523 after the fall of Rhodes to the same opposition. Within the walls, little of the original complex remains, with the exception of two stark churches; in one of them, Agios Nikolaos, you can make out a primitive fresco of St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus.

Just a short walk from Trypiti, the early Christian catacombs consist of 126 vaulted graves carved into the soft volcanic rock, linked by a series of tunnels. Some 5,000 bodies were buried in the three corridors that stretch back 200 meters (656 feet), making these the largest catacombs in Greece. The earliest known Christian site in Greece, they are thought to date from the 1st century AD, when St. Paul was shipwrecked on Milos. Look out for inscriptions left by grave robbers, intrepid visitors, and marauding pirates who etched their names into the walls over the years.

Built by Marco Sanudo, Venetian founder of the Duchy of the Aegean, in the 13th century, this grand cathedral was restored by Catholic families in the 16th and 17th centuries. The marble floor is paved with tombstones bearing the coats of arms of the noble families. Venetian wealth is evident in the many gold and silver icon frames. The icons reflect a mix of Byzantine and Western influences: the one of the Virgin Mary is unusual because it shows a Byzantine Virgin and Child in the presence of a bishop, a cathedral benefactor. Another 17th-century icon shows the Virgin of the Rosary surrounded by members of the Sommaripa family, whose house is nearby.

In the 19th century, King Otto returned this 13th-century landmark—restored and converted into a mosque under the Turks—to Nafplion's Catholics. The church is best known for the wooden arch erected inside the doorway that has the names of philhellenes (Greek admirers) who died during the War of Independence carved on it—the British poet Lord Byron is number 10. A mihrab (Muslim prayer recess) behind the altar and the amputated stub of a minaret are evidence of the church's use as a mosque. The church also has a small museum and an underground crypt in which can be found sculptural work commemorating the defeat of the Turks at the hands of the Greeks and philhellenes.

Set on a hill above the nearby village of Lassi, this small chapel hides a narrow cave that is filled with offerings. This is said to be where St. Gerasimos, patron saint of the island, lived in the mid-16th century before traveling to the nearby valley of Omala to rebuild its monastery.

In the 19th century the most famous sight in the Aegean was the cave of Antiparos, and it still draws many visitors every year. Greece's oldest known cave sits on the southeastern part of Antiparos. It's filled with shapely stalactites and stalagmites of which the oldest is said to be 45 million years old. The natural wonder was first discovered by a French ambassador in the 17th century and myths, legends, and stories have been associated with it along the way. You'll need to take exactly 411 steps down into the cave's 100-meter-deep (328-foot-deep) core to explore. Look for Lord Byron's autograph among many graffitied on the stalactites. Audio tours are available. Outside is the church of Agios Ioánnis Spiliótis, built in 1774.

This impressive, stalactite-rich cavern is one of a few places in Crete that claim to be the birthplace of Zeus, king of the gods, and where he was reared in secret, out of reach of his vengeful father, Kronos. The approach to the cave, once a Minoan sanctuary and now the plateau's most popular tourist attraction, is on a steep path from the large parking lot on foot.

Picturesquely located in the dry-moat outer defenses of the New Fortress, Corfu's public market is laid out in an attractive, traditional design. The stalls showcase local produce, specifically fruits and vegetables (some of it ecologically grown), fresh fish, and local foodstuffs like olives, dry pulses, wine, and packaged goods. Two sandwich bars in the central "square" provide coffee and lunch fare at lower costs than in town.

The capital is home to over half the island's population, and the heart of Chios life lies in the narrow lanes just behind the port. In the morning, merchants hawk everything from car windscreen wipers and skimpy underwear to kitchen utensils in the streets around the central vegetable market.

Livanos, Karas, Chandris, Onassis: many of the world-famous shipping families were based or born on Chios. Exquisite ship models and portraits of vessels that have belonged to Chios owners over time celebrate the sea-based heritage of the island. One exhibit highlights the Liberty ships and others constructed during World War II that contributed to Greece's booming postwar shipping industry.

A 15-minute walk or two-minute drive back toward Paros Town from the Valley of Butterflies leads to the convent known as Christos sto Dasos (Christ in the wood), from where there's a marvelous view of the Aegean. The convent contains the tomb of St. Arsenios (1800–77), who was a schoolteacher, an abbot, and a prophet. He was also a reputed rainmaker, whose prayers were believed to have ended a long drought, saving Paros from starvation. If you want to go in, be sure to wear long pants or skirt, and a shirt that covers your shoulders, or the sisters will turn you away.

The largest and most impressive church on Zakynthos is named after the island's patron saint and is bedecked in impressive frescoes and giltwork. It was completed in 1948 yet miraculously escaped significant damage during the earthquake of a few years later. Locals naturally saw this as a sign. Its namesake saint, Dionysios, was born on Zakynthos but spent much of his life on a monastery on Strofades, some 40 km (25 miles) off its coast, where he was first buried. His body is displayed here in the church and a procession of his relics is held on August 23 and December 17.

This church built in 1838 incorporates in its walls fragments of ancient blocks from a temple that apparently stood on this site and is surrounded by a plaza paved in an intricate mosaic, fashioned from inlaid pebbles.

This post-Byzantine three-aisle basilica is, by tradition, linked to St. Anastasios, a Nafpliote painter. Anastasios was reportedly engaged to a local girl, but he abandoned her because she was "immoral." Becoming despondent as a result of spells cast over him by her relatives, he converted to Islam. When the spells wore off, he cried out, "I was a Christian, I am a Christian, and I shall die a Christian." An Ottoman judge ordered that he be beheaded, but a Turkish mob stabbed Anastasios to death before that could happen. His corpse was then allegedly hanged on an ancient olive tree that rises next to the church and which never again bore fruit. The basilica was the main Orthodox church during the Venetian occupation and has an elaborate wooden reredos carved in 1870.

Built in 1588 and consecrated 50 years later, this elegant cathedral was erected to provide a grand place of worship for Corfu Town's Catholic occupiers. If you use the Italian name, San Giacomo, locals will know it. When it was bombed by the Nazis in 1943, the cathedral's original Neoclassical facade of pediments, friezes, and columns was practically destroyed; only the bell tower remained intact. It's now been restored. Mass takes place daily at 7 pm in high summer and at 10:30 am on Sunday. Across the road is a former Venetian-built theater. Note the carvings and bas-reliefs on the walls.

Founded in 1643 as a monastery, the Church of the Dormition has since been dissolved and the monks' cells are now used to house municipal offices and the small ecclesiastical museum "Agios Makarios Notaras." The church's most noticeable feature is an ornate, triple-tier bell tower made of Tinos marble, likely carved in the early 19th century by traveling artisans. There's also an exquisite marble iconostasis.

The suburb of Anemomilos is crowned by the ruins of the Paleopolis church and by the 11th-century Church of Agios Iason and Agios Sosipater. It was named after two of St. Paul's disciples, St. Jason and St. Sosipater, who brought Christianity to the island in the 1st century. The frescoes are faded, but the icons are beautiful, and the exterior is dramatic among the unspoiled greenery. It's open most mornings. This is one of only two Byzantine churches on the island; the other is in the northern coastal village of Agios Markos.

This sunken church, part of which is (as the name would suggest) below ground level, is an example of 14th-century Macedonian ecclesiastical architecture, with a decorative mix of brick and stonework and a dome thrusting upward. Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mother, it was later dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior.

A graceful building with a beautiful bell tower probably predates the Knights of St. John, though the bell tower bears the arms of Grand Master d'Aubusson with the dates 1484–90. Frescoes in the elaborate interior were painted in 1779 by Gregory of Symi, and the black-and-white hohlaki pebble floor is typical of the area.  Visitors are required to dress modestly (covered chests and legs).

The Kambos district is famed as one of the most fertile orchard regions of Greece—orange and lemon groves set behind stone walls are almost given the status of museums and landmarks. It is only fitting that the owners of the Perleas Mansion hotel have opened this especially fragrant estate to showcase the history of citrus products on the island and entice visitors with a shop and delightful café selling citrus-inspired sweets. The estate buildings are handsome, centered on a farm where English-language placards explain the layout and workings of a historic citrus estate, and sturdy stone barns and houses are set with putty-green window shutters. The bucolic grounds are replete with a folkloric-painted watermill, grazing animals, and a picturesque arbor.

Remains of the classical city are scattered throughout the modern one, and you can see in a small area the extensive ruins of the Roman bath, odeon (a roofed theater), and agora, or market. The theater is especially striking, and its well-preserved seats climb a hillside.

Located on the seashore at the foot of Paleokastritsa's monastery headland, this aquarium is home to a large number of aquatic species—crustaceans, starfish, and sea snails as well as fish—mostly native to Corfu's waters and the wider Mediterranean. The thrilling reptile room boasts boas, pythons, iguanas, and even a crocodile. The ticket price includes an informative guided tour lasting around 30 minutes. You can book a concessionary dual ticket to the aquarium and on the Yellow Submarine tours at this location. The aquarium has its own beachside café for a drink after the tour.

Little Kambos (population 222) is the unlikely setting for a contemporary art gallery. A giant steel dragon snakes its body around the former schoolhouse-turned-museum next to the childhood home of Costas Tsoclis, a renowned international artist. The museum operates as a living space for culture and creativity and hosts performances throughout the summer months.

Chania's colorful folklife museum is bursting at the seams with farm equipment, tools, household items, wedding garb, and a wealth of other material reflecting the island's traditional heritage. Staff can often be seen stitching silk scenes depicting rural Greek life.

An old village house in Agios Georgios stands as it was when generations of farmers lived here. The living quarters and stables, along with the delightful assemblage of simple furnishings, embroidery, and tools, provide a chance to see domestic life as it was for many residents of the plateau. Next door is a small exhibition devoted to the politician and statesman El Venizelos, a Crete native.

Spread over 5,000 square meters (53,820 square feet), this is one of the biggest aquariums in Europe and is home to 2,000 marine creatures and represents 200 different species. Octopuses, turtles, shoals of fish, and even a shark or two can be seen in the well-lit tanks. Created by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, there is a scientific backing to the attraction, and guides are experts in their fields.

Founded in 2002, the Cultural Foundation of Tinos, housed in a large and splendid Neoclassical building at the south end of the quay, remains active in promoting the splendid art, history, and culture of the island. The center revolves around a full schedule of traveling exhibitions, lectures, performances, and other events. It has a permanent exhibit of work by Tinian sculptor, Iannoulis Chalepas. There’s also a nice café with harbor-front views.

While most sun worshippers head to Emblisi Beach, the real find of this area lies a short stroll from the village of Antipata, just a few kilometers from Fiskardo. From there, park your car and follow the signs 800 meters (½ mile) to the shore, strolling through sun-dappled cypress forests. This leads to a tiny white-pebbled inlet crested by trees. In the corner lies a small cave in which monk seals have been known to rest, and you'll only ever see a few other people here at most. There aren't any facilities, but that's the point: a wild beach escape away from the masses. Savor it. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming.

Ships dock at the modern harbor, Dapia, in Spetses Town. This is where the island's seafaring chieftains met in the 1820s to plot their revolt against the Ottoman Turks. A protective jetty is still fortified with cannons dating from the War of Independence. Today, the town's waterfront strip is packed with cafés, and the navy-blue-and-white color scheme adopted by Dapia's merchants hints of former maritime glory. The harbormaster's offices, to the right as you face the sea, occupy a building designed in the simple two-story, center-hall architecture typical of the period and this place.

This rocky outcropping, where Homer is said to have taught his pupils, stands just above the port of Vrontados, 4 km (2½ miles) north of Chios Town. Archaeologists think an ancient altar to Cybele once stood on the rock, while below is a small, pebbled beach with shallow, warm waters ideal for musing about how the blind storyteller might have spoken here of the fall of Troy in The Iliad.