697 Best Sights in Greece

This Byzantine and Frankish structure incorporates remnants of classical walls and was later expanded by the Turks and Venetians. Even in its diminished state, it takes your breath away. You also still can see sections of the original Mycenean walls that date back to the acropolis on which the castle was later built. You can drive almost to the entrance (we don't recommend walking from town—it's about 3 km [1½ miles] of winding roads), and the grounds provide an unsurpassed view of the Argive plain.

A kilometer-long seaside promenade skirts the Nafplion Peninsula. It is paved with flagstones and opens every so often onto pretty terraces planted with rosebushes and olive and cedar trees. Halfway along lies the tiny church of the Virgin Mary, or Agia Panagitsa, which once hid one of Greece's "secret schools," where pupils were reputedly taught Greek history and culture during the Ottoman occupation. You'll also find steps to Arvanitia Beach, which is a lovely place for a dip but be careful if you go swimming because the rocks are covered with sea urchins, which can inflict a painful wound. Directly above the beach, starting at the car park, a forested path wraps its way for 4 km (2½ miles) around the coast to the sands of Karathona, passing umpteen stretches of wild rocky shore along the way; it makes a wonderfully shaded and scenic stroll.

Hippocrates began to teach the art of healing on Kos in the 5th century BC, attracting health seekers to the island almost up to the time of his death, allegedly at age 103, in 357 BC. This elaborate, multitier complex dedicated to the god of medicine, Asklepios, was begun shortly after Hippocrates's death, and flourished until the decline of the Roman Empire as the most renowned center of healing in the Roman-Hellenic world. The lower terrace probably held the Asklepieion Festivals, famed drama and dance contests held in honor of the god of healing. On the middle terrace is an Ionic temple, once decorated with works by the legendary 4th-century-BC painter Apelles, including his renowned depiction of Aphrodite (much celebrated in antiquity, it was said the artist used a mistress of Alexander the Great as a model). On the uppermost terrace is the Doric Temple of Asklepios, once surrounded by colonnaded porticoes.

Construction of Assos Castle began in 1593. At the time the island's fortified center, Agios Georgios, was deemed too central by its Venetian rulers, so this was built to provide backup against pirate raids to the north. Sadly, very little survives today of the original structure except 2 km (1 mile) of outer walls, remnants of the old barracks, and two of its original gates. Earthquakes have destroyed much of it. The clamber up to the ruins is best done in the morning. It's a steep climb with a choice of two routes: a shorter stony path that wraps the northern coast of the peninsula, and a winding paved trail that faces back toward the village. The former has the better views but is less shaded, so is best done on the way up if setting off early. Set aside at least two hours for the whole endeavor. If you want to explore farther, follow the path to the peninsula's northernmost tip, passing an old prison farm that was built in the 1920s and was still in use until 1953. A small village existed within the castle walls up until the 1960s, cultivating olive trees and living off the land. The last resident was said to have left in 1968.

This fascinating museum of regional paintings and sculptures showcases the outstanding art collection amassed by politician and intellectual Evangelos Averoff (1910–90), whose effect on Metsovo is still lauded today. The 19th- and 20th-century paintings depict historical scenes, local landscapes, and daily activities. Most major Greek artists, such as Nikos Ghikas and Alekos Fassianos, are represented. One painting known to all Greeks is Nikiforos Litras's Burning of the Turkish Flagship by Kanaris, a scene from a decisive battle in Chios. Look on the second floor for Pericles Pantazis's Street Urchin Eating Watermelon, a captivating portrait of a young boy. Paris Prekas's The Mosque of Aslan Pasha in Ioannina depicts what Ioannina looked like in the Turkish period. There is also a children's art room where fidgety youngsters can create masterpieces set for the kitchen fridge.

Greece's oldest private museum received a spectacular addition in 2004, with a hypermodern new branch that looks like it was airlifted in from New York City. The imposing Neoclassical mansion in the posh Kolonaki neighborhood was turned into a museum in 1926 by an illustrious Athenian family and was one of the first to place emphasis on Greece's later heritage at a time when many archaeologists were destroying Byzantine artifacts to access ancient objects. The permanent collection (more than 20,000 items are on display in 36 rooms, and that's only a sample of the holdings) moves chronologically from the ground floor upward, from prehistory to the formation of the modern Greek state. You might see anything from a 5,000-year-old hammered-gold bowl to an austere Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary to Lord Byron's pistols to the Nobel medals awarded to poets George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis. Some exhibits are just plain fun—the re-creation of a Kozani (Macedonian town) living room; a Karaghiozi shadow puppet piloting a toy plane—all contrasted against the marble and crystal-chandelier grandeur of the Benaki home. The mansion that serves as the main building of the museum was designed by Anastassios Metaxas, the architect who helped restore the Panathenaic Stadium. The Benaki's gift shop, a destination in itself, tempts with exquisitely reproduced ceramics and jewelry, some with exciting contemporary design twists. The second-floor café is on a generous veranda overlooking the National Garden. A couple of blocks away is the Benaki Ghika Gallery, at 3 Krietzou Street, dedicated to the painter Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika The seaside Kouloura mansion in Palaio Faliro is dedicated to toys, the annex at 138 Pireos Street in the Gazi-Keremeikos neighborhood displays avant-garde temporary exhibitions, while behind Kerameikos Cemetery stands the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art.

Known as "the oldest house in Athens," this Byzantine mansion was once the home of the prestigious Benizelos Paleologou family, and Athens's patron saint Agia Filothei (1522–89). Filothei dynamically sought to protect and secretly educate women and the poor, while engaging in diplomatic affairs in her effort to oust the occupying Ottomans, who eventually killed her. Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, the space with its lovely marble-arched courtyard, a fountain, and remains of a Roman wall is now a folk museum of sorts, presenting visitors with how people of that caliber lived. There is also a screening room to watch a short documentary about the family and the Byzantine era.

Boats cast off from almost every harbor along the eastern side of the island to reach the twinkling waters of the Blue Caves. These trips typically combine a visit to Shipwreck Beach, but you'll find cheaper, faster there-and-back commutes (€15 per person) from Cape Skinari on the northern tip of the island. Once there, the glinting reflections seen within the tall white archways are best witnessed in the morning, when the sunlight refracts off the water at just the right angle. Many trips include the opportunity to get out and swim or snorkel in and around the caves.

In front of a small park is Bouboulina's House, now a museum, where you can take a 45-minute guided tour (available in English) and learn about this interesting heroine's life. Laskarina Bouboulina was the bravest of all Spetsiot revolutionaries, the daughter of a Hydriot sea captain, and the wife—then widow—of two more sea captains. Left with a considerable inheritance and nine children, she dedicated herself to increasing her already substantial fleet and fortune. On her flagship, the Agamemnon, the largest in the Greek fleet at the time, she sailed into war against the Ottomans at the head of the Spetsiot ships. Her fiery temper led to her death in a family feud many years later. It's worth visiting the mansion, which is run by her fourth-generation grandson, just for the architectural details, like the carved-wood Florentine ceiling in the main salon. Tour times (in groups of up to 35 visitors) are posted on the museum website, in front of the museum, and in announcement boards at the port of Dapia.

This remarkable two-floor museum is a testament to the resilience of the island. Most of the ecclesiastical artworks here date from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and were rescued from more than 100 churches across the island after the 1953 earthquakes tore through the land. Entire frescoes, woodcarvings, iconostases, and religious artworks by key artists from the Ionian School of painters (Doxaras, Koutouzis), who flourished in the post-Renaissance, all survive here. Last entry is 30 minutes before the official closing time.

This medieval quarter, part of a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site, is an atmospheric labyrinth of narrow winding streets, steep stairways, and secretive little squares. Laundry lines connect balconied Venetian palazzi, engraved with the original occupant's coat of arms, to Neoclassical 19th-century buildings constructed by the British. Small cobbled squares with central wells, watched over by old churches, add to the quiet, mysterious, and utterly charming urban space. If you enter, you're almost sure to get lost, but the area is small enough that eventually you'll come out on one of Corfu Town's major streets or on the sea wall.

This is a lavish restoration of a 3rd-century Roman mansion, with 40 rooms grouped around three atriums. It was likely partially destroyed in the earthquake of 365 AD, though its south section continued to be inhabited until the early Christian period. The house provides a look at what everyday life of the well-to-do residents of the Roman town might have been like and also has some beautiful frescoes and mosaics. The Greek and Roman ruins that surround the house are freely accessible, however, and are just as evocative.

Though it's not in Glossa, the village marks an easy setting-off point for checking out this 18th-century marvel, perched dramatically atop a rocky outcrop that juts out at sea, flanked by verdant mountains. Two hundred or so uneven steps that encircle the outcrop lead you up the monolith, and when you get there, you'll find the tiny chapel of Agios Ioannis surrounded by a few veteran olive trees. Inside are a handful of painted frescoes, and candles that visitors can light to pay respect. Legend has it, the chapel was built to protect the island from pirates. Famously, the church was the setting of Sophie's wedding in the 2008 movie Mamma Mia!

The mastic shrub has dominated Chios life, economy, culture, and destiny for centuries, and its role is explained in depth in well-designed exhibits in a stunning glass, stone, and wood pavilion overlooking a wide sweep of mastic groves. Aside from learning about how the valuable resin is cultivated and processed, you will see artifacts and photographs of village life and learn about the tumultuous history of the island, including times when hoarding even a sliver of mastic gum was a crime punishable by death.

Built in 1596, this church is the tallest on the island, thanks to its distinctive red-domed bell tower, and it's filled with silver treasures. The eponymous saint's remains—smuggled here after the fall of Constantinople—are contained in a silver reliquary in a small chapel; devout Corfiots visit to kiss the reliquary and pray. The silver casket is carried in procession through the town four times a year. Spyridon was not a Corfiot but a shepherd from Cyprus, who became a bishop before his death in AD 350. His miracles are said to have saved the island four times: once from famine, twice from the plague, and once from the invading Ottomans. During World War II, a bomb fell on this holiest place on the island but didn't explode. Maybe these events explain why it seems every other man on Corfu is named Spiros. If you keep the church tower in sight, you can wander as you wish without getting lost around this fascinating section of town. Agiou Spyridonos, the street in front of the church, is crammed with shops selling religious trinkets and souvenirs.

Mykonians claim that exactly 365 churches and chapels dot their landscape, one for each day of the year. The most famous of these is the Church of Panagia Paraportiani. The sloping whitewashed conglomeration of four chapels, mixing Byzantine and vernacular idioms, looks fantastic. Solid and sober, its position on a promontory facing the sea sets off the unique architecture, and it is said to be one of the most photographed churches in the world.

Mercifully the church is one of the very few buildings which survived the earthquake, with just a few cracks visible on the outside. It was built in the 12th century, though the frescoes on the inside depicting the Twelve Apostles—reformed here in 1964 from a demolished nearby church—are dated to the 17th century.

It may seem a bit incongruous to admire Ming pottery in an ornate British colonial palace as the Ionian Sea shimmers outside the windows, but this elegant, colonnaded, 19th-century Regency structure houses the Museum of Asian Art, a notable collection of Asian porcelains, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, Indian sculpture, and Tibetan temple art. The building was constructed as a residence for the Lord High Commissioner and headquarters for the order of St. Michael and St. George; it was abandoned after the British left in 1864 and renovated about a hundred years later by the British ambassador to Greece. After visiting the galleries, wander in the shady courtyard behind the palace, where you may have trouble tearing yourself away from the fairy-tale view of the lush islet of Vido and the mountainous coast of Albania.

The British occupation (1809–64) of Kefalonia transformed Argostoli, reshaping its layout and building infrastructure. One of the most lasting legacies is the bridge built in 1813 by Charles Philip De Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British Army. Constructed to connect Argostoli to the village of Drapano, it spans what was once the Kouvatos Lagoon, a swampy area of land rife with mosquitoes, separating the Fanari Peninsula from the mainland. Its original wooden structure was reconstructed in stone in 1842 and has been reinforced over the years due to earthquake damage, yet it remains in service today. Partway across, look out for the "Kolona" obelisk rising out of the water, erected in 1813 by the Kefalonian Parliament. Its inscription, "To the glory of the British Empire," was symbolically erased when the Greeks took back control of the island in 1865—it has repeatedly changed over the years, reflecting local sentiments. The walk makes for a bracing, and now record-breaking, stroll—since this was named the world's longest (690 meters [2,264 feet]) stone sea bridge in 2018.

This tiny 5-km-long (3-mile-long) island was once considered the most sacred place in the known world and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Fabled as the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis, it is a testament to Greece's glorious ancient civilization and home to one of its most important archaeological sites. First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, the sanctuary reached its glory in the Classical period as pilgrims from all over paid tribute to Apollo. To preserve its sacred importance, births and deaths on the island were forbidden and yet a population of 30,000 crammed onto the island as it became the main trading center of the eastern Mediterranean. Today the island is uninhabited, but it is easy to imagine the ancient society that once ruled here. You will find ruins of ancient temples, houses, an amphitheater, elaborate mosaics, and, of course, the acclaimed Avenue of the Lions statues. Hike to the summit of Mt. Kynthos 113 meters (370 feet) and you will be blessed with views of the surrounding islands that circle Delos. The trip from Mykonos is run by Delos Tours and takes 30 minutes. Boats leave at intervals during the day from the Old Port.  The island has no shade, so don't forget to bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water.

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).

Being at the base of sacred Olympus, Dion was a sacred city for the Macedonians, devoted primarily to Zeus and his daughters, the Muses. A city was built adjacent to the ancient city during the reign of Alexander. Unearthed ruins of various buildings include the villa of Dionysos, public baths, a stadium (the Macedonian Games were held here), shops, and workshops. The road from the museum divides the diggings at the archaeological site into two areas. On the left is the ancient city of Dion itself, with the juxtaposition of public toilets and several superb floor mosaics. On the right side are the ancient theaters and the sanctuaries of Olympian Zeus, Demeter, and Isis. In the latter, which is a vividly beautiful approximation of how it once looked, copies of the original statues, now in the museum, have been put in place.

Vestiges of two of ancient Greece's important cosmological and cultural institutions, divining and drama, are here—you can see the space of the ancient oracle and the superbly preserved and impressive theater. As you enter the archaeological site, you pass the stadium on your right, built for the Naïa games and completely overshadowed by the theater on your left. One of the largest and best preserved on the Greek mainland, the theater once seated 17,000; it is used for summer presentations of ancient Greek drama. Its building in the early 3rd century BC was overseen by King Pyrrhus of Epirus. The theater was destroyed, rebuilt under Philip V of Macedon in the late 3rd century, and then converted by the Romans into an arena for gladiatorial games. Its retaining wall, reinforced by bastions, is still standing. East of the theater are the foundations of the bouleuterion (headquarters and council house) of the Epirote League, built by Pyrrhus, and a small rectangular temple dedicated to Aphrodite. The remains of the acropolis behind the theater include house foundations and a cistern that supplied water in times of siege.

The remains of the sanctuary of Zeus Naios include temples to Zeus, Dione (goddess of abundance), and Heracles; until the 4th century BC there was no temple. The Sacred Oak was here, surrounded by abutting cauldrons on bronze tripods. When struck, they reverberated for a long time, and the sound was interpreted by soothsayers.

A 4-km (2½-mile) drive from Sami, this 150-million-year-old cave was only discovered after a land collapse which revealed its entrance. Earthquakes and trophy-seeking tourists have since damaged its more impressive stalactites but its geology and luminescent blue waters remain a compelling sight, especially its 900-square-meter Chamber of Exaltation, which has also been known to double as a concert venue on occasion.

The ghost village of Eleousa (formerly Campochiaro) is one of many vanity projects built under Italian rule (1912–43). The central island was useful to the Italians for its resources and agricultural potential, so villages such as the one here were created in the 1930s to accommodate workers shipped in from northern Italy. Roads were built to link it to the capital and other prefab towns, and an official residence was created for the island's governor. Like everything the Italians did on Rhodes, it was a show of power designed to promote their fascist ideology to locals. It didn't last. Under a new governor, the village became a military outpost and a prison for Greek insurrectionists. When Italy surrendered in 1943 during World War II, it lost control of the islands and the last Italian families here disappeared. In later years the town was renamed Eleousa and its abandoned buildings used as a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients, but even this fell out of use by the 1970s. Today, its eerie vision of Italian "greatness" provides a remarkable glimpse into a strange past.

Take the vaulted passageway from St. George's Monastery courtyard to this ruined church, the former seat of the bishop of Skyros, built in AD 895 on the ruins of a temple of Athena. The complex was the center of Skyros's religious life from 1453 to 1837. It has recently undergone some restoration works, with new signage detailing its long and sometimes bizarre history. You can continue up to the summit from here.

The island's best-known and most beautiful monastery sits on Skiathos's highest point and was dedicated in the late 18th century to the Annunciation of the Virgin by the monks of Mt. Athos. It encouraged education and gave a base to revolutionaries, who pledged an oath to freedom and first hoisted the flag of Greece here in 1807. Looming above a gorge, and surrounded by fragrant pines and cypresses, the monastery has a high wall that once kept pirates out; today it encloses a ruined refectory kitchen, the cells, a small museum library, and a magnificent church with three domes. Fascinating still, it houses the wooden loom that wove the very first Greek flag. A gift shop sells the monastery's own Alypiakos wine, olive oil, locally made preserves, and Orthodox icons. A café on a hill next to the monastery serves drinks and snacks, with stupendous views of the surrounding mountains and ocean. In summer, a bus goes to and from the monastery seven times a day from the main bus station in Skiathos Town, where the bus times are advertised.

A perch on Palouki Mountain provides views of the sea and the town. The impressive complex was founded in 1676 and completely rebuilt in 1712 by Ioannis Grammatikos, who believed he was saved from execution by an 11th-century icon of the Virgin. The miraculous object is housed in the church, with an intricately carved iconostasis. It's a short drive from Skopelos Town, but a hike up the quiet, pine-fringed roads and across mountains patched with olive groves offers a serene excursion. Stop by a stone fountain midway for refreshment—the mineral mountain water is safe to drink. It's worth calling ahead of your visit to check the changeable opening times.

Built after Greek Independence by a wealthy family (who still owns the museum), this house is one of the most impressive in Skyros Town and is nearly overflowing with rare books, costumes, photographs, paintings, ceramics, local embroideries, Greek statues, and other heirlooms. Of particular note are the embroideries, which are famed for their flamboyant colors and vivacious renderings of mermaids, hoopoes (the Skyrians' favorite bird), and mythical human figures whose clothes and limbs sprout flowers. The top treasure among the museum's historical documents is a handwritten copy of the Proclamation of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire.

This summit includes Lofos Mousson (Hill of the Muses), whose peak offers the city's best view of the Parthenon. Also there is the Monument of Filopappus, depicting a Syrian prince who was such a generous benefactor that the people accepted him as a distinguished Athenian. The marble monument is a tomb decorated by a frieze showing Filopappus driving his chariot. In 294 BC a fort strategic to Athens's defense was built here, overlooking the road to the sea. On the hill of the Pnyx (meaning "crowded"), the all-male general assembly (Ecclesia) met during the time of Pericles. Originally, citizens of the Ecclesia faced the Acropolis while listening to speeches, but they tended to lose their concentration as they gazed upon the monuments, so the positions of the speaker and the audience were reversed. The speaker's platform is still visible on the semicircular terrace. Farther north is the Hill of the Nymphs, with a 19th-century observatory designed by Theophilos Hansen. He was so satisfied with his work, he had servare intaminatum ("to remain intact") inscribed over the entrance.