697 Best Sights in Greece

This one-aisle basilica with a dome (1702) has a special place in Greek history: it was in its doorway that the statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first head of the newly independent Greek state, was assassinated in 1831 by the Mavromichalis brothers from the Mani, the outcome of a long-running vendetta. The mark of the bullet can be seen next to the Venetian portal. On the south side of the square, opposite St. Spyridon, are two of the four Turkish fountains that remain in Nafplion. A third is a short distance east on Kapodistria Street, at the steps that constitute the upper reaches of Tertsetou Street.

Beautiful and picturesque, Agios Stefanos is a tiny chapel built into a cave right above the sea. An hour walk from Galissas with views to Finikas and beyond, it was built by a fisherman who prayed to the saint to help him after being entangled in the tentacles of a giant octopus. Twice a year—August 19 and December 26—celebrations are held and after the liturgy attendees are offered loukoumi, the local sweet.

Farms and a few tavernas and small hotels line the steep downhill road to the seaside, where fragrant pines meet cool and crystal clear water. There's a simple canteen that serves snacks and refreshments, and a lifeguard stand. Nearby, prehistoric walls, a watchtower, and an unplundered grave suggest that this was the site of an important prehistoric settlement. The beach is among the busiest on Skopelos; but it's lots of fun for families. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (no fee); showers. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

Stop a moment and contemplate the statue of the stern Spartan leader. During the Second Persian War in the 5th century BC, with 30,000 Persians advancing on his army of 8,000, Leonidas, ordered to surrender his weapons, was said to have jeered, "Come and get them." For two days he held off the enemy, until a traitor named Efialtes (the word has since come to mean "nightmare" in Greek) showed the Persians a way to attack from the rear. When forced to retreat to a wooded knoll, Leonidas is said to have commented, "So much the better, we will fight in the shade." His entire troop was slaughtered and an icon was born. Today his likeness adorns everything from wines to T-shirts, to the tattooed arms of young Greek men.

If this cove at the northern end of the Akrotiri Peninsula, about 15 km (9 miles) east of Chania, looks familiar, you may recognize it as the location of the 1964 movie Zorba the Greek. The onetime fishing village has grown a bit since then but it's still a charming place, especially with this white-sand beach on a lagoon backed by a steep mountain (it was here that Zorba did his Sirtaki dance); a slightly wilder, less crowded beach is just to the west. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Within walking distance of Tinos Town, this beach is a peaceful little corner of Tinos. One or two tavernas are nearby, but Stavros beach is really known for its fine sand and its beautiful surroundings. The turquoise waters remain clear, and shady green trees dot the area surrounding Agios Stavros, the pretty whitewashed church that gave the beach its name. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming.

This long stretch of clean sand along a curving bay is undeniably the most popular beach in the Mani, though far from the quietest and most scenic spot in this rugged region. You'll share the company of frolicking young Greeks and sun-worshipping northern Europeans, but given that this is the Mani, it is still a relatively low-key beach resort, and it's quite possible to find a quiet stretch. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; swimming; walking.

As its name implies, this is where Antiparians head to watch their island's fantastic sunsets. Also known as Sifneiko as the neighboring isle of Sifnos can be seen in the distance, clear water and golden sand are guaranteed, but ideal beach weather is not—located on the west coast, the beach bears the brunt of the Cycladic winds that can stir things up. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

Young and wild, gay and straight: all head to Super Paradise to let loose, though the more sedate LGBTQIA+ crowd now head to Elia. The stunning sandy beach is one plus, but the beach bars and clubs truly dominate the scene. Summer months mean daily late-afternoon beach parties, where drinks and dancing rule. Hired bikini-clad models move to the beat to encourage a party atmosphere that includes people dancing everywhere and anywhere they can. For those not in the party mood (yet), umbrellas and sun beds can be rented and dining options are available for a meal; Super Paradise Rooms is right on the beach for those who need a place to crash. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets; showers; water sports. Best for: partiers.

"The Lions," a stately marble Renaissance fountain, remains a beloved town landmark. It is the heart of Heraklion's town center—on Eleftheriou Venizelou Square, a triangular pedestrian zone filled with cafés and named after the Cretan statesman who united the island with Greece in 1913. The square is also known simply as Ta Liontaria or Plateia Liontarion and was the center of the colony founded in the 13th century, when Venice colonized Crete, and Heraklion became an important port of call on the trade routes to the Middle East.

What was once a summer retreat for the Greek royal family has, for decades, been slowly reclaimed by both the wild and wildfires. It's an unusual tale, even by Greek standards, and a setting that makes for a remarkable walk on the southeast slopes of Mt. Parnitha. The first piece of the estate was bought by King George I in 1871, who slowly built up the land around it and commissioned a mansion in the style of Russia's Peterhof Palace. Over the next century, the estate grew and grew as vineyards, a cemetery, stables, a pool, a hotel, and various buildings were added to its 10,000 acres. Then it all came to a halt. The abolition of the monarchy in 1974 preceded a long-running dispute over the estate's ownership and saw its buildings fall into neglect. Until recently, they were mostly boarded up and remained off-limits to visitors; now plans to develop them into a museum, spa, and hotel complex are supposedly taking shape. This part is off-limits as building work gears up, but at the time of writing, much of the surrounding area was still free to roam, even if it has suffered heavily from wildfires over the years. There is parking nearby to allow access, but that is the extent of the facilities; there are no cafés, toilets, or running water, just glimpses of what once was.

The black icon of archangel Michael is in the 17th-century monastery dedicated to the island's patron saint, Taxiarchis Michail. The gruesome legend has it that the icon was carved by a monk who used mud and the blood of his comrades, slain in an Ottoman attack, to darken it. Believers used to make a wish and press a coin to the archangel's forehead; if it stuck, the wish would be granted. Owing to wear and tear on the icon, the practice is now forbidden.

One of the great majesties of ancient Greek architecture, this site is isolated amid craggy, uncompromising scenery. Unfortunately, these days the temple looks more like the Sydney Opera House, thanks to a modernistic shed that has cocooned the structure in an attempt to prevent further weather damage during extensive ongoing restoration. The covering destroys the sense of place that was so important to this temple, which sits in miles of empty, hilltop fields. For many years it was believed that this building was designed by Iktinos, the Parthenon's architect. Although this theory has recently been disputed, Bassae remains one of the best-preserved classical temples in Greece, superseded in its state of preservation only by the Hephaistion in Athens. The residents of nearby Phygalia built it atop an older temple in 420 BC to thank Apollo for delivering them from an epidemic; epikourios means "helper." Made of local limestone, the temple has some unusual details: exceptional length compared to its width; a north–south orientation rather than the usual east–west (probably because of the slope of the ground); and Ionic half columns linked to the walls by flying buttresses. Here, too, were the first known Corinthian columns with the characteristic acanthus leaves—only the base remains now—and the earliest example of interior sculptured friezes illustrating the battles between the Greeks and Amazons (now in the British Museum). Climb to the summit northwest of the temple for a view overlooking the Nedhas River, Mt. Lykaeon, and, on a clear day, the Ionian Sea.

At this temple just outside the main part of town, young Spartan men underwent krypteia (initiations) that entailed severe public floggings. The altar had to be splashed with blood before the goddess was satisfied. Traces of two such altars are among sparse vestiges of the 6th-century BC temple; the larger ruins are the remains of a grandstand built in the 3rd century AD by the Romans, who revived the flogging tradition as a public spectacle. This is a pretty rough-and-ready site, with ample information plaques but little in the way of guides or a museum.

Constructed 100 years before the Parthenon circa 530 BC, the temple is made of Naxian marble with Doric columns and was restored by German and Greek archaeologists during the 1990s. Demeter was a goddess of grain and the harvest, and it seems fitting to find her in this beautiful, fertile spot. There is also a small museum here displaying objects found at the site.

The 25-minute walk here from the village is splendid.

Begun in the 6th century BC, this gigantic temple was completed in AD 132 by Hadrian, who also commissioned a huge gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus for the inner chamber and another, only slightly smaller, of himself. Only 15 of the original Corinthian columns remain, but standing next to them inspires a sense of awe at their bulk, which is softened by the graceful carving on the acanthus-leaf capitals. The site is floodlit on summer evenings, creating a majestic scene when you turn round the bend from Syngrou Avenue. On the outskirts of the site to the north are remains of Roman houses, the city walls, and a Roman bath. Hadrian's Arch lies just outside the enclosed archaeological site.

The home of Stratis Eleftheriadis, better known by his French name, Teriade, houses a luminous collection of French art, much of which appeared in his highly influential Paris publications Minotaure and Verve. Among the works on display are lithographs done for the publisher/collector/critic by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Rouault, Giacometti, and Miró. The house is set among the olive trees of Varia and is worth the detour; it is also home to the Museum of Theophilos.

If you're driving from Diakofto to Kalavrita, make a stop at Tetramythos. The winery attributes the high quality and refined flavor of its reds and whites to the location of its vineyards on the northern slopes of Mt. Helmos, which protects the grapes from hot winds. Tours and tastings are available year-round.

It was on this spot in the 6th century BC that the Dionysia festivals took place; a century later, dramas such as Sophocles's Oedipus Rex and Euripides's Medea were performed for the entire population of the city. Visible are foundations of a stage dating from about 330 BC, when it was built for 15,000 spectators as well as the assemblies formerly held on Pnyx. In the middle of the orchestra stood the altar to Dionysus; a fantastic throne in the center was reserved for the priest of Dionysus. On the hillside above the theater stand two columns, vestiges of the little temple erected in the 4th century BC by Thrasyllus the Choragus.

Sitting amid olive groves this dusty pink museum houses a large number of the eponymous artist's naive, precise neo-Hellenic works, detailing the everyday life of local folk such as fishermen and farmers, and polytheistic fantasies of another age. Theophilos lived in poverty but painted airplanes and cities he had never seen. He painted in bakeries for bread, and in cafés for ouzo, and walked around in ancient dress. For a time, he lived inside a tree that can be seen in the hamlet of Karini.

These hot springs are just east of town on the Gulf of Gera and include both indoor and outdoor pools and tubs, a spa, and an outdoor café. There are delightfully warm waters that cascade from marble spouts to provide a soothing massage, but best of all, soakers can emerge from the tubs onto a beach for a refreshing dip in the waters of the gulf—perfect for those who have spent a sleepless night on an overnight ferry.

This moody box of experimental and conceptual art, inside a remodeled warehouse on Thessaloniki's port, features a wide range of new-media art and video installations. It showcases some of the most exciting young Greek artists around and hosts cutting-edge, temporary exhibitions.

A short walk from the main road, marked by a sign, three caverns are bored into the hillside. The largest of them, the Cave of the Nymphs, is 91.4 meters (300 feet) deep. Now blocked off from entry, this is where the world-famed Parian marble was mined—the marble of the Acropolis, of the Temple of Poseidon, of Venetian palaces, and of monuments all over the world. The Venus de Milo, Nike of Samothrace, and countless other masterpieces all began here.

This appealing sandy beach sits on the north coast, 13 km (8 miles) west of Kos Town. Like Mastichari, it comprises little more than a long strip of mid-market resort hotels catering mainly to vacationing Brits and Germans, behind a sweep of (often windswept) sand. Inland lie cattle pastures, fields, and citrus groves. Beachgoers can enjoy the amenities of some of the more built-up sections. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This beautiful site, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, has variously operated as both a convent and monastery; right now, being the latter. Besides being unusual in design, its church contains some outstanding 14th-century triptychs, an enamel tile floor, and an iconostasis spanning four centuries (half was carved in the 14th century, half in the 18th century). A small on-site shop sends some religious decorations and handmade wares. Call ahead as opening days and hours vary.

Escape the crowds by trekking to the Tomb of Kleoboulos, which is incorrectly named after Lindos's 6th-century-BC poet and sage; it's actually the final resting place of a wealthy family of the 1st and 2nd century BC. After about 3 km (2 miles), a 30-minute scenic walk on a stony path across the headland (on the north side of Lindos Bay), you encounter the small, rounded stone tomb. You can peer inside and see the candle marks, which testify to its later use as the Church of St. Emilianos, or admire the dramatic views of Lindos and Vlycha Bay all around you. The walk is the attraction as much as the tomb itself.

Built late-17th century and restored in 1802 by revolutionary Spyridon Markellos, this pink-ocher tower served as headquarters for Ioannis Kapodistrias’s provisional government during the 1826–28 War of Independence. Now owned by the municipality, the Tower of Markellos houses the Kapodistrian Cultural Center and opens only for occasional art shows and lectures.

Ouranoupolis was settled by refugees from Asia Minor in 1922–23, when the Greek state expropriated the land from Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos. The settlement, known as Prosforion, was until then occupied by farming monks, some of whom lived in the Byzantine Tower of Prosforion, its origins dating from the 12th century. The tower subsequently became the abode of Joice and Sydney Loch, a couple who worked with Thessaloniki's noted American Farm School to help the refugees develop their rug-weaving industry. The tower was burned, altered, and restored through the centuries. Now it's a breezy and open place to take in the view on a sweltering day. Take a lovely 6-km (4-mile) hike to the Zygou Monastery. Now in ruins, it can be explored in its entirety and is a fine example of a Byzantine monastery unique to Mt. Athos.

From this survivor of the city walls, you can see the city spread out below you in a graceful curve around the bay, from the suburbs in the east to the modern harbor in the west and, on a clear day, even Mount Olympus, rising near the coastline at the southwest reaches of the bay. There is, however, little of historic interest to see within the walls.

On the hill of Panagitsa, on the left along the road that runs to the citadel, lies this most imposing example of Mycenaean architecture. The construction of this huge tholos (or beehive tomb) took place around 1250 BC, contemporary with that of the Lion Gate, during the last century of Mycenaean prominence. Like other tholos tombs, it consists of a passageway cut into the hillside that was built of huge squared stones. The passage leads into a vast domed chamber. The facade of the entrance had applied decoration, but only small fragments have been preserved, and traces of bronze nails suggest that similar decoration once existed inside. The tomb was found empty, already robbed in antiquity, but it must at one time have contained immensely valuable artifacts. Pausanias wrote that the ancients considered this to be the Tomb of Agamemnon, the king of the Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War, and the treasury is still often referred to as such.