697 Best Sights in Greece

For an island that doesn't really do public transport, Zakynthos makes a rare exception for its resort areas. There are regular buses between Tsilivi and Zakynthos Town, around 6 km (4 miles) away, during summer. That helps to make this one of the busiest stretches on the island, and you'll struggle to find an inch of its golden sands not subsumed by a sun bed or lobster-red British tourist. It also means it's well catered to, with umpteen bars, tavernas, and cafés surrounding the shore. Its waters accommodate Jet Skis, kayaks, banana boats, and paragliders. It's busy but you know what you're getting, and it's a good spot for those with little children, who will want for nothing. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming, walking.

For solitude and a dizzying view, pass through the upper town's wooden entrance gates, complete with the original iron reinforcement. Up the hill is a rare example of a domed octagonal church, Agia Sofia, founded in the 13th century by Emperor Andronicus II and patterned after Dafni Monastery in Athens. Under Venetian rule the Byzantine complex served as a convent. Follow the path to the highest point on the rock for a breathtaking view of the coast.

This is a sandy beach next to a picturesque harbor. The café/bar Aerides next to the beach rents sun beds and umbrellas, and serves coffee, drinks, and bites all day long. A few pine trees provide much-needed shade, and there's easy parking nearby. The taverna is also open during winter weekends, with lunch and dinner served by a fireplace. Look for an even quieter stretch of beach at the right side of the harbor. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

In this 19th-century mansion, furnishings, icons, and quotidian antiques from around the world make a fine showcase of the life and traditions of a local, high-standing family from a time when Skopelos was a hub for the well-traveled, politically influential, and highly cultured. Andigoni Vakratsa and her father were doctors who offered free medical services to the poor. Head upstairs to view the living room (it was used only for special occasions) where you can admire a traditional island engagement dress with its 4,000-pleat skirt.

In the back of their quaint Neoclassical house, the Vallindras family has supplied Naxos with kitron liqueur from their distillery since 1896. Before you take the free tour, sample various flavors and strengths of the Greek aperitif that is marked with a Protected Destination of Origin (PDO) status. In the distillery room, examine the century old copper equipment, which continues to produce the island's strong, traditional aperitif.

In 1981, the wreck of the Demetrius washed up on Valtaki Beach. There's no real consensus as to how and why: one popular story suggests that it was operated by cigarette smugglers, who torched it and set it loose when the police were tipped off as to their activities. Whatever its origins, 30 years after it first washed up here, it is something of a death trap. It could fall apart at any moment, so keep your distance, yet Greece has a penchant for pretty beaches with shipwrecks, and the shores here hold more than just curiosity value. Its sands are home to nesting loggerhead turtles, with entire areas cordoned off when they're in situ. The waters are also wonderfully clear for swimming, even if there are no facilities back on the shore. The Blue Flag sands of neighboring Selinitsa beach is perhaps more your speed if you'd prefer a cocktail with your horizon. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

One of Greece’s most prestigious rembetika (urban Greek folk music) artists, Markos Vamvakaris hailed from Syros, making this a fitting location for a museum in his honor. The composer is a legend in Greek folklore music hailing from the 1930s and is widely known for his rembetika songs, especially the Frangosyriani. In the little museum you’ll see many of his personal items, vintage photographs, and a passport he never managed to use, all donated by his family.

This T-shape isle is easily glimpsed from the mainland but may only be visited by boat. A lighthouse, built to replace the old 19th-century tower that was destroyed by Italian bombing in 1942, still stands here along with the ruins of two monasteries dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Trips usually stop to snorkel in the surrounding waters, where loggerhead turtles can sometimes be spotted, while a rough path on the island also makes for a fine walk. Boats here can be found in Lixouri and Argostoli.

The small beach's fine sand is protected from the sometimes harsh summer Cycladic winds, making its calm water a favorite with local families. Considered an organized beach, beach chair and umbrella rentals are available, and a street lined with tavernas and cafés is within walking distance for any visitors that need a good meal after a day of beach lounging. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming.

The monastery closest to Megalo Meteoro is the Varlaam, which sits atop a ravine and is reached by a climb of 195 steps. Originally here were the Church of Three Hierarchs (14th century) and the cells of a hermitage started by St. Varlaam, who arrived shortly after St. Athanasios. Two brothers from the wealthy Aparas family of Ioannina rebuilt the church in 1518, incorporating it into a larger katholikon called Agii Pandes (All Saints). A church document relates how it was completed in 20 days, after the materials had been accumulated atop the rock over a period of 22 years. The church's main attraction, the 16th-century frescoes—including a disturbing Apocalypse with a yawning hell's mouth—completely covers the walls, beams, and pillars. The frescoes' realism, the sharp contrasts of light and dark, and the many-figured scenes show an Italian influence, though in the portrayal of single saints they follow the Orthodox tradition. Note the Pantocrator peering down from the dome. These are the work of Frangos Katellanos of Thebes, one of the most important 16th-century hagiographers. Set around a pretty garden, other buildings include a chapel to Sts. Cosmas and Damien. By the large storerooms is an ascent tower with a net and a winch.

This fine-pebbled beach is reached from Varnavas village, north of Marathon. There is a lifeguard here during the summer months and a few tavernas nearby where you can enjoy a post-swim snack. It's a popular spearfishing spot. Amenities: food and drink; free parking. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

One of the better beaches close to Skiathos Town, Vassilias is lined by pine trees that lean thirstily toward the shallow seashore, providing shade under their aromatic branches. A rustic canteen and some beachside restaurants serve refreshments, outfitters offer all sorts of sea-based adventures, and rows of shaded sun loungers are lined up for rent. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This long stretch of sand could in itself put Lesvos on the map for beach lovers, yet it is often easy to find a patch all to yourself—the farther east you drive or walk from the settlement of Vatera, the more remote the setting becomes. The curving, southern exposure is idyllic and wind-free, and swimming is good for water enthusiasts of all ages. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

The name comes from the valanium (Roman bath) that once stood here on the coast due south of Skopelos Town. The bath has long since disintegrated under the waves, but the fresh spring water used for the baths still trickles out from a cave at the far end of the beach. To get here, follow the footpath that starts at Stafilos Beach, over the forested hill. This extra hike is seemingly off-putting to many beachgoers, keeping Velania isolated and quiet. Today it's broadly favored by nudists. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: nudists; snorkeling; solitude; sunrise; swimming; walking.

As you follow the harbor front east from the mosque, you come to a long line of Venetian arsenali (warehouses) from the 16th and 17th centuries, used to store wares and repair craft. Overall, there were 23—five in the Moro to the east, named after the general who commissioned them, 17 on the north shore of the harbor, and the Grand Arsenal separate to the west.

The seawalls swing around to enclose the harbor and end at the old lighthouse that stands at the east side of the harbor entrance; from here you get a magnificent view of the town, with the imposing White Mountains looming behind the animated harbor.

Rethymnon's small inner harbor, with its restored 19th-century 9-meter-tall (30-foot-tall) Egyptian lighthouse, comes to life in warm weather, when restaurant tables clutter the quayside and fishing craft and pleasure boats are crammed chockablock into the minute space.

Close to the port are the pedestrian paths of Antiparos Town, lined with shops, restaurants, and cafés. Farther up, the arched stonework entrance to the historical center, known as the camara, leads to the centuries-old Venetian Kastro, or castle, of Antiparos. Like other Cycladic islands, this architecture reflects the construction of fortresses built between the 13th and 16th century when Venetian and Ottoman influences took over the islands. You can walk the whitewashed streets of this small village, where Antiparians still live in small homes built on top of each other as one continuous block construction within the stone walls. There are also four churches within the settlement.

The carefully restored clubhouse of the local nobility is now enclosed in glass and houses the Archaeological Museum's shop, selling a selection of books and reproductions of artifacts from its collections. This remnant of Venetian rule is enhanced by the nearby Rimondi Fountain, just down the street at the end of Platanos Square, and is one of the town's most welcoming sights, spilling refreshing streams from several lions' heads. You'll come upon several other fountains as you wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets.

This scenic little gray-pebble beach west of Kamini is a good dive destination (ask at Enalion taverna) as well as a nice swimming spot for families due to its shallow waters. Sun beds and umbrellas can be rented from the beachfront tavernas. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

Famed for its perfect omega shape, pristine shore, and iris-blue waters, this is thought to be Homer’s "sandy Pylos," where Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, was welcomed by King Nestor when in search of his father. Just above the beach lies Paleokastro, Nestor’s Cave, and the tomb of Thrasymedes (Nestor’s son). Visitors come to wander the dunes, bake gently on the soft sands, and for bird-watching, but there isn't much in the way of facilities; you'll need to bring your own umbrella, towels, water, and food, and it requires driving a long winding road just to get to the shore. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

Tiny Volax is the most spectacular of the villages with a landscape that seems to be straight out of Lord of the Rings. Windswept and remote, the settlement is surrounded by hundreds of giant granite boulders. Smooth and weatherworn, geologists are still undecided as to their origin—are they the result of volcanic eruption, or meteorites that landed in prehistoric times?

This former mosque, built of carefully dressed gray stone, was where the Greek National Assembly held its first meetings, hence the name: Vouleftiko (parliament). The building dates from 1530, and legend has it that the lintel stone from the Tomb of Agamemnon was used in the construction of the large, square-domed prayer hall. Another story goes that it was built by a rich Turkish Aga in order to redeem his soul for the murder of two young men who had come to the city to find their father's treasure. The man stole the map and, years later, guiltily used the proceeds to build the mosque. Rather disappointingly, it is now used as a government conference center.

The part salt, part spring-fed warm waters of Vouliagmeni Lake make for a peaceful retreat. The lake is actually a subterranean cavern that collapsed and filled with water some 2,000 years ago. Its tunnels burrow deep into the mountain, stretching for thousands of kilometers, and are yet to be fully explored. Its waters are also reputed to have curative powers, and as you bathe, small fish nibble at your dead skin. As such, it's especially popular with older Greeks, though locals still bitterly recall a time when you didn't have to pay for the privilege. At the lakeshore beach, a dramatic, rocky backdrop provides one of the more exotic settings in Attica. You can rent umbrellas and sun beds, and even pay extra to recline in the absurd VIP "Prive" area, but we advise you don't. There are showers as well as a decent (if overpriced) café-restaurant. Most of the lake has a gradual slope and sandy bottom. Caution is recommended, however, as it deepens suddenly in parts. Head to the northern corner of the car park and you'll find a marked route (look for the red dots). Clamber the steep bank and this leads to a series of interconnecting dirt roads at the top that wrap the mountains around the lake and beyond. It's a great stroll.

Head down the coast road to Kalo Chorio and you will pass many small inlets and strips of sand. Stop at any that take your fancy or carry on to Voulisma, an organized beach with clear, sparkling water. Often compared to a tropical shoreline, the sea is just as warm and the sand just as golden. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers. Best for: swimming.

One of the most popular and busiest beaches on Skiathos has a party vibe, along with waterskiing, which is especially good in the afternoon when the sea usually calms to a lake-like smoothness. On the far end of the beach, away from the pulsating tunes and rumbling boat engines, there's space to lay out a towel and soak up the sun. There's also a decent little taverna. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming.

For a militaristic view of the Greek revolution of 1821, this museum unravels life under occupation and the many battles fought across the Argolid region that it took to liberate Greece from the rule of the Ottomans. Relics, uniforms, art, weapons and the usual military paraphernalia make up the bulk of the displays. Its scope runs all the way up to World War II, though its focus on cold, hard battles and facts leaves little room for nuance. Pair with a visit to the National Gallery for a more rounded view.

Tripoli has a proud revolutionary history, and the War Museum is a good place to see it firsthand. Besides the many, many guns and swords here, there are fine examples of early revolutionary life, from the dashing uniforms to the sporan-like pouches used by early-19th-century fighters to stash bullets and the lard required to load them. There is even an original copper death mask of the revolutionary general Theodoros Kolokotronis. Perhaps most interesting, though, is a photo of the female fighter Peristera Kraka, the "Mulan of Greece," who became the leader of a group of guerillas who fought the Turks after her brother was killed. Visitors are shown around by museum staff.

These open-access excavations, laced through a quiet residential district, have uncovered a portion of one of the main Roman streets and many houses, including the "House of the Europa" mosaic, and part of the Roman baths (near main Roman street) that was later converted into a basilica. The gymnasium is distinguished by its partly reconstructed colonnade, and the so-called Nymphaion is a lavish public latrine that has been restored. In the Odeon, 18 rows of stone seats remain intact. The site is always open, with free access, and significant finds are labeled.

In the Tampakika district, a former industrial area, are four restored windmills on a stone jetty. Two stories and 10 meters (33 feet) high, they are a relic of the tanneries that used to proliferate here, some of which lie abandoned nearby. A good ouzeri next door overlooks the sea, and it is a fine place to order a few meze plates and to take in the reminders of a former age with a glass of the aniseed liquor.

Follow the coast south from Vai, passing through the resort of Zakros, an important harbor and commercial center of Minoan Crete, and its ruins of a palace. The drive corkscrews down to Xerokambos, less of a destination and more of a series of stunning beaches. There are a couple of tavernas, a mini-market, and not much more except idyllic white sand and nothing between yourself and Africa apart from the warm Libyan sea. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; walking.