697 Best Sights in Greece

Around the island's western tip are Agia Eleni and Krasa, facing the nearby Pelion Peninsula---once quiet and peaceful, they're now lined with development for the island's expanding tourism offer. The beaches are also known as Big and Little Banana on account of their crescent shapes. At the latter, sun worshippers often peel their clothes off—it's a popular naturist beach, as its rocky coves provide some privacy. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: nudists; sunset; swimming.

This monastery, set barely 5 km (3 miles) from Kalavrita, is of primary importance as the site where the revolution against Turkish occupation was officially declared on March 25, 1821—a day now marked across most of Greece as Greek Independence Day—in a small church to the right of the main entrance. The monastery itself has been destroyed countless times in its history by both occupying Turks and in 1943 when the German army once more burned it to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1950, and contains a number of paintings dating back to the 17th century as well as a diamond-decorated Gospel book donated by Catherine the Great.

Favored by fashionable Greek socialites, the mostly sandy beach at Agia Marina is the home of the elegant Paradise Beach Bar, tavernas, and many water-sports activities. Sun beds and umbrellas are available for a fee. It's a 20-minute walk from Spetses Town on a lovely coastal path; alternatively, you can hire a horse-drawn buggy from town to arrive in style, or you can come by caïque. Warning: this beach can get pretty busy during the summer months with a younger, party-loving crowd. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

The best sandy beach on the island, Agia Marina is popular with the parenting set, as the shallow water is ideal for playing children. A rockier stretch just north of the pier offers good diving and snorkeling. Tavernas and cafés line the bay, and the Apollo Resort Hotel is a short walk away. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

While following the seaside promenade, before you reach the very tip of the peninsula (marked by a ship's beacon), there is a little shrine at the foot of a path leading up toward the Acronafplia walls above. The tiny church of the Virgin Mary, or Agia Panagitsa, hugs the cliff on a small terrace and is decorated with icons. During the Turkish occupation the church hid one of Greece's secret schools.

Pine trees, a canteen, sun beds, and umbrellas line Agia Paraskevi, a sheltered and popular beach with a mostly sandy shore (and coarse pebbles in other parts). The beach gets fairly busy during the summer months, and if you don't manage to snag a sun bed (€15 for a pair), you can sun yourself on the rocks bordering the sandy beach, but be aware nudism around those spots is still permitted. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

The freely accessible 18th-century church of Agia Paraskevi has a flamboyantly decorated altar screen that's worth a peek. Note that July 26 is its saint's day, entailing a big celebration in which the church's silver icon is carried around the town in a morning procession, followed by feasting and dancing.

The founding date of this church, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the focal point of the city's Easter and Christmas celebrations, has been the subject of disagreements over the centuries. Ecclesiastics think it was built after the first Council of Nicea (AD 325), when Jesus was declared a manifestation of Divine Wisdom; other church historians say it was contemporaneous with the magnificent church of Agia Sofia in Constantinople, completed in AD 537, on which it was modeled. From its architecture the church is believed to date to the late 8th century, a time of transition from the domed basilica to the cruciform plan. The rather drab interior contains two superb mosaics: one of the Ascension and the other of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms. This latter mosaic is an interesting example of the conflict in the Orthodox Church (AD 726–843) between the iconoclasts (icon smashers, which they often literally were) and the iconodules (icon venerators). At one point in this doctrinal struggle, the Virgin Mary in the mosaic was replaced by a large cross (still partly visible), and only later, after the victory of the iconodules, was it again replaced with an image of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. The front gate is a popular meeting spot.

Lands at the northeast corner of the Akrotiri Peninsula, which extends into the sea from the east side of Chania, are the holdings of several monasteries, including Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) or Tzagarolon, as it is also known. The olive groves that surround and finance the monastery yield excellent oils, and the shop is stocked with some of the island's finest. Agia Triada is a peaceful place, where you can visit the flower-filled cloisters and the ornately decorated chapel, which dates from the monastery's founding in 1611. Today, just a handful of monks remain.

Another Minoan settlement that was destroyed at the same time as Phaistos by Mycenaean attackers is only a few miles away on the other side of the same hill. Agia Triada was once thought to have been a summer palace for the rulers of Phaistos but is now believed to have consisted of a group of villas for nobility and a warehouse complex. Rooms in the villas were once paneled with gypsum slabs and decorated with frescoes: the two now hanging in the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion show a woman in a garden and a cat hunting a pheasant. Several other lovely pieces, including finely crafted vases, come from Agia Triada and are now also on display in Heraklion, along with more Linear A tablets than at any other Minoan site. Though the complex was at one time just above the seashore, the view now looks across the extensive Messara Plain to the Lybian Sea in the distance.

The last beach on the eastern coast, this is where Marco Sanudo landed in 1207 to conquer the island from the Byzantines, burning his fleet so that there could be no way back. Sheltered from the winds and with a gently sloping seashore, today it is a paradise for families with small children. There are no facilities but two tavernas are close by. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; walking.

A clean and cosmopolitan beach, Agioi Anargyroi has a gently sloped seabed with deep waters suitable for snorkeling, waterskiing, and other water sports (rentals are available on-site). It is the island's best-known beach, 6 km (4 miles) away from town. You can also swim (or take a path) to beautiful Bekiris cave, a famous historical spot used by Greek revolutionaries as a hiding place during the 1821 revolution. Look for Taverna Manolis by the beach; nearby you can rent two sun beds and an umbrella for about €15 a day. There is also a pretty hotel (Acrogiali) right on the beach. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The oldest church in Kalamata is the small 13th-century Agioi Apostoli ("Holy Apostles"), dedicated to the Virgin of Kalamata ("of the good eye"), from whom the town may get its name. The Greek War of Independence was formally declared here on March 23, 1821, and a celebration is held at the church on that date every year. Even the square on which it lies, Martiou 23 (March 23rd), is named after this historic moment.

The fresco-embellished 12th-century church Agioi Apostoloi is a very small replica of the katholikon, or major church, at the Nea Moni Monastery. Cretan artist Antonios Domestichos created the 17th-century frescoes that completely cover the interior, and they have a distinct folk-art leaning.

Magnificent and covered in mosaics, this five-aisle basilica is Greece's largest church and a powerful tribute to the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It was rebuilt and restored from 1926 to 1949, with attention to preserving the details of the original; the marks left by a fire can still be seen throughout. In the 4th century, during the reign of Emperor Galerius, the young, scholarly Dimitrios was preaching Christianity in the coppersmith district, in contravention of an edict. He was arrested and jailed in a room in the old Roman baths, on the site of the present church. While he was incarcerated in AD 303, Dimitrios gave a Christian blessing to a gladiator friend named Nestor, who was about to fight Galerius's champion, Lyaios. When Nestor fought and killed Lyaios, after having made Dimitrios's blessing public, the enraged Galerius had Nestor executed on the spot and had Dimitrios speared to death in his cell. His Christian brethren were said to have buried him there. A church that was built on the ruins of this bath in the 5th century was destroyed by an earthquake in the 7th century. The church was rebuilt, and gradually the story of Dimitrios and Nestor grew to be considered apocryphal until the great 1917 fire burned down most of the 7th-century church and brought to light its true past. The process of rebuilding the church uncovered rooms beneath the apse that appear to be baths; the discovery of a reliquary containing a vial of bloodstained earth gave credence to the idea that this is where St. Dimitrios was martyred. You enter through a small doorway to the right of the altar. Work your way through the crypt (which tends to close a little earlier than the church itself), containing sculpture from the 3rd to 5th century AD and Byzantine artifacts. The church's interior was plastered over when the Turks turned it into a mosque, but eight original mosaics remain on either side of the altar.

The road south from Atsitsa deteriorates into a rutted track, nerve-racking even for experienced motorbike riders. If you're feeling fit and the weather's good, however, consider the challenging 6-km (4-mile) trek around the headland to Agios Fokas. There are three lovely white-pebbled beaches and a small taverna. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

This long sandy beach is the closest organized beach to Tinos Town, and it's also the island's largest beach overall. The coastline is marked with natural shade from tamarisk trees, but beach chairs and umbrellas are readily available for rent during the summer. The main road behind the beach has a gathering of beach hotels, rooms, and tavernas. There are also a few beach bars and cafés along its 1½-km (1-mile) stretch. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming; walking.

Head 11 km (7 miles) south of Antiparos Town to the calm, southeastern beaches of Agios Georgios. This series of small, fine-sand coves has a view of the uninhabited island of Despotiko. Here, three small fish tavernas sit on the edge of the tiny village road, overlooking the sea. Otherwise, what you see is what you get—a serene untouched landscape. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Essentially Naxos Town beach, the easily accessible Agios Georgios is a popular, developed destination that sees its throng of crowds during the peak summer months. Protected from summer winds, the sandy coastline edges up against shallow waters that make it ideal for kids. The bustle of the main town extends here; restaurants, tavernas, and café-bars are all within easy walking distance, with views of the sea. It's also an ideal beach scene to take in the sunset. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

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.

Served by the Kolymbithres boat, Agios Ioannis's golden, sandy beach is peaceful, clean, and quiet. Also known by locals as Monastiri Beach, it is protected by a rocky cove and has a pricy beach bar and numerous amenities. Nice, gently shelving waters are perfect for kids. The photogenic blue-domed, whitewashed Agios Ioannis Monastery sits to the right side of the beach, a short walk away. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.

One of the best places on Mykonos to catch the sunset is the pebble-and-sand beach of Agios Ioannis. Divided into two sections by large rocks, the waters usually remain calm but the summer winds can take their hold. The shallow bay is popular with families, and dining and lodging options are plenty, thanks to the whitewashed beach village that grew around it. The beach is also referred to as Shirley Valentine Beach, because the 1989 British movie of the same name was filmed here. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming.

As it is sheltered from the summer's temperamental gusty island winds, the sands that fill up the pretty curved beach of Agios Ioannis Porto Beach stay put. Here you can spend the day under tamarisk trees for natural shade or rent beach chairs and umbrellas during peak season. Its shallow waters and calm nature make it a choice beach for families. Several beach hotels are in close proximity and a few tavernas are nearby for a beach break. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

The beach strip just east of Plomari is backed by low-key hotels and tavernas. Though the setting is hardly remote, the sea washing onto the long stretch of golden sand is crystal clear. A bonus for swimmers and snorkelers is the bountiful sea life that flourishes on the rocky shelf just below the surface of the sparkling waters. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

The town's stone promontory is the site of the little 19th-century church, Agios Mamas—take your photos from a distance as the church is privately owned and often locked. Bring a swimsuit, as the beach here is great for a dip.

Agios Mamas is the protector of shepherds and is regarded as a patron saint in Naxos, Cyprus, and Asia Minor. Built in the 9th century, the stone church was the island's cathedral under the Byzantines. Though it was converted into a Catholic church in 1207, it was neglected under the Venetians and is now falling apart. You can get to it from Kato Potamia village.

This 13th-century church is named for Venice's patron saint, but, with its modern portico and narrow interior, it bears little resemblance to its grand namesake in Venice. Today it houses the changing exhibitions of the municipal art collection.

This huge, lofty cathedral, dating from 1895, can hold up to 8,000 worshippers, but is most lively on November 11, when Heraklion celebrates the feast of Minas, a 4th-century Roman-soldier-turned-Christian. Legend has it that on Easter Sunday 1826 a ghostly Minas reappeared on horseback and dispersed a Turkish mob ready to slay the city's Orthodox faithful.

Notably, few of Heraklion's inhabitants are named after Minas, which is unusual for a city's patron saint. The reason is that many years ago babies born out of wedlock were left on the steps of the church, and were named Minas by the clergy, who took these children in and cared for them. Thus, the name Minas came to be associated with illegitimacy.

As you approach from the sea, your first view of Aegina Town takes in the sweep of the harbor, with quaint Neoclassical buildings in the background, the lovely vista punctuated by the gleaming white chapel of Agios Nikolaos Thalassinos (St. Nicholas the Seafarer).

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.