697 Best Sights in Greece

Some may see this giant water theme park as an example of how mass tourism has trashed Corfu's lovely landscapes. For thousands more, though, it's a great place to let kids have a day of fun in what is claimed to be the third-largest wave pool in the world. There are slides, rides, pools, playgrounds, and mediocre but family-friendly restaurants and snack stands everywhere. It's located mid-island, on the main road to Glyfada, and can be reached by a number of different bus services.

The imposing kamára (arch) is one of a number of monuments built by Galerius around AD 305, during his reign as co-emperor of Diocletian's divided Roman Empire. It commemorated the Roman victory over Sassanid Persian Empire in AD 297, and you can still see scenes of those battles on the badly eroded bas-reliefs. Originally, the arch had four pediments and a dome and was intended to span not only the Via Egnatia, the ancient Roman road, but also a passageway leading north to the Rotunda. Only the large arches remain.

A very small Archaeological Museum, established by a local mathematician, Michael Bardanis, displays Cycladic finds, including statues and earthen pots dug up from the east coast. The most important of the exhibits are unique dark gray marble plaques from the 3rd millennium BC with roughly hammered scenes of daily life: hunters, farmers, and sailors going about their business.

A makeover and extensive remodeling have brought the island's flagship museum into modern times. The lower floor takes you through the ancient history of mankind in Corfu, revealed by way of various Stone Age finds. Archaeological digs are chronicled, including that which discovered the Medusa, the museum's star attraction. This massive bas-relief once formed the pediment of the 6th-century BC Temple of Artemis at Kanoni, but nowadays, the snake-coiffed figure—one of the largest and best-preserved pieces of Archaic sculpture in Greece—is housed in a vast open-plan area that affords visitors a dramatic vantage point.

Here is yet more evidence of just how long Crete has cradled civilizations: a collection of bone tools from a Neolithic site at Gerani (west of Rethymnon); Minoan pottery; and an unfinished statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, from the Roman occupation (look for the ancient chisel marks). The museum is temporarily housed in the restored Venetian Church of St. Francisco while renovations are undertaken at the original site in the shadow of the Fortessa.

Syros's Archaeological Museum is located on the left side of the town hall. The small space features artifacts from the island’s rich history. The collection stretches back to the Neolithic era and includes artifacts taken from the prehistoric acropolis at Kastri to the north. Particularly illustrious are the Early Cycladic objects from Chalandriani (just south of Kastri), which indicate an advanced culture in the 3rd millennium BC. The museum, while not extensive, is one of the oldest in Greece and also has finds from Paros and Amorgos.

Reopened after a lengthy renovation, the Archaeological Museum at Agios Nikolaos is a showcase for Minoan artifacts, including many that have never been on display before. The interactive exhibits give an account of the history of eastern Crete from the neolithic era to the classical period and beyond. The prize is the Goddess of Myrtos, a surprisingly contemporary-looking statue circa 2500 BC of a woman cradling a large jug in her spindly arms. There are also examples of late Minoan pottery in the naturalist marine style, with lively octopus and shell designs.

Reopened in 2024 after renovation, the museum is on the road south of the Gymnasium. It contains most of the antiquities found during excavations on the island: monumental statues of young men and women, stelae, reliefs, masks, mosaics, and ancient jewelry. A spectacular futuristic new structure has been designed to replace the Neoclassical existing building to better display the treasures of Delos but as of yet it remains a speculative venture.

Newly renovated, the museum contains artifacts from the island's millennia of history, which includes pottery, statues, and grave artifacts found mostly at excavations in ancient Thira and Akrotiri, from the Minoan through the Byzantine periods. Should you have time or inclination for only one museum visit on Santorini, however, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera is more instructive.

Located in the center of town, this museum is the best in the area. It houses exhibits from the greater Epirus, such as Paleolithic tools, inscriptions, statues, headstones, and a collection of coins, all presented in a contemporary exhibition space with multimedia facilities.

This small, well-organized collection is shown to advantage in the city's rebuilt 18th-century market hall. On display are local stone tools and proto-Geometric and Geometric pottery in a display that runs through every ancient site in Messinia (big and small), offering background on each. It's a particularly good primer for exploring the area.

An elegant Ernst Ziller–designed Neoclassical building contains one of the better island collections. Glass cases house findings from Klima, Nyhia, and Demengaki along with a large burial jar from the 6th century BC. Many pots with sea lilies painted on them, early Cycladic statuettes, and the famous "Lady of Phylakopi" vie for attention with Mycenaean bulls and sculptures from the Hellinistic and Roman periods.

Most visitors, though, come to see the exact copy of the Venus de Milo displayed in the main room. There is a campaign, of course, to see the original statue reunited with her island home but it has so far fallen on deaf ears.

Before setting out on the mandatory boat excursion to the isle of Delos, check out the Archaeological Museum, which affords insight into the intriguing history of its ancient shrines. The museum houses Delian funerary sculptures, many with scenes of mourning. Most were moved to Rineia when the Athenians cleansed Delos in the 6th century, during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War, and, under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. The most significant work from Mykonos is a 7th-century BC pithos (storage jar), showing the Greeks in the Trojan horse and the sacking of the city.

Superseding the previous Neoclassical mansion that housed the old museum, Mytilini's new archaeological museum contains the permanent collection "Lesvos from Hellenistic to Roman Times" featuring finds from prehistoric Thermi, enchanting mosaics from Hellenistic houses, gold funeral offerings, and reliefs of comic scenes from the 3rd-century Roman house of Menander, as well as temporary exhibits.

The Archaeological Museum contains a large chunk of the famed Parian chronicle, which recorded cultural events in Greece from about 1500 BC until 260 BC (another lump is in Oxford's Ashmolean Museum). It interests scholars that the historian inscribed detailed information about artists, poets, and playwrights, completely ignoring wars and shifts in government. Some primitive pieces from the Aegean's oldest settlement, Saliagos (an islet between Paros and Antiparos), are exhibited in the same room. A small room contains archaic finds from the ongoing excavation at Despotiko—and they are finding a lot. In the large room to the right rests a marble slab depicting the poet Archilochus in a banquet scene, lying on a couch, his weapons nearby. The ancients ranked Archilochus, who invented iambic meter and wrote the first signed love lyric, second only to Homer. When he died in battle against the Naxians, his conqueror was cursed by the oracle of Apollo for putting to rest one of the faithful servants of the muse. There is also a monumental Nike and three superb pieces found in the last decade: a waist-down kouros, a gorgon with intact wings, and a dancing-girl relief.

In a purpose-built modern building, next to the site of the ancient town of Samos, this impressive collection shows off over 3,000 local finds, including headless statues, grave markers with epigrams to the dead, and human and animal figurines, in addition to some notably beautiful portrait busts of the Roman emperors Claudius, Caesar, and Augustus.

The Hospital of the Knights (now the island's archaeological museum) was completed in 1489 and surrounds a Byzantine courtyard, off which are the refectory and wards where the wealthy institution once administered to the knights and townspeople. These wonderful surroundings are enhanced with findings from Rhodes's three ancient cities (Ialysos, Kameiros, and Lindos) and the nearby islands, including a magnificent collection of ceramic amphoras and oenochoe (wine jugs), which inevitably fell into the possession of the islands' wealthy merchants. Successive rooms elegantly show the evolution of Attic pottery, from early geometric deigns to the red-on-black figures of the 5th century BC. Among its collection are also two well-known representations of Aphrodite: the Aphrodite of Rhodes, who, while bathing, pushes aside her hair as if she's listening; and a standing figure, known as Aphrodite Thalassia, or "of the sea," as she was discovered in the water off the northern city beach. There are also two 6th-century-BC kouros (statues of idealized male youth) that were found in the nearby ancient city of Kameiros, and, in a beautiful 5th-century-BC funerary stela, a young woman named Crito, her hair cut short in mourning; she gives a farewell embrace to her mother Timarista who is already moving outside the frame, as she leaves the world.

The Archaeological Museum, housed amid a daze of twisting back lanes, is divided into two sections. The upper display spreads a trio of rooms depicting the history of the island through Hellenistic and Roman sculptures and inscriptions as well as icons, costumes, and handicrafts. Below this, a museum guide takes you into a merchant's archontiko (mansion). Built overlooking the bay to spot invaders, it offers a fascinating look at the traditional life of the wealthy family that once lived here.

Pay close attention to street signs, which will navigate you there through the maze of confusing streets.

On the main street, near the church, is the small Archaeological Museum; its collection includes a sundial by Andronicus of Cyrrhus, who in the 1st century BC also designed Athens's Tower of the Winds. Here, too, are Tinos's famous huge, red storage vases, from the 8th century BC.

These two small rooms (on the way to Magazia Beach as you begin to descend from the town) contain rare weapons, pottery, and jewelry, mostly from graves dating from Neolithic to Roman times. Especially alluring are the pony motifs and the vase in the shape of a horse.

The squares in the center of town are the best places to observe Greek life, especially Areos, one of the largest platias (central squares) in Greece and definitely the place to while away the time if you're marooned in Tripoli. At its center stands a statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, the revered Arcadian general who helped liberate the country from the Turkish yoke. His bones are buried at its base, having been moved there from Athens in 1930. One story goes that in 1942 the invading Italian army smashed open the tomb and scattered his remains to keep the town in line. Appalled, the town's mayor and his 13-year-old son risked death to collect them up in a sugar bag, so they could be later replaced.

A charming tour is run here by the most famous olive oil brand on Zakynthos, Aristeon. Many of the island's famed dopia olive trees are thought to be more than 2,000 years old, and this deep dive into local oil production in Zakynthos follows the process from branch to bottle.

 If you want to see an ancient dopia in real life, head to the village of Exo Chora, on the northwest coast. At its center grows what's known locally as the "elephant tree," a gnarled wonder thought to be some 2,000 years old.

A place of pilgrimage for many Cretans, Moni Arkadi is also one of the most stunning pieces of Renaissance architecture on the island. The ornate facade, decorated with Corinthian columns and an elegant belfry above, was built in the 16th century of a local honey-color stone. In 1866 the monastery came under siege during a major rebellion against the Turks, and Abbot Gabriel and several hundred rebels, together with their wives and children, refused to surrender. When the Turkish forces broke through the gate, the defenders set the gunpowder store afire, killing themselves together with hundreds of Turks. The monastery was again a center of resistance when the Nazis occupied Crete during World War II.

In the small mastic village of Armolia, 5 km (3 miles) north of Pirgi, pottery is a specialty. In fact, the Greek word armolousis ("man from Armola") is synonymous with potter. To the west, above the village, there is an impressive Byzantine castle that was built in 1446, and to the east is the wonderful 18th-century baroque-style Vrettou Monastery. Many potters display their wares along the crossroads to the villages of the south.

This in-town swimming spot is not really a beach but a seaside perch of smooth rocks, pebbled shoreline, and concrete platforms, all backed by fragrant pines. This is a good place for a morning wake-up swim or a refreshing plunge after a day of sightseeing. At times the popular and well-maintained spot, with a pleasant beach bar, seems as sociable as the town square, so don't be surprised to hear other bathers gossiping and exchanging recipes as they bob in the delightful water. You can walk to Arvanitia by following the seaside promenade that hugs the cliffs beneath the Acronafplia south of town. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

There's little to see within the village of Assos, yet it's still a dazzling sight. It is largely made up of a single steep road that plummets down to the harbor and then up past pebble shores to a parking lot, for those wanting to continue on to the castle. En route, pinkish-purple bougainvillea blooms from every crevice; vinelike roots wrap the ruins of hollowed-out buildings; pretty town houses painted vibrant pastels glimmer in the sunlight; and the view from on high over the turquoise waters below is magnificent. By the village square, which bears a plaque commemorating the "Parisiens" whose money rebuilt Assos after its destruction in 1953, are a string of cafés and tavernas swarming the edges of a pebble beach. Here, visitors swap dips in the knee-deep water of the bay for cooling drinks. It's worth resting a while here after climbing to the castle, which can be a sweaty task.

This sprawling, upmarket complex draws a hip young crowd as well as families with children, who enjoy different sides of the beach. It is built around a fine sand shore and landscaped grounds shaded by elegant pergolas, but the high-concept branding and glitz is just another attempt to glamorize (and monetize) the Riviera sands. On balance it offers a fair amount of facilities, including lounge chairs, umbrellas, pools, lockers, changing rooms, showers, trampolines, a playground, restaurants, bars, and water sports. Yet for the cost of €8 and the privilege of spending even more on high-priced drinks and food, it makes you yearn for simpler pleasures. The youthful Balux poolside café-club offers a spot to cool off on abundant pillows with a chilled coffee in hand or sip a cocktail long after sundown. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This beach club on the Laimos promontory is not just a place to get a tan; it's where you go to be seen. Yes, it is open to the public daily from 8 am to 9 pm, but its exclusive location has always commanded a hefty entrance fee (to the indignation of locals), which means its green lawns and sandy stretch are usually not so crowded. It is also home to a slice of ancient history. The 6th-century Temple of Apollo Zoster was discovered here when a couple of young boys from a nearby orphanage—which still exists—dug it up while playing in the sand in the early part of the 20th century. If that doesn't do it for you, a range of services (including shopping, dining, water sports, and yoga on the beach) are offered at an extra cost. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming. If you don't fancy paying €60, directly across the road is a small public beach where locals paddle in the water for free.

The soldier and statesman who established the Republic of Turkey and became its president, Atatürk (Mustafa Kemal) was born here in 1881. He participated in the city's Young Turk Movement, which eventually led to the collapse of the sultanate and the formation of the modern Turkish state. About eight blocks east of the Agios Dimitrios church, the modest pink house is decorated in Ottoman style. It has been turned into a museum, with personal items and documents of Turkey's founding father.

Local finds from the region's rich history are displayed in this neoclassical building from 1909. Artifacts like jewelry, pottery, clay statuettes, household utensils, and agricultural tools dating back to the neolithic period are presented in eight halls. The most popular items are entire tombs transported from nearby excavation sites, which include both skeletons and grave offerings. A few neolithic dwellings from Dimini and Sesklo have been reconstructed outside the museum.