Greece
Don’t let its stereotypes fool you—Greece is more than crumbling monuments and crumbly cheese. Greece is as much a vibrantly diverse, modern European country as it is a cradle of ancient culture. One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Greece lures sun-starved visitors with its larger-than-life history, its never-ending nightclubs and its tzatziki-dipped gyros. But a promenade along its stylish city streets, narrow hamlet lanes and rugged coastal paths soon reveals another side of Greece. Start in gracefully gritty capital Athens, where trendy boutiques and sophisticated restaurants line streets filled with strolling urbanites. Look up, out of the city haze and into the distance, and you see the looming Acropolis, arguably the most famous monument of the ancient world. You can hike amid the spring wildflowers of Mediterranean island Crete, and feast on both an abundance of seafood and a wealth of Minoan, Venetian and Byzantine history. Head to the once-remote mountain towns of Zagorohoria, a heaven for hikers, climbers, photographers and those in need of some crisp-aired respite. Tackle Olympia, home of the Ancient Olympic Games, and let loose in the hedonistic nightclubs of Mykonos. And wherever you go, experience the Greek exuberance for life—and olive oil. It’s what Greece is all about.
Regions in Greece
Aegean Islands
Looking for a new or different experience with Greek islands, some that still give a sense that this is how Greeks live? The Aegean Islands might be the destination for you. Far removed from the Greek mainland... read moreAttica
Exciting and exasperating, worldly and oh so hot, Athens is a city that attacks the senses and stirs the spirit as only the cradle of Western Civilization can. Homeland to gods, goddesses and some of the... read moreCentral Greece
Central Greece (Sterea Ellada) is best known as the home of Delphi, the famous ancient oracle and spectacular sanctuary that is one of Greece's "must see" destinations. Delphi has it all: a gravity-defying... read moreCrete
Per square mile, Crete must be one of the most "loaded" places in the world -- loaded, that is, in the diversity of its history, archaeological sites, natural attractions, tourist amenities, and just plain... read moreCyclades
When most people think of the "Isles of Greece," they're thinking of the Cyclades. This rugged, often barren, chain of islands in the Aegean sea has villages with dazzling white houses that from a distance... read moreDodecanese
"The Dodecanese" -- the very name suggests someplace exotic (in fact it is merely the Greek for "twelve islands"!) and these islands, if not exotic, certainly have been providing visitors for many, many centuries... read moreIonian Islands
"The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece" -- when Lord Byron tossed his bouquet, he was not under the spell of today's popular Cycladic islands but of Western Greece and the Ionian Islands. Located off Greece's... read moreNorthern Greece
In 1997, Thessaloniki -- the capital of Macedonia, the second-largest city in Greece, and the emotional heart of Northern Greece -- was the European City of Culture. Thessaloniki had always suffered a bit by... read morePeloponnese
What's special about the Peloponnese? It's tempting to answer, "Everything." Virtually every famous ancient site in Greece is in the Peloponnese -- the awesome Mycenaean palaces of Kings Agamemnon and Nestor... read moreSaronic Gulf Islands
The islands of the Saronic Gulf are so close to Athens that each summer Athenians flee there for some relief from the heat and the crowds in Athens. If the summer of 2007 -- the hottest in at least 90 years... read moreSporades
With their excellent golden sand beaches, fragrant pine trees, and unspoiled villages, you might think that the Sporades ("Scattered") islands have always been major tourist magnets. But because these islands... read moreWestern Greece
Evergreen slopes, deep-set rivers and lush valleys, villages of timbered houses, slate or tile roofs -- this can't be Greece. But it is. It's the northwestern corner the Greeks know as Epirus. Plentiful rainfall,... read more