6 Greek Locations You Shouldn’t Let Yourself Miss Out On

Greece is a magical place filled with stunning beaches, rich cultural history, and breath-taking sites. If you are lucky enough to have the chance to travel to Greece, there are a few locations that you simply cannot miss out on visiting.

Whether you are looking for a resort to party well into the night or a place to take a strenuous hike, we have put together a list of the top 6 locations in Greece to visit.

Crete

A popular Greek island, Crete is one place you cannot miss when traveling to Greece. Aside from beautiful beaches and views of the Mediterranean, Crete is home to endless activities and is rich in history. The island is home to the longest gorge in all of Europe and is open to adventurous hikers.

Or, visit the ancient Minoan palaces on the island including Knossos, Phaistos, and Malia. Visitors to Crete can also spend the day touring the busy cities of Sitia, Rethymnon, and Chania. Crete is home to a top notch archaeological museums and several significant religious sites.

Mykonos

Photo by Apel Les.

Another Greek island, Mykonos is part of a cluster of Greek islands known as the Cyclades. Since the 1950s, Mykonos has been a popular tourist destination. Despite continually being flooded with tourists, Mykonos maintains its traditional look that is special to Mykonos alone.

Known for its cubic, whitewashed buildings, tourists delight in navigating the busy streets. There are several Mykonos luxury villas to stay in while visiting the unique island that will make your stay even more relaxing.

Athens

No trip to Greece would be complete without a trip to the iconic city of Athens. The must-see structures in Athens include the Parthenon and the Acropolis. Tourists can wander the sites that ancient Greeks held sacred. Visitors can also visit lesser known Greek ruins like the Temple of Olympian Zeus or walk through the ancient city state of Agora.

Athens is also home to several world-renowned museums including the National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Museum which is home to Greek art. If the hustle and bustle of Athens is too much to take in, take an afternoon and discover the relaxing National Garden of Athens.

Metéora Monasteries

Perched nearly 300 feet in the air, natural rock formations seem to grow out of the surface of the earth. On these rock formations are medieval monasteries.

Once these were only accessible to climbers, but the recent interest in the monasteries by tourists have led to a system of roads and stairs that allow better access to these monasteries in the sky. Although originally 24 monasteries existed, today only 6 remain as a place of solitude, quiet, and prayer.

Photo CC ZarMcKoopees

Shipwreck Bay

The city of Zakynthos is also known as Shipwreck Bay. Part of the Ionian Islands, Zakynthos is the southernmost location. The island is split between modern commercialization and picturesque wilderness. Much of the tourism is located on the southern coasts. Laganas is the largest resort and is a 24-hour long party that lasts from Easter to October.

Tourists flock to arguably the best beaches and country side in Greece. For the naturalists, the island harbour is home to a breeding site for loggerhead sea turtles.

Mount Olympus

For the outdoor adventurer hiking to the top of Mount Olympus is well worth the challenge. To hike to the top, visitors are encouraged to start at the monastery at Ayiou Dhionysiou and allow about four hours to complete the hike. Described as a lovely trail, visitors will need moderate hiking skills to reach the summit requiring some steep ascents and water crossings. The entire trip is about 18 km to the top.

Although you may not be able to visit every single one, you could easily tick off one of these locations this year. Which one? That’s up to you.