Greece

Places

At a Glance

▲▲▲ Athens Greece s capital, featuring the ancient world s most magnificent sight the Acropolis a pair of world-class museums, an atmospheric Old Town, and funky neighborhoods bursting with avant-garde nightlife.

▲▲▲ Hydra Idyllic island getaway, convenient to Athens and the Peloponnese, with picturesque harbor, casual beaches, enticing coastal hikes, and no cars (but plenty of donkeys).

▲▲▲ Santorini Romantic island destination built on the remains of a volcano crater, renowned for cliff-clinging white villages punctuated by blue-domed churches, volcanic black-sand beaches, and spectacular sunsets.

▲▲ Nafplio Greece s first capital and finest midsized town, with a cozy port, an elegant Old Town, a cliff-topping fortress, and energetic street life; handy to nearby ancient sites (Mycenae and Epidavros).

▲▲ Olympia Birthplace of the Olympic Games, with stunning temple ruins, a still-functional stadium, and an intimate museum of ancient masterpieces.

▲▲ Kardamyli Cozy, unspoiled beach town, providing a handy jumping-off point for the Mani Peninsula.

▲▲ Monemvasia Greece s Gibraltar-like fortress on an imposing rock peninsula jutting out into the sea, blending Venetian and Byzantine charm, traffic-free cobbled lanes, and million-dollar views.

▲▲ Delphi Mountainside draped with the Sanctuary of Apollo and other once-grandiose structures, where ancients came to consult the oracle.

▲▲ Mykonos Quintessential (and very popular) Greek isle with postcard-perfect whitewashed village, old-fashioned windmills, and pulsating nightlife; ruins on nearby Delos mark the birthplace of Apollo and a once-mighty shipping center.

▲ Epidavros Best-preserved theater of the ancient world, with unbelievable acoustics.

▲ Mycenae Legendary mountaintop palace/fortress with iconic Lion Gate, massive beehive tomb, and mythic links to the Trojan War.

▲ Mani Peninsula Remote, rustic region with dramatic hill towns, spectacular caves (Pyrgos Dirou), and breathtaking jagged coastlines.