With 8 million visitors each year, Greece is an incredibly popular destination for travellers and backpackers, but that doesn’t make at common! This ancient country in the Mediterranean has so much more to offer, so get going! The country has both a mountainous mainland and an amazing offshore archipelago with beautiful islands. We recommend that you buy an island hopping pass so you can see as much as possible during your travels.
Rhodes
Rhodes offers green hilly areas, fantastic beaches, great shopping, lively entertainment, creamy tzatziki, and breathtaking sunsets. Since Rhodes has the sunniest weather of all the Greek Islands, it is the perfect place for sunbathing and swimming, but also the most popular.
Crete
Here, on Greece’s most diverse island, you will find great beaches, quaint villages, and ancient history. Crete is also blessed with natural air conditioning, known as the Meltimi Winds. These cool air currents arrive from the north and make even the hottest days feel fresh. You On the outskirts of Crete’s largest town Iraklio, you will find the palace of Knossos. The palace was excavated at the beginning of the 20th Century and is considered to be one of the more interesting sites in Greece.
Kos
Kos is another charming island, perfect for sunbathing, swimming and pleasant bicycle rides. There is everything from beautiful beaches to interesting archaeological ruins and digs. Kos is one of Greece’s most popular holiday destinations, likely due to its great nightlife and exploration sites.
Samos
As the "greenest" of the Greek islands, many say that Samos is the most beautiful and diverse. With 240 beaches of varying sizes, you will no doubt find your favourite.
Food
Greece is known for its own version of Mediterranean cooking. Moussaka, a potato and aubergine bake, and Souvlaki, or Greek kebabs, are particularly delicious. Then there is metze, a popular mixture of different small dishes. Since this dish has a variety of foods, there is something for everyone. To wash it all down, you can try retsina, a traditional Greek wine that tastes of pine resin. Let’s not forget to mention Ouzo – this strong anise-flavoured Greek spirit will make any night fun!
Athens
Much of Greece’s rich historical legacy has been preserved and is on show at the Nationala Arkeologiska Museum in Athens. Athens in also where you will find the Parthenon Temple. The temple that was built as a monument to the god Athena is at the Acropolis. This is without a doubt one of the most famous landmarks and postcard images, and for a good reasosn: it is a fantastic sight! The ancient Dionysus Theatre, scene of the first classic Greek Tragedies, is also on the Acropolis. The theater ruins are still used for many events today.
Unspoiled Greece
If you decide to go island hopping, you might be able to go to some of the more remote islands, placed like pearls on a string I the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. You will experience a much slower pace and we recommend Sifnos and Chios.
The particulars: Mykonos & Santorini
Mykonos is world famous for its jet-set and unique nightlife; It’s beautiful beaches and beautiful white-washed houses with flat roofs attract many visitors every year. Santorini has the same attraction, but furthermore adorns the skyline with blue domes on top of the white houses.
Rent a car and take a road trip in Greece
Greece is probably most famous for its many beautiful islands, but there is another great way to explore the perhaps more authentic Greece. If you rent a car and go explore the rural parts of the mainland. A road trip in Greece is everything else but boring. In fact you can go on an adventure that differs a lot from what you traditionally anticipate when traveling to Greece. And the best? You can do it at your own pace!
How to get there?
Well, it's always easy to fly to Greece, and with airports in both Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the tourist driven islands you can travel to pretty much either part of the country.
Another, and more sustainable way, to get there is by train. The journey is longer, no doubt, but the experiences on board the train are something completely different. It's a great way to soak in the nature and the surroundings, if you book i.e. an Interrail ticket and commence your adventure southwards down through Europe. Read more about the concept here.
