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Welcome to Heart Greece, your guide to a country we love. From ancient wonders and whitewashed islands to mountain villages and long seaside lunches, find the best of Greece.
Iconic sights and hidden corners across the country.
The historic capital of the Acropolis, museums and a buzzing food scene.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe famous caldera, whitewashed villages and sunsets over the sea, with the clifftop village of Oia the classic spot to watch the sun go down.
Book a tour Leave a reviewBeaches, nightlife and Cycladic charm, anchored by the whitewashed Little Venice waterfront and the row of iconic windmills above it.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe largest island, with mountains, gorges, beaches and proud food, from the Samaria Gorge hike to the pink sand of Elafonissi in the southwest.
Book a tour Leave a reviewMonasteries perched on dramatic rock pillars, six of an original twenty-four still active and open to visitors.
Book a tour Leave a reviewNafplio, Mycenae, Olympia and Epidaurus, rich in history, with Nafplio's hilltop Palamidi Castle and the ancient theatre at Epidaurus among the highlights.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe largest Dodecanese island, with a walled medieval Old Town and long beaches.
Book a tour Leave a reviewAn Ionian island known for Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach and its loggerhead turtle nesting bays.
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A cluster of stone mountain villages in Epirus above the dramatic Vikos Gorge, linked by old arched bridges.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe easternmost Cycladic island, dramatic and little-visited, known as the filming location for the film "The Big Blue" and for the cliffside Hozoviotissa Monastery built into a sheer rock face.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA car-free Saronic island close to Athens, its stone harbour town built up the hillside and explored on foot, by water taxi, or by donkey — the only local transport.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA rugged Aegean island identified as one of the world's five 'Blue Zones', where residents are noted for unusually long, active lives, credited partly to local diet and an unhurried pace of life.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe largest of the Ionian islands, known for the turquoise waters of Myrtos Beach, the Melissani cave lake, and the Robola vineyards on the slopes of Mount Ainos.
Book a tour Leave a reviewAn Ionian island connected to the mainland by a causeway and floating bridge, so it's reachable by car, with beaches like Porto Katsiki ranked among Greece's best.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA volcanic Cycladic island famed for its lunar-white cliffs and coloured coves at Sarakiniko and Kleftiko, and as the discovery site of the Venus de Milo statue.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe largest and most fertile of the Cyclades, with a mountainous village-dotted interior, the Portara ancient temple gate at its harbour entrance, and well-regarded local potatoes and cheese.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA central Cycladic island balancing lively resorts with quieter villages like Lefkes, plus windsurfing beaches at Golden Beach and the marble-built Panagia Ekatontapiliani church.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA Dodecanese island close to Rhodes with a pastel neoclassical harbour built on sponge-diving wealth, and the pilgrimage site of Panormitis Monastery.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA narrow, sheer-sided canal cut through solid rock in 1893, linking the Aegean and Ionian seas and separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece — a dramatic stop for photos or bungee jumping en route south.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe whitewashed Aegean island group — Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos and more — the postcard image of Greece.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe southeastern island group including Rhodes and Kos, closest to the Turkish coast.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA pink-tinged sandy lagoon on Crete's southwest tip, one of Greece's most striking beaches.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe 4th-century-BC theatre in the Peloponnese, famous for near-perfect acoustics and summer festival performances.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe greener, wetter western island group — Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos — with a strong Venetian legacy.
Book a tour Leave a reviewAn elegant Peloponnesian port town, Greece's first modern capital, watched over by the Palamidi fortress.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe sanctuary in the western Peloponnese where the ancient Olympic Games were held from 776 BC.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA small town near Thessaloniki whose royal Macedonian tombs, including that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site with treasures displayed in an underground museum.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe ancient citadel of Athens crowned by the Parthenon — Greece’s most famous monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe closest major island to Athens, an easy Saronic Gulf day trip world-famous for its pistachios and crowned by the hilltop Temple of Aphaia.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe clifftop Temple of Poseidon at the southern tip of Attica, about 70km from Athens — one of Greece’s finest sunset views.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA pine-covered Saronic Gulf island close to Athens, separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait, with a fragrant lemon grove a short boat ride across the water.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA lush, mountainous North Aegean island near the Turkish coast, birthplace of Pythagoras and known for its sweet Muscat wine and the ancient tunnel of Eupalinos.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe liveliest of the Sporades islands, ringed by pine forest and sandy beaches, with Koukounaries among the most photographed in Greece.
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The flooded volcanic crater that gives Santorini its dramatic cliffs and sunset views.
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The 5th-century-BC temple to Athena atop the Acropolis, the defining monument of classical Greece.
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Whitewashed stone windmills dot the Cyclades, once used to grind grain in the strong Aegean meltemi winds. Mykonos's row of restored windmills above the harbour is the most photographed example.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA sacred, uninhabited island near Mykonos and one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Cyclades, linked in mythology to the birth of Apollo and Artemis.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA UNESCO-listed Bronze Age citadel in the Peloponnese, entered through the monumental Lion Gate, once the seat of the legendary King Agamemnon and a cornerstone of Greek mythology.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA UNESCO-listed Byzantine city near Sparta in the Peloponnese, its ruined palaces, churches and fortress climbing a hillside and offering one of Greece's most striking archaeological sites.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA dramatic castle town on a rocky islet off the south-eastern Peloponnese, its car-free medieval old town of stone lanes and churches connected to the mainland by a causeway.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA cove on Zakynthos accessible only by boat, famous for its rusting shipwreck resting on white sand beneath towering limestone cliffs, one of Greece's most photographed beaches.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA turquoise lagoon on the Gramvoussa peninsula in western Crete, backed by pink-tinged sand and reached by boat trip or a rough coastal track.
Book a tour Leave a reviewAn eastern Aegean island famed for its mastic-producing villages, medieval fortified settlements and distinctive black-and-white geometric house decoration found nowhere else in Greece.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA small, dramatic Cycladic island with a clifftop old town, wild landscapes and a peaceful atmosphere, popular with travellers seeking a quieter alternative to its busier neighbours.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA lakeside town in Greek Macedonia built on a promontory into Lake Orestiada, long known internationally as a centre of the fur trade and now also a tourist destination.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA small, spiritually significant Dodecanese island where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation, home to the fortified Monastery of Saint John.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA green, mountainous peninsula in Thessaly dotted with traditional stone villages perched on forested slopes or along the seashore, popular for walking and cooler summer air.
Book a tour Leave a reviewA Cycladic island known for its marble craftsmanship, dovecotes and the pilgrimage church of Panagia Evangelistria, giving the island a notably calm, devotional atmosphere.
Book a tour Leave a reviewThe flavours worth travelling for.
A family bakery since 1969, famous for bougatsa.
Book a table Leave a reviewNamed Greece's top Greek-cuisine restaurant at the 2025 awards.
Book a table Leave a reviewModern Greek cooking in Greece's food-obsessed second city, a good pick alongside the classic street food of bougatsa and souvlaki.
Book a table Leave a reviewThe dishes and drinks you will meet at every taverna and kafeneio across the country — already part of our A–Z Travel Dictionary, now with a closer look at each one.
The layered bake of aubergine, spiced mince and béchamel, a lunchtime classic.
Leave a reviewSkewered grilled meat with pita and trimmings, Greece's beloved fast food (a bare skewer is a 'kalamaki').
Leave a reviewSpit-roasted meat shaved into pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips — Greece's everyday street food.
Leave a reviewHoney-drenched fried dough puffs dusted with cinnamon, one of the oldest Greek sweets.
Leave a reviewLayers of filo, chopped nuts and syrup or honey — a sweet shared across the eastern Mediterranean.
Leave a reviewThe anise spirit that clouds with water, sipped slowly with meze, especially on the island of Lesvos.
Leave a reviewA strong pomace spirit from the mainland (raki on Crete), drunk with meze at a tsipouradiko.
Leave a reviewThe frothy iced instant coffee invented in Thessaloniki in 1957, a Greek summer institution.
Leave a reviewFinely ground coffee slow-brewed in a small pot (briki) and served unfiltered, with the grounds settling at the bottom. Order it sketos (no sugar), metrios (medium) or glykos (sweet).
Leave a reviewThe sweet liqueur (and resin) from the mastic trees of Chios, used in drinks and desserts.
Leave a reviewIsland villas, city boutiques and mountain guesthouses.
A cliffside caldera icon with infinity pools in Oia. Luxury.
Find a stay Leave a reviewOverwater bungalows on the Kommeno peninsula. Luxury.
Find a stay Leave a reviewA secluded private-cove resort near Agios Nikolaos. Luxury.
Find a stay Leave a reviewA neoclassical flagship with Acropolis views. Luxury.
Find a stay Leave a reviewFerries, flights, buses and road trips.
The heart of island travel, from Piraeus and Rafina. Book ahead in summer.
Search ferries Leave a reviewFast links from Athens and Thessaloniki to the larger islands.
Search ferries Leave a reviewThe intercity network reaches most of the mainland affordably.
Search ferries Leave a reviewThe best way to explore Crete, the Peloponnese and the mainland.
Search ferries Leave a reviewEverything you need to know before and during your trip to Greece.
Save these before you need them: 112 (EU emergency, English-speaking), 100 (police), 199 (fire brigade), 166 (ambulance/EKAV), 108 (coast guard), 171 (tourist police), 10400 (ELPA roadside assistance).
Leave a reviewThe Tourist Police (171) handle scams, disputes and lost documents in English and other languages. For a lost or stolen passport, report to the police first, then contact your embassy, most are based in Athens.
Leave a reviewFreeNow (formerly Beat), Bolt and Uber all work with licensed taxis in Greece at the regulated taximeter rate, a quick, cashless way to book a ride.
Leave a reviewefood is Greece's biggest delivery app, with the widest range of tavernas and souvlaki shops. Wolt often has the best English interface and a stronger brunch and specialty selection. BOX is handy for chains and frequent discount codes.
Leave a reviewGreece uses the euro (€). Cards are widely accepted in cities and larger towns, but carry some cash for small tavernas, markets and island villages. Tipping isn't obligatory, rounding up or leaving 5-10% is appreciated.
Leave a reviewGoogle Maps and Google Translate cover the basics. Ferryhopper is the easiest way to compare and book island ferries. For hire cars, check reviews carefully as availability changes fast in summer.
Leave a reviewGreek ferry tickets come in several classes — economy or deck, "airplane seat" (aircraft-style reclining seats), and cabins — with prices and comfort levels varying between conventional ferries and high-speed catamarans.
Leave a reviewAthens' suburban railway network, connecting the international airport with the city centre and outlying Attica towns, offering a faster alternative to buses on some routes.
Leave a reviewA tradition where Greeks celebrate the feast day of the saint they are named after, often more important socially than a birthday, with open houses and impromptu visits from friends.
Leave a reviewA village festival typically held in honour of a local patron saint's feast day, combining religious tradition with music, dancing and communal food; dates change yearly — check listings.
Leave a reviewThe first day of Lent in the Orthodox calendar, marked across Greece with outdoor picnics, meat-free food and traditional kite-flying; dates change yearly — check listings.
Leave a reviewA traditional New Year's cake baked with a hidden coin inside, cut at midnight or on New Year's Day, said to bring good luck to whoever finds the coin.
Leave a reviewGreece's entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List range from the Acropolis and Delphi to Olympia, Mystras and the monasteries of Meteora. Meteora and Mount Athos are listed for both their cultural and their natural value.
Leave a reviewA few things worth knowing before you build the itinerary.
Late May, June and September offer the same sunshine as peak summer with smaller crowds, shorter queues and noticeably lower prices on flights and hotels. July and August bring the heat, the crowds and the highest rates, especially on the islands.
Leave a reviewA menu with photos and five languages parked on the busiest square is a reliable sign of tourist pricing. Walk a block or two off the main strip and look for a short, handwritten, Greek-only menu instead.
Leave a reviewShoulders and knees covered are the rule at working monasteries like Meteora and at most churches; some, including Meteora's, keep wraps at the entrance for visitors who arrive underdressed, but it's safer to bring your own.
Leave a reviewMix a couple of simple, family-run rooms with one splurge night rather than paying mid-range rates everywhere. Booking the islands in shoulder season, rather than peak summer, is the single biggest lever on the whole trip's cost.
Leave a reviewThree ways to string a trip together, adjust the pace to taste.
About 10 days. Athens for 2 to 3 days, a ferry to Mykonos for 3, then on to Santorini for 3 to 4, flying back to Athens at the end. The best-connected route for first-timers, with frequent high-speed ferries between islands.
Leave a reviewAbout 7 days. Corfu as a base for 4 to 5 days, with a day trip to Paxos and Antipaxos, then a short hop to a second Ionian island. Greener, quieter and less crowded than the Cyclades in peak season.
Leave a reviewAbout 12 days. Athens, a side trip to Meteora or the Peloponnese, then a ferry from Athens or a mainland port out to one or two islands for the back half of the trip. The way to see both ancient history and beach time in one go.
Leave a reviewThe Greek calendar is full of festivals worth planning around. Orthodox dates move each year, so check locally.
April, dates vary (2026: 10 to 13 April). The most important holiday of the year, with candlelit processions, midnight fireworks and Sunday lamb on the spit. Corfu's is the most famous.
Leave a reviewFebruary to March (dates vary). Greece's pre-Lenten carnival, at its wildest in Patras with huge parades and floats.
Leave a reviewJune to August. Ancient theatre and music at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.
Festival tickets Leave a review15 August (Dekapentavgoustos). A major religious holiday with island festivals everywhere; the Tinos pilgrimage is the most famous.
Leave a reviewEarly September. A reenacted naval battle and fireworks in the harbour.
Leave a review28 October. A national day marked by military and school parades across the country.
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Get advertising ratesA plain-English dictionary of the regions, islands, sights, dishes, drinks and travel words you will meet across Greece. Search it, filter it by category, or tap a letter to jump:
The ancient citadel of Athens crowned by the Parthenon — Greece's most famous monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The closest major island to Athens, an easy Saronic Gulf day trip known worldwide for its pistachios and the hilltop Temple of Aphaia.
The easternmost Cycladic island, dramatic and little-visited, known as the filming location for the film "The Big Blue" and for the cliffside Hozoviotissa Monastery built into a sheer rock face.
The pre-Lenten carnival across Greece (Patra hosts the biggest parade), ending on Clean Monday. Dates move with Orthodox Easter — check local listings.
A crisp, high-acid white grape variety native to volcanic Santorini, now grown across Greece and prized for producing some of the country's most distinctive dry white wines.
The egg-and-lemon sauce or soup found on tables all over Greece, silky and tangy.
Layers of filo, chopped nuts and syrup or honey — a sweet shared across the eastern Mediterranean.
A turquoise lagoon on the Gramvoussa peninsula in western Crete, backed by pink-tinged sand and reached by boat trip or a rough coastal track.
A Thessaloniki breakfast pastry of filo filled with semolina custard or cheese, cut and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
A long-necked stringed instrument brought to Greece by Anatolian refugees in the early twentieth century, becoming the central instrument of rebetiko music and its later branches.
The flooded volcanic crater that gives Santorini its dramatic cliffs and sunset views.
The clifftop Temple of Poseidon at the southern tip of Attica, about 70km from Athens, legendary as the spot where King Aegeus was said to have leapt into the sea — one of Greece’s finest sunset views.
An eastern Aegean island famed for its mastic-producing villages, medieval fortified settlements and distinctive black-and-white geometric house decoration found nowhere else in Greece.
The first day of Lent in the Orthodox calendar, marked across Greece with outdoor picnics, meat-free food and traditional kite-flying; dates change yearly — check listings.
The green, Venetian-flavoured jewel of the Ionian islands, off the northwest coast.
A narrow, sheer-sided canal cut through solid rock in 1893, linking the Aegean and Ionian seas and separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece — a dramatic stop for photos or bungee jumping en route south.
Greece's largest island, with its own dialect, cuisine and landscapes from the Samaria Gorge to Elafonissi's pink sand.
The whitewashed Aegean island group — Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos and more — the postcard image of Greece.
A sacred, uninhabited island near Mykonos and one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Cyclades, linked in mythology to the birth of Apollo and Artemis.
The ancient sanctuary of Apollo on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, once revered as the centre ('navel') of the world.
A spectacular system of water-filled caves on the Mani peninsula in the Peloponnese, explored by boat along an underground lake beneath striking stalactite formations.
The southeastern island group including Rhodes and Kos, closest to the Turkish coast.
Vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, served warm or cold with lemon.
A pink-tinged sandy lagoon on Crete's southwest tip, one of Greece's most striking beaches.
The 4th-century-BC theatre in the Peloponnese, famous for near-perfect acoustics and summer festival performances.
A hearty bean soup made with white beans, tomatoes, carrots and olive oil, widely regarded as Greece's national dish and a staple of everyday home cooking.
The backbone of island travel — regular services connect Piraeus and other mainland ports to the islands. Book ahead in July and August, and compare routes and operators on a site like Ferryhopper.
Greek ferry tickets come in several classes — economy or deck, "airplane seat" (aircraft-style reclining seats), and cabins — with prices and comfort levels varying between conventional ferries and high-speed catamarans.
Greece's protected brined sheep's-and-goat's-milk cheese, crumbled over salads and baked in filo.
The deep-rooted Greek ideal of hospitality to strangers — literally 'friend to the foreigner'.
A small, dramatic Cycladic island with a clifftop old town, wild landscapes and a peaceful atmosphere, popular with travellers seeking a quieter alternative to its busier neighbours.
The frothy iced instant coffee invented in Thessaloniki in 1957, a Greek summer institution.
A syrup-soaked semolina custard pie baked in filo, a favourite Greek dessert.
Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice and herbs and baked in olive oil, a summer classic.
Finely ground coffee slow-brewed in a small pot (briki) and served unfiltered, with the grounds settling at the bottom. Order it sketos (no sugar), metrios (medium) or glykos (sweet).
Spit-roasted meat shaved into pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips — Greece's everyday street food.
The 'village salad' of tomato, cucumber, onion, peppers, olives and feta with oregano and olive oil.
Boiled wild greens dressed with olive oil and lemon, a staple side across the country.
A car-free Saronic island close to Athens, its stone harbour town built up the hillside and explored on foot, by water taxi, or by donkey — the only local transport.
A rugged Aegean island identified as one of the world's five 'Blue Zones', where residents are noted for unusually long, active lives, credited partly to local diet and an unhurried pace of life.
The greener, wetter western island group — Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos — with a strong Venetian legacy.
The traditional coffee house at the heart of every Greek village, for coffee, backgammon and conversation.
'Good morning' or 'good day' — the everyday Greek greeting; 'kalispera' is 'good evening'.
A lakeside town in Greek Macedonia built on a promontory into Lake Orestiada, long known internationally as a centre of the fur trade and now also a tourist destination.
The largest of the Ionian islands, known for the turquoise waters of Myrtos Beach, the Melissani cave lake, and the Robola vineyards on the slopes of Mount Ainos.
The intercity coach network that links towns across the mainland affordably.
An Ionian island connected to the mainland by a causeway and floating bridge, so it's reachable by car, with beaches like Porto Katsiki ranked among Greece's best.
Honey-drenched fried dough puffs dusted with cinnamon, one of the oldest Greek sweets.
'Greek delight' — soft, fragrant jellied squares dusted with sugar, a speciality of the island of Syros.
The sweet liqueur (and resin) from the mastic trees of Chios, used in drinks and desserts.
Soft, spiced Christmas cookies soaked in honey syrup and topped with chopped walnuts, one of the two classic sweets — alongside kourabiedes — that appear across Greece every festive season.
The strong dry north wind of the Aegean summer that cools the islands but can cancel ferries.
Monasteries perched on towering rock pillars in central Greece — six of an original twenty-four remain active. A UNESCO site.
Small sharing plates eaten slowly with ouzo, tsipouro or wine — the social heart of a Greek meal.
A volcanic Cycladic island famed for its lunar-white cliffs and coloured coves at Sarakiniko and Kleftiko, and as the discovery site of the Venus de Milo statue.
A dramatic castle town on a rocky islet off the south-eastern Peloponnese, its car-free medieval old town of stone lanes and churches connected to the mainland by a causeway.
The layered bake of aubergine, spiced mince and béchamel, a lunchtime classic.
A UNESCO-listed Bronze Age citadel in the Peloponnese, entered through the monumental Lion Gate, once the seat of the legendary King Agamemnon and a cornerstone of Greek mythology.
The cosmopolitan Cycladic island of beaches, nightlife, Little Venice and hilltop windmills.
A UNESCO-listed Byzantine city near Sparta in the Peloponnese, its ruined palaces, churches and fortress climbing a hillside and offering one of Greece's most striking archaeological sites.
An elegant Peloponnesian port town, Greece's first modern capital, watched over by the Palamidi fortress.
A tradition where Greeks celebrate the feast day of the saint they are named after, often more important socially than a birthday, with open houses and impromptu visits from friends.
A cove on Zakynthos accessible only by boat, famous for its rusting shipwreck resting on white sand beneath towering limestone cliffs, one of Greece's most photographed beaches.
The largest and most fertile of the Cyclades, with a mountainous village-dotted interior, the Portara ancient temple gate at its harbour entrance, and well-regarded local potatoes and cheese.
28 October, marking Greece's 1940 refusal ("ohi" means "no") of an ultimatum to allow Axis troops passage, drawing Greece into the Second World War. A public holiday with parades in towns across the country.
The sanctuary in the western Peloponnese where the ancient Olympic Games were held from 776 BC.
The anise spirit that clouds with water, sipped slowly with meze, especially on the island of Lesvos.
A village festival typically held in honour of a local patron saint's feast day, combining religious tradition with music, dancing and communal food; dates change yearly — check listings.
A central Cycladic island balancing lively resorts with quieter villages like Lefkes, plus windsurfing beaches at Golden Beach and the marble-built Panagia Ekatontapiliani church.
The 5th-century-BC temple to Athena atop the Acropolis, the defining monument of classical Greece.
Baked pasta tubes layered with spiced meat and béchamel, a cousin of moussaka.
A small, spiritually significant Dodecanese island where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation, home to the fortified Monastery of Saint John.
The southern mainland peninsula rich in ancient sites — Mycenae, Olympia, Epidaurus — with mountain and coastal scenery.
An almost untranslatable Greek value — roughly honour, dignity and doing right by others.
A green, mountainous peninsula in Thessaly dotted with traditional stone villages perched on forested slopes or along the seashore, popular for walking and cooler summer air.
The village or town square, the social hub where cafes gather and the evening volta unfolds.
A pine-covered Saronic Gulf island close to Athens, separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait, with a fragrant lemon grove a short boat ride across the water.
Two high-altitude lakes shared by Greece, Albania and North Macedonia, forming a rich wetland habitat for pelicans and other birdlife within a protected national park.
Athens' suburban railway network, connecting the international airport with the city centre and outlying Attica towns, offering a faster alternative to buses on some routes.
A soulful, blues-like urban music genre rooted in early-20th-century port cities and refugee communities, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Listen for the bouzouki in tavernas and dedicated rebetika clubs.
The resin-flavoured white wine of central Greece, characterful alongside meze.
The largest Dodecanese island, with a walled medieval Old Town and long beaches.
A dramatic gorge in western Crete, declared a national park in 1962 to protect the endangered kri-kri wild goat, and a celebrated destination for long-distance trekking.
A lush, mountainous North Aegean island near the Turkish coast, birthplace of Pythagoras and known for its sweet Muscat wine and the ancient tunnel of Eupalinos.
The crescent-shaped volcanic island of caldera cliffs, blue domes and world-famous sunsets at Oia.
A striking beach on Milos with smooth, white volcanic rock formations carved by wind and sea into a lunar landscape unlike anywhere else in Greece.
A folk-style dance choreographed for the 1964 film "Zorba the Greek", blending the slow and fast rhythms of older syrtos dances into one of the country's best-known dances abroad.
The liveliest of the Sporades islands, ringed by pine forest and sandy beaches, with Koukounaries among the most photographed in Greece.
Skewered grilled meat with pita and trimmings, Greece's beloved fast food (a bare skewer is a 'kalamaki').
Spinach-and-feta pie in crisp filo; the cheese-only version is tiropita.
A Dodecanese island close to Rhodes with a pastel neoclassical harbour built on sponge-diving wealth, and the pilgrimage site of Panormitis Monastery.
The classic family-run Greek eatery of grilled meats, meze and house wine — the backbone of eating out.
Greece's food-obsessed second city, with Byzantine churches, a curving waterfront and lively nightlife.
A Cycladic island known for its marble craftsmanship, dovecotes and the pilgrimage church of Panagia Evangelistria, giving the island a notably calm, devotional atmosphere.
A strong Cretan spirit distilled from grape pomace left over from winemaking, often called raki on the eastern side of the island and served after meals as a digestif.
A strong pomace spirit from the mainland (raki on Crete), drunk with meze at a tsipouradiko.
The yoghurt, cucumber and garlic dip that partners grilled meats.
Greece's entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List range from the Acropolis and Delphi to Olympia, Mystras and the monasteries of Meteora. Meteora and Mount Athos are listed for both their cultural and their natural value.
A traditional New Year's cake baked with a hidden coin inside, cut at midnight or on New Year's Day, said to bring good luck to whoever finds the coin.
A small town near Thessaloniki whose royal Macedonian tombs, including that of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site with treasures displayed in an underground museum.
One of the world's deepest gorges relative to its width, cutting through the Zagorochoria region of Epirus and protected within the Vikos-Aoos National Park, home to rare flora and fauna.
The evening stroll along the seafront or square — an unhurried Greek social ritual.
Whitewashed stone windmills dot the Cyclades, once used to grind grain in the strong Aegean meltemi winds. Mykonos's row of restored windmills above the harbour is the most photographed example.
A bold, tannic red wine grape from Naoussa and Amyndeo in Macedonia, often compared to Nebbiolo or Barolo for its acidity and ageing potential.
'Cheers!' — the toast raised over ouzo or wine, literally 'to our health'.
"Grandmother" — a central figure in Greek family life, often the keeper of the family's recipes, and the reason many tavernas describe their food as "just like yiayia used to make".
A cluster of stone mountain villages in Epirus above the dramatic Vikos Gorge, linked by old arched bridges.
An Ionian island known for Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach and its loggerhead turtle nesting bays.
Every place in this guide to Greece, alphabetically.
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