Top 15 Things to do in Greece
If you are seeking the next place for your ideal vacation and are tired of
those same old vacation spots then Greece might be the place for you. It has a
long rich history and is located on the beautiful Mediterranean coastline with
an incredible number of beaches as well as many kinds of delicious ethnic dishes
you’ll be able to try while you’re there. More than 17.5 million people choose
Greece as a vacation spot each year and out of that number around 6 million
visited its capital, the city of Athens. Whether you’re considering Greece as a
vacation spot already or if you need a little persuading, take a look at these
top 15 things to do once you’re there.
15) Swim at Myrtos
Beach
The popular Myrtos Beach has been voted the best Greek beach 12 times and if you
take the time out of your traveling schedule to spend a day or two relaxing
here, you’ll see why. This gorgeous beach is made up of round white cobblestones
that were created via a geological process called longshore drift, this process
and the pounding of the waves on the shore shaped the beach into what it is
today. The water has a beautiful turquoise color from the waves picking up
extremely fine bits of marble that creates plumes of sediment along the shore.
Myrtos beach is located in the village of Divarata and has a road just over a
mile long that will get you there in no time at all. In the summer, when tourism
is higher than normal, a public bus service is provided to and from the beach.
The bus stops just before the beach so you can still have the experience of
walking there and enjoying the view of the beautiful mountains on either side,
which are called the Agia Dynati and Kalon Oros mountains. There are also a few
bars on the hill leading down to the beach and there is a small drink stand on
the beach itself if sitting with your toes dipped in the water while sipping an
alcoholic drink is your idea of a fun day at the beach.
14) Visit the
Acropolis Museum in Athens
Although it is not the only acropolis in Greece, the Athens Acropolis is the
only one in Greece that can simply be referred to as “The Acropolis”. It’s an
ancient citadel on a rocky outcropping high above Athens that includes a number
of buildings and the famous Parthenon. Archaeologists have collected ancient
items and placed them on display at the Acropolis Museum while working over the
years to reverse the effects of pollution, vandalism and past restoration
attempts to the site. Currently there are about 4,000 objects are on display for
your viewing and educational pleasure. When you walk across the ground floor be
sure to take a look below your feet, the floor is glass and is occasionally
transparent so you can see the archaeologists hard at work on the restoration of
the site. The site itself can’t be visited yet until excavation is complete but
this museum is a must see for anyone interested in ancient Greece. You should
definitely take a day or two while visiting Athens and make them solely for
seeing museums, like the Acropolis.
Main Entrance to The Acropolis Museum
By Odysses, via
Wikimedia Commons
Restoration Site Under The Acropolis Museum
By Tilemahos Efthimiadis, via
Wikimedia Commons
13) Visit the
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Unlike the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum contains
artifacts from all over Greece that range from prehistory to late antiquity and
it consists of 11,000 exhibits. It is considered one of the greatest museums in
the world and has a vast collection of items. Out of the collections there are
five permanent ones that include: The Collection of Prehistory Antiquities
that includes the Neolithic, Cycladic, and Mycenaean periods; The Sculptures
Collection, which contains Greek sculptures from the seventh to fifth centuries
B.C.; The Vase and Minor Objects Collection, containing pottery from the
eleventh century B.C to the Roman period; The Stathatos Collection that has
minor objects from all periods; the Bronze Collection and lastly the Egyptian
and Near Eastern Antiquities Collection. Those five permanent collections are
the only kind in Greece and includes works dating from the pre-dynastic period
to the Roman conquest. Several of the known and discovered golden Mycenaean
burial masks are on display here, including the famed Mask of Agamemnon.
Admission is inexpensive and if you happen to be in the city on a national
holiday they offer free admission to the museum. In addition to the museum and
its exhibits of artifacts, the building also houses an 118 year old library that
includes 20,000 books on rare ancient art, science as well as philosophy.
By Dimboukas, via
Wikimedia Commons
12) Visit and tour
Crete
Crete is by far the largest and most populated of Greece’s 21 islands, it is one
of the places to visit in the country that is almost a mandatory must see spot.
The Minoan Palace of Knossos and Crete’s main town called Heraklion are
available as spots on a combined tour. The combined tour entails an expert guide
who takes you within the ruins of the ancient palace and tells you about the
myths from Greek culture linked to the place, one of these myths is Theseus and
the Minotaur. Afterwards you’re taken into the center of Heraklion to learn all
about the town, including a guide giving you information about each building and
attraction on the tour as you pass it. This all takes place in the comfort of an
air conditioned bus. Another great thing to do in Crete, if you’re up to it, is
a day tour to the national forest of Crete's Samaria Gorge. Leaving early from
Heraklion, this 11 mile hike is certainly not for the faint of heart but gives
you the opportunity to see the lush green trees and the wildflowers lining the
road. Another site on the hike is the animals that can be spotted like, goats
and birds. Crete is steeped in history and enjoyable for anyone, so if you can
make it here during your trip to Greece then do so.
The Minoan Palace of Knossos
Heraklion, Crete's Main Town
Samaria Gorge
11)
Drink some Greek wine
No visit to Greece would be complete without consuming some of their renowned
delicious wines, so try to plan your trip during one of its famous wine
festivals. As one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world, Greece has
been producing the beverage since approximately 6,500 years ago. Greece is home
to some of the oldest existing evidence of crushed grapes used for wine and it’s
easy to see why. The Greeks had a god for wine called Dionysus and the worship
of him has led to a love for wine all over Greece. This love translated into
wineries holding festivals all over the country. Vinetum, a leading winery,
sponsors an exhibition each year around February or March in Athens, Greece
called Dionyssia and if you’re there during this time it’s an absolute must to
go. The exhibition has grown each year since its creation and includes tasting
opportunities from 120 wineries all across Greece. Each visitor to the
exhibition receives a commemorative wine glass as well as the opportunity to
taste as many kinds of wines as you would like and talk directly with winemakers
themselves about the flavors of the drinks.
10) Attend a
festival
While you’re in town, you might want to consider attending a festival because
the many festivals held in its cities each year is a great testament to Greek
culture today. It’s a great thing to do if you want to immerse yourself in
current events of the town you’re in and taste its delicious food. The Athens
Epidaurus Festival is held from May to October each year and is one of most
famous festivals in Greece that includes theatrical, musical and a variety of
other cultural events. If music and community unity are your thing then attend
the Icarus Festival for Dialogue between Cultures event in Ikaria. It has
expanded since the first festival that was held in 2006 each year until 2008
when it started to include other forms of art, like: dance, dance lessons,
painting exhibits, photography exhibits, theatre and cinema activities. If you
are visiting Greece with your family then attending the Patras Carnival is a
great idea for something to do. It’s the largest event of its kind in all of
Greece and lasts from January 17th through Clean Monday, the first day of Lent.
It’s been happening for about 160 years and features dances, parades, hunting
for hidden treasure and a kids’ carnival that culminates in a spectacular
fireworks display on closing night.
The Athens Epidaurus Festival
Courtesy of,
Greece.GreekReporter.com
Icarus Festival for Dialogue between Cultures
The Patras Carnival
9) Visit the Theater
of Epidaurus
While you’re at the Athens-Epidaurus festival, make sure to visit the Theater of
Epidaurus. It was built in the fourth century BC and originally had 34 rows but
was increased during the time of the Roman occupation by 21 rows. It seats
15,000 people, so chances are even if the rest of the area seems congested with
tourists you won’t have trouble experiencing this attraction due to a crowd. The
theater should be an important stop on your journey so you can marvel at its
feat of engineering; it’s been praised and studied by modern historians to have
almost perfect acoustics. The secret is in the limestone seats that filter out
low frequency sounds and amplify the sounds of whatever is on the stage. To test
this out, have your tour guide or a member of your group stand on the stage and
scatter the rest of your party along the theatre in various locations. Then have
the person on stage say something and see how well you can hear it. You’re
guaranteed to be amazed whether you visit it on your own, with a group, on a day
that has a musical event occurring and even on a day when no special events are
occurring.
8) Familiarize
yourself with Greek mythology
Visit a library or ask a local, if you never took a history or mythology class
in school then now’s the time to read up. You’re in the country of some of the
greatest mythological tales about gods, goddesses as well as demigods ever known
and you should definitely take advantage of that. If you read up on the deities
themselves, you can visit some of the many temples dedicated to specific deities
dotted all over Greece. Zeus, the supreme lord of all the gods, and his wife
Hera, the protector of marriages, ruled over all of the gods and goddesses. Zeus
has a temple dedicated to him in Olympia and Hera had a temple in Olympia too
but it was destroyed by an earthquake. If you are visiting Athens then you will
undoubtedly hear about Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom and crafts because
the city is named after her. Many have heard of Hades too but he isn’t
considered an Olympian since he ruled the underworld. So if you are traveling
Greece then grab a textbook or ask a local to tell you a few stories while
you’re in the birthplace of this beautiful mythology.
Zeus, the supreme lord of all the gods
Hera, the protector of marriages and ruled with Zeus
By sailko, via
Wikimedia Commons
Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom and crafts
Hades, god of the underworld
By Aviad
Bublil, via
Wikimedia Commons
7) Take a trip to
Delphi
Use all that knowledge about Greek mythology that you gathered and visit a site
dedicated to one of the twelve major Olympians. Delphi was the ancient site of
the Delphi oracle that was once a priestess at the Temple of Apollo who received
widespread attention for her prophecies about and relating Apollo. Over 20
authors mention this Oracle in their works, indicating that she was a widespread
part of their culture and mythology. Apollo is one of the gods of light, the
sun, truth, prophecy, healing and art. As a patron of the arts, many poets or
musicians would do well to say a prayer at this site if visited. Unfortunately,
no prayers can be made at the Temple of Apollo because it was torn down years
ago but don't let that ruin your time spent in Delphi.
Delphi
Apollo, the god of light, the sun, truth, prophecy, healing
and art
6) Visit a nude
beach
Although this might not be everyone’s ideal of a fun place to visit on vacation,
for many it’s the opposite. Visitors to Greece are often extremely excited to
visit a nude beach to sunbathe and socialize. Unfortunately, this is something
that no amount of planning will leave you truly prepared for because some
beaches that allow nude sunbathing one season do not allow it the next. On the
other hand, some beaches that were once clothes only have now come to allow nude
sunbathing. This means that reviews and word of mouth advice from one year won’t
always be beneficial for the next. It’s best to ask your tour guide or hotel
desk manager for advice they would give if this is the type of thing you want
and they’ll usually be able to tell you which beaches in the area allows nude
sunbathing. If you do decide to participate at a nude beach make sure you bring
lots of sunscreen, leave your camera at home and wear clothes that are easy to
slip in just in case modesty overcomes you.
5) View the Temple
of Poseidon
If your hotel is in Athens and you want the luxury of a lazy afternoon, book a
tour bus to Sounion. It’s a four-hour drive from Athens with a tour guide and it
will take you to a hill overlooking a spectacular view of the ocean. Atop the
hill lies the ruins of a temple built between 444 to 440 B.C., which is
dedicated to te god of sea, earthquakes and horses called Poseidon. Of the 42
columns that comprised its original architecture of the temple, 15 stand today.
Many people have reported the view of the Aegean Sea to be clear and beautiful
to the point of taking your breath away. If feeling weightless atop the world in
the ruins of an ancient temple sounds like a feeling you’d like to experience,
this should be a stop on your travel itinerary. If you are respectful, hopeful
or just plain superstitious, say a prayer to the sea god while standing in this
temple. Many believed that a prayer to this deity would protect them from
drowning, so if you’re planning on swimming then whisper a prayer.
4) Visit Santorini
Island
Make it mandatory in your Greece trip to take a journey to this beautiful isle
by boat. Officially known as the Santorini caldera, this island cluster is
located in the southern Aegean Sea. It is comprised of Santorini (Thera), which
is the main island that has the isles of Therasia and Aspronisi across from it,
the Kameni islands are in the center. The main island is a beautiful crescent
shape that was formed by years of volcanic activity and all who visit have said
that the view when approaching by boat is nothing short of breath-taking. While
you’re there, you’ll be treated to gorgeous views from cliffs overlooking the
ocean as well as some delicious food. Santorini has gained worldwide recognition
for some of the greatest agricultural products to come out of Greece, meaning
that any visit there is sure to provide you with a variety of delicious foods to
eat. The cherry tomatoe has been widely grown as well as marketed since the 18th
century and is in one of the island’s signature dishes called tomato balls.
Tomato balls are comprised of an onion and tomato paste that occasionally
has mint as well as cheese added to the mixture then it is fried into a ball
shape. A variety of eggplant grows here too, the white aubergine. It is sweeter
and juicier than other varieties of the vegetable due to the features of the
soil. The katsouni, a tasty type of cucumber, is grown here as well.
Santorini Island
Therasia Island
By Bernard Gagnon, via
Wikimedia Commons
Aspronisi Island
By George Groutas, via
Wikimedia Commons
Kameni Islands
By Norbert Nagel, via
Wikimedia Commons
Cherry Tomatoes
3) Visit the Island
of Hydra
The famous Island of Hydra is a beautiful little isle just over 40 miles away
from Piraseus, a port on the outskirts of Athens. Ferries, hydrofoils and
catamarans depart regularly from this port for trips out to Hydra. If you’re
wanting to enjoy a slow leisurely boat ride then choose the ferry, it takes
about three hours to get there. If you want to get there quickly or want a more
thrilling boat ride then hop on a hydrofoil and be ready for a fast bumpy ride.
Hydra Island allows no motor vehicles anywhere and all of the transportation
once you set foot on its soil is by donkey or bicycle. Since the area is so
densely compact, most people just walk everywhere. The island is overall very
peaceful with several monasteries and convents as well as buildings dedicated to
a variety of art exhibitions. This is a great place to visit if you’re looking
to experience the beauty of nature rather than a town type setting and it offers
great opportunities for hikes all across the island. The hike to the top of
Mount Eros is one of the most arduous because the highest point of this mountain
is the highest point on the island at 1,961 feet above the ground but it is also
the most rewarding due to it beautiful view of the entire island, the Saronic
Gulf and the Myrto Sea.
2) Relax at the
Pózar Thermal Baths
Take a break from all your walking around hot crowded cities and being sprayed
by cold salty water on boat rides by relaxing in the most famous thermal baths
Greece has to offer. The water is always 98 degrees and will feel comfortable
for any visitor with aching joints, sore muscles or just someone who wants a
warm relaxing soak. This peaceful vacation offers 48 individual baths, 6 indoor
pools, an outdoor pool, hot tub and spa services. If relaxation isn’t all you
want then the area at the foot of the Kaimaktsalan Mountain also offers a great
wooden staircase leading to 16 prehistoric caves, the Dark Forest, known as one
of the prettiest forests in Greece, and a ski resort.
The Pózar Thermal Baths
Courtesy of visitgreece.gr
Kaimaktsalan Mountain
1) Visit the
Panathenaic Stadium
For any fitness enthusiast or anyone casually interested in the Olympic Games,
one of the things to do is visit the Panathenaic stadium. It is an absolute
necessity to make your trip complete because it is the site of the first
“modern” Olympic Games that began in 1896 and the return of the games in 2004.
This stadium has a long history and is also visually stunning; it is the only
stadium of its kind in the world made entirely of white marble quarried from
Mount Pentéli. Upon entering the stadium visitors are given a brochure available
in three languages and the option of an audio tour available in ten languages.
Overall, a tour of the stadium takes between 10 and 20 minutes but you might
want to stay even longer just to admire the sheer breathtaking beauty of this
all marble stadium.
Final Thoughts
Although Greece has long endured a reputation as an archaic dying culture, a
visit to the mainland and its surrounding islands will show you that Greece is
alive. In recent years, it has flourished with a high influx of tourists and
anyone who travels here seems to have nothing but good things to say about it.
There are hundreds of attractions from ancient historical sites to beaches and
places that entice everyone ranging from scholars to those seeking a relaxing
exotic getaway, there truly is something for everyone in this great country.
Greece should be high on the list of any vacationer seeking a history filled
authentic and unforgettable experience.
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