Greece Tourism - Greece Sights and Activities

The glory that is Greece

Ancient ruins, outstanding museums, breathtaking scenery and more than 300 days of sunshine each year make Greece one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With more than 2000 islands, hundreds of historical landmarks and the tenth-longest coastline in the world, it's hard to decide where to go and what to see.

• Athens - While Athens is a must-see destination, it's not a must-stay location. Even though it's easier to get around, thanks to recent improvements in public transportation, there's no sugar coating the truth. Athens is crowded, polluted and bulging with 40 percent of the country's population. So why go? It's home to the Parthenon, the Acropolis and the National Archeological Museum.
Delphi - Set on a mountain with spectacular cliffs in one direction and peaceful olive groves in the other, Delphi holds court over one of the most beautiful locations in Greece. Add magnificent ancient ruins, an exceptional museum and a mystical past, and it's surprising more tourists don't make the three-hour trek from Athens. Once considered the center of the world, Delphi still holds many marvels for the modern tourist.
• Meteora - The name translates to "hovering in mid-air," which accurately describes the 24 monasteries that defy gravity as they cling to the steep mountainsides in northern Greece. Once accessible only through handmade ladders or ropes, these remote hermitages are now reached via a series of pathways. Despite the improvements, this spectacular trek is not for anyone with bad knees or a fear of heights.
• Santorini - If you go to only one Greek island, make it Santorini. Arrive by boat, not plane, for full effect, and hire a donkey to carry your bags up the steep and almost endless steps to town. The classic blue-domed buildings and impeccably clean whitewashed buildings always look freshly painted - even though the archaeological sites tell of a messy past. Akrotiri reveals an ancient town destroyed by a volcano, while Ancient Thira overlooks a black lava beach created by yet more eruptions. The dry climate, perfect for grapes, provides this tiny island with more than its share of wineries, some of which are the country's finest.