Greece

Best Holiday Destinations in Greece Travel Guide, Vacation in Greece Planning Tips & Travel Information

Endless beaches, millennia-old cultural monuments, extensive mountain ranges, tranquil villages and vibrant metropolises – Greece is extremely diverse and not without reason a classic holiday destination. Traveling through
the best holiday destinations in Greece means experiencing this diversity. The cradle of Europe at the foot of the Balkans stretches across mainland Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and more than 9,800 islands. Swimmers, sunbathers and sailors can all easily find what they are looking for on the 15,012 kilometers of coastline. The Aegean Sea, located between Greece and Turkey, is particularly inviting with its wealth of islands for sailing tours. Olympus is a real challenge for athletes who are more drawn to the heights of the peaks than to the vastness of the sea. The mountain massif where, according to legend, the old gods lived can be found on the east coast. On the other hand, if you want to visit the capital Athens, you have to orientate yourself to the west. There, from the famous Acropolis of Athens, a modern metropolis can be overlooked, which is full of evidence of the ancient Greek high culture. A city as beautiful, as fascinating, as worth seeing as Greece itself. A holiday in Greece can take a myriad of different forms and the choice is yours.

Kerkira Greece

Kerkira Greece

Facts and figures of holiday destinations in Greece

  • Area: 132,000 sq km (107,000 sq km mainland and approx. 25,000 sq km island area), coast length approx. 15,000 km
  • Population: approx. 10.5 million
  • National language: Modern Greek
  • Population density: 84 inhabitants/sq km
  • Capital: Athens with area of 39 square km and approx. 720,979
  • Population (Greater Athens/Piraeus area: 3,808 square kilometers and 4.5 million inhabitants)
  • License plate: GR
  • International dialing code: 0030
  • Emergency call: 100 (police), 166 (ambulance service), 199 (fire brigade)
  • Form of government: Parliamentary democracy
  • National holiday: March 25 (beginning of the fight for freedom against the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821) and October 28 (“Ochi Day” to commemorate the unsuccessful Italian attempt at annexation)
  • Local currency: 1 euro (€) = 100 euro cents
  • Time zone: UTC +2 EET
  • UTC+3 EEST (March – October)
  • Religions: Greek Orthodox state church as well as Muslim (approx. 130,000), Protestant, Catholic (altogether approx. 50,000) and Jewish (6,500) members of the faith
  • Main economic sectors: agriculture, textile production, metal products, petroleum and coal products, tourism, financial services

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Santorini

Santorini

History of holiday destinations in Greece

  • 3600 BC The first traces of Minoan settlements on Crete date from this period
  • 1450 BC The Mycenaean culture gains supremacy in Crete
  • 1200 BC A wave of destruction emanates from the so-called sea peoples in the entire eastern Mediterranean area
  • 750 – 500 BC The “Archaic Period” is characterized by the emergence of the Greek city-states (Polis), especially on the Black Sea and in large parts of the Mediterranean region.
  • 500 – 336 BC During the “Greek Classics” disputes with the Persians continued. Later, conflicts between the two strongest powers in Greece, Athens and Sparta, dominate.
  • 336 – 146 BC During the “Hellenism” period, Greek culture spread throughout the Mediterranean as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great.
  • 30 B.C. The last Hellenistic power is annexed by Rome.
  • 395 AD Due to the split of the Roman Empire, Greece becomes part of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 580 AD Slavic peoples invade the Eastern Roman Balkan provinces.
  • 1453 AD The Ottomans conquer the Byzantine Empire and with it Greece.
  • 1821 On March 25, the Greek Revolution begins, leading to national independence.
  • 1832 Otto, son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, becomes Greece’s first king of modern times.
  • 1917 Greece enters the war against the Central Powers and their allies, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
  • 1922 The Greco-Turkish War ends with a devastating defeat for the Greeks
  • 1941 – 44 Greece is occupied by the Axis powers, after their expulsion the Greek Civil War follows
  • 1949 The Greek Civil War ends with the defeat of the communist forces
  • 1952 Greece becomes a member of NATO
  • 1967 Georgios Papadopoulos seizes power with the help of the military
  • 1974 Collapse of the military dictatorship after the Greek armed forces were defeated in the Cyprus conflict. Greece becomes democratic.
  • 1981 Greece becomes a member of the EEC
  • 1986 The Greek constitution is reformed
  • 2004 The Summer Olympics are held in Athens

Acropolis of Athens

Acropolis of Athens

Culture, customs and traditions of holiday destinations in Greece

If you go on holiday to Greece, you cannot avoid experiencing its culture. In Greece, the first high culture of Europe arose, whose influences can still be felt in many countries today. Not only from books, but also in memorials, museums, ruins and exhibitions you can get comprehensive information about antiquity on your vacation in Greece. Philosophers from this period, including Socrates, Plato and Diogenes, laid important foundations for our modern science. But 21st-century Greece also has an impressive culture to offer. Contemporary Greek culture has its roots in folk art and is famous for its extraordinary architecture, songs, literature and poetry. Important writers include Vassilis Alexakis and the Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis, who died in 1996. In the musical field, the band Antique is currently best known internationally, which took third place in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest. In addition, interesting cultural events take place in Greece throughout the year, such as the International Film Festival and the National Book Fair in Thessaloniki and remarkable concerts in the concert halls of Thessaloniki and Athens.

Best holiday destinations in Greece -Cathedral of Athens

Discover the holiday destinations in Greece ’s major provinces and territories on your vacation in Greece

Crete – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

The southernmost island of Greece and at the same time the southernmost part of Europe is the island of Crete. With more than 1000 kilometers of coastline, Crete is also the largest Greek island and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. Of the approximately 600,000 inhabitants of Crete, around 140,000 live in the economic and administrative center of Heraklion, the largest city on the island. The climatic diversity of Crete is also interesting. While the north coast, where the majority of towns and ports are located, has a rather mild and Mediterranean climate, the sparsely populated coast is very hot and almost African. Accordingly, the Cretan flora is very varied and includes 140 endemic plant species. On Crete it is also possible to visit traces of the Minoan culture, for example the palaces of Knossos and Phaístos.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Crete

Southern Aegean information for your vacation in Greece

The southernmost of the Cyclades, located on the southern Aegean volcanic belt, is the island of Santorini. The island is the remains of an exploded volcanic cone. The 86 km long island, where 9,700 people live, is one of the classic landing points for Mediterranean cruises and is considered an island paradise for romantics. For this reason, it is often a popular destination for Greece vacationers.

Santorin

Attica – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

The Greek region of Attica, which also includes the capital Athens, is home to more than a third of all Greeks. Athens is the hub of the region, which certainly doesn’t have to hide behind other European capitals. Attica is bordered on the west by Boeotia and Megara, on the south the peninsula converges at Cape Sounion. Attica is also home to the famous port of Piraeus, once the largest port in antiquity, and the site of Marathon, which, according to legend, was the starting point for the first marathon in history.

Athika

Dodecanese – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

Greece The Dodecanese archipelago is located in the eastern Aegean and belongs to the South Aegean administrative region. The archipelago consists of a dozen main islands, from which its name derives, which means something like “twelve islands”. The largest of the islands belonging to the Dodecanese is the island of Rhodes. The Dodecanese are popular with holidaymakers due to their mild climate and many beaches.

Dodecanese Greece

Peloponnese information for your Greece vacation

The name Peloponnese designates both the Greek peninsula of Peloponnese and an administrative region of Greece that includes most of the peninsula. The Peloponnese forms the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and is therefore the area that extends furthest into the Mediterranean Sea. Its connection to the mainland, the Isthmus of Corinth, was breached by the Corinth Canal in 1893, but since 2004 there has been a new connection through the Rio-Andirrio Bridge. An ideal starting point for a tour of the Peloponnese is Patras, the most important ferry port in Greece. From here you can, for example, explore ancient Olympia, Byzantine Mistras and world-famous Sparta. For those who are looking for relaxation in Greece, not only the numerous beaches, but also the interior of the island with its rolling hills and dark mountain forests are worth a visit.

Peloponnese Greece Seafood

Sporades information for your Greece vacation

The Sporades are two groups of islands in the Aegean Sea (the Northern and Southern Sporades). They consist of many small islands and 9 main islands. Many of the islands are only about 6 nautical miles from the mainland and are therefore easy to reach even on short vacations in Greece. Skopelos, one of the larger islands, stands out for its forest cover and its fine pebble beaches.

Sporades Greece

The Ionian Islands information for your Greece vacation

The Ionian Islands are located on the west coast of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. Geographically, the region is the smallest in Greece. Together they cover an area of approx. 2,270 km². It consists of seven main islands, six of which are in the Ionian Sea. The Ionian Islands are a region that is largely well developed for tourism, Corfu and Zakynthos can be flown to directly, the other islands can be reached via ferry connections. In addition to the fantastic beaches, the lush vegetation of the islands in particular attracts many visitors to Greece. Olive groves dominate here, the green hills in the south of the island of Corfu alone are home to 3 million olive trees. Also part of the Ionian Islands is the tiny island of Ponitkoníssi, the cypress-lined Mouse Island, which people say is the petrified ship of Odysseus.

Ionians Beach

Central Greece Information for your Greece vacation

The region of Central Greece includes a large part of mainland Central Greece as well as the island of Euboea. Also known as Sterea Ellada, the affluent area is home to over 600,000 people. The capital of the region is the city of Lamia, with almost 60,000 inhabitants. The landscape is mostly hilly, but the steep mountains of the coast level off towards the interior, which facilitates agriculture.

Thessaly information for your Greece vacation

The region of Thessaly is located in central Greece. It is bordered on the south by Macedonia and on the west by Epirus. North of Thessaly is the region of Sterea Ellada. Thessaly itself is one of the few flat areas in Greece, but it is completely surrounded by high mountains. Capital of the 14,036 km² Larisa region. Of particular tourist interest for a holiday in Greece are the Meteora monasteries and the Magnesia peninsula. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these monasteries are built against a cliff in such a way that they seem to float in the hazy air. The Pelion peninsula, which is also located in Thessaly, also offers secluded beaches and impressive coastal landscapes.

Pindus Mountains, Thessaly

Epirus information for your Greece vacation

Epirus is an administrative region in north-west Greece with around 354,000 inhabitants. The name Epirus also designates the landscape at the same time. The region borders the Ambracian Gulf and Aetolia-Acarnania to the south, and is separated from Thessaly and Macedonia by the Pindus Mountains to the east. Epirus borders Albania to the north and the Ionian Sea to the west. The area covers approximately 9,200 square kilometers and is divided into different prefectures. The capital of Epirus is Ioannina. The country, characterized by mountains, is cut through by a number of rivers in the interior and is rich in forests and water bodies. Epirus is still one of the poorest regions in Greece and the EU. Apart from the port city of Igomenitsa and the seaside resorts of Parga and Sivota, tourism is relatively underdeveloped.

Epirus Greece

Northern Aegean information for your Greece vacation

The North Aegean is an administrative region with approximately 210,000 inhabitants and includes islands belonging to the North Aegean Islands, the East Aegean Islands and the Sporades. The islands are close to the Turkish coast and are known for their scenic landscapes of olive trees and vineyards. Incidentally, the North Aegean island of Chios was the home of the famous poet Homer, to whom we owe the Odyssey and the Iliad.

Northern Aegean

Thrace information for your Greece vacation

In the northeast of the country, on the border with Turkey, lies the region of Thrace. Approximately 366,000 people live in the 8,578 km² area, including numerous Russian-Greeks who were settled there in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. About a third of the population are Muslims, mainly Turks, which is why Thrace has an oriental character in many places. Attention bird lovers on holiday in Greece: Thrace also has a rich bird of prey fauna, the largest of the 36 bird of prey species occurring there is the white-tailed eagle. The rest of the nature of the region, which is only partially developed for tourism, is also impressive.

Macedonia information for your Greece vacation

Macedonia is home to Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, which has a vibrant arts and culture scene. The region itself is the largest of present-day Greece and borders Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the north. In the east it borders with Thrace, in the west with Epirus and Thessaly, in the south with the Aegean Sea. In addition to other larger cities such as Kavala and Kastoria, there are also dense forests and numerous mountains and gorges in the region. In some of the forests there are even bears. Also worth mentioning are the lakes Vegoritida, Kastoria and Prespa, where pelicans, cormorants and other rare species of birds sometimes nest.

 East Macedonia and Thrace

East Macedonia and Thrace

Top places to visit of best holiday destinations in Greece

As a modern European country with a history stretching back thousands of years, Greece offers so many sights and tourist attractions that it is impossible to list them all here, and a single Greece holiday cannot possibly cover them all. Therefore only a short selection is presented here. The capital Athens is not only a sight in itself, but also home to the famous Acropolis and numerous modern cafes, shopping streets and taverns. Not far from Athens is the port city of Piraeus, whose port is one of the most important hubs of Greek traffic. If you want to travel to Greece and are interested in architecture: Impressive buildings are also the Corinth Canal, which was dug 75 meters deep through the stone and of course the various palaces, which bear witness to the ancient culture of Greece. The Palace of the Grand Masters of Rhodes and the Meteora monasteries are particularly impressive.

Ancient Stadium Acropolis

Ancient Stadium Acropolis, Athens

Best national parks of holiday destinations in Greece

Anyone who spends their holidays in Greece and loves nature should of course also visit the Greek national parks. The most famous of these is the Olympus National Park, located in the area around the mountain of the same name, where, according to mythology, the ancient gods gathered. This area has been protected by special laws for over 50 years, and since 1981 it has also been internationally recognized as a “biosphere reserve” by UNESCO. Those who want to explore the park can reach the peaks of Mount Olympus within a few hours on two different hiking routes from the village of Lithochoro. In addition to the more than 1,700 registered plant species in the national park, the animal world is also of interest: snakes, lizards, turtles, butterflies and even such rare species as brown bears and lynx live here.

Axios National Park, Axios, Greece

Discover the best holiday destinations in Greece ’s major cities on your vacation in Greece

Athens – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

The Greek capital Athens is also the most populous and largest city in the country. The city, which has existed for around 5000 years, is one of the most visited metropolises on the European continent. Athens, which has a population of 3.8 million in the metropolitan area, is one of the hubs of life in the Balkans. Located on the edge of Europe is an important trading post between Europe and the Orient. Of course, you will also find a wide range of museums, cultural events and buildings here on holiday in Greece, of which the Acropolis and the Daphni Monastery are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Athens there is undoubtedly a lot to experience and admire, but if you are looking for a quiet place on your Greece holiday, other parts of Greece are recommended.

Best Holiday Destinations in Greece - Athens

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, the capital of the administrative region of Central Macedonia and the economic and cultural center of the entire Macedonia region, is also the second largest city in Greece. Today around 800,000 people live in the city already mentioned in the Bible, whose early Christian and Byzantine churches have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Many visitors on Greece holidays visit the city in transit to the northern Aegean islands or to the Halkidiki peninsula. You get the fascinating impression of a city in which Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans all left their mark.

Piraeus

Piraeus, the third largest city in Greece, is best known for its Mediterranean port. Originally Piraeus was the port of the capital Athens. It is therefore not surprising that the Trokadero Marina Ship Museum and the Piraeus Maritime Museum are among the most important sights in the city. In addition, the city can look back on more than 2000 years of history and, as a port city, is the gateway to the countless Greek islands.

Piraeus

Patras

Patras, the capital of the region of Western Greece and fourth largest city in Greece, is one of the most important port cities in the country along with Piraeus. It is also the home of the Patrino Karnivali, the largest carnival in Greece with around 50,000 carnavalists. Patras was destroyed in the Liberation War of 1821 and then rebuilt. It is amphitheatrically situated on the south-eastern coast of the Gulf of Patras and has a large number of wide and straight streets winding uphill from the beach. Patras has a number of cultural treasures to offer, such as the famous Achaia Clauss Winery, the Apollon Theater and the Ancient Odeon of Patras. However, if you want to visit Patras on holiday in Greece, you should be told that unfortunately – as in most big cities – you won’t be completely spared dirt and noise here either.

Patras

Heraklion

Heraklion, officially the fifth largest city in Greece with 137,000 inhabitants, is not on the mainland but on the southern Greek island of Crete. In the past, the city was also known as “Iraklion” or “Heraklion”. Heraklion is the capital of the administrative region of Crete and the prefecture of Heraklion as well as the most important location of the University of Crete and the Technical University of Crete. The city is built on small hills, just off the coast of the Aegean Sea. It is – like the whole island of Crete – one of the most important and busiest tourist destinations in Greece during the whole season from April to October. Interesting sights such as the Palace of Knossos, the Icon Museum of Heraklion and the picturesque old town, as well as numerous other historical buildings and churches await visitors on holiday in Greece. Incidentally, Heraklion was the home of the famous writer Nikos Kazantzakis, whose name the city’s airport now bears.

Heraklion Greece

Lamia

Lamia is the capital of the region of Central Greece and home to approximately 60,000 people. The city already existed in the 5th millennium BC and was formerly an important military base of the Spartans. Today the city is the commercial center of the predominantly agricultural surrounding area.

lamia Greece sunset

Peristerium

Located on the outskirts of Athens, the Greek city of Peristeri has an official population of 310,000 and an area of around 10 km². The city has been connected to the Athens Metro network since the 2004 Olympic Games, which has led to a significant increase in property prices. It is best explored as part of a day trip.

Larisa

The first settlements in the area of today’s Larisa, the capital of the administrative region of Thessaly and the largest city in this region, were already established around 4000 BC. The city lies in the center of the Thessaly Basin and is traversed by the river Pinios. Due to its location in a basin, Larisa’s climate is much more continental than in the rest of Greece. Due to these geographical conditions, the Larisa plain is extremely fertile, which is why the region was heavily influenced by agriculture for a long time. Today the city, located on the A1 motorway between Athens and Thessaloniki, is not only an economic center, but also a destination for many holidays in Greece. Although surrounded by mountains, Larisa also has a 15 km long beach on the Thermaic Gulf.

Kavala

With 70,000 inhabitants, Kavala is the second largest city in northern Greece after Thessaloniki. The city’s port is the main port of East Macedonia, Kavala also has a commercial airport, which is primarily used for domestic flights and tourist charter traffic. The cityscape is characterized by an aqueduct dating back to Roman times and a famous castle.

Kavala

Callithea

The city of Kallithea, with a population of 110,000, is located three kilometers south of Athens city center and covers an area of 5 km². The area on which the city is located was protected by Athens’ Long Walls in ancient times. The original settlement Xypete located there is mentioned, among other things, in Plato’s “Dialogues”. Modern Kallithea owes its rise largely to the first modern Olympic Games, held in Greece in 1896.

Kalamata

The capital of the Messenia region in the Peloponnese is the city of Kalamata with 58,000 inhabitants. The town lies in the shadow of a castle that was built by Frankish crusaders as early as the 13th century. Kalamata is also home to the Kalogreon nunnery, where famous silk fabrics are woven, and the Apostle Church, where the end of the liberation struggle against the Turks was announced in 1821.

Ioannina

Ioannina, the capital of the Epirus region, is characterized in its cityscape by buildings and narrow streets from the Ottoman era. The city is framed by the foothills of the Pindos Mountains. It has about 70,000 inhabitants and is the seat of a university with 20,000 students. It is also worth mentioning that Ioaninna is one of the few Greek cities where the main Ottoman-era mosque has been preserved as a cultural monument.

Ioannina beautiful landscape

Greek islands information for your Greece vacation

Corfu – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

Corfu is the second largest and the northernmost of the Ionian Islands. Because of its – by Greek standards – lush vegetation, Corfu is also known as “the green island”, which makes it particularly worthwhile for a holiday in Greece. The most important place on the island is the city of the same name, Corfu. One of the main sights of Corfu is the Achilleion, a palace of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sissi), who stayed frequently on the island. In terms of landscape, Kofu is characterized by olive and cypress trees and an impressive variety of animals thanks to the mild, Mediterranean climate.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Corfu

Rhodes – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

Everyone who wants to go on vacation in Greece knows this city at least by name. Rhodes is the main island of the Dodecanese. It has 125,000 inhabitants, about half of them in the city of Rhodes. With over 3000 hours of sunshine per year, the island is one of the sunniest areas in Europe and has long been established as a tourist destination. According to legend, at her harbor entrance was one of the seven wonders of the world, a 34 meter high statue, the Colossus of Rhodes, built in 227 BC. was destroyed in an earthquake. Rhodes not only offers a Greece vacationer historical sights, but also a very distinctive nightlife.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Rhodos

Lesvos

The Greek island of Lesvos is located off the Turkish coast in the north-east Aegean. Most of the beaches are not sandy, which is why package tourism is limited. Culturally, however, it is quite interesting for a holiday in Greece, the city of Molivos, for example, is completely under monument protection.

Lesvos

Kos – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

Very close to the Turkish coast is the island of Kos, which belongs to the Dodecanese. The tourist and cultural center of the island is the place of the same name, Kos. Nerataza Fortress, built by the Hospitallers in 1315, still stands at the entrance to the main port of Mandraki. Known for its long sandy beaches, the island of around 25,000 inhabitants is a popular travel destination. The most famous son of the island is probably the doctor Hippocrates.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Kos

Mykonos – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

One of the most popular Greek islands is the island of Mykonos, located in the Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Cyclades archipelago. The image of the island is characterized by cubic, whitewashed houses with blue shutters and churches with blue domes and windmills. Mykonos has also become a popular destination for diving holidays in Greece.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Mykonos

Santorini – one of the best holiday destinations in Greece

The southernmost of the Cyclades, located on the southern Aegean volcanic belt, is the island of Santorini. The island is the remains of an exploded volcanic cone. The 86 km long island, which is home to 9,700 people, is one of the classic mooring points for Mediterranean cruises. For this reason, it is often a popular destination for Greece vacationers.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Santorini

Samos

The island of Samos is located in the Aegean Sea, separated from the Turkish coast by a one kilometer wide arm of the sea. The capital of the mountainous and wooded island is Vathy. The island was already around 3000 BC. inhabited and is rich in antique architecture. Samos has pebbly, flat beaches and is not precipitous.

samos fishing boat

Karpathos

Karpathos is an island in the Aegean Sea and the second largest island in the Dodecanese. Halfway between Crete and Rhodes is the Greek island of Karpathos. The island, which has been inhabited since ancient times, is very popular with windsurfers because of its wind statistics. In addition, it is accessible via an international airport and is also interesting from an ethnological point of view, since many traditions that have already died out in other parts of Greece have survived here.

Karpathos

Top places to visit for nature and wildlife of best holiday destinations in Greece

A particularly impressive aspect of Greece’s nature is certainly the Greek variety of plants, which is unique in Europe. 5,500 endemic (only occurring in a certain place) plant species are known in Greece today. Anyone vacationing in Greece in spring can admire the countless wildflowers that cover the hilly meadows like a dense carpet. But Greece is also a country of mountains and forests. Large forests are mainly found in northern Greece, in Thrace and Macedonia. In addition to plants, over 900 species of animals find refuge in Greece. Special action programs ensure that Mediterranean tortoises and monk seals, for example, are adequately protected. A few brown bears, Europe’s largest predators, also live in the mountains on the border with Albania.

Turtles

Activities of the best holiday destinations in Greece

In a Greece holiday, the most diverse tastes get their money’s worth. Of course, in a country whose culture has shaped Europe like no other over the millennia, there is a particularly large range for holidaymakers interested in classical education. Historical buildings, monuments and museums abound throughout the country. However, this is far from the end. In addition to the beach activities that are possible almost everywhere, the range of restaurants, taverns, discotheques, shops and the like is also extremely rich, especially in the tourist centers and on the islands. A stay on Crete is highly recommended for nature and hiking enthusiasts. Mountaineers, on the other hand, can try their hand at the Pindos Mountains, for example. However, if you want to vacation in Greece and immerse yourself in the nightlife of fast-moving metropolises, you are probably best off in the largest cities of Athens and Thessaloniki.

Navagio, ZakynthosNavagio, Zakynthos

Food & drink in the best holiday destinations in Greece

Thanks to the numerous Greek restaurants global, Greek cuisine should be familiar to the vast majority of people worldwide. It is part of the Mediterranean cuisine and uses many of the spices native to this region, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage. Traditionally, the dishes were only served lukewarm and in restaurants they were not selected from a menu, but rather by the guest themselves in the kitchen of the respective restaurant, which has changed significantly in recent years. In Greece, plenty of vegetables, olives, seafood, and large amounts of beef, pork, mutton and goat meat are consumed. Typical dishes include jemista (stuffed vegetables), mousaka (casserole with fried potato slices) and of course the well-known meat dishes bifteki, gyros and souvlaki. As for drinking, in addition to locally grown wines, various types of beer and the aniseed schnapps ouzo are very popular.

greek food

Best time for visiting the best holiday destinations in Greece

Greece has a Mediterranean climate almost everywhere, with dry and hot summers and wet and mild winters, with relatively low humidity all year round. Especially in the coastal regions it is mild and rainy in winter, snowfall is extremely rare. The summers are hot and there is little rainfall, with only occasional summer thunderstorms. Inland, winter is significantly colder, night frost and snowfall are more common here. In summer, however, it is also hot and dry inside with temperatures between 30° and 40° Celsius, which favors forest fires.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - santorini

How to get to your holiday destinations in Greece

The quickest and most convenient way to get to Greece is by plane, for which there are a number of offers available at a variety of prices. They can be found in almost every travel agency and on the Internet. But it is also possible to go to Greece by bus or by car. You can also take a ferry from Italy.

Best holiday destinations in Greece - Beach

Lefkada

Entry requirements of holiday destinations in Greece

If you want to travel to Greece, you should note: Greece is part of the European Union. Citizens of other EU countries require therefore no visa. A valid passport or identity card must be carried as proof of identity.

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Oia, Greece
Oia, Greece

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