Greece Travel Guide
The country of Greece is a paradise for tourists who are interested in Art, culture and literature. Far away from the beach bum, an amazing country for the lover of the classics.
Balos Beach
It's hard to describe the raw beauty of Balos beach. It's soft white sandy landscape is kissed by turquize, crystal waters, while the whole landscape is framed by dramatic islets and mountains. It's out of the way but the several cruises that leave from Kissamos ensure easy and pleasant access. The castle in the nearby island of Gramvousa adds to the mystique and beauty of the place. A rocky road can take your car near, and a fairly long footpath can take you there if you are not keen on joining the daily cruise boats.
Sarakiniko (in Elafonisos Island, Peloponnese)
What a great experience we had at Sarakiniko beach. Simos beach is right around the corner and just as great of a beach! For such a tiny island, Elafonisos at the Southern end of Peloponnese offers three of the best beaches of Greece (Panagia beach is the third one), and just about the best looking water in the world.
Elafoinissos (Chania, Crete)
Two of the best beaches of Greece in one perfecture should not be allowed. But such is nature that it bestowed the west coast of Crete with beautiful beaches and sea. Elafonisos is way too crowded for being so far out of the way (our Garmin GPS thought we were in Lybia!) in the south-western coast of Chania, but it has been developed with much sensitivity to the environment to make it worth a spot in our top ten. Besides, a short walk through the narrow, sandy channel will bring you almost all alone through foot trails and less than saturated beaches in the island of Elafonisos itself.
Navagio (Zakynthos)
Another isolated beache that is only served by boats. Coarse white sand, deep blue waters, dramatic vertical clifs, and large caverns awaiting snorkeling exploration are enough to make this one of the best beaches of Greece, but the embedded and decaying shipwreck in the middle make this beach a special one.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The museum houses some of the best examples of Greek art. Artifacts from prehistoric Greece all the way up to Roman times are exhibited in its halls. Highlights include a large collection of Mycenaean artifacts, archaic Kouros statues, and masterpieces from the Classical and Hellenistic eras. This is by far the largest museum of Greece, and it shelters the best examples of Greek Art and Culture from the entire country. The building has been recently renovated in 2004, and some of its collections have been enhanced.
Heraklion Museum in Crete
The best examples of Minoan art and culture have been collected in the Heraklion museum in Crete. Minoan civilization has been widely credited as the first European civilization and the artifacts it produced are dazzling in their quality. Highlights of the Heraklion museum include the Bull rython, the gold jewelry from Malia, and the beautiful frescoes from the palace of Knossos. Examples from the classical and Hellenistic periods are also exhibited at the museum.
The Acropolis Museum
A visit to the Acropolis should include a visit to the Museum on the site. If you love art, the Acropolis museum will not disappoint with its exhibition of mostly Archaic and Classical sculptures from the various Acropolis monuments. The highlights are the parthenon freeze, a large collection of Kouros and Kore statues, and the original Caryatides statues from the Erectheon. Now if the British government could return the Elgin marbles from London, one would be able to experience the entire Acropolis site in one visit.
Acropolis of Athens
More than any other monument, the Acropolis of Athens represents Classical Greek culture at its zenith. While modern Athens is not on my top list of places to visit in Greece, a stay of a few days is imperative to experience its ancient monuments and rich museums.
Delphi
As a place of influence in ancient east Mediterranean affairs Delphi has no rivals. The Delphic oracles were received by Persian kings and Athenian leaders and they indirectly helped shape history as we know it. The landscape is fantastic, the ruins well preserved, and the site's museum houses some of the most important art works from ancient Greece.
Olympia
The Olympic games have evolved over the years to become the most spectacular show business in the world, and they travel every four years from one host country to another, but in Ancient Greece, all "civilized" cities gathered in ancient Olympia to participate in athletic competitions and cultural festivals.
Epidaurus
The vast sanctuary lies about in ruins, but the Epidaurus theater itself is a visual treat. Perfectly preserved it is still used today for festivals and concerts.
Phaistos (Crete)
While most travel guides would pick another Minoan palace (Knossos) as the best destination in Crete, my personal visits to both places have placed Phaistos in a special place in my heart. Phaistos felt much more genuine of a place, while Knossos --spectacular as it is-- seemed a bit more contrived. If you do visit Crete, it is possible to visit both Knossos and Phaistos during one visit to Heraklion.
Vergina
This unique archeological site / museum is well worth a visit to experience Macedonian culture. The tomb of Phillip II of Macedon has yielded excellent examples of artifacts which are exhibited under the Great Tumulus alongside the ancient tombs.
Palace of Knossos
I have heard, and can imagine, that the island of Crete with its remnants of the powerful Minoan culture is a phenomenal place, and one of the best in all of Greece. However, my day on Crete was marked by brutal temperatures and a mercilessly boring tour guide. Thus, what should have been a lovely glimpse of a beautiful island steeped in history was instead a sweaty, sweltering snooze fest. But that should not in any way take away from what could and should be a great vacation destination. Thanks to the work of archaeologist Arthur Evans, the Palace of Knossos is on display for all to see, even if that means what one sees today may not exactly be accurate. Evans was, shall we say, a little over zealous and allowed his imagination to reconstruct much of the palace we see today. Nevertheless, the complex is truly a sight to behold. This was the place where, according to myth, Theseus slew the half-bull, half-human creature known as the Minotaur, saving numerous young Athenians from being sacrificed to the monster. Not bad for a day's work.