Ancient wonders, whitewashed island villages, crystal-clear coves and long, unhurried dinners by the sea.
Photo: Héctor J. Rivas / Unsplash
Few places blend history, beauty and pleasure as effortlessly as Greece. In one trip you can stand beneath the Parthenon, watch the sun sink into the Santorini caldera, swim in water so clear it looks unreal and linger over grilled fish and local wine at a seaside taverna until the stars come out.
What we love most is the variety. Every island has its own personality, from glamorous Mykonos to big, soulful Crete, and the mainland hides some of the most extraordinary places in Europe, such as the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora and the sanctuary of Delphi. It’s a wonderful choice for honeymooners, families, history lovers, food lovers and anyone who dreams of a slow summer by the sea.
Greece is a mountainous peninsula wrapped in sea, with thousands of islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian, only a couple of hundred of them inhabited. That geography shaped everything, from the independent city-states of the classical age to the seafaring culture that still defines island life. Layers of history sit side by side here: ancient temples, Byzantine churches glittering with mosaics, Venetian harbors and fortresses, Ottoman-era fountains and the neoclassical squares built after independence in the nineteenth century.
Photo: Ermir Hoxhaj / Unsplash
At a Glance
Our take: Mid-September is hard to beat. You get warm water, open hotels and a far more relaxed pace than in midsummer.
Greek Orthodox Easter, which usually falls on a different date from Western Easter, is the emotional peak of the year. On Saturday night, churches fill for the midnight service, candles are lit from the holy flame and passed from person to person, and the streets ring with the greeting Christos Anesti, Christ is risen. Sunday brings lamb roasting on spits, red-dyed eggs cracked against each other in a friendly contest and long family feasts, a beautiful moment to experience a village or island.
Summer has its own rhythm. The meltemi, a dry north wind, blows across the Aegean mainly in July and August, keeping the Cyclades breezy but sometimes making ferry crossings choppy. The Ionian islands on the west coast are more sheltered, with greener landscapes. August 15, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, is a major holiday when many Greeks return to their home villages for church processions and festivals, so ferries and island hotels are at their busiest around that week.
Photo: Fajar Al Hadi / Unsplash
Plaka and Koukaki put you within walking distance of the Acropolis and the best of the historic center. Kolonaki is upscale and chic, and the Athens Riviera offers seaside resorts within easy reach of the city.
Santorini and Mykonos are the stars, with Naxos, Paros and Milos offering a slower pace, superb beaches and authentic villages. Ferries link many of these islands, so they’re ideal for island-hopping.
Greece’s largest island deserves at least four nights. Chania and Rethymno have romantic old towns, while the north coast near Elounda has some of the country’s finest resorts.
The Peloponnese peninsula, with charming Nafplio as a base, is rich in ancient sites. Further north, Delphi and Meteora make a memorable road trip from Athens.
Nonstop flights reach Athens from several major US cities, especially in the warmer months. From there, short domestic flights or ferries connect you to the islands. We plan routes around realistic ferry timetables, which change by season and can be affected by strong winds.
Advisor tip: As a Fora advisor with access to Virtuoso, we can often secure added perks at partner hotels in Greece, such as daily breakfast, room upgrades when available and on-property credits. On a caldera-view suite in Santorini, those extras add real value.
One of Europe’s oldest cities, Athens is a lively mix of ancient monuments, neighborhood tavernas and rooftop bars with Acropolis views. Beyond the Parthenon, explore the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, the National Archaeological Museum and the lanes of Plaka and Anafiotika.
Standout experience: An early-morning private tour of the Acropolis before the heat and the crowds, followed by lunch in Plaka.
Santorini’s whitewashed villages cling to the rim of a flooded volcanic caldera, with views that are every bit as stunning as the photos. Stay in Oia, Imerovigli or Firostefani for caldera views, and explore the black-sand beaches, volcanic wineries and the ancient site of Akrotiri.
Standout experience: A private catamaran cruise around the caldera at sunset, with a swim at the hot springs along the way.
Santorini’s shape is the result of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history, which blew apart a round island some three and a half thousand years ago and let the sea flood the collapsed center. At Akrotiri, ash preserved a Bronze Age town with multistory houses and vivid frescoes, often compared to Pompeii. The volcanic soil also gives the island its distinctive wines: vines are woven into low basket shapes to shelter the grapes from wind, producing crisp, mineral Assyrtiko and the sweet, sun-dried Vinsanto.
Mykonos combines a picture-perfect old town with golden beaches, stylish beach clubs and a famously lively nightlife. Wander the maze-like lanes of Chora, watch the sunset from Little Venice and take a short boat ride to the sacred island of Delos.
Standout experience: A morning guided visit to Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo, followed by a long lunch on the beach.
The row of windmills above Mykonos town, known as Kato Mili, recalls the island’s role on old trade routes, when the mills ground grain for passing ships and local bakers. Below them, the old sea captains’ houses of Little Venice rise straight from the water, their balconies hanging over the waves. In Chora, whitewashed lanes twist deliberately, a layout often said to have confused wind and pirates alike, and a resident pelican has been the town’s unofficial mascot since the 1950s.
Delos, a short boat ride away, was one of the most sacred places in the ancient Greek world and a thriving trading port in Hellenistic and Roman times. No one is allowed to stay overnight on the island, which today is an open-air archaeological site recognized by UNESCO. Walk past the marble Terrace of the Lions, mosaic-floored houses and the remains of temples and theaters, then see the original lion statues in the island museum. Go in the morning, as there is little shade.
Photo: Julian / Unsplash
Crete feels like a country of its own, with mountains, gorges, palm-fringed beaches and a proud food culture. Visit the Minoan palace of Knossos, stroll Chania’s Venetian harbor, hike the Samaria Gorge and relax on the pink-tinged sand of Elafonissi.
Standout experience: A cooking class in a mountain village, followed by a meal of the dishes you made with olive oil from the surrounding groves.
Crete was the heart of the Minoan civilization, Europe’s earliest great Bronze Age culture, which flourished nearly four thousand years ago. Knossos, excavated by Arthur Evans in the early twentieth century, is linked to the myth of King Minos and the labyrinth of the Minotaur, and its finest frescoes and treasures are displayed at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Later the island was ruled by Venice and then the Ottoman Empire, and both left their mark on Chania and Rethymno’s harbors, fortresses and lanes.
Cretan food is a highlight of any trip to Greece. Look for dakos, barley rusks topped with grated tomato, soft cheese and olive oil; snails, wild greens and slow-cooked lamb in mountain villages; and a small glass of raki, also called tsikoudia, offered as a gesture of welcome at the end of a meal. The Samaria Gorge, one of Europe’s longest, is open seasonally and ends at the coastal village of Agia Roumeli, reached only by boat or on foot.
Photo: Leonhard Niederwimmer / Unsplash
These neighboring islands offer the Cycladic look with a gentler pace. Naxos has wide sandy beaches, mountain villages and the marble Portara gateway, and Paros pairs the fishing harbor of Naoussa with lovely beaches and great windsurfing.
Standout experience: Watching the sunset from the Portara on Naxos, then dining by the old harbor.
In central Greece, medieval monasteries sit on top of soaring sandstone pillars. A handful are still active and open to visitors, and the views from the trails and lookouts are breathtaking.
Standout experience: A sunset tour of the rock formations with a local guide, including the hidden hermit caves.
The name Meteora means suspended in the air, and it is easy to see why. Hermits began living in caves on these pillars around a thousand years ago, and in the fourteenth century monks built monasteries on the summits, once reachable only by retractable ladders or by being hauled up in nets. Six monasteries remain active today, each with its own frescoed church and visiting hours, and together they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nearby town of Kalambaka makes a convenient base.
Once considered the center of the ancient world, Delphi sits high on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, overlooking a valley of olive trees that runs to the sea. The Temple of Apollo, the theater, the stadium and the excellent museum make it one of the most atmospheric sites in Greece.
Standout experience: Arriving when the site opens to walk the Sacred Way in near silence, with the mountains glowing in the morning light.
According to myth, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the world, and they met at Delphi, which the ancients marked with a carved stone called the omphalos, or navel of the world. For centuries pilgrims and city-states traveled here to consult the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo, whose often ambiguous answers guided wars, colonies and personal decisions. The sanctuary also hosted the Pythian Games, and the treasuries built by rival cities along the Sacred Way displayed their wealth and gratitude.
Do not skip the museum, home to the bronze Charioteer of Delphi, one of the finest surviving statues of the classical period. Just below the main site, the circular Tholos at the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia is one of the most photographed ruins in Greece. The village of Arachova, a short drive away on the slopes of Parnassus, is known for its stone houses, local cheeses and woolen weavings, and becomes a lively ski base in winter.
Photo: Julia Novodvorskaia / Unsplash
Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, is one of the country’s prettiest towns, with Venetian fortresses, neoclassical mansions and a waterfront promenade. It’s an ideal base for the ancient theater of Epidaurus, the citadel of Mycenae and the wineries of Nemea.
Standout experience: Climbing up to the Palamidi fortress for sweeping views over the town and the bay, then dinner on a quiet square in the old town.
Nafplio served as the first capital of the newly independent Greek state, from 1829 until the capital moved to Athens in 1834. The country’s first head of state, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was assassinated outside the little church of Agios Spyridon in the old town, where a mark in the wall is still pointed out to visitors. Today the town is a favorite weekend escape for Athenians, with marble-paved lanes, bougainvillea-draped balconies and the tiny fortified islet of Bourtzi guarding the harbor.
The surrounding Argolis is one of the richest corners of Greece for archaeology. At Epidaurus, the fourth-century BC theater is famous for its acoustics, and it still hosts performances of ancient drama on summer evenings. Mycenae, the hilltop citadel linked to the legendary King Agamemnon, is entered through the monumental Lion Gate, and the excavations led by Heinrich Schliemann in the 1870s brought its gold treasures to light. Nearby Nemea is known for its red wines from the Agiorgitiko grape.
Photo: Anastasios Tselepatiotis / Unsplash
Greeks are famous for philoxenia, the warm hospitality toward guests, and you’ll feel it everywhere. Meals are social, shared and unhurried, built around mezedes, small plates, with fresh seafood, olive oil, local cheeses and wine or ouzo. Dinner often starts after 9 p.m. in summer. Religious festivals are important, especially Easter and the mid-August feast day of the Virgin Mary. Learning a few words, like “kalimera” (good morning) and “efharisto” (thank you), will always be appreciated.
1. See the big sites early. Book timed tickets for the Acropolis and arrive at opening time to beat the heat and the crowds.
2. Stay overnight on Santorini. Day visitors from cruise ships crowd the villages in the middle of the day, and evenings are far more peaceful.
3. Keep island-hopping simple. Two or three islands are plenty for a week, and grouping nearby islands keeps ferry time down.
4. Build in a buffer before your flight home. Strong winds can delay or cancel ferries, so we plan a night in Athens before a long-haul departure.
5. Dress for monasteries. Meteora’s monasteries ask visitors to cover their shoulders and knees, and women are usually asked to wear a skirt.
6. Ask for local wine. Assyrtiko from Santorini and the reds from Nemea are both wonderful.
Do US citizens need a visa to visit Greece?
US citizens don’t need a visa for short tourist stays in Greece, which is part of the Schengen Area. New European border registration and travel authorization rules are being introduced, so we’ll confirm the latest requirements before you travel.
How many islands should I visit?
For a week, we suggest Athens plus two islands. With two weeks, you can comfortably add a third island or Crete.
Is it better to travel between islands by ferry or plane?
It depends on the islands. Ferries are ideal within the Cyclades, while flights are often faster between Athens and Crete, Rhodes or Corfu. We’ll recommend the best mix for your route.
Is Greece good for families?
Absolutely. Calm, shallow beaches, ancient sites full of myths and legends, and relaxed tavernas make Greece a great choice for all ages.
When is the sea warm enough for swimming?
From about June to October, with the warmest water in late August and September.
Greece is easy to love and easy to get wrong in high season. We’ll design the right island combination, line up private guides and transfers, and secure our partner perks at hotels along the way.
Novera Travel will be happy to arrange your international flights when you’re traveling first class.
Call +1 33 22 NOVERA – +1 (332) 266-8372 or email info@noveratravel.com
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