Samothraki
About 6km northeast of Kamariotissa, the Sanctuary of the Great Gods is one of Greece’s most mysterious archaeological sites. The Thracians built this…
Must-see attractions in Northeastern Aegean Islands
Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
Lesvos
This fascinating state-of-the-art museum chronicles what a volcano can do at a moment's notice – in this case 20 million years ago. Don't miss the…
Samos
In a word: extraordinary. In 524 BC, when Pythagorio (then called Samos) was the island’s capital and a bustling metropolis of 80,000, securing sources…
Samos
Follow the north-coast road out of Vathy for 10km and look for a signposted dirt road to the left leading to Livadaki Beach. Here, tropical azure waters…
Korais Library & Philip Argenti Museum
Chios
On the upper floor of the remarkable Korais Library, the Philip Argenti Museum contains a 19th-century birthing chair, along with shepherds' tools,…
Thasos
Alluring and easily accessible, the island's crown gem includes the considerable and photogenic remains of an ancient temple where the gods were once…
Ikaria
This small, stunning beach is 3km east of Manganitis. Its marble pebbles, emerald water and giant rocks polished by the waves make you feel you've been…
Chios
Brave new architecture arrives in Chios in the form of this airy hilltop structure that casts a curious glance on mastic gardens and ancient stone houses…
Lesvos
Extraordinary. It's worth coming to Lesvos for this alone – the Teriade Museum and its astonishing collection of paintings by artists including Picasso,…
Thasos
Looking like an alien creature from the sci-fi movie Avatar, a 5m-tall 6th-century-BC kouros (male statue of the Archaic period) carrying a ram greets…
Ikaria
Crowning the hill above Hristos Rahes, this small family-run winery has won several recent awards in Europe. In addition to the offered tastings and small…
Ikaria
Westward 3.5km from Armenistis lies the pebbled beach of Nas, lying below the road and the few tavernas. A nudist-friendly beach, it has an impressive…
East Moudros Military Cemetery
Limnos
As if taken from the middle of England, this grassy patch is dotted with memorials to 800 ANZAC and other British Empire soldiers who died of wounds in a…
Limnos
Myrina’s lonely hilltop kastro (castle) dates from the 13th century and occupies a headland that divides the town from its popular beach. The ruins of the…
Thasos
Easily accessible on foot from Limenaria, this pretty cove features an elegiac retro-industrial sight in the form of a mining factory built by German…
Archaeological Museum of Pythagorio
Samos
One of the best museums on the islands. The exhibits in this smart space include beautifully displayed finds from Pythagorio, plus striking pottery pieces…
Samothraki
About 500m past Kafeneio Ta Therma, a lush wooded path (100m) leads to a series of rock pools and waterfalls, the most impressive being 30m in height…
Thasos
West from Alyki, past Thymonia Beach, is the clifftop Moni Arhangelou, an Athonite dependency and working convent, notable for its 400-year-old church …
Samos
It's hard to fully grasp the former magnificence of this ancient sanctuary of the goddess Hera, 4km west of Pythagorio, from these scattered ruins. The …
Samothraki
Freshly converted into a fully fledged tourist sight complete with helpful English-language signs, this picturesque castle was built in 1431–33 by…
Samos
Housed in two adjacent buildings, this handsome complex displays the contents of the Heraion (Sanctuary of Hera) near Pythagorio (from Polycrates' rule in…
Chios
At the island’s centre, Nea Moni is a World Heritage–listed 11th-century Byzantine monastery. Once one of Greece’s richest monasteries, it attracted pre…
Chios
Only a small section of the island's largest cave is accessible, but the main reason to drive all the way to the northern tip of Chios is the 12th-century…
Chios
This 150-million-year-old cavern was discovered accidentally in 1985. It's 57m deep and filled with multicoloured stalactites and other rock formations…
Chios
Created in 1965, this handsome museum showcases the collection of local shipping magnate Antonis Lemos. Many of the models on display (some intentionally…
Limnos
A beautifully desolate clifftop site, the Sanctuary of the Kabeiroi lies at the northern tip of remote Tigani Bay. The worship of the Kabeiroi gods here…
Church of the Panagia Vrefokratousa
Lesvos
A pilgrimage site of national importance, this elegant walled-off church contains a namesake icon depicting the Virgin, which is believed to make miracles…
Lesvos
On the same site as the Teriade Museum, this humble structure contains 86 paintings by the primitive painter Theophilos, who remains a folk hero among…
Limnos
This hilltop late-Byzantine church built next to a holy-water spring wouldn't be such an outstanding attraction if not for its scenic observation point…
Lesvos
Around 36km north of Mytilini Town, near Mantamados village, stands one of Lesvos’ most important pilgrimage sites. An axis of Orthodoxy, myth and…
Samos
Previously devoid of any special charms, the island's second capital has reinvented itself by inviting a group of internationally acclaimed street artists…
Chios
With its bubble-like cupolas pierced to let in gentle shafts of light, this classic early-18th-century hammam (Turkish bath) was built as a charitable…
Chios
At the end of a silent stretch of road that branches off the main road near Avgonyma, this solemn site serves as a reminder of the island's brutal history…
Thasos
This inland village just south of Limenas is nothing if not photogenic. Its characteristic architecture includes stone-and-slate rooftops and the elegant…
Lesvos
About 9km west of Andissa, the Byzantine Moni Ypsilou stands atop a solitary peak surrounded by volcanic plains. Founded in the 8th century, this storied…
Chios
In the leafy courtyard of the Church of Agia Paraskevi stands the Mausoleum of Inousses, where the island’s ship-owning dynasties have endowed the tombs…
Limnos
On the southeast coast, Poliohni is considered the first prehistoric settlement in the Aegean and – allegedly – the first example of constituted democracy…
Thasos
Thasos was an entirely autonomous statelet under nominal Egyptian rule in the 19th century, and its president Metaxas Chatzigeorgi ruled the land from his…
Castle of Lykourgos Logothetis
Samos
Samians took the lead locally in the 1821 War of Independence, and this castle, built in 1824 by resistance leader Logothetis, is the major relic of that…
Lesvos
Modestly tucked away in the village of Papados, between Mytilini and south-coast Plomari, this little museum showcases 19th-century steam-powered presses…
