Athens
Europe's oldest city, the original Olympic city and birthplace of philosophy.
Europe's oldest city, the original Olympic city and birthplace of philosophy.
Crete is more like a small country than another Greek island.
The Cyclades (kih-klah-dez), are Greek islands to dream about; sun-kissed outliers of rock and dappled earth lying scattered across the glittering Aegean Sea.
Hania (hahn-yah; also spelt Chania) is Crete’s most evocative city, with its pretty Venetian quarter, criss-crossed by narrow lanes, culminating at a magnificent harbour.
With its astonishing wealth of natural attractions, and a unique blend of histories and cultures, Northern Greece is arguably the country’s most fascinating region, yet one that remains relatively undiscovered.
Strung out along the coast of western Turkey southeast of Greece, like jewels upon an impossibly aquamarine sea, the Dodecanese both entrance and attract passers-by – many of whom return year after year to sample some of the most culturally and...
Crete’s capital city, Iraklio (ee-rah-klee-oh, also called Heraklion), is Greece’s fifth-largest city and the island’s economic and administrative hub.
The Peloponnese (pel-o-pon-ih-sos) is the stuff that legends are made of.
Thessaloniki (thess-ah-lo-nee-kih) is at once the hippest, most cultured and most expensive place to sleep and eat in northern Greece – though budget options are, thankfully, starting to emerge.
One of Greece’s best-kept secrets, these far-flung islands are closer to Turkey than mainland Greece.
Basking between the commanding bastions of its 15th-century fortress and the glittering azure waters of the Med, Rethymno (reth-im-no) is one of Crete’s most delightful towns.
The largest of the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes (Ρόδος; ro-dos) is abundant in beaches, fertile wooded valleys, vivid culture and ancient history.
The fortified Old Town is bursting with atmosphere at its medieval seams, and losing yourself in its maze of alleyways and crumbling buildings is half the fun.
Lasithi’s capital, Agios Nikolaos (ah-yee-os nih-ko-laos) stands on the shores of the beautiful Mirabello Bay.
For better or worse, the secret is out about Nafplio, one of Greece’s prettiest and most romantic towns.
The image of Ios (Ιος) as a hard-core party destination is slowly changing as a broader range of holidaymaker begins to appreciate that this is still a traditional Cycladic island, in both landscape and cultural terms.
Subscribe now and receive a 20% discount on your next guidebook purchase
© 2013 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.