To make the most of the mountain, allow two to three days hiking. Explore it early in the morning or soak up the view from a dinnertime terrace; no matter how you experience the Acropolis, you will be mesmerised by its beauty, history and sheer size. Book. For the best weather without the crowds it attracts, June and September are lovely times to visit. A flavourful melting pot of sparkling nightspots, fresh seafood, sizzling Mediterranean passion and mythical legend, Greece is a fascinating and enchanting destination. Built as early as the 14th century, these were home to hermit monks fleeing persecution. Your passport must be valid for three months after your arrival date. Further north, Thessaloniki gives the capital a run for its money, with sophisticated restaurants, a buzzing nightlife and its own culture scene. Ouzo is synonymous with Greece, but Greek tipples go beyond the anise-flavoured aperitif. Greece - Peloponnese (PDF Chapter) Details. Today this spectacular stone forest beckons pilgrims and rock climbers from around the world. Matt Barrett's entertaining Guide to Athens, Greece, makes visiting the city easy and makes planning fun with loads of great photos, restaurant, hotels reviews,things to see and questions answered by e-mail, Greece, Travel, Information Guide to Athens, Guidebook, November, and for three weeks, until 30. Begin by witnessing the moving, candlelit processions of flower-filled biers through the capital, marking the start of the celebration on Good Friday. Visit Greece and you’ll discover a country with incredible historic sites spanning four millennia, encompassing both the legendary and the obscure. If you have the time and stamina, walking is probably the single best way to see the remote Greek backcountry, with plenty of options from gentle strolls to long-distance mountain paths through one of Europe’s most impressive mountain terrains. Sunset at Oia on Santorini island © DigitalHand Studio/Shutterstock. November 2020. View Chapters Hide Chapters. May and October are worth a trip for the lower prices and Crete and the Cyclades are arguably at their best in May. Take the tourist road less travelled with a trip around the Central Mainland or Northern Mainland, with brilliant mountain hiking and trekking opportunities as well as tonnes of history and the all-important spectacular beaches. Sitting on top of an elegantly curving headland and crowned with a Byzantine castle, it faces west as if inviting the setting sun to touch the red-tiled roofs and yachts in the marina with its magic wand and make reality feel like oriental dream. The dramatic gorge of Samaria is the most-trodden canyon in Crete – and with good reason. From lightning storms to schoolwork, here's what it's like to live on a boat with your family and travel the world by sea. Fancy a villa by the sea, or an apartment in a vibrant Mediterranean city? The train system, meanwhile, is limited and is often a slower option than taking the bus. Starting near Omalos and running down through an ancient riverbed to the Libyan Sea, it's home to soaring birds of prey and a dazzling array of wildflowers in spring. Any Greece travel guide would be incomplete without a tour of the iconic Acropolis of Athens. And for a completely different look at Greece, take The Road Less Travelled, a journey through northern and central Greece that rarely appears on travel agents’ radars. Meander through olive groves and petrified forests or hike up volcanoes to thoroughly enjoy all of Greece's natural wonders. How Greece is rethinking its once bustling tourism industry. Lockdown in Greece: SMS guide, what is open, travel as of Nov 7. Top image: The Parthenon on The Acropolis, Athens © Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock. Magnificent Meteora will leave you speechless. You’ll find some dive centres across the mainland, Dodecanese, Ionians, Cyclades and Crete. How Greece is rethinking its once bustling tourism industry. The size and close proximity of Santorini, Mykonos and co are ideal for a short stay on each. UK and all other EU nationals need only a valid passport to enter Greece. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Cultural and natural sites of Athens and the Peloponnese, The Historical and Mythological Cyclades islands, Greek food: 11 delicious dishes you need to try, Alternative things to do in Santorini: the secret side of the Greek Island, The best places to go in autumn – the editors' picks, Plan your tailor-made trip with a local expert, Travel stress-free with local assistance and 24/7 support, Take a look at all our Greek itineraries here, Getting around Greece: Transportation Tips, Travel Tips Greece for planning and on the go. Head up to the hill for a trip to ancient Greece. Digital PDF only. Jet skis can be rented in many places, too. The simple pleasures – swimming in balmy seas at dusk, talking and drinking under the stars, eating fresh, uncomplicated food – are just as appealing. You can explore the region by hiking or mountain biking, or simply get cosy by the fire in one of the many rustic B&Bs dotting the region. Drink up with throngs of students at stylish bars and clubs. Taste-test your way through the city’s zaharoplasteia (patisseries) for Ottoman-inspired sweets. The small town of Lithoro on the east of the mountain is by far the best place to base yourself. Whether you choose to join the queue or set sail in a boat of your own, here are six picturesque places to take to the seas this summer. For centuries, the feuding families here were literally a law unto themselves and this has contributed to the unique Maniot culture. The most cost effective route is usually via the UK or other northern European hub such as Amsterdam or Frankfurt. The Greek coastline is punctuated by superb beaches, while its mountainous interior urges you to dust off your hiking boots and explore. The skyline of the city is dominated by the Acropolis, visible from almost anywhere in the city. $24.99 USD. We published our first Rough Guide to Greece almost 40 years ago, but we’ll never tire of travelling there. Navagio, or Shipwreck bay, Zakynthos © Michail Makarov/Shutterstock. These are my favorite companies to use when I travel to Greece. Wander along the top of the city’s walls, with the sea on one side and a bird’s-eye view into this living museum. It’s hard to beat traditional hand-spun filo, a salad of horta (wild greens) picked from a backyard garden and red mullet just hauled in. Spring and autumn, when its cooler, are great for walking. All sorts of bareboat and flotilla yacht trips are on offer, while dinghies, small cats and motor boats can be rented at many resorts. Stroll past Byzantine fortresses, neoclassical 19th-century British buildings, Parisian-style arcades, Orthodox church towers and the narrow, sun-dappled streets of the Venetian Old Town. Beginning July 1, 2020, the Greek government has determined how the country will welcome travellers, carry out the necessary diagnostic screening and keep everyone safe throughout the season. Beneath the majestic facades of the many venerable landmarks, the city is teeming with life and creativity. The white-gold houses of the tiny island's stunningly preserved stone village fill a natural cove and hug the edges of the surrounding mountains. Everyone approaches Hydra by sea. Whether it’s a bowl of snails, fresh artichokes, mussels or figs, the essence of this rustic cuisine is a balance of flavours. As hoards of holiday makers can attest, Greek summers are hot, hot, hot. Worshipped, feared and admired, they formed the basis for the ancient Greek religion until paganism was banned by the Romans in AD 391. Use Rough Guides' trusted partners for great rates. Though our visit was brief, Audrey and I still made it our mission to see as many sights and attractions as possible around Athens, Greece. Life in Athens is a magnificent mash-up of both the ancient and the contemporary. $4.95 USD. Explore the old quarter, a neighbourhood full of colourful, winding streets marked by white-plastered houses, lazy cats and Byzantine churches. Getting lost in Rhodes' Old Town is a must. Soaring pillars of rock jut heavenward, a handful complete with monasteries perched on their summits. Soulful rembetika (blues songs) serenade the cobbled streets, while cocktail bars and nightclubs abound and swing deep into the night. The Parthenon is the star attraction, but don't overlook the exquisite Temple of Athena Nike and the Theatre of Dionysos. The rope ladders that once enabled the monks to reach the top have long been replaced by steps carved into the rock, and six of the 24 monasteries remain open to resident monks and visitors alike. Here, Rhodes and Kos, two of Greece’s largest and most-visited islands, are the stars of the show. Stylish Thessaloniki remains northern Greece’s liveliest town, thanks to its universities, cultural scene, arts and nightlife. To get more solitude, try lesser-known Imbros Gorge, which runs roughly parallel to Samaria and is around half the length. Or stick to the beaches with Island-Hopping in the Cyclades, the best group of islands to travel between thanks to quick and frequent ferry links. Nearby, the state-of-the-art Acropolis Museum provides a close-up look at the surviving treasures of the site. Also, the genuine welcome you receive at the simplest taverna is enough to get you booking next year’s break as soon as you get home. From the spirited nightlife and celebrity hideaways of Mykonos and Ios, to the isolated sandy coasts of tiny, far-flung specks such as Anafi, hopping through the Cyclades is a Greek experience not to be missed. They are included here because they consistently find deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. There’s not a huge amount of aquatic life, but you do get wonderfully clear water, while the rocky coast offers plenty of caves and hidden nooks to explore. Here’s our full guide to accommodation in Greece, including an explanation of the different hotel categories and our pick of some of the best places to stay in Greece. Navagio, better known as Shipwreck Bay, has a spectacular cliff drop, white sands, turquoise waters and – you guessed it – its very own shipwreck. With its heart-shaped boulder lapped by the bluest waves just offshore, Crete’s Preveli Beach is one of Greece's most iconic. Athens to Rhodes is just a two-hour flight, for example, but 28 hours by boat. Non-EU nationals arriving by plane or boat from another EU state not party to the Schengen Agreement might not routinely have their passport stamped at minor Greek ports, so make sure this is done in order to avoid unpleasantness on exit. Watching the sunset across Santorini’s famous caldera is up there on most lists of things to do before you die. During this time it has become one of the most popular travel sites on the web with all sorts of free information that you would have to otherwise search for. Chapters. If you overstay your time and then leave under your own power – ie are not deported – you'll be hit with a huge fine upon departure, and possibly be banned from re-entering for a period of time; no excuses will be entertained except (just maybe) a doctor's certificate stating you were immobilized in hospital.