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We
have compiled the basic "must-see" list
for first-time visitors to Greece. These are
the places, for better or worse, that attract
visitors by the thousands every year.
There's much, much more to Greece, but if your
budget or time is limited, these are the main spots
to explore:
1.
Athens - The Acropolis
Say what you like (or don't like!) about Athens,
no one's trip to Greece can be complete without a
visit to its supreme symbol, the outcropping of
rock called the Acropolis, crowned with Athena's
sacred temple, the Parthenon. It looks great all
day, but visit in the early morning or late
afternoon to avoid the crowds. Skip the Sound and
Light show - cold in temperature and corny in
tone.
2. Athens - The National
Archaeological Museum
Even
if you hate museums, grit your teeth and get
cultured here. It's a world-class display of
seemingly endless artifacts. Most dramatic are the
tall, enigmatic kouroi, archaic statues of godlike
young men or man-like young gods, displayed
against a rich red background that reminds us that
the real temples, statues, and walls of Ancient
Greece weren't bleached white by centuries of sun
and rain. If you can bear to be (briefly)
unfaithful to Greece, the Egyptian antiquities
collection upstairs and in back is well worth a
look.
3. Near Athens - Temple of
Poseidon at Cape Sounion
It's worth the tour bus trip or car ride to
visit this clifftop temple, the empty spaces
between the columns framing the sky and looking
like a portal into eternity. You will feel poetic
or heroic just looking at these ruins. With the
Aegean Sea below spread out below like an endless
shimmering sea of silk, one wonders if seagod
Poseidon misses the loss of his temple's roof and
walls very much. Most popular at sunset, it's as
beautiful in the early morning, and much, much
less crowded. Give the on-site restaurant a miss
for anything but a snack.
4. Island of Santorini
Atlantis legends, missing Minoans, a living
volcanic legacy, swell sunsets, good local wine,
fine restaurants, vampire stories, oodles of
tourists. There's nothing like it. But rearrange
your trip, cancel your tickets, do anything in
your power to be able to arrive by sea, slowly
crawling up the coast watching the banded cliffs
of brown, black, and red crowned by snow-white
tufa, a light lava which still clings to parts of
the island like frosting on a cake. Signature site
of the once-buried city of Akrotiri is under a tin
roof, gets extraordinarily hot - go early in the
day. The hotels carved into the cliffsides are not
for those with vertigo. Looking for activity,
bustle, lots of restaurant choices? Stay in Fira.
Want more of a retreat but still with all the
amenities? Stay in Oia.
5. Island of Mykonos
The most famous Greek island got that way
for good reason. It's charming, fun, beautiful,
and now, renowned for sophisticated, international
goings-on. Vibrant nightlife, terrific shopping,
more nude and non-nude beaches per square mile
than anywhere else in Greece, loved by gays,
straights, honeymoon couples, Greeks,
tourists...though half of all these groups will
insist that the island is passé or
over-developed, they still come in droves.
Genuinely sick of the frenzy? Get over onto the
other side of the island for an entirely different
Mykonos, with open country, charming private
chapels, and less tourist-shocked Greeks.
6. Ancient Theater of
Epidaurus
A relatively easy drive from Athens, the site of
Epidaurus on the Peloponnese Peninsula is worth a
special trip. The Theatre, functional enough for
plays to be regularly presented during the summer,
has unbelievable acoustics. On your way, there's a
great little village bakery/liquor store in Adami.
7. Mycenae
Combine this Peloponnesian stop with your trip to
Epidaurus. This Mycenean fortress disengorged much
of the gold displayed at the National
Archaeological Museum, and is a fascinating place,
with gargantuan walls, cylindrical tomb shafts,
and the double-lion gate. Wear good shoes and
watch your step - the rampway leading to the gate
was made steep to permit easy defense of the
palace from marauders, and tourists still qualify.
The snack bar has been known to run out of water
on hot days...bring your own for this hot, dusty,
but intriguing site.
8. Crete
The big island of Crete is like a separate nation
within Greece, with a bit of everything, from
party-hearty beach towns like Mallia (practically
on top of the remains of the Minoan palace) to the
sophisticated, expensive little city of Agios
Nikolaos, or the natural wonders of the Samaria
Gorge and the "real Crete" city of
Chania. The interior is filled with steep
mountains, obscure villages, the windmill-jammed
Lassithi Plain, and some challenging roads. The
southern coast is wilder, with some great retreat
spots. Don't trust the maps - roads are much
wigglier, often high-altitude, when you meet them
in person. Exception: the north coast road from
Iraklio to points east is freeway-wide and quick.
9. Crete - Knossos
Irresistible, labyrinthine reconstruction of a
destroyed Minoan palace from the time when King
Minos ruled the Aegean and the mainland Greeks
paid tribute, long before the Golden Age of
Greece. Disorienting, easy to get lost even today,
with a mystery around every corner. It seems
strange to be able to just hop on a public bus to
get to this ancient, enigmatical place, but the
Number 2 Knossos bus from downtown Iraklion does
just that. Definitely not a retreat from the city,
Iraklio has grown up around it and it's approached
by a busy, narrow road. Once inside the Cretan
landscape visible from the palace looks untouched
since ancient times.
10. Island of Hydra
Easy hydrofoil access from Athens makes this
sophisticated little island which bans vehicle
traffic a local version of Mykonos - with the
shopping, without the nude beaches. Charming
harbor, nice church architecture, fun shops, and
pricey but generally good quality tavernas. Feel
like a day's pilgrimage? Walk to the monastery
above and behind the town... making sure that,
whether you're a man or a woman, you have
something to cover those illicit bare arms and
legs once you arrive.
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