GR - Greece

To know:
Greece is one of the 20 most visited states in the world with almost 18 million tourists in 2013, an important volume for a country of 11 million inhabitants; mass tourism is mostly directed towards the famous summer destinations, such as Crete, Rhodes or Corfu, but, despite this, it is still possible to find large areas that are less touristic and less frequented, even in July and August. Beyond seaside tourism, Greece offers various archaeological sites, museums and monuments (especially from the Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic and Byzantine periods) and is therefore also a destination for cultural tourism. Cities like Athens and Thessaloniki attract tourists all year round and archaeological sites such as Delphi, Mycenae and Epidaurus mainly from April to October, coinciding with the summer.

Once known as a cheap tourist destination, Greece has now reached European standards in terms of prices for goods and services.

When to go:
Seaside tourism finds its peak in the summer, between May and September, while for the cultural one it is also possible to consider April and October, months in which you can still visit the destinations outdoors with minimal risk of rain.

Territories and tourist destinations:
      Attica – The region around the Greek capital and its port (Piraeus). Attica also boasts numerous seaside resorts lying on the stretch of coast between Athens and Cape Sunio and other smaller ones aligned on its east coast.
      Peloponnese – Many of its most popular tourist centers are concentrated in Argolis, where the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus are also located. Equally famous sites are Corinth, Olympia in the Elis and Mystras in Laconia.
      Greek islands
      Crete – Major destination of international tourism, Crete boasts magnificent coasts and famous archaeological sites. Its capital is Candia (Iraklio) with an important archaeological museum dedicated to the Minoan era and the archaeological site of Knossos in its immediate surroundings.
      Central Greece – Evia is part of it, the second largest island in Greece. The most renowned tourist locations in central Greece are the archaeological site of Delphi and the nearby Mount Parnassus.
      Northern Greece
Urban centers
Athens – The capital of the country with its sumptuous Parthenon which dominates the city from the acropolis.
Patras – Port of Achaia with maritime connections with the Italian ports of the Adriatic. A nice carnival takes place there.
Piraeus – Port of Athens from where we embark for the Cyclades and the Dodecanese.
Rhodes – One of the most touristic cities in Greece with important monuments of the time when it was subjected to the Knights of the Order of St. John.
Thessaloniki – Greece’s second largest city with outstanding examples of Byzantine art some of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Volos – Port of Thessaly and capital of Magnesia, Volos is the base for exploring Mount Pelio and also the embarkation point for the Northern Sporades.