Greece is the Word

Some people find history a stuffy subject, with all those names, places, dates, battles, shifty monarchies, and shifting borders listed in chronological order. To them, the past stays in the past, far away from their daily lives. In Greece, however, the past is everywhere. It’s unavoidable, and that’s why this country shines like no other.

Beyond the 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beyond the world-famous museums and iconic ruins, Greece never lets you forget that it was once among the most powerful empires of the ancient world. Classic architecture—complete with a full complement of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns—can be found throughout towns and cities, on shiny new buildings and crumbling older ones, giving the country a cohesive look rarely found elsewhere.

And yet, for such a historically celebrated nation, Greece is a breath of fresh air. The cool, breezy climate draws you outside to enjoy the country’s natural gifts: mountainous terrain peppered with deserted hiking trails, nearly 8,500 miles of coastline, 6,000-plus islands and islets, and Mediterranean waters that you’ll swear are the purest form of blue you’ve ever set eyes on. On beaches and at cafés, you’ll feast on food so fresh and inspiring that it’s no surprise to learn that one of the world’s first cookbooks was written here in 320 B.C. by a chap named Archestratos.

Old and new, ancient stories and modern living, respected traditions and contemporary comforts—Greece is the complete package for travelers. Here are some highlights for your visit.

Athens and the Mainland

The capital of Greece both past and present, Athens is the logical place to start your journey. Recorded in history for the last 3,400 years (but inhabited for centuries before that), Athens is not the boastful type. If it were, it would constantly remind you that it’s the birthplace of democracy, arts, science, and philosophy of Western civilization.

You’ll catch a sense of these defining spirits on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, a pedestrian thoroughfare that hugs the base of the Acropolis, giving visitors a prime place to stroll and stare up at brightly lit sites such as the Theatre of Dionysus and the nearby Temple of Olympian Zeus.

While the view is quite pleasing from down below, it becomes jaw-dropping once you ascend the rocky outcrop to the Acropolis itself. While this ancient citadel is home to many ruins—including the monumental gateway of the Propylaea and the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon—the Parthenon takes center stage. Completed in 438 B.C., the great marble temple was the largest and most resplendent of its time, a testament to Athenian wealth and power that has withstood wars earthquakes, and fires. It is the physical embodiment of history itself, compelling all who wander near its 34-foot-tall Doric columns to be transported to another time. This time traveling is cemented by visiting the nearby Acropolis Museum, where, along with its numerous collections covering pre-classical times to the Roman era, you can view the ruins of an ancient settlement through its glass floors.

Many who visit Greece never leave Athens, but those who do are rewarded with more historic sites cradled by verdant mountains and set under radiant skies. Two popular day-trip destinations are Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, once home to an oracle who had the gods on speed dial, and Mycenae, home to the imposing ruins of one of the greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, where you can ascend to the citadel through the famous Lion Gate and see the ruts in the ground made by actual chariot wheels.

The Greek Isles

While there are many other ancient, modern, and natural treasures across the mainland, travelers tend to know what they want. In Greece’s case, that would be the gleaming whitewashed houses and cobalt domes overlooking a sparkling sea across the Greek islands. Each has a local flavor as distinct as fresh olive oil, yet three stand out.

Santorini is simply sublime, an archipelago oasis birthed like a goddess from a volcanic caldera. The iconic blue-domed structures radiate down the caldera’s steep cliffs, forming villages that make every photo one of the best you’ve ever taken. Spend your days kayaking around the caldera; walking down narrow streets framed by stucco walls, where colorful bougainvillea spill over from window boxes; or hiking around the isle, soaking up ancient ruins, incredible frescoes, mystical chapels, and quaint vineyards.

While Santorini is a relaxing afternoon, Mykonos is a Mediterranean party that never ends. Days here go by in a flash in the best possible way. Late-morning brunches are followed by shopping in designer stores and poking around art galleries. Then, after a nap on the beach, dress up for a seaside dinner at Little Venice, a romantic neighborhood filled with elegant houses flush against the water’s edge, before hitting the nightclubs and finally catching the sunrise over the ocean. If that’s not your speed, catch a ferry to nearby Delos, a massive archeological site filled with temples, markets, and mosaics from as far back as the 3rd millennium B.C.

For a different taste of Greek island life, head up the country’s west coast to Corfu. The second largest of the Ionian Islands (behind Cephalonia), Corfu is a lush land of rolling hills, pristine coastlines, time-weathered ruins, and a strong Italian atmosphere thanks to the Venetians who occupied the island for centuries. This influence—along with French and English flavors from subsequent occupations—is apparent in the Old Town, a UNESCO site where you’ll stroll past buildings with trademark Venetian arches and the British-built Palace of St. Michael and St. George, which now houses the Museum of Asian Art. The entire area—bracketed by the Ottoman-repelling Old Fortress on one end and the Turk-defying New Fortress on the other—is wonderfully walkable, easily enjoyable, and awash with history.

That’s Greece in a nutshell. It’s history and nature intertwined and fortified by a culture that relishes life. It’s bright blue skies and ancient white columns. It’s baklava glistening in the sun and a cold Mythos beer in your hand. It’s about as easy to enjoy as a country can be, and that’s why it’s been a bucket-list destination longer than iron buckets have existed.