Greece Off The Beaten Path

  Rio bridge as seen from the Rio castle
by mindcrime
 
  • Rio bridge as seen from the Rio castle
      Rio bridge as seen from the Rio castle
    by mindcrime
  • The view from the castle
      The view from the castle
    by Lomma
  • Lalaria Beach
      Lalaria Beach
    by Jannice48
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by greekcypriot
  • The Samaria gorge.
      The Samaria gorge.
    by cachaseiro
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Greece

76.

Gazi Factory   Athens

Gazi Factory, Athens

 6 Reviews  An old gas factory made by some industrial buildings, is now a live industrial museum. This factory, once closed was gradually transformed into a versatile cultural centre and now it hosts several... 

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77.

Hidden Beaches   Crete Island

Hidden Beaches, Crete Island

 22 Reviews  Leaving Sitia we headed off to the east for Vai the beach with the palm forest. The road to Vai was pretty new and looked like it had been resurfaced which I was glad about as I could imagine it had... 

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78.

Excursions   Thessaloniki

Excursions, Thessaloniki

 12 Reviews  The best experience in Greece could well be the "Uninhabited Island Hopping" - Robinson Crusoe Expedition. An expedition that takes adventurous travelers to small uninhabited islets and islands in... 

 See All 49 Off The Beaten Path in Thessaloniki

79.

Towns and Villages   Prefecture of Heraklion

Towns and Villages, Prefecture of Heraklion

 1 Review  Try to get to the villages in the hills above the resorts. There most of the people are children and old women. The children laughed and ran by our scooter while the old ladies, who usually sat at the... 

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80.

Kifissia   Athens

Kifissia, Athens

 4 Reviews  Beautiful store windows, a tranquil retreat from the downtown hustle and bustle of dusty Athens. My fav suburb of Athens. Just a 30min train ride on the train (ilektriko ISAP) from Syntagma. The... 

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81.

Coastal Places   Crete Island

Coastal Places, Crete Island

 17 Reviews  Now this is what we had been searching for!! What a beach!! We actually missed the turn off to the beach from Kavousi so stopped on a clifftop to turn round and view the beach. What a stunner!! We... 

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82.

Byzantine Walls   Thessaloniki

Byzantine Walls, Thessaloniki

 2 Reviews  The famous White Tower, near the waterfront, dates from the period of Venetian rule (1423-1430). You can’t miss it. However, if you don’t take the time to wander around the city it’s easy to miss a... 

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83.

Parnitha mountain   Athens

Parnitha mountain, Athens

 3 Reviews  Located in the north part of Athens with 1413m high Parnitha mountain(or else Parnes) is one of the top winter destinations famous for it’s shelters (Bafi is one of them) with pine wood forest and... 

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84.

Towns and Villages   Crete Island

Towns and Villages, Crete Island

 16 Reviews  For years I wanted to visit this village. We set off from Rethimno and followed the sign posts, a beautiful new road, what more could you want. SHOCK! road is under repair, I kid you not, on the worst... 

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85.

Byzantine Churches   Thessaloniki

Byzantine Churches, Thessaloniki

 8 Reviews  This interesting building was 1 of the 1st churches built in the ‘Macedonian School’ style. Inside, there are important wall-paintings. The church of St. Panteleimon’s located north of Egnatia... 

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86.

Paiania   Athens

Paiania, Athens

 6 Reviews  Located on the east side of Ymittos in Peania and separated into two sections The first one is a museum of modern art which present works and arts by Greek artist during the second half of the 20th... 

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87.

Inland Retreats   Crete Island

Inland Retreats, Crete Island

 9 Reviews  Overshadowed by more famous sites at Knossos, the former city state of Aptera near Kalives is not yet on the tourist route and so can be investigated in relative peace. Perched 230 metres up on a hill... 

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88.

Suburbs   Thessaloniki

Suburbs, Thessaloniki

 3 Reviews  Moni Lazariston was built in 1886 by the monks of Saint Paul Vincent battalion, who became famous from their headquarters in the church of Saint-Lazare in Paris. Monis Lazariston functioned as a... 

 See All 49 Off The Beaten Path in Thessaloniki

89.

Kerameikos   Athens

Kerameikos, Athens

 3 Reviews  The newish site museum at Kerameikos is lovely. Cool and airy, with just enough on view so that your brain does not get entirely befuddled, it contains many of the tomb memorials and grave goods... 

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90.

Archeological Sites   Crete Island

Archeological Sites, Crete Island

 4 Reviews  The late Minoian Cemetery in Armeni you can see during the road trip to the south of Crete Island. There are about 200 tombs in the rocks there. You can see really small graves but there are also... 

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91.

City overview   Thessaloniki

City overview, Thessaloniki

 4 Reviews  Thessaloniki can feel a bit small, especially if you've come up from Athens, but it is actually a sprawling city that hugs the coast. To get a good set of shots of the city, both old and new, climb up... 

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92.

Penteli mountain   Athens

Penteli mountain, Athens

 2 Reviews  After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Greece came under Turkish rule for 400 years. Churches were turned into mosques and the operation of schools was outlawed. Children nowadays who moan about... 

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93.

Phourmi - the Minoan cemetery   Crete Island

Phourmi - the Minoan cemetery, Crete Island

 2 Reviews  Visiting Knossoss don't hesitate to visit the Minoan cemetery in Phourmi because the Minoan cemetery at Phourni is one of the most important sites in Crete and certainly the most important Minoan... 

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94.

Old Mansions   Thessaloniki

Old Mansions, Thessaloniki

 2 Reviews  Thessaloniki has a lot of beautiful old houses with traditional balkan architecture. These are spread round the city. In the picture you can see Ahmet Kapantzis (top-left), Villa Bianca (top-right),... 

 See All 49 Off The Beaten Path in Thessaloniki

95.

Mountain and Plateau   Crete Island

Mountain and Plateau, Crete Island

 8 Reviews  A lovely drive up through the mountains , the scenery is spectacular. Almost at the highest point a visitor centre and the Homosapiens museum are to be found, We did not visit the museum as a chance... 

 See All 158 Off The Beaten Path in Crete Island

96.

Summer Resorts nearby   Thessaloniki

Summer Resorts nearby, Thessaloniki

 1 Review  I think the nearest place to swim in Thessaloniki is Aghia Yorgi and the beach is really very good although I didnt like very much the quality of the sea but the facilities are enough and its also an... 

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97.

Places to Walk   Crete Island

Places to Walk, Crete Island

 4 Reviews  The surrounding area of Melame is very rural, peaceful and quiet and great for wandering around. Watch out for the cats - although greek islands are famous for their catlife I've never seen so many in... 

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98.

Places the Locals go   Crete Island

Places the Locals go, Crete Island

 3 Reviews  Lyraraki Winery It is certain there is not a family in Crete, that at some time during the year, has not either been directly or indirectly involved in the production of Cretan wine. For it is from... 

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99.

Places To Stay   Crete Island

Places To Stay, Crete Island

 1 Review  The island of Crete, presents a wide range of alternatives to people that prefer camping to the more traditional hotel style of tourism. There is something extremely appealing about sleeping under an... 

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100.

Islands   Crete Island

Islands, Crete Island

 1 Review  It is a big island, which means that you can still find many "hidden" places, undiscovered caves, beaches, gorges... Islands like Gavdos, the southern point of Europe (this painting about it was made... 

 See All 158 Off The Beaten Path in Crete Island

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

See the Changing of the Guard

by deecat

One of the unexpected delights while in Athens was to go to the Greek Parliament and see the Changing of the Guard. The Greek Parliament is located just outside Central Park. The guards change every hour, similar to the Royal Guards in London, but with Greek costumes and with Greek Traditions.The picture is of me standing beside one of the Guards.This is such a "tourist" activity. I cannot believe that I, too, fell into the typical trap.Note, just as the Royal Guard, he does not smile or show any kind of emotion. Note, too, the outfit. I especially liked the shoes with large tassels!

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Vergina and Pella

by deecat

Photos:1. Shine built where Paul stopped , a Jewish trading area.2. Mosaic floor for Pell from 1st century B.C. [Macedonian Period] Philip II born here.3. Pella Museum: two lead-framed mosaics. Alexander the Great on a Lion Hunt and Dionysus on Leopard.Vergina is the newly discovered tomb of Philip II of Macedonia. The royal tombs were discovered in 1977-1978 by the archaeologist, Manolis Andronikos.Discovered was the ancient capital of the Macedonian kings and its cemetery. Most famous are the tombs of the royal dynasty, King Philip II & a young prince identified as Alexander IV.Until their discovery, they were buried under a hill with trees planted & tombstones placed there to camouflage the fact that Philip's tomb, with treasures, were buried underneath. The tomb's door was recovered with beautiful detail including a bronze handle. There were silver & bronze vases & a gold sarcophogus...

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Baptistery of St. Lydia

by deecat

Photographs:1. Baptistery of St. Lydia where Paul preached.2. Jayne in the Roman Ruins near St. Lydia's church3. Where parents bring their babies to be baptized in honor of St. Lydia.4. The stream where Paul baptized Lydia and where babies are baptized still today.Our trip was called, "Following in the Footsteps of Paul", so, naturally, we had to go to the Baptistery of St. Lydia where Paul preached. This is where Paul baptized Lydia, the first Christian convert in Europe. Out of joy, Lydia invited Paul into her home. Later, the Romans stoned her to death for doing this!There is a lovely church here, a monument (picture #1), and a narrow stream (picture #4).The stream is where Lydia was baptized; the monument marks the baptism and the death of Lydia; the monument [picture#3] is where parents today bring their babies to be baptized.This was such a peaceful, beautiful place. Just being...

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LACONIA is an area well known...

by evangelosv

LACONIA is an area well known in ancient history because it is connected to ancient Sparta. The must-see places of this area are the Byzantine castle of Mystras,near Sparta and the medieval castle of Monemvasia. But there is also a location not well known, which provides the visitor with many interesting sights and makes its visit worthwhile. It is a small fishing village called Plytra situated inside the Laconic gulf. Apart from its excellent beach, it offers a rare sight of the remains of the port of ancient Asopos which was submerged during a devastating earhtquake around 375BC and was considered the port which served the city of Sparta. Asopos was an ancient city with a safe harbour and its own currency, which bore the inscription ÁÓÙÐÅÉÔÏÍ (of the people of Asopos). It was a member of the League of Free Laconians. Today , the walls of the city harbour can still be seen on the beach...

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Skiathos

by Angelina08

I redommend Skiathos and the little resort of Koukounaries as a get away destination and also its good value out of Season. I went on May and although It rained quite a lot it didnt stop me enjoying my time there. I stayed in the quiet area of Koukounaries. There are some great beachwes here and even horse riding stables. Georges was my haunt in the evenings for cheap food and Ouzo :-)

"Hollywood goes Greece"

by INSULARIUS

I can start by suggesting you some "Hollywood" films that they were shot in Greece and are quite appetizing:1)Summer Lovers (shot in Santorini and some more Aegean Islands): Daryll Hannah, Peter Gallagher and a menage a trois under the hot sun of Santorini.2)Shirley Valentine (shot in Mykonos): Pauline (sorry, I do not remember her family name!), an average English wife, not satisfied with her marriage and not very young, finds the meaning of love in the face of Costa (Tom Conti), a local fisherman from Mykonos.3)Captain Corelli's Mandolin (shot in Cephalonia): Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruzand Irene Papas and the Second World War in an Ionian Island.Greeks, Italians, Germans, battles, bombings, executions, Resistance.4)Mamma Mia (shot In Skopelos): coming very soon at a theatre near you!Enjoy the movies!

"Historic Sights"

by INSULARIUS

You do not specify what do you mean by the word "historic"!!!Do you mean: ancient Greek temples? ancient Greek theatres? ancient Greek shrines?Byzantine churches? Byzantine castles?Frankish and Venetian towers, castles and churches?The only Greek island that has all the aforementioned sights and many more is...CRETE!!!The only problem is that Crete is a huge island and you need a lot of time and a good car to travel around!Rhodes is not a bad choice!I should also add the following islands, very rich in historic monuments:1)Naxos2)Santorini3)Kos4)Corfu5)Syros6)Tinos7)Samos8)Chios9)Lesbos10)SamothraceThe choice (difficult!) is all yours!

Antiparos

by bijo69

Antiparos is, as its name suggests, a smaller island next to Paros. During the summer months there are regular boat transfers from Parikia on Paros.The main attraction of Antiparos is a big cave in the South of the island. Apart from that there are also some nice beaches of course. Public buses connect the main settlement (called Antiparos aswell) with the rest of the island (including the cave).

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Loukomia

by GlobeTrottin

Loukomia are like gummy-bears in texture but are cut into squares. Some have nuts (eg.pistachios) in them, others are flavored (try rose!) and they have powdered sugar on top. They are soooo good. (Sometimes vendors get on ferries in between islands) , but I'd recommend going to a Loukomia factory if you can!This was one in Syros

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Mystras

by GlobeTrottin

Near Sparta is Mystras... an old Byzantine fortified town up in the nearby mountaineous terrain. There are buses that will take you up, but it makes for a BEAUTIFUL climb.You'll be able to capture absolutely tremendous scenic shots as you hike, and may run into a donkey or two! There were churches, sculptures, small local shops, and amazing trees all the way to the fortification and what a breathtaking view when you get there.

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Top 3 Hotels in Greece

Grand Bretagne Hotel Athens  Athens

 17 Reviews and 640 Opinions  Every visitor to Athens cannot fail to notice this huge hotel. It's right on Syntagma Square,... 

 Hotels in Athens

Astra Apartments & Suites  Santorini Island

 1 Review and 404 Opinions  My husband and I finished off our honeymoon at the Astra Apartments, an all-suite hotel. The website... 

 Hotels in Santorini Island

Marni Village  Crete Island

 1 Review and 220 Opinions  Stayed in October 2006, and really have no complaints about the accomodation,Very friendly and... 

 See all 128 Hotels in Crete Island

The Place

Reviews and photos of Greece attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Greece sightseeing.

Experience Greece
 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hi! Last holiday I had to give up on Greece but this year I ve decided to visit there. I am planning to go on mid-October , but I... 

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A: I have been to Athens during the winter months and it can sometimes be quite pleasant weatherwise but colder in the evenings even in October.. It is a capital city... 

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