Top Greek Tourist Attractions
No two people would necessarily agree on any list of top Greek tourist attractions, for the simple reason there are so many of them. Greece is a fascinating country to visit, both for the scenery and the culture, and of course for its ancient and fascinating history. You also get to visit a country with an alphabet all its own, which can make reading street signs, or any other signs, a challenge.
Athens - One could fly to the capital, Athens, and spend an entire vacation visiting fascinating Greek tourist attractions that lie within the city limits, the most famous being the Acropolis, which you can visit by day and view by floodlight at night. The Parliament Building is almost equally famous as a tourist destination. From Parliament, on Syntgma square, you're within walking distance to some of Europe's finest museums, including the Benaki Museum and the world famed National Archaeological Museum. Ancient Greece ranks right up with Ancient Rome and Egypt when it comes to fascinating discoveries uncovered at archaeological digs.
The Plaka - Not everyone goes on vacation to shop, though many do, and almost everyone picks up a souvenir or two along the way. The best, and likely most fascinating shopping area in southern Europe may well be the Plaka market, in Athens Plaka neighborhood. Besides finding almost anything that might be on your shopping list in the many small shops and stores on Ermou Street, there is an abundance of cafes and restaurants well worth paying a visit to, or you can just purchase your eats from one of the many street vendors.
Outside The City Limits - You may think you've visited all the Greek tourist attractions worth seeing in Athens, but once you leave the city, you'll find you've just scratched the surface. Visit a monastery hanging precariously from a cliff in the rugged Greek mountains, or enjoy a spectacular sunset along the Western coastline or from any of the Greek Islands sprinkled about in the Aegean Sea. Sunsets from Sounion are claimed by some to be the most beautiful sunsets in the world.
If mythology is your thing, you can seek our one of the famous temples, or more accurately the ruins of famous temples, dedicated to Apollo, Nike, and other gods and goddesses. The Sanctuary of Apollo is located in Delphi, home of the Delphi Oracle.
The Greek Islands - Don't forget the Greek Islands. Anyone vacationing in Greece should spend part of the time taking a cruise ship or ferry and visiting a number of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Some of the favorites, and there are many favorites, are a part of what is known as the Cyclades, which on a map give the appearance of being a tiny galaxy or islands. Two of the more famous islands in the group are Mykonos, famous for its whitewashed buildings and quaint windmills, and Santorini, noted for having an exceptionally lovely harbor and white buildings with sky blue roofs. The small towns on both islands have narrow and winding streets, easy to become disoriented and lost in. Mykonos and Santorini really can't be listed as favorite Greek islands, without mentioning Crete and Rhodes (Rhodos), both with their fair share of well known Greek tourist attractions. The Greek islands are excellent destinations for those who like to hike, ride bicycles, or motorbikes.
Corinth, Thessaloníki, and Zeus -The list could go on and on. There's the Corinth Canal. Admittedly, once you've seen part of it, you can figure you've seen what there is to see, but you can say the same about the Empire State Building. Both are impressive, and both are worth a visit. There's also Thessaloníki, in the Macedonian part of northern Greece. Thessaloníki is Greece's second largest city and has its own bragging rights as far as Greek tourist attractions are concerned, including a world famous arts festival. If you still have any energy left, there's always Olympia and the Temple Of Zeus, home of the statue of Zeus, and although it no longer exists, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.