Democracy, chaos and drama - the cornerstones of ancient Greece that still seduce visitors today. Explore the energetic cities of Athens and Thessaloniki, the dramatic landscape of the Peloponnese and the timeless white-washed island villages, and you'll find a modern nation shaped by myths and legends. Immerse yourself in its incredible history and connect with contemporary Greek culture with this best-selling guide.

There is something about Greece that draws travellers to this ancient land time and time again. More often than not this draw is intangible, spiritual or even physical. It is often all three at once. The very word 'Greece' instantly evokes a connection with a glorious past - the home of democracy, the Olympic Games, the earliest European literature, the Acropolis, the Spartans, the Mycenaeans and the Minoans.

Today's Greece is just as likely to evoke images of bleached, rocky islands floating on an impossibly azure Aegean Sea. The islands are as similar as they are varied, from the lush subtropical green of the Ionians and Sporades, to the bare, sunbaked rocks of the Cyclades or the Dodecanese. There is truly no island archipelago on this planet that is iike that of the Greek islands.

Intrepid travellers may think of rugged, imposing mountains, icy lakes and rivers from the country's craggy mainland. Trekking and hiking trails crisscross the land - a legacy of the time when the only viable transport from village to village was on foot.

Visitors with an historical passion still flock to gaze on in awe at the rich patina of the nation's historical legacy with sites such as Knossos, Mycenae, Delphi, Epidavros, Olympia,the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena and the Parthenon - names redolent of history lessons in almost every classroom in the world.

Yet, Greece is more: it is a destination for sports-minded visitors, with fine windsurfing in the Ionians and the Dodecanese, rock climbing in Kalambaka and Kalymnos, parapente in Edessa, canyoning, kayaking and even fly-fishing in Epiros, while yachties and boaties can sail forever and never reach the port they are looking for.

Greece is not just a country - it is an endless destination and a complex state of mind.

The Authors

Getting Started

Itineraries

Snapshot

History

The culture

Environment

Food & Drink

Athens & Attica

Peloponnese

Central Greece

Northern Greece

Saronic Gulf Islands

Cyclades

Crete

Dodecanese

Northeastern Aegean Islands

Evia & the Sporades

Lonian Islands

Directory

Transport

Health

Language

Glossary

Behind the Scenes

World Time Zones

Index

Map Legend