Greece. Greece. Discover. Experience the best of Greece. Discover. Experience the best of Greece. Our promise

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1 Discover The Acropolis, Ancient Delphi, sunset on Santorini we ve selected the most iconic sights and incredible places so you can enjoy the real Greece with the minimum fuss. HIGHLIGHTS reveal the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiences ITINERARIES Delphi, Meteora & Thessaloniki p147 make planning your trip simpler than ever LOCAL EXPERTS Athens & Around Peloponnese, Corfu & p101 Kefallonia p51 Santorini, Mykonos & the Cyclades HIGHLIGHTS p195 recommend what not to miss PULL-OUT MAP ITINERARIES p277 Crete p233 Rhodes & the Dodecanese WITH PULL-OUT MAP puts the streets of Athens in your pocket Our promise You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage so you can rely on us to tell it like it is. discover-greece-2-cover.indd 1 Greece Experience the best of Greece 2ND EDITION Published May 2012 First Published Nov 2010 ISBN USA UK $ LOCAL EXPERTS Discover PULL-OUT MAP Greece Experience the best of Greece 20/01/2012 2:06:15 PM

2 Discover Greece Contents I Throughout this book, we use these icons to highlight special recommendations: The Best Lists for everything from bars to wildlife to make sure you don t miss out Don t Miss A must-see don t go home until you ve been there Local experts reveal their top picks and secret highlights Detour Special places a little off the beaten track If you like Lesser-known alternatives to world-famous attractions These icons help you quickly identify reviews in the text and on the map: 1 Sights 5 Eating 6 Drinking 4 Sleeping 8 Information This edition written and researched by Korina Miller Kate Armstrong, Alexis Averbuck, Michael Stamatios Clark, Chris Deliso, Des Hannigan, Victoria Kyriakopoulos, Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Richard Waters

3 Peloponnese, Corfu & Kefallonia Delphi, Meteora & Thessaloniki p147 p101 Athens & Around Santorini, p51 Mykonos & the Cyclades p195 Crete p233 p277 Rhodes & the Dodecanese Athens & Around Highlights...54 Acropolis Hellenic & Athens Festival Acropolis Museum Historical Meanderings Evening Pursuits Hydra Temple of Poseidon Peloponnese, Corfu & Kefallonia Highlights Exploring Ancient Olympia Kayaking on Kefallonia Magical Monemvasia Enchanting Nafplio The Mani Corfu Town Serene Paxi Delphi, Meteora & Thessaloniki Highlights Ancient Delphi Meteora Sightseeing in Thessaloniki Theatre of Dodoni Lively Ioannina Zagorohoria Villages Cross-cultural Cuisine Crete Highlights Peza Wine Region Legendary Knossos Samaria Gorge Rethymno s Old Quarter Elafonisi Rugged Anogia Rhodes & the Dodecanese Highlights Rhodes Old Town Spiritual Patmos Beach Bumming on Kos Charming Lindos Steaming Nisyros Colourful Gialos Patmos Hora

4 Contents Plan Your Trip On the Road Santorini, Mykonos & the Cyclades Highlights Santorini Boat Trips Ancient Delos Mykonos After Dark Oia Naxos Beaches This is Greece...6 Greece Map...8 Greece s Top Experiences...10 Greece s Top Itineraries...32 Greece Month by Month Get Inspired...47 Need to Know Athens & Around 51 Highlights Best Walking Tour Athens Excursions...93 Piraeus Temple of Poseidon...97 Peania & Around Hydra Peloponnese, Corfu & Kefallonia 101 Highlights Best Itineraries Peloponnese Ancient Mycenae Nafplio Epidavros Mystras Monemvasia & Gefyra Gythio The Mani Langada Pass Kardamyll Olympia...127

5 Contents Corfu Corfu Town South of Corfu Town..138 West Coast Paxi Kefallonia Argostoli Assos Around Argostoli Fiskardo Delphi, Meteora & Thessaloniki 147 Highlights Best Itineraries Delphi Mt Parnassos Pelion Peninsula Meteora Kalambaka Kastraki Thessaloniki Moni Megalou Meteorou Halkidiki Litohoro Petralona Cave Mt Olympus Ioannina Dodoni The Zagorohoria The Island Santorini, Mykonos & the Cyclades 195 Highlights Best Itineraries Mykonos Hora (Mykonos) Around Mykonos Delos Naxos Hora (Naxos) Ancient Delos Around Naxos Santorini (Thira) Panagia Drosiani Fira Oia Ancient Thira Around Santorini Crete 233 Highlights Best Itineraries Iraklio Knossos Cretaquarium Rethymno Agreco Farm Anogia Moni Preveli Moni Arkadiou Hania Samaria Gorge Elafonisi Agios Nikolaos Spinalonga Island Sitia Rhodes & the Dodecanese 277 Highlights Best Itineraries Rhodes Rhodes Town Kalithea Thermi Eastern Rhodes Western Rhodes & the Interior Symi Gialos Moni Taxiarhou Mihail Panormiti Nisyros Halki Nikea & Emborios Kos Kos Town The Volcano Around Kos Patmos...290

6 In Focus Survival Guide Skala Kefalos Bay Monastery of St John the Theologian Hora North of Skala South of Skala Greece Today History Family Travel The Ancient Greeks Lifestyle & Culture Architecture & Art Cuisine Outdoor Activities Directory Accommodation Business Hours Climate Customs Regulations Discount Cards Electricity Embassies & Consulates Gay & Lesbian Travellers Health Internet Access Legal Matters Money Public Holidays Safe Travel Smoking Telephone Time Toilets Tourist Information Travellers with Disabilities Visas Women Travellers Transport Getting There & Away Getting Around Language Behind the Scenes Index How to Use This Book Our Writers

7 This Is Greece It s easy to understand how so many myths of gods and giants originated in this varied landscape. Wide-open skies; dramatic, plunging coastlines; and mysterious ancient ruins beckon with the promise of stories yet to be discovered. Walled medieval towns and hill-top villages transport you to long-ago eras, remote beaches tell epic tales of many-oared ships, and city life overflows with creativity as vibrant as Apollo s and a passion as pure as Aphrodite s. Let the Greece you ve been imagining fill your senses. Whether it s through the pulsing nightclubs of Mykonos or the solemnity of Meteora; the grandeur of Delphi or the earthiness of Metsovo; the rugged Cretan hillsides and the lush wildflowers of spring, it s not difficult to find the Greece you were hoping for. Greece embraces the past passionately while simultaneously welcoming the future. You ll quickly become acquainted with the melancholic throb of rembetika (blues songs) and the ability of the ancient sights to unleash an imagination you might not have realised you had. You ll also encounter thoughtprovoking modern art and a vivacious contemporary music scene, stumbling across galleries, impressively modern museums, and live-music acts in the most unexpected places. Stretch your legs and your love of the outdoors. Greece offers endless activities and is a magnet for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. Wander along cobbled Byzantine footpaths, hike volcanoes, watch for dolphins and sea turtles, and cycle through lush forests. Greece also offers some of the world s top kitesurfing, diving and rock-climbing locations. Greece is essentially a laid-back place. Lounge endlessly at cafes over coffee, stroll along the seafront, park yourself on a beach, take your time over meals and you ll fit right in. Greeks know how to enjoy life and are renowned as some of the most hospitable people on the globe. Their generosity and warmth is as genuine as the soft sand between your toes and the glow of the Aegean sun. Wideopen skies; dramatic, plunging coastlines; and mysterious ancient ruins beckon Hillside town of Oia (p227) PHOTOGRAPHER: SHANIA SHEGEDYN/LONELY PLANET IMAGES 6

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