13 Top Reasons to Visit Greece

Why do millions find themselves drawn to Greece each year? Let’s explore the unforgettable experiences that await you and see why there are so many reasons to visit Greece.

Among the myriad of European destinations we’ve explored, Greece emerges as an unparalleled favourite. With its timeless archaeological sites, breathtaking islands, the genuine warmth of the Greek people, and delectable Mediterranean flavours, Greece offers an idyllic escape for every traveller.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a return traveller, Greece knows how to wow every time. With a relatively low cost of living compared to other popular European countries and English widely spoken, it is a dream country for travel.

And where else could you meet a Greek store manager in Sparta who asks you to sample his homemade ouzo in his shop? Yes, these Greek people are kind-hearted and wear an easy smile.

You can understand why our fabulous 3-month travel through Greece was simply unforgettable.

13 Reasons to Visit Greece

1. Greece’s Weather

One of the top reasons to visit Greece is its delightful Mediterranean climate, offering almost guaranteed hot summers and mild winters, making it an especially attractive destination year-round.

The mountainous areas, however, can offer a cool summer retreat and in winter, there is definitely a brisk nip in the air. The higher mountain peaks even attract snow.

Due to Greece’s diverse landscape, the weather is variable. Even so, it has limited rainfall compared to many European countries, making Greece a popular destination in summer and winter.

Ideal Travel Seasons in Greece

Summer: The hottest weather and, not surprisingly, Greece’s busiest period as it coincides with the peak holiday season. If you don’t mind crowds, it’s a great time to visit.

Spring and Autumn: These off-peak periods are certainly less busy, yet you won’t miss out on fabulous weather.

Winter: We travelled through Greece from the end of autumn into winter, enjoying sunny days and beaches mostly to ourselves. It was the ideal time to travel if you want to avoid the hordes of tourists that descend in summer—particularly on the many islands Greece is so well known for.

2. The Greek Islands

You are definitely spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding what to visit in Greece.

Not only does Greece offer the mainland to explore, but it also offers more islands than you could visit—more than 6,000, 123 of which are inhabited.

Choosing which island to visit is like being in a sweet shop …

Do you go for the most popular?

A known favourite?

Or do you try something you’ve not tried before?

Of the many reasons to visit Greece, having such a diverse choice means there will likely be something for everyone.

Will you travel to one of the most famed Greek islands or find one of the more remote islands with fewer visitors?

Renting a sailboat in Greece will allow you to see as many as possible. And, as an added bonus, most Greek marinas don’t charge for mooring, which means you can save a great deal of money.

🏝 Click here to find out the costs for renting a yacht from Boataround (4.8/5 star rating on Trustpilot) – you can also hire a skipper if you need one.

Santorini in winter is a fantastic choice, enabling you to enjoy its beauty without the crowds. Or perhaps Mykonos, Corfu or Rhodes?

Over tourism of some of its islands has led the Greece tourism industry to attract tourists to its other islands that fall under the radar. So spread the love and perhaps visit Tinos, one of the 33 Cyclades islands in Greece.

Tinos is more secluded but still has sandy beaches and white-washed buildings. Those in the know say it has a foodie reputation, and it is on Tinos that you could sample local Angela Rouggeri’s malathouni cheese.

If you are a fan of the film Mamma Mia, you may want to explore the island where much of the film was made, the island of Skopelos — you can even take a bus tour of all the Mamma Mia filming locations.

Here’s the Dancing Queen clip from the movie to get you in the mood and give you some stunning glimpses of this Greek island.

3. Greek Ancient Artifacts

Greece is home to many amazing ancient Greek monuments and artifacts – the Greek Gods favoured this part of the world.

You can get your fill of ancient Greek architecture, culture and mythology in this mythical land. If you are interested in this type of history, that is reason enough to visit Greece.

During our Greece trip, we visited the most famous ancient areas—Olympus, Delphi, Sparta, and the Acropolis in Athens—but also found many ruins off the beaten path.  

Greece has 18 UNESCO Heritage Listed sites, hundreds of archeological sites, and museums. With a history rich in ancient culture, art and architecture, Greece is a destination of choice for discoveries for lovers of history and Greek mythology.

Towards the end of our Greece campervan trip, I have to admit that we did succumb to ‘ancient ruin fatigue’ – crumbling columns that once held up the homes of the ancient Greeks and their Gods and Goddesses no longer held their initial appeal. We had become desensitized to their allure.

But luckily, there are so many other reasons to visit Greece that our developed lacklustre attitude towards the hundreds of Greek ruins had little impact on our continued enjoyment of the country.

4. Greek Cats

Greece is full of cats and kittens.

Even amongst the ancient ruins, you will likely stumble upon either a brazen Tom demanding your attention or a tiny whiskered face peeping out from behind giant ancient columns.

The Greeks don’t seem to see the cats as a nuisance. Indeed, many locals we talked to said they were useful for keeping the vermin down, and the villagers took on a communal responsibility for looking after the strays.

5. Masses of Blue and White

Many of you will already associate the blue framed windows and whitewashed walls with Greece. Social media is awash with images from the popular Greek island of Santorini — instantly recognisable with its blue and white-domed churches overlooking the turquoise ocean.

Not only will you find this countrywide decorative taste in Greece’s buildings and homes, but its blue and white flag will fly patriotically almost everywhere you go.

6. Tiny Greek Churches

Europe is full of churches and huge decorative buildings dominating many city and town squares.

But Greece, Greece surpasses these with its extraordinary monasteries built into the sides of mountains and balanced precariously atop pinnacles, such as those found in Meteora and Lousios Gorge.

Its plethora of tiny churches are found in the unlikeliest places, hidden high on mountain tops, built into rock crevices and on remote coastlines, miles from anywhere.

7. Greek Food

The reasons to visit Greece don’t just pertain to the sights you’ll see; your other senses are also catered for.

The most famous of all the Greek foods is their olive oil, an ingredient in most Greek dishes.

One Greek family of four told us that they use about 3kg of olive oil per fortnight. So it is hardly surprising to learn that Greece is also one of the world’s top three olive oil-producing countries.

Greece’s lush pastures and its free-roaming sheep and goats (whom you’ll most likely encounter meandering on the roads at some point during your trip) mean that Greek feta is also a favourite.

Local olives and feta are a great accompaniment to Greek country bread (Horiatiko Psomi). 

Don’t miss out on some of the top foods to try while in Greece, such as taramasalata, dolmades, moussaka, souvlaki, gyros … and, baklava for dessert.

8. Dogs With Jobs

Stray dogs aren’t exclusive to Greece, in fact, they are common sights in Eastern Europe particularly, but along with their feline counterparts they are to be frequently spotted wandering along the streets.

However, you are also likely to come across dogs gainfully employed shepherding sheep or cattle. On many occasions, we came across a herd being nudged along the road by a few dogs, avidly keeping their flock on track and protected. 

The tradition of using livestock guardian dogs has existed for about 2000 years. But those of us from places like the UK, USA, or Australia are more used to seeing dogs herding sheep with farmers rather than protecting and moving them along streets without their owner to find different pastures.

The Greek dogs that guard the livestock are ‘imprinted’ with the herd from a young age and will mingle and protect the herd.

Therefore, it’s advisable not to get too close as they could see you as a threat to the herd.

While travelling, I got too close to look at a cute calf and didn’t see the dog sitting in the grass.

The dog sure saw me, though, and let me know in no uncertain terms with a deep growl that I needed to back away real quick.

9. “It’s All Greek to Me”

Many of the signs are written in Greek – a little tricky for those not used to interpreting the Greek alphabet. But this is another ancient facet we should admire in Greece.

The Greek alphabet is the ancestor of all modern European alphabets.

We may have heard of the Alpha and Omega but not necessarily recognise them in print.

You also quickly realise where the idiom, which is all Greek to me, may have come from when you are trying to decipher the road sign ahead.

If you are driving in Greece, it helps to keep a sense of humour.

We use a good tension breaker when things are getting a bit heated on the navigation front and change into our driving personas of Lady Penelope and Parker, which gives us a laugh and reminds us to take things less seriously.

This is just one of the many travel tools we’ve developed to make long-term travel as a couple more harmonious.

10. Affordable Travel

Another great reason to visit Greece is that it is easier to travel on a budget here than many of its European counterparts. Greece uses the Euro currency.

Popular tourist destinations in Greece can be expensive in summer. Still, if you travel out of season, such as when we flew from Athens to Santorini in December, we could get up to 60% off the summer rate in a boutique hotel. 

Food costs are cheaper and won’t break the bank to eat out. We travel on a budget and normally cook our own food rather than dining out, but these chicken pitas and chips only set us back 2 euros each in Sparti.

11. Greece Hiking

Greece has many hills, mountains, and gorges that are perfect for exploring and hiking.

The Meteora and Vikos Gorge in northern Greece are popular hiking areas. You can read more about our two hikes in these areas in our Greece road trip post here.

Another popular hike in the Peloponnese in the south is in Lousios Gorge.

This hike takes you past more ancient Greek ruins, an ancient tiny chapel, and magnificent old monasteries built into the gorge mountainsides, as well as Prodromou Monastery and the old and new Philophosou Monastery.

12. Greece Beaches 

Pebbled, black volcanic sands, white sands, shallow bays, long strands, remote or full of water sports – the variety continues.

For us, being able to park the campervan on so many beautiful beaches and watch the day fade while listening to the gently lapping waves was bliss. That was in winter – the beaches in summer are alive with activity.

When I was younger, I had a windsurfing holiday on the Greek island of Lefkada, in Vassiliki, and before that, I went scuba diving in Corfu.

Whether you are looking for quiet relaxation or an active beach holiday – the beaches of Greece and its coastline are another reason to visit Greece, in summer or winter. 

13. Philoxenia – Greek Hospitality

And the last, but certainly not least, a reason to visit Greece? Philoxenia, of course.

Translated literally, it means love of strangers, and once you visit Greece, you’ll know all about this welcoming hospitality extended to you.

This ancient virtue of generosity toward strangers originates in Greek mythology, has survived the centuries, and lives on in Greek culture today.

We experienced this time and again while we travelled through Greece and lost count of how many shots of homemade ouzo we were encouraged to try.

One gentleman gave us a half-hour recount of the importance of Greek mythology in his area while digging a trench to clear weeds from a local stream … to help the community.

Things To Do in Greece

With so many reasons to visit Greece, you are spoilt for choices of experiences.

Dive in here and get lost in all the amazing tours and experiences in Greece.

Reasons to Visit Greece … That’s A Wrap

With a rich Greek culture, numerous archaeological sites (many of which are heritage sites), warm people, delicious food, old towns, and fabulous scenery, Greece is a fabulous option for satisfying your wanderlust.

With so many islands and Greek destinations to choose from, there is bound to be something that tickles your fancy.

These are just a few reasons to visit Greece — and you’ll discover plenty more on your own visit to Greece.

Have you been to Greece? What was your favourite destination?

We love to hear about your travels, too. Drop us a line here or leave a comment below.

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