Greece is relatively small but it offers a wide range of places attractive to travelers. The islands are the leading tourism destinations, but the mainland is also worth visiting. Greece’s five most popular tourist destinations are Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Rhodes and Crete.

Athens, as a result of its antiquity and influence, is full of historical sites, museums and galleries, most of which can be found within a relatively small area surrounding the city centre. Thessaloniki, the second largest city in the country, has a continuous 3000-year history and is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

Crete, Greece’s largest island and the southernmost one in Europe, is bathed in sunlight for much of the year. Its mountain villages, long sandy beaches, rocky bays, quiet coves, and a big selection of beach bars and nightclubs, make it a popular travel and vacation destination, as do its abundance of wildlife, plants and flowers, many of which are unique to the island.

The best time to visit these places is from April until November, as during that time all over Greece is hot and dry, and enjoys near-constant sunshine. Some destinations do tend to get very crowded during this time, especially between May and September, but it is normally possible to find a quieter beach or resort, should that be your preference, anywhere, so long as you do some research before making a booking.