15 Things to Do in Greece

The most replicated travel image in the world — blue-domed churches and whitewashed houses perched on the edge of a submerged volcanic caldera. The sunset from Oia draws crowds; the real magic is staying in a caldera-view cave hotel and watching the light change from your terrace alone.

The Parthenon has stood for 2,500 years and still stops you cold — white marble glowing in the Mediterranean sun, the city of Athens spread below it, and a sense of civilisational weight that no photograph conveys. Go at 8am when it opens; the light is perfect and the crowds haven't arrived.

The queen of the Cyclades — a maze of whitewashed lanes, windmills on a promontory, and beach clubs on Paradise and Super Paradise that go until dawn. Little Venice's waterfront bars get hit by Aegean waves at sunset while you sit drinking cocktails. Pure theatre.

Greece's largest island is almost a country of its own — the Palace of Knossos, Europe's oldest civilisation; the White Mountains; Elafonisi's pink-sand beach; and the 16km Samaria Gorge hike through a national park to the Libyan Sea. Cretan food and wine are among Europe's most underrated.

Delphi was the centre of the ancient world — the oracle of Apollo sat here, and kings came from across the Mediterranean to seek her counsel. The ruins cascade down Mount Parnassus above a valley of olive trees. Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Games, is equally powerful.

Six Byzantine monasteries perched atop 60-million-year-old rock pillars in Thessaly — built in the 14th century when monks hauled themselves up by rope. The sunrise view with the mist filling the valleys below and the monasteries floating above it is among the most otherworldly landscapes in Europe.

The world's most photographed island — and it earns every shot. Stay in a caldera-view cave hotel, walk the path from Fira to Oia at sunrise, take a boat trip on the caldera with a swim at the hot springs, and watch the Oia sunset from the castle ruins. Four activities that make an unforgettable trip.

The Parthenon in the morning light is the closest the modern world gets to touching ancient Greece — 2,500 years of human aspiration in marble. The New Acropolis Museum below it houses the Elgin Marbles' surviving counterparts and is one of Europe's finest archaeological museums.

Monasteries built atop impossible rock columns in the 14th century by monks who wanted to be closer to God and further from conflict. A UNESCO World Heritage landscape unlike anything else in Europe — sunrise here, with mist in the valleys and the monasteries lit gold, is spiritually overwhelming regardless of your beliefs.

Ferry between Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Ios — each island distinct in character, all connected by the same blue Aegean. A 10-day island-hopping itinerary on the Cyclades is the quintessential Greek experience.

A rusted 1980s smuggler's ship marooned on white pebbles in a cove of impossibly blue water, surrounded by white limestone cliffs — accessible only by boat and one of the most dramatic beach settings on earth.

The labyrinthine palace of the Minoans — Europe's oldest civilisation (3,500 years ago) — with the original frescoes of Bull-Leaping still partially visible. A genuine connection to the myth of the Minotaur.

The Ionian island of Kefalonia has Myrtos — frequently voted Europe's most beautiful beach — and sea caves that glow electric blue from underwater light refraction. Both in one day is a very good day.

A 4th-century BC theatre with 14,000-seat capacity and acoustics so perfect you can hear a pin drop on stage from the back row. Still hosts performances of ancient Greek drama each summer — utterly extraordinary.

Santorini's volcanic soil grows Assyrtiko grapes that produce dry white wines unlike anything made elsewhere — crisp, mineral and intensely aromatic. Santo Wines' terrace tasting overlooking the caldera is the most scenic vineyard experience in Europe.