10 Must-See Wonders of Mainland Greece

Published 28 January 2018

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

The Acropolis of Athens

The Pelion peninsula

Meteora monasteries complex

Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

Zagoria bridges

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Possidi beach in Halkidiki

The Peloponnese

Thessaloniki city

Parga coastal town

Places to visit in Greece

The Acropolis of Athens

Pictured: The Acropolis of Athens.

The ancient citadel known as The Acropolis of Athens houses the remains of several ancient buildings that are of great architectural and historic significance. The site is a great architectural and artistic complex left behind by Greek Antiquity and thus it is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The most famous building on the site is the former temple the Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The Pelion peninsula

Pictured: Milopotamos Beach in Pelion, Greece.

Pelion is a mountain at the south-eastern part of Thessaly in central Greece. To one side of the mountain there is the Pagasitikos Gulf, and to the other the Aegean. The peninsula of Pelion offers a good choice of beaches, if not the most beautiful beaches in Greece.

Beaches to the east of Pelion are very beautiful, including Mylopotamos beach, Agios Ioannis beach, Limnionas beach and Parisena beach. There are also many other beaches to explore.

To experience traditional villages in Pelion check out the villages of Makrinitsa, Portaria, Tsagarada or Milies.

Meteora monasteries complex

Pictured: Roussanou Monastery in Meteora - Kalampaka, Trikala. The monastery is perched on a colossal steep rock making the setting for the monastery rather dramatic.

Meteora is a home to Eastern Orthodox monasteries set atop of the almost inaccessible gigantic rock formations located in central Greece. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox monasteries complexes and it is a site not to be missed on your visit to mainland Greece. Here’s a list of monasteries in Meteora.

Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion

Pictured: Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece.

Cape Sounion is located approximately 70 kilometres south-east of Athens and it makes a good daytrip from Athens. The temple is dedicated to the ancient Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.

Zagoria bridges

Pictured: Bridge in Epirus, Zagori

Zagoria in Greece is a mountainous region in Epirus. The region is of incredible natural beauty and a complex of 46 villages. The area is famous for many quirky-looking bridges, mostly built during the 18th and 19th centuries, to help travellers cross over the rivers and streams.

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Pictured: The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece.

Set in the mountains, the ancient Delphi sanctuary dedicated to the god Apollo was a home to the famous oracle of Apollo. The oracle gave predictions and guidance to various individuals. Now a ruin and a site of great historical significance is a popular destinations for sightseers visiting mainland Greece.

Possidi beach in Halkidiki

Pictured: Possidi Beach in Halkidiki, the southwest of the Kassandra peninsula, Greece.

The very beautiful beach named Possidi has a unique feature - an interesting sandspit extending around a kilometre into the sea that separates the two seas. Nearby is the village of Possidi with hotels where you can stay.

The Peloponnese

Pictured: a town in the Peloponnese Mountains.

Peloponnese is incredibly popular with tourists for its close distance to Athens, beautiful resorts and famous sightseeing locations, including Olympia, Mycenae and The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. The region is surrounded by sea and offers nice beaches, coastal towns and scenic routes.

Thessaloniki city

Pictured: Thessaloniki coastline, Greece.

Thessaloniki is a dynamic port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea that has beauty, chaos, history and culture. There is evidence of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history remains for the historical site hunters, vast sea views for nature lovers and great cuisine for foodies.

Parga coastal town

Pictured: Parga coastal town in Epirus, Greece.

For an island feel head to Parga, a secluded bay that lies on the Ionian coast, with colourful houses constructed on mountain slopes.

The Venetian Castle of Parga is a great sightseeing location. However, one things Parga is great for is lounging around and enjoying sea, sun, sand and good food.