Archive for 'Must See Attractions in Greece'

Inland on the Greek island of Rhodes, one can find one of the single most unique attractions in the world: The Valley of the Butterflies (in Greek “Petaloúdes”). It is a magical 600-acre nature park with walking trails & benches, that offers a summer home for many, many butterflies. Beautiful and a perfect place for families, groups of friends, couples and solo travellers alike, it is a wonderful place to wander and stretch your legs. Just find a vacation rental in Rhodes and come explore this extraordinarily lovely natural gem.

The Corfu Museum of Asian Art is the only museum in Greece exclusively dedicated to Asian art and antiquity and is housed in the Palace of Saints Michael and George. The palace alone is reason enough to visit. It is a stunning neoclassical gem that was built in the 19th century during the Ionian Islands British occupation. In the 19th century it came into the possession of the Greek State and is now home to the museum.

Built across three floors, four halls on the ground floor are open to the public and three are used for the Museum’s temporary exhibitions and the permanent galleries of the museum are found in the two first floor wings. The east wing, called the Gregorios Manos wing, houses part of the Museum’s Chinese collection and the west wing, known as N. Hadjivassiliou wing, is home to artefacts from India and its wider surrounding area, as well as some pieces from Japan.

The entire collection is made up of about 10,500 objects, many of which come from the original private collection of Gregorios Manos (1850-1928), a Greek ambassador to Austria, who bought up around 9,500 Chinese, Korean and Japanese artefacts at auction in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Dakos – also known as ντάκος ntakos, koukouvagia, koukouvayia or kouloukopsomo – is a Cretan meze dish that consists of slices of soaked dried bread or barley rusk that are topped with chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta or mizithra cheese and herbs such as dried oregano. Olives and pepper can also be added. It is a traditional veggie dish from the island of Crete and is a light, tasty snack or appetiser. It is not unlike Italian bruschetta or panzanella salad or Middle-Eastern fattoush salads and is a simple peasant fare that is tasty, packed with flavour and easy to make. If you have found a vacation rental in Crete, why not make it as a snack to keep you going while packing? Then, when you actually get to Crete, you can try out the real thing for yourself!

The Vikos Gorge is a particularly beautiful gorge and prime hiking destination that lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymfi in the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece. It is the deepest gorge in the world, with a depth ranging from 120 to 490m, a width ranging from 400m to only a few meters at its narrowest part and a length of 20km. Located at the heart of the Vikos–Aoös National Park, it is a pristine natural beauty with a varied landscape that is just waiting to be explored! Just find a vacation rental in Epirus and spend time exploring all of that region's natural beauty, Vikos Gorge, in particular.

As noted, the gorge is varied and fascinating. It is made up of steep slopes, rocky cliffs and gullies and was formed over millions of years by the Voidomatis River, a tributary of the Aoos.

One of the things that I personally enjoy while travelling around a country is making a point of seeking out less famous but beautiful landmarks. Greece has many iconic sights and attractions, the Acropolis and Santorini among them but it also has thousands and thousands of lesser-known wonders and gems to be discovered all over the country. One prime example is the charming Tourlitis Lighthouse.

Perched on the islet of Tourlitis, a chunk of rock that is located opposite the harbor at Chora, on Andros island, it is an incredibly picturesque sight. Situated around 200m off the coast with a flight of stairs carved into the rocky outcrop on which it is built, it looks a little like something that has been plucked right from some fantastical tale or anime.