Discover Greece

Greece is a mountainous peninsula at the southern tip of the Balkans and the several thousand islands around it -- between about 1,200 and 6,000 depending on what is counted, 227 of them inhabited by the national tourism organisation's reckoning. It is where the alphabet still in use was first written some 2,800 years ago, and its 21 World Heritage Sites run from the Acropolis to the monasteries of Meteora; it is also a young republic, in its present form since 1974, of about 10.6 million people who have lived through a debt crisis within the last fifteen years.

The country divides into two trips that happen to share a border. The mainland is Athens and Attica, Delphi under Parnassus, Thessaly and Meteora, the Peloponnese with Olympia and Mycenae, and a north of mountains and Byzantine cities -- Epirus, Thessaloniki in Central Macedonia, Thrace -- that most visitors never reach. The islands sort themselves into groups with their own character: the Cyclades and Dodecanese of the south Aegean, the large islands of the north Aegean, the green Ionian Islands off the west coast, and Crete, which is a country in itself.

Tourism brought in close to twenty billion euros in 2023, around a tenth of the economy, and about three quarters of visits arrive between May and September. Where those visitors go, and when, is the single fact a trip here should be planned around; the sections below take it in turn.

How many islands does Greece have?

It depends on what is counted: estimates run from about 1,200 to 6,000. The national tourism organisation gives 6,000, of which 227 are inhabited.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and autumn for Athens, the mainland sites and the mountains; early summer or September for the islands. Around three quarters of all visits arrive between May and September, and July and August are when the Aegean's north winds blow hardest.

What is the meltemi?

The summer north wind of the Aegean -- strong, dry, fiercest in the afternoon, usually calmer at night, and sometimes blowing for days. It tempers the heat and roughens the crossings.

Is the mainland worth it, or should I go straight to the islands?

Both, but not in the same week if you can help it. Delphi, Meteora, the Peloponnese and Epirus are a different trip from the islands, and the mainland is at its best in the months the islands are not.

What currency is used, and what is the emergency number?

The euro, adopted in 2001. The emergency number is 112, as everywhere in the European Union.