Contents13

On the Road 4

Greece Highlights 6

Destination Greece 17

Getting Started 19

Events Calendar 23

Itineraries 26

History 32

A Who’s Who of the Ancient Greek Pantheon 53

The Culture 56

Food & Drink 76

Environment 87

Architecture 93

Athens & Attica 101ATHENS 102History 102Orientation 104Information 106Dangers & Annoyances 107Sights 118Activities 134Walking Tour 134Courses 136Athens for Children 136Tours 137Festivals & Events 137Sleeping 138Eating 143

Drinking 147Entertainment 148Shopping 151Getting There & Away 152Getting Around 155PIRAEUS 158History 158Orientation 159Information 159Sights 159Sleeping 159Eating & Drinking 161Shopping 161Getting There & Away 161Getting Around 161ATTICA 161Cape Sounion 162Elefsina (Eleusis) 162Marathon & Around 162Vravrona 164Rafina 164Lavrio 164Around Peania 164Mt Parnitha 165

Peloponnese 166History 167ACHAÏA 167Patra 167Diakofto 173Zahlorou 175Kalavryta 175Around Kalavryta 176CORINTHIA 177Corinth 177Ancient Corinth 180& AcrocorinthCorinth Canal 181Isthmia/Kyras Vrysi 182Ancient Nemea 182ARGOLIS 182Argos 183Mycenae 184Nafplio 186Tiryns 192Epidavros 192Southwest Argolis 194ARKADIA 194Tripoli 195Megalopoli 196Central Arkadia 196

© Lonely Planet

14 C O N T E N T S

Kynouria 198LAKONIA 199Sparta 200Mystras 202Langada Pass 205Monemvasia & Gefyra 205Neapoli 207Gythio 208THE MANI 209Lakonian Mani 210Messinian Mani 213MESSINIA 216Kalamata 216Mavromati 219(Ancient Messini) Koroni 220Finikounda 220Methoni 221Pylos 222Gialova 223Around Gialova 224ELIA 225Tholos to Pyrgos 225Pyrgos 225Around Pyrgos 225Olympia 226Andritsena 230Kyllini 230KYTHIRA & ANTIKYTHIRA 231Kythira 231Antikythira 236

Central Greece 237STEREA ELLADA 238Thiva (Thebes) 238Around Thiva 238Livadia 240Delphi 240Around Delphi 245Mt Parnassos 246Arahova 247Livadia to Delphi 248Galaxidi 248Nafpaktos 249Messolongi 250Around Messolongi 251Karpenisi 252Around Karpenisi 253Lamia 254Iti National Park 255Agios Konstantinos 255Theologos 256THESSALY 256Larisa 256Around Larisa 258

Volos 258Around Volos 261Pelion Peninsula 261Trikala 270Around Trikala 271Meteora 272Kalambaka 275Kastraki 277

Northern Greece 279MACEDONIA 280Thessaloniki 282Around Thessaloniki 298Halkidiki 298Kavala 306Pella 310Litohoro 310Around Litohoro 311Veria 312Vergina 313Edessa 314Florina 315Prespa Lakes 317Kastoria 319THRACE 322Xanthi 322Around Xanthi 325Komotini 326Alexandroupoli 327Evros Delta 330Alexandroupoli to Soufli 330Didymotiho 331Orestiada 332Around Orestiada 333EPIROS 334Metsovo 334Ioannina 337Around Ioannina 340The Zagorohoria 342Konitsa 346Around Konitsa 347Preveza 348Around Preveza 350Parga 350Around Parga 352Igoumenitsa 352

Saronic Gulf Islands 355AEGINA 356Aegina Town 357Around Aegina 359ANGISTRI 360POROS 361Poros Town 362

Around Poros 363Peloponnesian Mainland 363HYDRA 364Hydra Town 365Around Hydra 367SPETSES 368Spetses Town 368Around Spetses 371

Cyclades 372History 373ANDROS 374Gavrio 374Batsi 375Hora (Andros) 376Around Andros 377TINOS 378Hora (Tinos) 379Around Tinos 380SYROS 381Ermoupolis 383Galissas 385Around Syros 386MYKONOS 386Hora (Mykonos) 388Around Mykonos 393DELOS 395Ancient Delos 395PAROS 397Parikia 398Naousa 402Around Paros 403ANTIPAROS 404NAXOS 406Hora (Naxos) 406Around Naxos 411LITTLE CYCLADES 414Iraklia 415Schinousa 416Koufonisia 417Donousa 418AMORGOS 419Katapola 420Hora 421Moni Hozoviotissis 421Aegiali 422Around Amorgos 422IOS 423Hora, Ormos & Mylopotas 423Around Ios 427SANTORINI (THIRA) 427Fira 429Around Santorini 434Thirasia & Volcanic Islets 438ANAFI 438

C O N T E N T S 15

SIKINOS 439FOLEGANDROS 440Karavostasis 441Hora 442Around Folegandros 443MILOS 444Adamas 445Plaka & Trypiti 446Around Milos 447KIMOLOS 447SIFNOS 447Kamares 448Apollonia 449Around Sifnos 449SERIFOS 450Livadi 451Hora 452Around Serifos 452KYTHNOS 453Merihas 453Around Kythnos 454KEA (TZIA) 454Korissia 455Ioulida 456Around Kea 456

Crete 457History 458Getting There & Away 460Getting Around 460CENTRAL CRETE 460Iraklio 460Cretaquarium 469Knossos 469Other Minoan Sites 471Arhanes 472Zaros & Around 473Matala 473Rethymno 473Moni Arkadiou 478Anogia 478Plakias 479Around Plakias 480Agios Pavlos & Triopetra 481Agia Galini 482WESTERN CRETE 482Hania 483Around Hania 491Samaria Gorge 491Hora Sfakion 492Around Hora Sfakion 494Frangokastello 494Anopoli & Inner Sfakia 494Sougia 495Paleohora 496

Elafonisi & Kedrodasos 498Azogires 498Gavdos Island 499Kissamos 500Around Kissamos 501EASTERN CRETE 501Lasithi Plateau 501Agios Nikolaos 502Around Agios Nikolaos 505Mohlos 506Sitia 507Around Sitia 508Kato Zakros & 508Ancient ZakrosIerapetra 509Around Ierapetra 510

Dodecanese 511History 512RHODES 512Rhodes Town 516Eastern Rhodes 524Western Rhodes & 528 the InteriorSouthern Rhodes 529HALKI 530Emborios 531Around Halki 532KARPATHOS 532Pigadia 533Southern Karpathos 536Northern Karpathos 537KASOS 539Fry 539Around Kasos 540KASTELLORIZO (MEGISTI) 541Kastellorizo Village 542SYMI 543Gialos 545Around Symi 547TILOS 547Livadia 548Megalo Horio 550Around Megalo Horio 550NISYROS 551Mandraki 552Around Nisyros 554KOS 555Kos Town 557Around Kos 561ASTYPALEA 562Skala & Hora 563Livadi 564West of Skala 565East of Skala 565

KALYMNOS 565Pothia 567Around Pothia 569Myrties, Masouri & Armeos 569Telendos Islet 570Emborios 570Vathys & Rina 571LEROS 571Platanos & Agia Marina 571Pandeli 573Vromolithos 573Lakki 574Xirokambos 574Krithoni & Alinda 574Northern Leros 575PATMOS 575Skala 576Hora 579North of Skala 579South of Skala 580LIPSI 580Lipsi Village 580Around the Island 582ARKI & MARATHI 582Arki 583Marathi 583AGATHONISI 583Agios Georgios 584Around Agathonisi 584

Northeastern Aegean Islands 585IKARIA & THE FOURNI 587ISLANDSAgios Kirykos 588Around Agios Kirykos 589Evdilos 589West of Evdilos 591The Fourni Islands 594SAMOS 595Vathy (Samos) 597Around Vathy (Samos) 599Pythagorio 600Around Pythagorio 602Southwestern Samos 602Northern Samos 602CHIOS 604Chios Town 606Central Chios 608Northern Chios 609Southern Chios 610INOUSSES 612PSARA 613LESVOS (MYTILINI) 616

16 C O N T E N T S

Mytilini Town 618South of Mytilini 621Northern Lesvos 621Western Lesvos 624Southern Lesvos 626LIMNOS 627Myrina 629Western Limnos 630Central Limnos 631Eastern Limnos 631AGIOS EFSTRATIOS 631SAMOTHRAKI 632Kamariotissa 633Hora 634Sanctuary of 634the Great GodsAround Samothraki 635THASOS 636Thasos (Limenas) 637West Coast 639East Coast 641

Evia & the Sporades 643EVIA 644Central Evia 645Northern Evia 647Southern Evia 648SKIATHOS 650Skiathos Town 651Around Skiathos 653SKOPELOS 655Skopelos Town 655Glossa & Loutraki 658Around Skopelos 658ALONNISOS 659Patitiri 660Old Alonnisos 662Around Alonnisos 663Islets Around Alonnisos 664SKYROS 664Skyros Town 666Magazia & Molos 668Around Skyros 669

Ionian Islands 671History 672CORFU 673Corfu Town 675North & Northwest 681of Corfu TownSouth of Corfu Town 682West Coast 683PAXI 684

Gaïos 686Loggos 687Lakka 687Antipaxi 688LEFKADA 688Lefkada Town 689East Coast & Surrounds 691Vasiliki 691West Coast & Around 692Central Lefkada 692Meganisi 692KEFALLONIA 693Argostoli 695Sami & Surrounds 697Assos 698Around Assos 698Fiskardo 699ITHAKI 700Vathy 700Around Ithaki 701ZAKYNTHOS 702Zakynthos Town 704Around Zakynthos 706

Directory 709Transport 725Island Hopping 738Health 764Language 767Glossary 775The Authors 777Behind the Scenes 780Index 787Map legend 804

AtticaAthens &

p513Dodecanese

pp458–9Crete

p373Cyclades

p356Gulf Islands

Saronic

pp168–9Peloponnese pp108–16

p586Aegean IslandsNortheastern

p644the Sporades

Evia &

p279Northern Greece

p237Central Greece

p672IslandsIonian

Regional Map Contents

KassandraGulf of

S E A

A D R I A T I C

CorinthGulf ofPatra

Gulf of

SaronicGulf

S E A

LakonianGulf M Y R T O Ö N

M E D I T E R R A N E A N

I O N I A N

S E A

S E A

ELEVATION

3000m

0

2000m

1000m

500m

MACEDONIA

ATTICA

THESSALYEPIROS

ELLADASTEREA

PELOPONNESE

SKOPJE

Serres

Kilkis

Thessaloniki

Gerakini

Prilep

Bitola

Florina

VeriaKastoria

Kozani

Korça

Konitsa

KotasEdessa

Durrës

TIRANA

VloraLecce

Otranto

Berat

Volos

LamiaLoutra

Halkida

Rafina

(Thebes)Thiva

Perahora

Loutraki

Livadia

ATHENS

StrofyliaEdipsou

Larisa

Trikala

Karditsa

Karpenisi

Igoumenitsa

Parga

Ioannina

Arta

Amfilohia

Preveza

KalambakaMetsovo

DelphiNafpaktos

Agrinio

Diakofto

Kalavryta

Derveni

Patra

Mytikas

Town

KylliniAgios

SamiArgostoli

Messolongi

Lefkada

Xylokastro

Farsala

ArgosMycenaeNafplio

Geraki

Leonidio

Hydra Town

Neapoli

TripoliAndritsena

Olympia

SpartaKalamata

Megalopoli

ZakynthosTown

Kyparissia

Amaliada

Pyrgos

Koroni

Areopoli

PylosMethoni

Gerolimenas

Kardamyli

Gythio

Nikolaos Corinth Piraeus

CorfuTown

Pelekas

Kissamos

Paleohora

Vergina

Meteora

DelphiAncient

ManiLakonian

Mt Olympus(2918m)

Mt Gamila(2497m)

(2520m)Mt Grammos

(2637m)Mt Smolikas

Mt Ossa

Parnitha(1413m)

Mt

ParnassosMt

(2457m)

(2125m)Mt Iti

(1978m)

40°N

38°N

36°N

22°E20°E

LakesPrespa

LakeAliakmonas

KremastaLake

Erikousa

SkopelosSkiathos

Alonnisos

Ithaki

Poros

HydraSpetses

GULF ISLANDSSARONIC

Aegina

Salamina

Kythira

Elafonisi

Corfu

ISLANDSIONIAN

Kefallonia

Zakynthos

Antipaxi

Lefkada

Paxi

Antikythira

KassandraPeninsula

PelionPeninsula

PeninsulaRodopos

PeninsulaGramvousa

Halkidiki

nas

Aliakmo

Ara

htho

s

Ahelo

ös

R E P U B L I C O F M A C E D O N I AF O R M E R Y U G O S L A V

I T A L Y

A L B A N I A

Primary

Railway

Freeway

Primary

Railway

Freeway

LEGEND

80 km50 miles

00

Primary

Railway

Freeway

Primary

Railway

Freeway

LEGEND

80 km50 miles

00

and sophisticated nightlifehome to great culture

Greece's dynamic second city,THESSALONIKI (p282)

community of Mt Athosbeaches and the monastic

to superb wineries, secludedFascinatingly diverse and home

HALKIDIKI (p298)

stunning and spiritual sitesmake for one of Greece's mostMonasteries atop sheer rock

METEORA (p272)

many protected speciesPark of Alonnisos, home to

the National MarineCruise the pristine waters of

of ancient GreeceThe most iconic monumentTHE ACROPOLIS (p118)

HYDRA (p364)

island towns in Europeone of the most beautiful

famous seafarers who createdShaped by generations of

holiday paradise influences and a modern-dayproduct of centuries of historic

The garden isle of Greece,CORFU (p673)

DELPHI (p240)

the course of Greek historyto the famous oracle that influencedNavel of the ancient world and home

and extraordinary architecturesteeped with Maniot history

The remote jewel of the Peloponnese,

Vouraïkos Gorge to Kalavrytajourney through the gorgeousDramatic rack-and-pinion train

THE MANI (p209)

DIAKOFTO (p173)

ALONNISOS (p659)

S E A O FM A R M A R A

S E AB L A C K

S E A

T H R A C I A N

S E A

A E G E A N

K A R P A T H I A N S E A

S E A

M E D I T E R R A N E A NS E A O F C R E T E

THRACE Îzmit

Bursa

Bandîrma

ÎSTANBUL

Edirne

HaskovoAsenovgrad

Didymotiho

Xanthi Komotini

Alexandroupoli

Çanakkale

Drama

Karyes

Smolyan

Kavala

Ušak

Balîkesir

Manisa

Îzmir

KušadasîAydin Denizli

Kaš

Milas

MarmarisKos

Bodrum

Rhodes

Lindos

Town

Town Datça

Kattavia

ChiosÇešmeTown

Kymi

Nea Styra

Karystos

Hora(Naxos)

LavrioGavrio

MytiliniTown

Ayvalîk

Pigadia

Sitia

IraklioRethymno

PlakiasAgios

Nikolaos

IerapetraMatala

HoraSfakion

Hania

Myrina

Knossos

(2111m)Mt Falakro

Mt Athos(2033m)

Mt Ida(2456m)

30°E28°E

26°E

Thasos

Samothraki

Imvros(Gökçeada)

Limnos

Kastellorizo(Megisti)

Agathonisi

Leros

Lipsi Farmako

Rhodes

Nisyros

Kos

Halki

Tilos Alimia

DODECANESE

Symi

LesvosEfstratiosAgios

Skyros

NORTHEASTERNAEGEAN ISLANDS

Inousses

Chios

Psara

PiperiGioura

Skantzoura

Evia

SPORADES

Kyra Panagia

FourniIslands

Ikaria

Patmos

Donousa

Andros

Syros

GyarosTinos

Delos

ParosSerifos

Renia

Naxos

Mykonos

Amorgos

Anafi

Ios

Sikinos

Antiparos

Folegandros

Thirasia

Little

Santorini(Thira)

Cyclades

Kea(Tzia)

Kimolos

Milos

Kythnos

Sifnos

CYCLADES

Samos

Arki

Astypalea

Kalymnos

Saria

Karpathos

Kasos

Gavdopoula

Gavdos

CRETE

Gallipoli

PeninsulaAthos

AkrotiriPeninsula

Evros

T U R K E YB U L G A R I A

T U R K E Y

ReserveDadia Forest

KOS (p555)

PATMOS (p575)Where St John wrote the Book of

Revelations and now alaid-back artistic hang-out

Cycle to long, powder-softbeaches sandwiched between

lush landscapes and azure water

FOURNI ISLANDS (p594)Sample Greece's finest lobster on thisserene archipelago of gently sloping

SANTORINI (p427)World-famous destination where

islets, hidden coves and long sunsets

KNOSSOS (p469)

Minotaur of King Minos

PLAKIAS (p479)

with hidden beachesOffbeat southern resort

and hill walks in olive groves

and Greek culture mergewith spectacular landscapes

Crete's striking ancient Minoan palace and home of the mythical

a sophisticated lifestyle

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