This ancient city's foundations were laid around 3,000 BC. It became a powerful city state and was home to intellectuals such as Socrates, and Solon, who devised democracy in 600 BC. The relics of Athens' illustrious past are continually on view. The Parthenon on Acropolis Hill dominates the skyline. The city cleverly combines ancient and modern at venues such as the Odeon Of Herodes Atticus. Built in 161 AD, this amazing stone amphitheatre is still used for concerts. Monastiraki Square hosts a traditional daytime market, but at night it's transformed by some of the city's liveliest bars and restaurants.

Corfu is in the Ionian Sea to the west of mainland Greece and near the Albanian coast. The island has legendary connections to Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Homer's Odyssey. The Renaissance and Baroque architecture of Corfu is much more Mediterranean in character than the rest of Greece. Town squares such as Spianada and Liston have welcoming cafes and gift shops in elegant arcades. There are also many restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Ornamental gardens are a feature of the early nineteenth-century Mon Repos Palace. Beaches such as Kassiopi are pebbly while at Kalamaki there is soft sand.

This popular Greek island is famous for the archaeological remains of Knossos, an ancient Minoan city dating back to 3,500 BC. According to legend, it's where the fierce Minotaur secretly dwelt in a subterranean labyrinth. The island is largely mountainous and includes many hiking trails passing through impressive scenery such as the Samaria Gorge. The Zakros Gorge is in an area of unspoilt woodland. Crete is surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches including Preveli, Falassarna, and Seitan Limania, a secluded cove sheltered by cliffs on either side. Crete's restaurants and nightclubs are in towns such as Rethymno, Elounda and Chania.

The island is in the far south of the Aegean Sea near the coast of Turkey. It's the birthplace of Hippocrates, the fourth-century BC physician known as the Father of Medicine. Overlooking the Bay of Kefalos is the Monastery of Agios Ioannis which has many well-preserved frescoes painted in the Byzantine era. Kos has many areas of outstanding natural beauty including the Forest of Plaka where there are many hiking trails. Water turtles and flamingos can be seen at the Salt Lake of Takagi. There are sandy beaches in many locations from the busy Kamari to the secluded Limnionas.

Set in the Aegean Sea, Rhodes has been inhabited since antiquity. The massive statue, the Colossus of Rhodes, stood over the harbour until an earthquake toppled it in 226 BC. There are 250 steps to walk up to reach the ancient temple, the Acropolis of Lindos, but the reward is amazing views of the coast. The Old Town is largely Mediaeval, and features quaint cafes and gift shops amongst its cobbled streets and squares. At night, its restaurants and clubs rival the entertaining beach parties at Faliraki. The best daytime beaches are at Glystra, Tsambika and Saint Paul's Bay.
 

This idyllic island in the Aegean Sea is 186 miles (300 kilometres) from Athens. It's one of the few Greek islands to have an active volcano. When Nea Kameni erupted in 1600 BC, it destroyed the local Minoan settlement, but in the process gave Santorini its distinctive volcanic beaches. The sand varies in colour from black at Kamari to red near the cliff #-top village of Akrotiri. Santorini's picturesque, whitewashed villages include Pyrgos and Oia where the evening sunsets are particularly striking. Santorini is noted for its locally grown white wines, which are usually served at the island's beachside restaurants.

Thessaloniki is on the north-eastern coastline of Greece. It was established in 315 BC by the brother-in-law of Alexander the Great. Much of Thessaloniki was destroyed by fire in 1917, resulting in a well-planned, modern city. Ano Poli is a historic neighbourhood which survived due to its hillside location. It includes paved alleyways, the Renaissance frescoes of the fourteenth-century church, Agios Nikolaos Orfanos, and the Heptapyrgion, a Byzantine fortress, which has incredible views of the city. The seafront of Thessaloniki has an attractive promenade, but the nearest beach is at Perea, a distance of 10 miles (17 kilometres).