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Few countries can pride themselves on a heritage as important to Western civilization as Greece. A range of first class historic landmarks remind one of the days when the great Greek emperors and writers made their mark on the development of science, literature and democracy. No less than 17 of those monuments are listed as World Heritage Sites. However, the many charming little islands, sandy beaches and picturesque whitewashed coastal towns are at least as much a reason to come for the millions of tourists that this Mediterranean country receives each year.

Apart from that Greece offers a distinct and wonderful flora and fauna, with the odd tortoise appearing on the side of the road more often than you would expect.

Do

Greece offers not only well-known beach and water sports activities but also highly rewarding hiking areas and opportunities for religious and archaeological tourism.

Beaches: In addition to the numerous islands, particularly Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, and Kos, the most famous mainland beaches can be found in Chalkidiki, Epirus, and the Peloponnese. For nude beaches in Greece, see here. The most popular islands for naturist (nudist) beaches include Crete, Zakynthos, Rhodes, Gavdos, and Antiparos.

Religious Tourism: The centers of religious tourism are Mount Athos and the sites that the Apostle Paul visited during his travels, especially Philippi. The Via Egnatia in northern Greece is part of the pilgrimage route to Jerusalem.

Hiking: The most popular hiking areas are Mount Olympus, the gorges in Crete, the national parks in Epirus, and the less-known Rhodope Mountains.

Eat

thumb|Greek (horiatiki (village) salata) salad Greek cuisine is a blend of indigenous traditions and foreign influences. Neighbouring Italy and Turkey have left a major impact on Greek cuisine, and there are shared dishes with both of these nations. The traditional Greek diet is very Mediterranean, espousing vegetables, herbs, and grains native to the Mediterranean biome. Being a highly maritime nation, the Greeks incorporate plenty of seafood into their diet. Greece is also a major producer and consumer of lamb; beef, pork, and especially chicken are also popular. Olive oil is a staple in Greek cooking, and lemon and tomatoes are common ingredients. Bread and wine are always served at the dinner table.

The cuisine in Greece can be radically different from what is offered in Greek restaurants around the world. Greek restaurants abroad tend to cater more to customer expectations rather than offer a truly authentic Greek dining experience. One example is the famous gyros (yee-ros), a common item on Greek menus outside Greece. While it is a popular fast-food item in Greece today, it is a foreign import adapted from the Turkish döner kebap after World War II. It is considered by Greeks as junk food. It is never served in the home and is generally not found on the menus of non-fast-food restaurants.

Drink

Those wishing to booze in Greece would be well advised to stick to the traditional domestic Greek products discussed below, which are freely available, mostly cheap by European standards, and usually of good quality. Any imported, non-Greek alcoholic beverages are likely to be very expensive if genuine and, if cheap, may well be "bomba," a locally distilled alcohol with flavourings which sometimes, especially in island bars catering to young people, masquerade as whisky, gin, etc. If you drink it, you'll be very sorry. Drink in respectable places where you can see the bartender mix your drink.

Sleep

If you enjoy the local traditions and charm, unhurried rhythm of living, small, family-run pensions are the best way to enrich your experience. Owners and personnel there are friendly and open-minded, compared to the impersonal service you normally encounter in large hotels.

If you have a bigger budget, renting a villa is a luxurious and splendid idea. They are normally near or on the beach and provide more space and a great view.

In Greece hotels, especially in the islands but also even in Athens and other big cities, tend to be simple establishments. Rooms are typically small, and bathrooms smaller, with the shower often a hand-held sprayer; if there is a bath-tub, it's often a sit-bath. Sometimes in the most basic places shower curtains are lacking. Closets are often inadequate, and sometimes there is only a wardrobe. On the plus side, such hotels typically have a balcony (though sometimes tiny) or veranda, either private or a large one shared by all the rooms (but these are usually spacious enough not to feel cramped.) Standards of cleanliness are usually good, even in the simpler places. Those who want more luxurious accommodation can usually find it in cities and on the more popular islands but should check the hotel's quality in reliable sources to be sure of what they're getting.

Most Greek hotels now, even the smaller ones, have websites and will take bookings by email, though sometimes fax is a more reliable way to communicate. There are also numerous Greek and i…

Respect

Greeks rate politeness with a person's behaviour and not their words. Furthermore, there is an air of informality; everybody is treated like a cousin. They use their hands to gesture a lot. Have fun with this. Sometimes over-emphasizing politeness in spoken language will only make the person dealing with you think you are pretentious. It's nice to learn basic words like "thank you" (Ευχαριστώ: ef-khah-rees-TOH) or "please" (Παρακαλώ: pah-rah-kah-LOH).

Greeks generally consider it proper etiquette to let the stranger make the first move. You may find that on entering a cafe or passing a group on the street you feel that you're being ignored, but if you take the initiative by saying hello first, you're likely to find that people suddenly turn friendly. In the countryside it is not uncommon that total strangers will greet you, greet them back in kind. Greeks like to smalltalk, and when they get carried away smalltalking, they might even forget what they were doing to begin with, ending up drinking raki with you.

Greeks are often incorrectly stereotyped as "lazy". In actuality, Greeks take leisure very seriously. Don't take perceived laziness or rudeness harshly. Keep in mind that Greeks have a strong work ethic.

Dress codes for churches sometimes include covered shoulders for women and knees covered for both sexes, but generally they don't mind about your clothes as long as they are not very provocative. This tends to be lightly enforced during the height of the summer touri…

Go next

The land border can be crossed to Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania.

Greece has ultra-low-cost flights to many European countries, Jordan, Israel, Georgia and to the United Arab Emirates.