Part of the Cyclades group, Santorini is among the most picturesque islands in the world and definitely one of the best places to visit in Greece. While Santorini consists of numerous villages, the most famous are Fira and Oia, which cling to cliff sides overlooking the turquoise sea. Hundreds of zigzagging steps ascend and wind through these villages of cobblestone lanes and whitewashed houses with blue-domed roofs.

Inhabited for more than 3,000 years, Athens is widely known as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. The city presents a confusing blend of historical and modern features. Athens is famous for its archaeological ruins and monuments such as the famous Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Ancient Agora and the Theatre of Dionysos just to name a few.

The Greek word meteora means “suspended in the air,” and this phrase aptly describes the spectacular cliffs that rise more than 1,200 feet (366 meters) into the air overlooking the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki in the north central mainland of Greece. What makes these cliffs even more inspiring are the historic monasteries perched along the summits. Dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries, these monasteries were built by monks seeking spiritual isolation and freedom from religious persecution.

Second to the Acropolis in Athens, Delphi is Greece’s most popular archaeological site. Located about two and half hours from Athens along the slopes of the awe-inspiring Mount Parnassus, Delphi was once revered by the ancient Greeks as the center of the earth.

The largest of the Greek islands, Crete is a spacious land of pleasing contrasts where landscapes range from stunning coastline to rugged mountains and rolling countryside dotted with olive trees. Bustling metropolitan cities spread beyond to quiet villages centered around outdoor coffee shops. Steeped in history, Crete still bears archaeological traces of the many civilizations that inhabited it down through the centuries.

A buzzing nightlife scene and lifestyle-friendly atmosphere are just two of the many reasons Mykonos ranks as one of the most visited Greek islands. Located in the Aegean Sea as part of the Cyclades island group, Mykonos features a modern, cosmopolitan society blended with traditional whitewashed houses, colorful verandas and maze-like streets.

Shaped much like a large leaf, Peloponnese was traditionally called Morea, which means mulberry leaf. Located in the southernmost region of both Europe and Greece, Peloponnese is a wide peninsula connected to the mainland by the Rio-Antirrio bridge. Interspersed with classical Greek temples, Venetian fortresses, Byzantine churches and Mycenaean palaces, Peloponnese echoes the ancient cultures and events from its extensive history.

Rhodes is one of the most popular places to visit in Greece due to its great beaches and historical significance. Located in the Aegean Sea near the coast of Turkey, Rhodes is the capital and largest island of the Dodecanese archipelago. Rhodes is also regarded as one of the most beautiful islands of Greece because of its lush pine forests and countless number of brilliant flowers like bougainvillea and hibiscus.

A popular yachting destination located in the Adriatic Sea, Corfu is the northernmost of Greece’s Ionian Islands. As well as immersed in Greek mythology, Corfu also reflects the diverse cultural and architectural influences of the many foreign empires that ruled it down through the centuries from Roman to Byzantine, Venetian, British and French.

The blue caves below Cape Skinari are so named as the reflections of the sea give a blue hue against the stunning white backdrop of the rocks and these hues give swimmers a similar reflection so that even their bodies appear to be blue!