• Meander into Anafiotika: The most charming neighborhood in Athens is not posh or trendy. Charming, overused as the word is, really does apply here. The lower slopes of the Acropolis just above the Plaka were settled by craftsmen from the island of Anafi who came to Athens in the mid–19th century to work on the new buildings transforming the capital; they recreated their homeland with stepped streets and white cubical houses. Blue shutters, balconies with bougainvillea cascading over the railings, little blue domed chapels, the works—you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked off to a Cycladic island.
  • Wander around Rhodes’ Old Town: Ancients, crusaders, knights, Italian nobles, Ottoman lords, Italian aristocrats—who hasn’t left their mark on what’s arguably the most continuously inhabited medieval town in Europe? Behind the circuit of massive town walls is a maze of lanes that present a delight at every turn—beautiful mosques, fountains burbling in quiet squares, bright pink flowers spilling over balconies.
  • Take in the Venetian Harbor in Chania: Find a spot on the western side of the harbor in this Cretan port city—maybe the terrace of the Firkas, the waterside fortress the Venetians built—and take in the view. The shimmering sea, a lighthouse, and waterside palaces are rendered even more exotic by the presence of mosques and minarets the Turks left behind.
  • Explore the Tragaea villages, Naxos: Mazes of white houses interspersed with little chapels appear on pine-clad hillsides, Venetian towers cling to rocky spires, and boulders are strewn across green valleys carpeted with olive groves and lemon orchards. The highest and most noble village is Apiranthos, where streets are paved in marble and the houses are made of rough gray stone hewn from the mountain.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.