You’ve probably come across plenty of photos of stunning Greek beaches, monuments, and sunsets any time you scrolled through Instagram. With incredible Mediterranean cuisine and friendly, hospitable people, there’s so much more that Greece has to offer.
If this magical country has been your dream destination to finally settle at, then below we have listed the 10 best places to live in Greece.
1. Oia, Santorini, Cyclades
Oia on the Cyclades island of Santorini is the perfect image of what comes into imagination when most people think of Greek towns. With whitewashed homes cradled against a cliffside commanded by the blue domes of a church, Oia is a stunning postcard picture turned into a perfect reality.
Due to its geographical location, Oia faces the most stunning sunsets every day. It’s something that hasn’t been ignored, and the town gets flooded with crowds of tourists along with visitors from cruise ships that dock in the harbor. This sudden crowd doesn’t spoil the town thankfully, and it’s an amazing place for trying Greek food, relishing in the views, and just loosening on the beach.
2. Kastraki, Meteora
The small town of Kastraki is in the region of Meteora on mainland Greece and is the best Greek town you can visit to see the Meteora monasteries. If you decide to settle here, right from your balcony you’ll get to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Meteora monasteries are considered among Greece’s most well-known landmarks. The medieval monasteries are placed on top of stunning pillars of rock, several of which are more than a thousand feet high.
It can now be accessed by steps carved into the rocks, there used to be a time when amenities and people were taken up the cliff sides in nets attached to ropes. That thankfully no longer happens and you’ll find yourself enjoying this beautiful town every day.
3. Chania Town, Crete
Overflowing with authentic Greek characters, Chania Town on the island of Crete has a vibrant Venetian harbor with a lining of cafeterias and restaurants. There’s also the labyrinth of back streets that are topped with shops and boutiques in the Old Town which gleam with life both day and night. The Cretan cuisine here is unmatchable, and the harbor is the best place to try some of the local fish.
4. Monemvasia, Peloponnese
Lying right off the coast of the Greek Peloponnese, Monemvasia is an island, and a narrow causeway links it to the mainland.
This tiny islet is shrouded by the existence of the central rock formation and shadowed from view, is a medieval walled citadel. Going along the tunnel entrance, you’ll find yourself in a world forgotten by time. Quite a few people are residing in the fortress, also cars aren’t permitted inside, so it might get eerily quiet when you’re away from the center.
There are some hotels, a few tavernas, and several souvenir shops. For your entertainment, the island also has two stunning beaches. One of which is just by the castle walls while the other can be found about two miles away at walking distance.
5. Lindos, Rhodes, Dodecanese
To combine beach time with a scene of ancient monuments, you can make your way towards Lindos on the island of Rhodes. Sitting in a stunning bay edged with golden sands, the town also has a prominent hillside with a fortress-like acropolis dating from about 200 BC.
Here you’ll get to discover the Doric temple with amazing columns, Hellenistic stairways, the remnants of a Roman temple, and a pentagonal tower that was a slice of the castle built by the Knights of St John. To explore further and go deeper, you’ll find donkey rides from the town to the acropolis, but it isn’t as difficult to walk, so you can avoid using the overworked animals and give them a break.
6. Mykonos Town (Chora), Mykonos, Cyclades
Mykonos Town is just where you need to be if you’re into partying and being with the in-crowd. This town has a reputation for being as wild, might even be wilder than Ibiza and it certainly lives up to its reputation.
The morning sunshine and the bright, whiteness of the houses might be enough to blind you when you leave the clubs. AS a part of Mykonos’s charm, you may have to elbow your way along with the crowds if a cruise ship has docked in the harbor.
7. Parga, Northern Greece
Parga might just be the place for you if you dream of being by an amazing beach. Sitting below the ruins of a castle, the coastal town doesn’t have any of the hustle and bustle you might expect in an urban spread of its area.
Parga gleams with stunning beaches and views which might be incomparable with any other island. Within walking distance of the town, you’ll come across beaches such as Krioneri beach, Lichnos beach, and Valtos beach.
Parga also boasts of a happening nightlife. The bars and taverns on the harbor front jump into action after dark and you’ll get to party through the night until the sun comes up.
8. Naxos Town (Chora), Naxos, Cyclades
Well known for its picture-postcard look, historical monuments and to take you off guard, its top-quality potatoes, this is the largest island of the Cyclades.
If you’re into love art and history, Naxos Town or Chora will be a welcoming place for you. You can enter through its gate, and explore the Kastro’s streets made up of cobbles. Here you’ll come across Venetian mansions, churches, the Kastro cathedral located at the main square, museums and a monastery at the core of this community.
9. Assos, Kefalonia (Cephalonia), Ionian
Kefalonia is an island that has all the visual factors that work in making Greece so memorable. White sand beaches in isolated bays bordered by pine-covered cliffs, picture-perfect harbour towns, and charming, rustic villages. Kefalonia also has some stunning wonders of nature such as the Melissani Lake Cave that certainly deserve to be seen.
10. Plaka, Athens
The first image that comes to mind when people think of Athens, the capital city of Greece is probably some of its famous memorials such as the Acropolis or the Parthenon. Keeping those aside, the city has a special feature that comes off as unique compared to other European capitals.
Athens developed from what was initially a mass of tiny villages, over the centuries they merged. Even though this neighborhood known as Plaka stays the same, several of those villages have lost their original features and are quite separate from each other.
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