Top 20 Things to Do on a Vacation to Greece

No matter what time of year you go, you can fill your days and nights with plenty of activities during a vacation to Greece. Greece is one of the oldest civilizations in the world and you can visit any time of the year.

You will find many activities and places to go and enjoy. You may decide to go on-your-own or opt for one of the many vacation packages available to Greek tours. Either way a travel agent may be able to help with your flights and hotel accommodations.

You will find a lot of history in Greece so a vacation can become part educational as well as filled with a lot of fun, relaxing and enjoyable activities. There are plenty of sites to see, shops and museums and beautiful beaches.

Lets look at 20 activities that can certainly fill your vacation time.

1. Go diving – if you love water and love diving then go down to the Attica coast, rent some dive gear and try out some of the popular spots like Corfu, Skiathos, Rhodes, Paros, Kalamata and Mykonos. There may be other coastal sites you may want to check while there.

2. Relax on the beaches – Greece has some beautiful white sandy beaches on a number of islands as well as along the coast and are rated tops in Europe. The best are considered to be located in Crete, Mykonos and Santorini. Other very popular ones are the “Golden Beach” on Paros, Ialisos on Rhodes, Lalaria on Skiathos, Kokkari on Samos, Vassiliki on Lefkada, Kefalos on Kos and Mikri Vigla on Naxos.

3. Enjoy a Hellenic Festival – From June to September you can enjoy the annual and most popular and significant events in Greece - the Hellenic Festival held in the heart of Athens. This festival celebrates dance, music, theater and the performing arts. If you are lucky to be in the country on vacation you may want to join the locals and enjoy live entertainment at the AD Odeion of Herodes in Athens, dating back to the second century, or visit the fourth century BC amphitheater in Epidaurus.

4. Explore ancient temples – Perhaps the two most popular temples sites to visit are the Acropolis and Parthenon. Dating back centuries, the Parthenon was thought to be home of the Greek god Athena.

5. Go spelunking – If you are into exploring caves the island of Crete is one of the best places to go as Greece has over 6,000 caves, most of which are located on Crete. There are also several “show caves” available.

6. Island hopping - There are over 6,000 islands with at least 227 that are inhabited so if its island hopping and exploring you enjoy, you will have come to the right place.

7. Enjoy water-sports – If you enjoy being on the water and in the water then Greece offers visitors a wide variety of activity including windsurfing, rafting, kayaking and canoeing.

8. Go skiing – You may not believe it but Greece has some 14 great ski resorts! The season runs from December through April. Check out Helmos on the Peleponnese and perhaps one of the best known and largest is the Parnassos Ski Centre on Mount Parnassos.

9. Bird watching – Birdwatchers can enjoy time in one of the nation's 11 wetlands of international importance or the 190 “important areas” which draw hundreds of species of birds to Greece. Among the top locations are the Nestos Celtas and Prespa Lakes regions.

10. Water therapy – A great way to relax and unwind is to visit the spas and hydrotherapy centers as well as visiting the country's many natural springs which visitors can enjoy.

11. Vineyard tours – You can visit on your own or join a tour and enjoy the many vineyards where you can partake of their liquid refreshment, relax with friends, and learn about wine-making in Greece and what is becoming more popular among wine lovers.. Wineries on the island of Santorini produce some very unique wines due to the volcanic-rich soil. The people of the island of Crete are certainly experts at wine making as production there can be traced back to the Minoan culture from 3000 BC.

12. Hiking – Greece has plenty of places to walk, hike and get out and explore the natural side of the country.

13. One place you should not miss is Mount Olympus which many believed was once the home of the Gods. Another place you can visit is Mount Parnassos near Delphi.

14. Taste the food - Greek cuisine is well known for its traditional tastes and famous ouzo. While you will find restaurants and tavernas located in many of the more touristy areas, you will find some excellent foods and drinks in many of the small towns and out-of-the-way places.

15. Take a guided tour – You can select from self-guided to assistant guided to take you through a variety of landscapes, historical treasures and sites. You can take walking tours, biking or go by bus or jeep and travel through many magnificent gorges, mountains and islands such as Crete.

16. Go rock climbing – One of the favorite areas is Meteora.

17. Participate in a marathon – Running in a country where the Olympics started can give one a great feeling and by participating in one or more marathons you can get a feeling of what it might have been like when ancient runners may have ran the same paths.

18. Take a helicopter tour – An in the air, above the city tour of Athens will give you some very breathtaking views of the city and surrounding areas and provide you with an overall prospective of the layout of the city and area.

19. Tour historical sites - Athens has some of the most famous sights in Greece including the Acropolis, National Archaeological Museum and the Benaki Musem as well as the Kallimarmaron stadium where the ancient Panathenaic Games were held.

20. Attend Rockwave - The Rockwave Festival is a rock festival held in Malakasa, Greece, near Athens. It is one of the most famous music festivals in Greece. The festival's music includes a mix of heavy metal, rock and roll and dance.