Mainland Greece: History, Beauty, and Calm Beyond the Islands

Visited Athens, Meteora, Delphi, and Santorini during off season. Honestly you could skip Santorini or any islands during this time. Focus on the mainland as it’s still incredibly beautiful, historic, and calm. Meteora is worth it, though the trip from Athens is genuinely exhausting. I was planning to go to Nafplio and Hydra too, but I was too exhausted to leave Athens haha.

Everyone in Greece was so incredibly friendly, except for the time we got scammed at the airport for an over expensive transfer due to the taxi strike that was happening then. The weather is unfortunately not so good in March, so these are my pictures from the days when it was most accommodating. I would recommend a trip to Greece in March if you to beat the summer crowds and heat, but honestly, it might be better slightly later.

Make sure to visit the Byzantine and Christian museum and the Benaki museum, both are underrated and worth it if you want to learn about real Greek culture after the classical age.

1 - Monastery high atop a pillar, Meteora
2 - Temple of Hephaestus towering above the Agora, Athens
3 - Acropolis at sunset from Lycabettus Hill, Athens
4 - Skyline from Anafiotika, Athens
5 - Hadrian’s Library, Athens
6 - Blue dome, Santorini
7 - Oia on a windy and cloudy day, Santorini
8 - Temple of Hephaestus, Athens
9 - Forest of pillars, Meteora
10 - Flat plain beyond the valleys, Meteora
11 - Cross overlooking the mountains, Meteora
12 - Meteora and Kalambaka
13 - Sacred Valley, Delphi
14 - Temple of Apollo, Delphi
15 - Flags draped before the Benaki, Athens
16 - Evzones leave Syntagma Square, Athens
17 - Caryatids, Athens
18 - Church and State, Meteora
19 - Dialogue between Confucius and Socrates, Athens
20 - Monastiraki and Acropolis at dusk, Athens