Beyond Athens: Greece’s 10 best small towns to visit

The best way to experience everyday Greek life is by heading to less frantic, mainland towns. From coastal gateways to regional hubs, these compact locales are perfect for “doing Greece”, whether by hiking a village trail or relaxing in a plaza bar.

Trikala: Greece’s bike-friendly locale

A compact agricultural town and original home to Asclepius (the god of healing), Trikala is a useful alternative to Kalambaka and Kastraki, the two tourist-fed villages at the base of Meteora, the region’s monastery pinnacles. Beyond a fascinating 16th-century mosque, you can also visit a Byzantine fortress. Authentic rembetika (blues) music and old-time tavernas keep this place grounded in tradition. Appealingly, many townsfolk here use bicycles to get around.

Olympia: Oldie but a goodie

By day, cruise ship passengers swarm the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia; their departure leaves a quiet little village. Beyond the two blocks of souvenir stores’ and tacky discus throwers, you’ll discover normal life. Head to Klio’s Honey Farm for fresh honey and the Archimedes Museum to interact with replicas of his inventions, including an intriguing alarm “clock”. For decent nosh? Enjoy grilled specialties in the leafy Garden Taverna. Walk off calories on the trails along the Kladeos River.

Gythio: Lovely coastal gateway

This relaxed spot, a former port town, has beautiful neo-classical buildings, fishing boats in the harbour, and decent seafood restaurants, recognisable by lines of calamari that hang outside. Some houses are crumbling but the lack of veneer is what makes everything so normal. Gythio makes the perfect place to stay for a day trip to Monemvasia or as a stopover en route to Mani. Two kilometres south of town is Mavrovouni, a lovely beach.

Stemnitsa: Hilltop village

High on a hill ... Stemnitsa. Credit: iStock

Clinging to a hillside in the Arkadian forests is the stone village of Stemnitsa. Observe the world go slowly by from the plaza’s cafes and over the tinkling of distant goat bells. Stemnitsa is on the Menalon Trail, a 75-kilometre walking track. Best digs? The guesthouse Mpelleiko, a beautifully converted 16th-century home. Head to the nearby village of Dimitsana, known for its quaint main street, homemade hilopites (noodles) and local rooster dish.

Xanthi: Best-kept secret

Narrow streets and quaint vuildings - Xanthi.Credit: iStock

Two hours east of Thessaloniki, Xanthi is an atmospheric town with an historic quarter of winding cobbled alleyways. Here, you can lose yourself among traditional Ottoman mansions, upmarket restaurants and atmospheric cafes. This is the spot to try kariokes, biscuits made from chocolate, sponge and walnuts; these addictive sweet delights originated here.

Volos: Surprisingly underrated

Most travellers know Volos for its ferry to the Sporades islands or as the gateway to the Pelion Peninsula. But this student town on the Pagasitikos Gulf bustles with fashionable cafes, bars and ouzeries that are spread along a waterfront boardwalk. Don’t miss the meze dishes and tsipouro, especially around Nea Ionia and Palaia. The archaeological museum displays fabulous finds from nearby sites.

Delphi: More than its myths

View of the Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, Delphi.Credit: iStock

Many visitors spend one night at the village of Delphi after paying their hurried respects to the Oracle of Ancient Delphi located nearby. Advice? Take your time here. Guide Penny Kolomvotsos evokes the essence of this historic place, explaining why and how pilgrims visited. Leave a day to stroll through centuries-old olive groves to the seaside port of Kirra and enjoy a kouneli stifado (rabbit stew) at Taverna Vakhos, Delphi’s best, and family-owned eatery that uses regional produce.

Ioannina: A touch of everything

Beautiful Ioannina on the shores of Lake Pamvotida oozes history. Hebrew inscriptions and dates are etched over doors, a legacy of the Sephardic Jews of the 15th century. After the Ottomans arrived, tyrant Ali Pasha built a fortified quarter (kastro) that now houses the Silversmithing Museum and Municipal Ethnographic Museum, also a former mosque. Head offshore to the islet where the stone buildings were built by 16th-century refugees from the Peloponnese.

Loutraki: Good alternative to Athens

A casino gives Loutraki a ritzier air than other Greek coastal settlements, but this port-cum-spa resort town has decent accommodation, restaurants and beaches. Overlooking the town, is the monastery Moni Osiou Patapiou. But the most fascinating site nearby is the Corinth Canal, the six-kilometre sliver of water through the Corinth isthmus that connects the Ionian and Aegean Seas. You can view smallish ships inch their way through.

Nafplio: Greece’s first capital

The medieval town of Nafplio.Credit: iStock

With quaint pedestrian alleys, Venetian and neoclassical mansions, and a stunning location below the towering Palamidi fortress, Greece’s first capital is a gorgeous getaway, although admittedly, it’s hardly a secret. Boutique hotels, high-end shopping and excellent eateries attract local visitors, too; mingle with them at one of many cafe-bars. The town’s archaeological museum showcases discoveries from Mycenae, a nearby ancient site. Other sites include the ancient ampitheatre of Epidauros, and Ancient Corinth, a former Roman city. Eucalyptus tree-lined paths lead to nearby beaches.