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Marathi Beach
On the eastern side of Akrotiri peninsula the pleasant beach of Marathi is a lovely spot beyond the NATO base with two sandy coves and turquoise waters on either side of a small pier. The ruins of Ancient Minoa are next to the car park. Marathi gets crowded with local families at w
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White Tower
Thessalonikis most famous landmark, the 34m-high White Tower has a harrowing history as a prison and torture chamber. In 1826 Ottoman sultan Mahmud II massacred rebellious janissaries (elite troops of forcibly Islamicised Christian boys) here. After the 1913 Greek reconquest, the ‘
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Voidokilia Beach
This perfect, sandy crescent with clear waters is presumed to be Homer’s ‘sandy Pylos’, where Telemachus was warmly welcomed when he came to ask wise old King Nestor the whereabouts of his long-lost father, Odysseus, King of Ithaca.Follow the signs to Paleokastro and walk the lagoo
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Nikopoli
The ruins of Nikopoli include scant Roman walls, better-preserved Byzantine walls and churches, and a theatre, all spread across a vast site. Stairs lead to the top of the Byzantine walls in some places (such as by Church B) but ascend these crumbling steps at your own risk. Allow
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Muslim Library
After the Ottomans captured Rhodes in 1522, the Old Town acquired a considerable crop of Muslim monuments, with many churches being converted to mosques. Sadly, this peaceful little library, founded in 1794, is the only Muslim site currently open to visitors and, with just a handfu
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Moni Mega Spileo
Moni Mega Spileo is a 3km walk up from Zahlorou. The original monastery was destroyed in 1943 when Nazis executed all the monks. The new monasterys most prized relic is the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, said to have been painted by St Luke. It was supposedly discovered in the
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Its Kale
Kastro’s sublime citadel, including a Middle Byzantine tower, rises over a long bluff overlooking lake and mountain. The outer ramparts are cluttered with cannon balls and elegant Ottoman carvings. Within, it holds the restored Fetiye Cami (Victory Mosque), built in 1611 after a fa
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Beulé Gate
As you walk through the main entrance of the Acropolis site, a little way along the path on your left you will see the Beulé Gate, named after the French archaeologist Ernest Beulé, who uncovered it in 1852. The 8m-high pedestal on the left, halfway up the zigzagging ramp leading t
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Cretaquarium
This high-tech indoor sea occupies the site of former military grounds. Inhabited by some 2500 Mediterranean and tropical aquatic critters, this huge aquarium will likely bring smiles to even the most jaded youngster. You can watch jellyfish dance, sharks dart, skates fly and coral
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Bembo Fountain
The delightful fountain on Plateia Kornarou, at the southern end of Odos 1866, was cobbled together in the 1550s from antique materials, including a statue of a Roman official found near Ierapetra. The town’s first fountain, it channelled fresh water to Iraklio via an aqueduct runn
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Agios Spyridon Church
Built right into the cliff beneath the Venetian fortress, tiny Agios Spyridon has enough atmosphere to fill a cathedral. This Byzantine chapel is filled with richly painted icons, swinging bird candleholders and the sound of the nearby pounding surf. You’ll see pairs of slippers, b
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Nikolopoulos Andritsena Library
In 1838 Konstantinos Nikopoulos, a composer, archaeologist and member of the Greek Resistance looking to liberate Greece from the Turks, donated 4000 rare books to his father’s home town to establish a school. It was one of Europe’s largest private book collections at the time. Dis
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Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum
Jewellery and decorative arts inspired by various periods in Greek history showcase the talents of Greece’s renowned jeweller Ilias Lalaounis. The museum demonstrates jewellery-making techniques from prehistoric times. The permanent collection includes thematic displays of more tha
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Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The war memorial known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is guarded by the citys famous statuesque evzones, the presidential guards whose uniform of short kilts and pom-pom shoes is based on the attire worn by the klephts (the mountain fighters of the War of Independence). The cha
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Plateia Platanou
The warm, graceful charm and sedate pace of Kos Town is experienced at its best in this lovely cobblestone square, immediately south of the castle. Sitting in a cafe here, you can pay your respects to the Hippocrates Plane Tree . Hippocrates himself is said to have taught his pupil
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Geology Museum
Apiranthos is an atmospheric mountain village of unadorned stone houses, marble-paved streets and alleyways that scramble up the slopes of Mt Fanari. Its inhabitants are descendants of refugees who fled Crete to escape Turkish repression; they retain a strong individuality and a ri
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Petaloudes
Petaloudes, 7km up from the coast, is better known as the Valley of the Butterflies. Visit in June, July or August, when these colourful insects mature, and you’ll quickly see why. They’re actually tiger moths (Callimorpha quadripunctarea ) drawn to the gorge by the scent of the re
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Panagia Drosiani
Located 2.5km north of Halki, just below Moni, the small, peaceful Panagia Drosiani is among the oldest and most revered churches in Greece. Inside is a series of cavelike chapels. In the darkest chapels, monks and nuns secretly taught Greek language and religion to local children
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Minoan tomb
In the middle of fields just outside the village stands an extraordinarily well-preserved circular Minoan tomb. Its stone walls stand 2m high. Side rooms were used for ritual purposes. Follow the signs to Tympaki and just after the small white church, look for signs to the right an
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Bazeos Tower
The handsome Bazeos Tower stands prominently in the landscape about 2km east of the village of Sangri. It was built in its original form as a monastery during the 17th century, and was later bought by the Bazeos family, whose modern descendants have refurbished the building with sk
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