Greece is the N°1 country to visit in 2020 according to Insider's

November 19, 2024 6 min read.

Insider named Greece the best place to visit in 2020 based on research and votes from her followers.

With beautiful beaches, historic architecture, fresh seafood, and extraordinary nightlife, Greece is a country that has it all.

The size of this country, putting together all the islands, is comparable to the territory of England or the state of Alabama, in the United States!

Most of the Greek population congregates around Athens, the capital, which corresponds to one-third of the total population of Greece. Tourists generally visit Athens, Crete and crowd into the Cyclades islands, which comprise the perfect islands such as Santorini or Mykonos, two of the most popular within these islands.

Greece is bordered by the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean and the Ionian and has a direct cultural influence from Europe, Asia and Africa. The country constantly increases its worldwide popularity each year. For example, in 2018, Greece had foreign visitors close to 30 million. An impressive number! Therefore, for visitors who want to set foot and discover this attractive country in 2020, we will give you some details about food, places to stay and things to do.

Greece is a beautiful country with 18 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Mount Athos and Meteora. But the country has been caught in an economic crisis and a debt cycle caused largely by the 2008 global financial crisis. Tourists bring in billions of dollars, and the country is striving to improve its infrastructure each year to attract more visitors. So with that said, let's take a look at our definitive guide to Greece.

With a beautiful climate, Greece has plenty of beaches that vary according to preference. Visit Navagio beach in Zakynthos, where you can explore a shipwrecked and abandoned boat, or experience a wave pool in a natural setting in Seitan Limania on Crete. And due to its rich ancient history, Greece has several sites worth visiting.

The Acropolis Parthenon is made of marble and houses the famous statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Then there is Delphi, which was a popular pilgrimage site for those seeking to receive guidance from the Oracle at Delphi and pay homage to the Greek god Apollo, known for music, healing, light, and prophecy. You will find temples, a stadium, a theater and ancient ruins. If you prefer the mountains over the beaches, you can also climb Mount Olympus, a great journey with different levels to start, depending on your skill.

Olympia is the home of the Greek gods and the site of Zeus' throne. But Mount Olympus is not the only scenic mountain range in Greece. Greece has a few ski resorts, such as the Parnassos ski center, two hours from Athens, where visitors can ski down Mount Parnassus on seven different trails.

The Greek Islands

The islands are full of beach bars, specialty drinks and discos with spectacular DJs. If you are there during Greek Orthodox Easter, you will experience the most important holidays in Greece, when the festivities last a whole week, with candlelight processions, lamb roasts and fireworks.

Greek gastronomy

Greece has one of the largest coasts in Europe. It is natural for tons of shellfish to be caught on shore every day. So when you visit Greece, try dishes with lobster, octopus, fresh mussels and grilled fish served with oil and lemon. Other must-haves in Greece include olives, which have played an important role in Greek society for thousands of years. They were used in fuel for lamps, in medicine and for rituals. Olives are a big part of the Greek diet, they are eaten as a snack or as olive oil in many dishes. The famous twist or souvlaki are the quintessential Greek street food. The seasoned meat is put into a pita and topped with onions, tomato, lettuce, cucumbers, and a sauce called tzatziki. The dish originates from Anatolia and the Middle East and was introduced to Greece after World War II, when people migrated from those regions.

Feta cheese

The most popular cheese in Greece, feta cheese, was first recorded in Homer's "Odyssey" when Cyclops Polyphemus transported sheep's milk in bags made from the stomachs of animals. The milk had curdled and had taken the form of feta cheese. It's been popular ever since, and it's still made from sheep's milk, sometimes with added goat's milk. Dolmas or grape leaves are filled with meat, rice, herbs or pine nuts. They are often served with meals or as a snack. There are variations of this dish that are made in the surrounding regions, making its origins difficult to locate. For dessert, be sure to try some baklava, a fine, flaky dough filled with honey and ground walnuts. Its exact origins are unclear, with different regions claiming to be the home of this dessert, but the desert is known to have taken different forms during the Ottoman Empire. It is now a gift often found at any celebration.

Greek architecture

When you think of Greek architecture, the famous blue and white houses will probably reflect you. Well, thanks to luxury boutique hotels and Airbnb rentals, you can stay in the iconic setting and get the perfect view of the Greek sunsets. The Andronis Luxury Suites include 29 suites on a cliff above the Santorini caldera, each with a private balcony for some of the best views of the sea. And the Cavo Tagoo hotel has private pools attached directly to your room. Curious why white walls and blue roofs are so iconic for the Cyclades?

Well, when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas came to power in the 1930s, he ordered that all buildings be covered in whitewash. Limewash was thought to have antibacterial properties, was inexpensive, and was good at reflecting sunlight, keeping buildings cooler during the summer. Blue comes from a cleaning agent called loulaki, which was found in most Greek homes. A few drops were mixed with limewash, and the blue roof was born. Then, in 1967, the military dictatorship signed into law that all the buildings on the islands were blue and white as a way of showing patriotism and unification. Today the law is no longer in force, but many people still stick to this tradition.

The weather

With its Mediterranean climate, Greece enjoys mild winters and dry summers. It is mostly sunny all year round, but in northern Greece some areas have snow. July and August are full of tourists, but that also means there are more transportation options to the remote Greek islands. While there is no "awful weather" time to go, most people recommend visiting between April and October, as it is hot enough to swim from May to September. But if you have a limited budget, you can find better deals from November to March.

Good food, rich history, scenic landscapes and beautiful weather come together to make Greece the ideal destination for 2020.