36 of the best · Greek Islands, Greece
Arts & Culture in the Greek Islands
Minoan palaces and Cycladic museums, Byzantine churches and Venetian fortresses, a 19th-century opera house on Syros and the galleries of Hydra.
Our 36 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in Greek Islands
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Insiders' picks
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love the Greek islands.
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Europe’s oldest city
Knossos
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, the centre of Minoan civilisation, about 5 km south of Heraklion.
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A Bronze Age town under ash
Akrotiri
A Minoan-era town preserved by the great eruption about 3,600 years ago, now under a protective roof.
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A miniature opera house
Apollon Theatre
A 19th-century theatre of red and gold modelled on Italian opera houses.
The full list: Arts & Culture, A–Z
Visual arts
Museums 13
Great collections.
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Home of the Venus, in copy
Archaeological Museum of Milos
The island’s archaeological museum in Plaka, with finds from prehistoric Phylakopi and a cast of the Venus de Milo.
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The heroine of 1821
Bouboulina Museum
The family mansion of Laskarina Bouboulina, naval commander of the War of Independence, now a museum.
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A sculptor’s studio
Christos Kapralos Museum
The former home and studio of the sculptor Christos Kapralos, near the town, with his works in stone, wood and bronze.
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Olive oil the old way
Eggares Olive Press Museum
An olive press dating from 1884 in the village of Eggares, now a small museum of olive-oil making.
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Farm life on a windy island
Folklore Museum, Ano Meria
A small folklore museum in a traditional farmhouse in Ano Meria, the island’s scattered farming village.
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The Minoan treasure house
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
One of the great museums of Greece, holding the finest collection of Minoan art in the world.
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The island’s naval story
Historical Archives Museum of Hydra
A museum on the harbour with archives, portraits and relics of Hydra’s ships and captains, especially from the 1821 War of Independence.
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A shipowner’s house
Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion
The grand ochre-coloured mansion of a leading Hydriot family, above the harbour, open as a museum.
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Old Santorini in pictures
Megaro Gyzi
A 17th-century mansion in the Catholic quarter of Fira, now a cultural centre with old maps, engravings and photographs of the island.
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The island’s mineral wealth
Milos Mining Museum
A museum in Adamas about mining on Milos, from ancient obsidian to modern bentonite and perlite.
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Akrotiri’s treasures
Museum of Prehistoric Thera
The museum in Fira for the finds from Akrotiri: wall paintings, painted pottery and objects from the Bronze Age town.
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The island’s history
Spetses Museum (Hatzigiannis Mexis Mansion)
The island museum in the mansion of Hatzigiannis Mexis, with exhibits on Spetses and the War of Independence.
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The island’s tomato story
Tomato Industrial Museum
A restored tomato-paste factory on the beach at Vlychada, now a museum and the home of the Santorini Arts Factory.
Galleries 3
Painting, sculpture and photography.
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Contemporary art in summer
DESTE Slaughterhouse
The DESTE Foundation’s summer project space in the old slaughterhouse by the sea, with a new artist’s installation each year.
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An artists’ island
Hydra art galleries
Small galleries and studios around the harbour, part of the island’s long artistic tradition.
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Bronze and glass sculpture
MATI Art Gallery
A gallery of original bronze and glass sculpture by Yorgos Kypris, with handmade jewellery and guided art tours.
Ancient sites, churches & castles 12
Minoan palaces, Byzantine churches and Venetian fortresses.
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Empress Sisi’s palace
Achilleion
A palace built in the 1890s for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, with gardens and views over the coast.
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Athena above the sea
Acropolis of Lindos
An ancient acropolis on a cliff above Lindos, with the Temple of Athena Lindia and views over the bays.
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A Bronze Age town under ash
Akrotiri
A Minoan-era town preserved by the great eruption about 3,600 years ago, now under a protective roof.
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A sacred island, a short sail away
Boat trip to Delos
Boats from the old port cross to Delos, the birthplace of Apollo in myth and one of the great archaeological sites of Greece.
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A monastery on a cliff
Hozoviotissa Monastery
A white monastery clinging to a vertical cliff hundreds of metres above the sea.
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Europe’s oldest city
Knossos
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, the centre of Minoan civilisation, about 5 km south of Heraklion.
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Corfu’s Venetian shield
Old Fortress
A Venetian fortress on a headland separated from the town by a sea channel, with views over the old town.
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Seat of the Knights
Palace of the Grand Master
The great fortress-palace at the top of the Street of the Knights, rebuilt in the 20th century.
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The island’s patron
Panagia Chrysopigi
A monastery on a rocky islet joined to the shore by a footbridge.
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The church of a hundred doors
Panagia Ekatontapiliani
One of the oldest and most important churches in Greece, by the harbour of Parikia.
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Five chapels in one white sculpture
Panagia Paraportiani
A whitewashed cluster of chapels built over several centuries, by the old Kastro quarter near Little Venice.
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A fortress with a moving history
Spinalonga
A Venetian sea fortress that later became a leper colony, reached by boat from Plaka, Elounda or Agios Nikolaos.
Performing arts
Theatre & musicals 2
Plays, musicals and the playhouses.
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A miniature opera house
Apollon Theatre
A 19th-century theatre of red and gold modelled on Italian opera houses.
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A marble theatre with a view
Odysseas Elytis Theatre
An open-air theatre above Chora named after the Nobel-winning poet.
Film 3
Summer open-air cinemas; every cinema is on the Cinema page.
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In the Venetian walls
Bethlehem open-air cinema, Heraklion
Summer films inside the 15th-century Venetian fortifications of Heraklion, Crete. Closed for the winter; reopens in summer 2027.
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Since 1987
Cine Kamari, Santorini
Santorini’s open-air cinema at the entrance to Kamari, voted by travellers among the top ten open-air cinemas in Europe. Closed for the winter; reopens in summer 2027.
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A garden in Mykonos town
Cine Manto, Mykonos
An open-air cinema in a Mediterranean garden in the heart of Mykonos town, set up by the municipality in 1995. Closed for the winter; reopens in summer 2027.
Folk & cultural traditions
Crafts & makers 2
Traditional crafts and the people who keep them.
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Pottery inspired by the Neolithic
Ceramica Kymbe
A ceramics workshop in Plaka making minimalist, everyday pottery inspired by the island’s Neolithic past.
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Handmade glass
Santorini Art Glass
A shop for handmade art glass, from small gifts to larger pieces.
Festivals & heritage events 1
The cultural calendar.
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A ship burns in the harbour
Armata festival
The September festival commemorating the naval battle of 1822, with a re-enactment and the burning of a mock ship.
