Less Touristy Destinations to Visit in Greece

Tugging at my heartstrings ever since my first taste of a gyro, Greece was a long-awaited destination that fulfilled all of my Mamma Mia fantasies. With the imprint that Donna Sheridan left on my generation, spending part of one’s summer in Greece is almost a rite of passage. But rather than my first trip to the country leading me to overdone cities, I instead wanted to experience less touristy destinations to visit in Greece. This blog post includes my top recommendations for those wanting to follow in my footsteps as well as some other helpful tips for planning your trip!

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Where to Travel in Greece to Avoid Crowds

Images of blue and white buildings stacked on a cliffside or untamed parties in Mykonos might be the driving force behind many individuals’ trips to Greece. But with 227 inhabited islands to choose from, I wanted to get off the beaten path, avoiding tourist-trodden capitals and opting for a more authentic feel of this country that can be characterized by its culture of cuisine, transformative atmosphere, and bounty of cats prancing through the streets.

There are plenty of less touristy destinations to visit in Greece without forfeiting your hopes for what a Greek-style vacation should look like. The bakeries with baklava? Chalky buildings with cobalt blue roofs? The celebratory “Opa!” following a plate smashing? They don’t just exist in Santorini and Mykonos.

If it hadn’t been for my trip with MedSailors, I might not have ever heard of some of these towns that I grew to love almost immediately after docking. Google is drowning in recommendations for destinations to visit in Greece, but I can promise that the villages listed in this blog are worth adding to your itinerary.

Plataria

A quaint coastal village sandwiched between calm waters and textured mountains, Plataria is a perfect destination for the curious daytripper looking for a less touristy destination in Greece. Amble from the dock to the nearby beach via cobblestone streets decked out with sidewalk seating from the competing restaurants.

In our short time here, we enjoyed some light reading by the water prior to a large dinner reservation at Olga’s Taverna. This traditional Greek restaurant has a variety of fare to choose from, with my friend and I opting to share the moussaka, an eggplant-based dish that is well-loved throughout the country. Aside from this restaurant, there are plenty of neighboring eateries to be enjoyed with a view of the sunset over the marina.

Parga

Parga is what I call the perfect merger of Cinque Terre and Lisbon. With pastel buildings warmly welcoming visitors to the shore and red roof tiles seen from above, the radiance of Parga is impossible to ignore. After anchoring our yacht, our skipper called a water taxi decorated with Moroccan-inspired rugs to chauffeur us to the mainland.

We kicked off our time in Parga the proper way by grabbing some gelato. I love aimlessly wandering around European towns, and Parga proved to be a cut above the rest. This stroll took us from the harbor’s front streets to local’s quarters clad with bougainvillea to marble pedestrian alleyways braiding between souvenir shops and inviting restaurants.

After indulging in the cuisine at PIGO, a newer establishment serving up budget-friendly street food, we ascended the slippery stairs to an old fortress, passing by clementine-colored buildings and well-fed stray cats. We approached these ruins, also known as the Venetian Castle of Parga, stunned by the views it offered of the town below and shocked that we had reached these heights in such a short amount of time.

A large block of our evening was spent exploring the grounds of this matured fortress, shining our flashlights as we walked through sections of dim tunnels and admiring the sunset from the highest vantage point. Upon parading back into town once dusk has set in, you’ll find a lively atmosphere with occupied restaurants and energetic streets, proving that even the less touristy destinations in Greece know how to party. Your evening can be spent sipping cocktails or losing your willpower to the various gelato shops showcasing their flavors to passersby. Just don’t forget to take a water taxi back before the last one departs at a half hour to midnight if this was your means of transportation to the village!

Gaios

Boasting the title of the largest town on the island of Paxos, Gaios proved to be a suitable spot for lazy beachgoers by day and a jubilant town in the late evening hours for people of all ages. With a number of small beaches to walk to, there are plenty of options for tanning, although it is important to note that the majority of these are slates of rock rather than proper sandy beaches. My friend and I kept wandering further in the hopes of finding a secluded area, only to happen upon a trendy resort that we may or may not have wandered onto the property of to snag beach chairs for an hour or two. The name of the resort escapes me, but it was the perfect resting spot away from any noise.

Spend the rest of the daylight wandering through the town square, admiring weathered buildings, and spotting more cats. Later that evening, a large group of us dined at George’s Corner, where I had yet another gyro. As the evening progressed, we eventually went to a local favorite, accompanied by our MedSailors crew. Titled Manesko Bar, this drinking spot came alive as our group poured in, dancing to a variety of tunes in this tiny space. With its open-air concept, patrons could easily slip out onto the streets to enjoy their drinks, and I found there to be a surprisingly livelier group of older customers outside dancing on the streets between the bar and the docked yachts.

Lakka

Lakka is a hospitable town with a marina encircled by luscious scenery. Located on the less touristy Greek island of Paxos, this town is easily walkable, with traditional bakeries, family-style restaurants, and secret swimming locations. Although I love the beach, this was our final day on our yacht, so I opted to spend the afternoon sunbathing on the bow with a book in hand.

Once the sun had finished its duties for the day, we dressed in our best going-out attire to celebrate the final evening of our MedSailors trip. Our farewell dinner was spent at Taverna Nionios, where the owner took us into the kitchen to show us every dish prior to our ordering. Because of the great pride that Greeks take in their food and culture, I felt honored to be hearing from this passionate individual.

Immediately following my well-seasoned plate of chicken souvlaki, our group took a short walk to Romantica Bar, a dockside drinking spot with a disco ball that set the tone for our evening of dancing. As you can expect, there were a fair amount of ABBA songs enjoyed that evening, and one of our travel mates even got to get behind the DJ set. Our weeklong trip with MedSailors would not have been complete without dancing to ABBA on the streets of Greece with travelers from around the world.

Paros

Saving the best for last, although it was certainly rivaled by Parga, Paros came to be my favorite of all the less touristy destinations we visited in Greece. I figured this would be the case, as this was the main destination I had dreamed of traveling to prior to planning the trip. Paros is what I would describe as the perfect blend of Santorini and Mykonos. It captured the dual charm of these islands without having been influenced by the over-tourism that they have experienced over the years.

From streets crowned with marble to picturesque windmills to blue and white buildings outnumbering those found on Santorini, Paros just about brought me to tears with its authenticity. We explored its villages to my heart’s content, snapping photos at almost every turn of ivory infrastructure, pomegranate trees, and unexpected handpainted illustrations. Read my blog on the best way to spend 48 hours in Paros to help you plan your itinerary!

When to Visit Greek Islands

Each season brings a different reason to visit the Greek islands, but it has never been much of a wintery destination due to many of its tours and shops closing down in the colder months. Summer brings a wave of tourism that can often drive out the locals themselves. Having visited in September, we heard from residents and returned tourists alike that this was the opportune time to visit Greece.

September blessed us with sunlit days perfect for laying out on the bow of our yacht and breezy evenings dipping into the low 60’s the closer it grew to midnight. In terms of crowds, there were still a fair amount of visitors, many of which hailed from other European countries, but we heard that these destinations are normally far more crowded in the heat of the summer.

Based on the recommendations from locals and my personal experience, September stands out as the favorable time to visit Greece if you’re looking for a bit more of an authentic experience once a large chunk of the tourists has cleared out.

How to Visit Greek Islands From Athens

With Athens being one of the main hubs for incoming flights, many individuals wonder what the best method is for visiting other less touristy Greek islands from this massive capital. There are a few options available at your disposal, both of which my friend and I acted on. One method is to book a flight from Athens to your desired landing place. Because our yacht would be departing from Corfu, we took a short flight to this island and waited to meet our crew. From here, our skipper sailed us to our planned ports as part of our week of Greek island hopping.

Another surprisingly budget-friendly option is to book a ferry from Athens to another island. Athens is home to Greece’s largest port: Piraeus. There are a plethora of ferries departing from this busy port every day. We hopped onboard a 4-hour ferry ride to Paros for a one-way price of €50 after finishing our week with MedSailors. I found this to be a modest and uncomplicated way to island hop and would recommend this transportation method to individuals planning their trip without an organized travel group.

Check out ferry prices for your desired dates here!

Unless you are planning to drive out into the countryside of mainland Greece, we found it quite simple to tour the Greek islands without a car. Between public transportation and a handful of boats, we were set!

While there was no intentional plate-smashing or toga-wearing on my trip to Greece, I felt that I got a fitting taste of the culture through visiting these charismatic islands and towns. While it can be difficult to find Greek islands without tourists nowadays, these locations assume the role of delivering an authentic experience of Greek culture without visitors feeling as if they had a surface-level sojourn.