Greek Isles cruise

The 5th-century BC citadel crowning the city, with the Parthenon at its centre — go at opening time for both light and space.

A modern glass museum built over active excavations, displaying the sculptures that once decorated the Parthenon.

Athens' oldest district, a maze of neoclassical houses and bougainvillea-draped lanes beneath the Acropolis.

Grilled meats, dips and Greek wine on a rooftop terrace framing the floodlit Acropolis after dark.

The city's highest point, reached by funicular, with a small chapel at the summit and a panorama over Athens to the sea.

Whitewashed lanes, bougainvillea and boutiques; wander early or late.

Waterfront bars on the sea edge with windmill views at sunset.

Sacred island of Apollo with mosaics and a lion terrace.

Iconic row of windmills on a hill above the harbor.

Small museum with Delos artefacts, quick and quiet.

Grilled octopus and local fish at a waterfront taverna.

One of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere: the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and marble streets.

Covered excavations of wealthy Roman homes with frescoes and mosaics, worth the extra ticket.

Small stone chapel on a wooded hill, revered by Christians and Muslims as Mary's last home.

Hillside Greek-Ottoman village known for fruit wines, olive oil and a good lunch.

Walk the walls and cobbled Street of the Knights in Europe's oldest inhabited medieval town.

Restored fortress-palace of the Knights of St John with mosaics brought from Kos.

White village below a clifftop acropolis over two perfect bays, an hour down the coast.

Small emerald cove framed by pine-covered rocks, good for snorkelling.

The famous blue-domed village at the island's northern tip, where crowds gather along the castle ruins to watch the sun drop into the sea.

The island's capital, strung along the caldera edge with a maze of stairs down to the old port.

A Bronze Age settlement buried by the eruption and preserved almost like Pompeii, now under a protective roof.

Santorini's volcanic soil produces distinctive Assyrtiko whites, tasted at wineries perched above the caldera.

A quiet hilltop village with a ruined Venetian kastro and views rivaling Oia's, without the crowds.

A roughly three-hour clifftop trail linking the island's main villages, with the caldera in view the whole way.

The Bronze Age Minoan palace of the labyrinth legend, with reconstructed frescoes and royal rooms.

The finds from Knossos: frescoes, the snake goddesses and the Phaistos Disc.

The Koules sea fortress and the old port, with lunch at a taverna on the waterfront.

Fish tavernas around a small yacht harbour, ten minutes from the cruise port.

A sprawling flea market of antiques, records and souvenirs, spilling out from the square beneath the Acropolis.

The marketplace and civic heart of classical Athens, with the best-preserved Greek temple standing on its edge.

The largest archaeological museum in Greece, holding the golden Mask of Agamemnon and monumental bronze statues.

A coastal drive south of the city to a clifftop temple where sunset over the Aegean draws a small, loyal crowd.