Ideal Time to Visit: Autumn in Crete

Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands, usually sees its rush of tourists from April to mid-October when the summer sun is warming the dramatically diverse island. For a vacation away from the throngs of tourists head there in October or November while the weather is still sunny, but light jacket appropriate. As autumn rolls in and the crowds have rolled out the island and its inhabitants offer a hospitable welcome to explore the mountains and villages, palm tree beaches and sea coves.

Photo Credit: Agios Nikolaos Harbour, Crete (Peter Adams)

Athens—The City That Survives

Ever since sophists used to stand on street corners and rant about governmental corruption, Athens has been a beleaguered yet beloved city—often seemingly on the verge of ruin, but never really losing its grace. It is the heart of epic Greece: over-crowded, turbulent, scandal-prone but with amazing staying power. Check out three former news headlines (now legends taught in primary school) that shook this city thousands of years before Greece's most recent troubles.

1. Conquering Armies Loot, Burn City
When the Persians burned Athens during the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, they left nothing but ruin in their wake...or so it would seem. But the people had been evacuated, and the Greeks eventually won the battle on the sea. Shortly thereafter, Athens entered one the most productive and prosperous time periods of the Classical era. They rebuilt the city completely, including the Parthenon, temple of Athena.

Athens Trip Idea: Walk in the Footsteps of Odysseus

The cape of Sounion, 40 miles southeast of Athens, is first referenced in Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey. Voyager Menelaos stops at the cape on the arduous return from Troy to bury a fallen comrade. Nowadays, the cape is famous for its two temples overlooking the sea. The temple of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, dates back to the seventh century B.C.

Photo Credit: Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece (Photodisc/Getty)