10 Reasons Instagram Loves Greece

Sun-drenched beaches…mouth-watering food…ancient wonders…there’s a lot to love about Greece.  We could go on and on, but instead we’ll let Instagram do the talking.

Meteora

Who wouldn’t be tempted to make the trek to these remote monasteries whose names translate as “middle of the sky”, “suspended in the air” and “in the heavens above”?

 

Dreamlike and mysterious, Meteora watches over the town of Kalambaka and is a must-do day trip from Thessaloniki. 

 

Flights to Thessaloniki

The Acropolis, Athens

As one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites, the Acropolis fully deserves to be photographed from all of its best angles. Go early or late in the day to avoid the crowds (and high temperatures in summer).

 

Those famous columns of the Parthenon are picture-perfect all year around, but the surrounding area is even more photogenic in late winter or spring when grass and wildflowers enter the frame.

 

Flights to Athens

Paleokastritsa, Corfu

If it’s good enough for 007, you can be sure it’s going to be perfect for Instagram. Paleoskastritsa Bay shot to fame in the opening scene of For Your Eyes Only, when Melina and Gonzales’ seaplane flies over Corfu Town, before passing over the bay.

 

Bond movies aside, Paleokastritsa’s beaches with their turquoise waves and white, sugar-soft sand are way too beautiful not to be shared with your Instagram followers.

 

Flights to Corfu

Zia, Kos

This small but perfectly formed mountain village is located 16 km southeast of Kos town and is renowned for its stunning views over the island, particularly at sunset, when you’ll witness the most incredible sight of the sun sinking into the Aegean.

 

Flights to Kos

Butterfly Valley, Rhodes

Around 5km south east of the village of Theologos (or Tholos), lies Rhodes’ very own Pandora, aka Butterfly Valley. Every year, at the end of May, thousands of butterflies follow the scent of the local sweetgum trees and cover the entire landscape.

 

Sleeping during the day and flying only at night, the butterflies spend the whole summer in the cool, shaded surroundings of the valley. With scenery like this, who could blame them?

 

Flights to Rhodes

Chania, Crete

It’s as if Chania’s old town with its Venetian architecture, sleepy cafés and snoozing cats is just lying in wait to be snapped on Instagram and slapped with a #loveithere hashtag.

 

Take your time to wander around the cobbled streets, checking out the old townhouses, the Venetian harbour and the historic Byzantine walls before deciding on that all-important hashtag.

 

Flights to Chania

Oia, Santorini

With its ultra-marine coloured water and those made-for-Instagram rooftops, Oia is Santorini’s pride and joy and one of the most beautiful destinations you’ll ever visit.

 

Flights to Santorini

Old Town, Mykonos

All-night parties, chilled-out vibes and glorious beaches are just some of the reasons why Mykonos (and its Old Town) has become a firm favourite with summer holidaymakers from all walks of life.

 

From backpackers to the super-rich, everyone who visits can appreciate the instagrammable aesthetics of the island’s capital.

 

Flights to Mykonos

Nafplio, Argolic Gulf

Four UNESCO sites. Three castles. One off-shore island. No need to go on about it, we get it Nafplio – you’re gorgeous. AND the camera loves you.

 

Flights to Athens

Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia

Myrtos Beach is no stranger to Instagram. In fact, it’s probably one of the most photographed beaches in Greece, if not Europe.

 

The bright, white pebbly beach stretches on for over a mile below the cliffs on the island’s northwest shores – head to the coast road for that money shot view of the bay.

 

Flights to Kefalonia

 

Travelling to Greece soon? Tag your photos #ryanairstories for a chance to appear on Ryanair’s Instagram page.

 

- Fiona Hilliard