rappar Loc: Kingston Ontario

It looks like I get to spend the better part of three weeks in Greece this spring, late February and early March. While I have bought a guide book to help with planning, if any out there that can provide some 'first hand' help, that would be great. Two areas:

1. Are there any spots I should be sure to add to the list of places I would like to visit.
2. I have a Sony A7iii, it has the kit lens but I tend to leave the FE4/24-105 G on it most of the time. Any other suggestions? I have yet to purchase my own Christmas gift so a new lens might be an excellent idea.

Thanks,
Ron

FvS Loc: Netherlands

The Island Santorini is absolute a place for a visit, ferry's leaving from the mainland as also from Crete.

rappar Loc: Kingston Ontario

Yes, that is a must. I don't think there is a shot of Greece that does not include this location for all the correct reasons. Thanks.
Ron

anotherview Loc: California

Acropolis, Corinth, and Olympia. Go back in time by your visit to these ancient sites.

repleo Loc: Boston

Weather in February may still be cold and wet. Weather should be improving by end of March. Your FE 24-105 G should be perfect for anything you want to shoot - phenominal lens!! If you feel the need to treat yourself consider a pocketable P&S - maybe a Panasonic LX100 or Sony RX100 for those long days of walking around.

Put Santorini at the top of your list - for anywhere in the world - not just Greece. Oia (pronounced eeee-oh) is the best spot -especially for sunsets. Thira is nice too. Take the windy road down to the harbor instead of the cable car. Pyrgos Kallistis is a wonderfully picturesque village. Great shots at every corner. The excavations at Akrotiri are a big attraction. If you get to Crete, go see the excavations at Knossos - very impressive. Agios Nickolaus is a nice spot but maybe not worth a special trip.

Have a great trip and post your pics when you get back.

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

You only used word "Greece", which besides the mainland has over 6,000 islands, about 225 that have inhabitants. That should keep you busy! <grin>

Seriously, in Athens the Changing of the Guard at their Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a must, especially if you also take video clips. It is within walking distance of the Acropolis, on the main traffic street. A taxi ride to the top of Mount Lycabettus (in middle of Athens) will give you great panorama shots if a clear day.

Kiriakos

Athens area: Acropole, Acropole Museum, Plaka area, Cape Sounio with the Poseidon temple.
Rest of south Greece: Oracle of Delphi, ancient Olympia, ancient Epidavros theater, all within 4 hours drive. Tours are available.

The weather during this period is quite mixed. I would say mostly cold, but then again could turn out to be spring like.
Enjoy your trip.

ssymeono Loc: St. Louis, Missouri

Weather would be your prime consideration. To play it as safe as possible, head south where your chances of good weather are best. This is your big chance to visit Crete but don't think of it as an island, the ancients thought of it as a continent. At 140 miles long, with three huge mountains, each approaching 9,000 feet, you have a varied and magnificent series of landscapes and cultural centers, each with its own history. West Crete has Chania, one of the most beautiful cities in Greece. Rethymno is to the East, also a beautiful town with lots of things to see and great beaches. Central Crete is home to major sites of the Minoan civilization with several archaeological sites (Knossos, Phaistos, Agia Triada) dating back to the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BCE). Read as much as possible on the Minoans and you may fall in love with them: A peaceful society of traders (the first to explore the Mediterranean) who developed a truly great civilization that influenced Greece and Europe. Crete is the first home of olive oil and wine on European soil. Try visiting the mountain plain of Lasithi and East Crete
Three weeks will make you familiar with Crete. like a new home for you. Give yourself a Xmas present with a 70-210 zoom, you will need in in Crete. Save a couple of day to fly to Santorini at the end, 70 miles to the north.

tonal Loc: Greece

Hi rappar,
This is a native Greek writing.
February and March may not be quite like spring in Greece.
You might be lucky and have great weather conditions but it might be snowing as well
depending on the location and the altitude.
But you seem to be from Ontario so anything above 0 degrees Celcius could be like spring to you :) .

Greek islands are quite nice to visit but the period you plan to visit Greece is way off-season for most of the islands.
Good time to pay a visit would be around Greek Easter and till June (afterwards it is high season too hot and they are very crowded)
and best time is from September to October (still like summer but with much more comfortable temperature and not very crowded).

If you are going to hire a car choose something that is not excessively big and can move in not optimal road conditions.
If you plan to visit mountainous places you will have to deal with many u-turns and uphills.
Make sure that you have snow chains because on remote places the roads are not cleaned regularly if there is heavy snowfall.
Also make sure that you have a GPS with updated maps if you are not going to use built in cellphone GPS and google maps or the likes of it (road signs do not help that much).
Keep in mind that in remote places cell signal is weak or even non existent and you might not be able to connect to any cell network or use online maps.

A few recommendations:

-Athens:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon

Parthenon museum is a must. Walk around Plaka and the whereabouts.
Avoid Omonoia square especially at night.

You can visit Delphi from Athens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi

-Peloponnese:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafplio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimitsana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia,_Greece
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinth_Canal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Corinth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiryns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycenae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidaurus

Around Dimitsana are many traditional vilages. Watch out for snow.
You can visit Olympia from Dimitsana but the road is full of turns (around two hours driving as far as I can remember)

Ancient Corinth and the canal are about an hour drive from Athens.
You can take the touristic boat that crosses the canal.

Naflpio is a nice town to stay and use it as your base to visit Epidaurus, Tiryns (Tirintha) and Mykines (Mycenae).
There is a castle on the town citadel and a very small island (Bourtzi) which was a prison that you can visit if you take the small boat that takes you across from Naflio's harbour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourtzi_Castle

-Central Greece:

Watch out for snow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trikala
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora

Trikala is near Meteora and is a nice small city to stay and visit around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelion

Pilio (pelion) is a compound of traditional settlements near the city of Volos.

-Epirus:

Watch out for snow as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metsovo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodona

Metsovo is a traditional settlement with many picturesque villages around.

-Northern Greece:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthi

Thessaloniki is the second Greek greatest city.

-Crete
The biggest Greek island that is worth visiting anytime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraklion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knossos
Knossos is near Heraklion (Iraklio) and was the centre of Minoan civilisation.

In general if you exclude Omonoia in Athens all places are safe to move and should have nothing to fear even late at night.

Choose restaurants and taverns that the locals prefer (avoid "too-much-touristic" restaurants to get a better taste of Greek cuisine)
Hope you are not vegetarian :) .

woodweasel Loc: bellingham Wa

Lots to choose from , enjoy

John Howard Loc: SW Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

You’ll get a lot of recommendations for which Island is best but don’t overlook the north. I spent 10 days this past October driving from Thessaloniki to Zagori Region, Meteora, Volos Gorge, Delphi, and Athens. Great mountains, history and food.

rhdoshi

I visited Greece 30 years back. It is still fresh in my brain and soul. Respondents have covery places to visit. My only suggestion is read about history in brief and monuments. This will add in your enjoyment and photography. Acropolis is always under construction and avoiding scaffolding in pictures is somewhat difficult. Enjoy the cradle of democracy.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

Opah!

ppkwhat Loc: Gibsonton, FL

Ron,
Start with the Island Santorini - it is the best place.I would spend at least 1/3 of your available time over there.

TBPJr Loc: South Carolina

No one else mentioned Delos, but if you are interested in monumental ruins, this is the place. It is the birthplace of ancient Greek religion and it was the banking and cultural center of the world for a long time. It is tiny--but rich in Greek art and architecture. It is also a relatively low island and the wind can be pretty fierce; I would expect it to be pretty raw in wintertime.

Someone mentioned getting a longer lens; I would vote for a wider angle lens, too, as good a wide zoom as you can stand to buy--it will be a real value when you are in some of the tight spaces where you cannot get far enough away to capture the picture you want without tilting to fit an entire building.

You can't go wrong, wherever you go in Greece. I was so delighted when I finally got to visit Mycenae and the Greek isles, especially Santorini and Delos. But you will have plenty to see, do, and learn if you stay in Athens. Do not miss the National Archaeological Museum.

Have a great trip and a great picture-taking experience!