Attica is a triangular peninsula in the Aegean Sea. It includes Athens, the capital of Greece, where the Acropolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is Daphni Monastery. Cape Sounion has the Temple of Poseidon, and Marathon and Vravrona have ancient sites. Mount Parnitha and Mount Hymettus are hiking mountains near the city, and Schinias National Park has a wetland and a beach.

Central Greece is the part of the mainland between Thessaly and Epirus in the north and Attica and the Peloponnese in the south. Delphi and Ossios Loukas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Mountains such as Parnassus and Giona have hiking routes, and Parnassus has a ski centre. The Achelous and Sperchios rivers cross the region, Messolonghi lies beside a lagoon, and Evia is a large island off the east coast.

Crete is the largest island of Greece. Its mountains, including the White Mountains and Mount Ida, run from west to east. Knossos is a Minoan palace site near Heraklion, the capital of Crete, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Minoan Palatial Centres. Chania and Rethymno are old Venetian towns, and Elounda and Agios Nikolaos lie on the Gulf of Mirabello.

The Cyclades are a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece. The name refers to a circle: the islands lie around the sacred island of Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Volcanic landscapes shape Santorini and Milos. Naxos has ancient landmarks and sandy beaches, and Mykonos and Paros have lively harbour towns. Hiking paths cross smaller islands such as Folegandros and Anafi.

The Dodecanese lie in the south-eastern Aegean, close to the coast of Turkey. The name means "twelve islands", but the group has more today. Rhodes has a medieval city fortified by the Knights of St John, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Patmos is also a UNESCO site, for its monastery and old town. Kalymnos and Karpathos have routes for climbing and hiking, and Symi and Kastellorizo have castles.

Epirus lies in north-west Greece, between the Pindus mountains and the Ionian Sea. The stone villages of Zagori are a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, and Vikos Gorge and Mount Tymfi are nearby. Ioannina, the regional capital, stands beside a lake, and Dodoni has an ancient theatre. The Aoos and Arachthos rivers are used for rafting and kayaking, and Parga is a coastal town.

The Ionian Islands lie in the Ionian Sea, off the west coast of Greece. The Old Town of Corfu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kefalonia has caves and mountains, Lefkada has beaches and castles, and Zakynthos has beaches and nightlife. Ithaca is the home island of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, and Paxos and Antipaxos are two small islands south of Corfu.

Macedonia is the largest geographic region of Greece, in the north of the country. Thessaloniki is its main city, and Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, lies on its southern border. Vergina and Mount Athos are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Halkidiki has sandy beaches, Prespes and Kastoria have lakes, and the Aliakmon and Axios rivers cross the region.

The North / East Aegean islands are spread across the northern and eastern Aegean. Lesvos, Chios and Samos lie close to the coast of Turkey. Samos has the ancient city of Pythagoreion and Chios has the Nea Moni monastery, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Ikaria has forests and thermal springs, and Samothraki and Thassos have mountains and waterfalls. Lemnos has a castle above its main town and sandy beaches.

The Peloponnese is a large peninsula in southern Greece. Its sites include the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Olympia, Mycenae, Epidavros and Mystras. Nafplio and Monemvasia are coastal towns with castles, and Mani and the Diros Caves lie in the south. Taygetos is the highest mountain of the peninsula, and Sparta lies in the valley below it, beside the Evrotas river.

The Saronic Islands lie in the Saronic Gulf, close to Athens, and boats run to them from Piraeus. Aegina has the Temple of Aphaea and produces pistachios with a protected designation. Hydra has no cars and a stone harbour town. Spetses has pine-covered hills and neoclassical mansions, and Poros has pine forests and a lively main town.

The Sporades are a group of four islands in the Aegean Sea. Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos lie close together. Skiathos has sandy beaches and a lively port town. Skopelos has a whitewashed main town and monasteries in the hills. Alonissos is quiet, and a national marine park around it protects the Mediterranean monk seal. Skyros lies farther south, with a castle above its main town and its own small breed of horse.

Thessaly is a large plain in central Greece, with a ring of mountains around it. The monasteries of Meteora are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mount Olympus lies on the north-eastern edge, Mount Ossa and Pelion near the south-eastern coast, and the Pindus range to the west. Volos is the main port, on the Pagasetic Gulf, and the Pineios river crosses the plain.

Thrace is the north-eastern part of Greece, next to Bulgaria and Turkey. The Evros river forms the border with Turkey, and its wetlands are home to wildlife. The Nestos river is used for rafting and kayaking, and the Rhodope mountains have hiking routes. Alexandroupoli, Komotini and Xanthi are the main towns. Komotini and Xanthi have mosques, and Xanthi has an old town.