Athens

If you've ever fancied chatting up an ancient Greek psychic-sadly, she's been off-shift for a few millennia-then Delphi is your spot. Perched theatrically on Mount Parnassus, Delphi was once the religious heart and metaphysical hotline of ancient Greece, a place where kings and commoners alike lined up to hear cryptic tidbits about their fate from the enigmatic Pythia-who, rumor had it, inhaled mysterious geological fumes before dispensing divine riddles. Today, the fumes are gone (thank Zeus for health and safety), but the ruins remain splendidly atmospheric. Prepare to climb, sweat slightly, and regret your choice of footwear around midday; early morning is best both for fewer selfie sticks and softer sun. Bring water, sunscreen, and maybe a philosophical existential crisis or two, along with about €12 per person for entry. Booking ahead in peak travel season is wise, but spontaneous pilgrims can usually squeeze in. Even if ancient rubble isn't normally your jam, Delphi offers moments of genuine awe and the best sweeping valley views since Instagram invented #nofilter-plus, bragging rights for having consulted the most famous oracle of antiquity.

Ascending Mount Olympus isn't merely a hike-it's a pilgrimage to the playground of Zeus and his dysfunctional celestial family, where the air feels electric with mythical drama and the scenery impresses humans and immortals alike. Begin at dawn, partly to enjoy the warm cloak of sunrise draping over the craggy peaks, but mostly to avoid Greece's blistering midday sun, which might convince you Prometheus had the right idea stealing fire. Plan ahead-gods might improvise, but mere mortals shouldn't-and book a mountain refuge at least a month in advance if you prefer your epics comfy rather than Homerically tragic. Budget-wise, €50-€100 covers refuge stays, trail snacks, and that emergency bottle of ouzo you'll thoroughly deserve at day's end. Don't forget layers (the weather changes faster than Zeus swapped lovers), sturdy boots, and enough water to fend off dehydration and hubris. Sure, your calves will grumble for a week, and that endless uphill trudge might prompt deep philosophical debates between your quads and sanity, but hiking Mount Olympus is worth every blister-if only to casually drop into conversation that you once challenged the gods on their own turf and lived to tell about it.

Swimming in Santorini's volcanic hot springs is a little like crashing a posh spa party organized by Mother Nature herself-serene, slightly pungent, and eternally Instagram-worthy. Just a short boat ride from the postcard-perfect cliffs of Oia (yes, the blue-domed town you've seen on every influencer's feed), you'll find waters warmed by the smouldering breath of an active volcano lurking quietly beneath the waves. Aim for a late morning adventure-this way, you dodge the early-bird tourist hordes yet still have ample Greek sunshine to properly illuminate all your selfies. Plan a few days ahead, bringing a swimsuit you won't mourn (the sulfur might discolor your Gucci trunks) and an old towel, plus about €30-50 to cover the boat ride and a well-deserved cold Mythos beer afterwards. Sure, the water carries a faint sulfuric aroma, reminiscent of boiled eggs gone rogue, but floating languidly in this natural hot tub amid dramatic volcanic rocks is honestly as close as you'll get to feeling like Poseidon on holiday. Plus, bathing in volcanic waters beneath Europe's most notorious caldera makes for a story just pretentious enough-and peculiar enough-to impress even your most cynical friends back home.

There's little doubt the rusting hulk of a smuggler's freighter stranded dramatically on Navagio Beach is the most tantalizingly Instagrammed piece of maritime misfortune in existence-one wonders if the captain ever imagined his catastrophic navigation skills would someday be immortalized by suntanned tourists in bikinis and board shorts sipping sugary cocktails. Located on Zakynthos, Navagio-known as Shipwreck Beach-combines postcard-perfect turquoise waters, bone-white cliffs, and a pinch of absurdist adventure, accessible only by boat, adding that exclusive dash of seafaring romance worthy of an old-school Bond villain hideout. To beat the selfie-stick-wielding hordes, make your maritime pilgrimage early morning, ideally aboard a local fisherman's vessel rather than the crowded tour boats full of summer influencers-booking a day or two in advance should suffice. Bring sturdy sandals (the wreck is fascinating but hazardous, littered with rust and jagged edges), sunscreen and bottled water, because shade here is but a hopeful myth. Budget around €30-€40 per person for one of the standard boat rides out of Porto Vromi or Agios Nikolaos harbor-more if you crave bespoke convenience or less if haggling is your Olympic sport. Yes, Navagio can feel a bit cliche, a dramatic Disneyland of nautical disasters-but standing barefoot on a pristine cove facing that improbable rust bucket, you'll discover cliches exist for good reason: It's worth coming just to say you did, to boast shamelessly at dinner parties, or at the very least, to secretly envy the tragic captain whose catastrophic lapse in judgment became his immortality.