Most of today’s travelers don’t go there to study Homer or Plato, but to see the monuments to these deities and its glorious past which add to Greece’s strong appeal and popularity. Visitors also speak warmly of the weather, hot in the summer and mild in the winter, with lovely springs and autumns. Greece is also a favorite destination for those who like to explore the many beautiful islands that flank the mainland and who find cruising around the Aegean stimulating to the mind and relaxing to the body.

If you haven’t been to Greece, here are three images to pique your interest: 1) white-on-white buildings profiled against stark mountains and blue sky and water, 2) magnificent architecture and statues recalling Greece’s ancient glory days and 3) sitting in a cafe on Santorini sipping strong Greek coffee or a glass of retsina after a Mediterranean meal, this with a view overlooking the sea and ships. Sightseers find an overwhelming amount to see and do whether on the mainland or the islands, and if your interest lies in ancient history, you’re in heaven — or on Mount Olympus.

Centrics find Greek people warm and friendly, and the modern culture just exotic enough. In addition, centrics like the fact Greece can be inexpensive compared with other European destinations. Venturers are more likely to take a quick look at Athens, then head for the hills or the water. Where there are mountains and islands, there are, respectively, hiking and water sports so, naturally, venturers season their sightseeing with exploratory walks in the hills, scuba diving, fishing and the like.

The pace of modern life slows down outside Athens, and traveling through this beautiful land with its many reminders of ancient and mysterious civilizations transports life into another dimension, for a few sunny days, at least. The glory that was Greece is still there for you to discover, and today’s Greece clearly offers its own special attractions, as well.

Plan a hiking tour in the North Pindos mountain range where there are several trails to choose from, varying from day walks between a succession of villages to multiday routes that involve some real climbing. This is the part of Greece brought to our attention in the book and movie, “Eleni.”

Stay in a monastery or convent. Several provide lodging for travelers, but you will be expected to behave and dress so as not to offend. The holy Mount Athos accommodates only men, who must apply for a “visa” to overnight there.

Stretch your island hopping to include smaller places like Samos, for its temple ruins, and Chios, for its Byzantine mosaics — in addition, you’ll have the pleasure of traveling to Greece’s easternmost islands, in the Aegean near Turkey.

Here is an unusual idea for the intrepid. Get yourself to one of several villages (Ayia Eleni, Langada and others) that are the sites of something called the Anastenaria Fire-Walking Ritual. Adherents in a trance and carrying church icons walk on hot coals. Despite a Christian veneer, the ritual is considered a survival of practices of the Dionysian cult in ancient Greece. Events include animal sacrifices.

Epidaurus hosts a world-famous drama festival each summer. Join 50,000 other theater buffs or historians for Greek drama at its purest.

Get around on the islands by motorcycle and moped.

Travel among the islands aboard your chartered sailing boat or motor yacht, with or without a hired crew.

Do the sightseeing, then go sea kayaking off Crete.

The complex on the Acropolis — the Parthenon, the Theater of Dionysius and the Erechtheion Temple — is a must-see for every visitor. While there, try to see how your eyes have been tricked into thinking the Parthenon’s columns are straight or that the stair steps and roof line are really horizontal. In addition, the columns incline inward slightly.

Minoan civilization began in Crete, to which Athens paid tribute for many years. Legend has it that Theseus slew the Minotaur at the Palace of Knossos and so broke Crete’s control, but earthquakes and fires probably contributed also. Take the ferry for maximum pleasure, or fly to allow more time to see the ruins and the Archaeological Museum.

During the June-to-September Athens Festival, attend an open-air performance in the marble, horseshoe-shaped Herod Atticus Theatre that sits below the Acropolis.

Go to Delphi, where the oracle once offered up incomprehensible answers to the ancients’ questions. Today, it is a stunning collection of ruins in a dramatic mountainside setting that calls for some climbing to explore. If you can, overnight there so you can see Delphi at sunrise. Also, on the road between Livadia and Delphi, you can find the crossroads where, in fiction, Oedipus murdered his father.

Visit Kos in the Dodecanese islands for an extensive archaeological site at Mandraki. For sheer beauty, look for the town of Gia sitting high in the rocks and resembling nothing so much as the monasteries of Meteora. Of intellectual interest is the Asklepeion ruin, which is where Hippocrates, the father of medicine, conducted classes and tended the sick.

And for one of the world’s most visually striking sights, search out the Meteora, which is a cluster of rock formations that simply shoot skyward, and this is where the determined religious built and once supported 24 monastic communities. Today, most are closed and a handful are museums.

Visit Mykonos at Easter time, Greek Easter, that is, when the services and celebrations are spectacular performances, featuring processions, firecrackers and outdoor services at midnight. No matter when you visit, look for the section of the island’s capital that is called Little Venice.

Take a Greek island cruise for comfortable access to several islands.

Take a day trip from Athens by hydrofoil to Sounion for fabulous scenery and the Temple of Poseidon. Another choice is a shorter trip to Eleusis to tour a set of awesome ruins.

Traditional church music in Greece is chanting that sounds “eastern” to the western ear. For good examples, attend Greek Orthodox services in any city.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens covers the entire expanse of Greek civilization and offers special exhibits from time to time.

Attend a performance of traditional Greek folk dancing.

For more information, consult the Greek National Tourism Organization at www.greektourism.com

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