Having exported chaos, drama, tragedy and democracy before most nations could even tie their shoelaces - Greece boasts an unrivalled legacy to the world in which we live today.

From smoggy Athens to the bright islands that dot the sea around its coastline with ancient fragments abound - the belly button of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns on sacred Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and quite possibly, the remnants of the lost continent of Atlantis at Santorini - Art, culture, democracy, language and modern life as we know it all stems from one distant civilisation - the legend that is Greece.

Best time to visit

Easter to mid June for the weather and fewer crowds - or around 600BC to witness the birth of democracy.

Essential experiences

Dining out beneath the floodlit Acropolis in Athens; taking a walk in spring through the Mani or Arcadia mountains in the Peloponnese; island hopping between Mykonos, Ios, Santorini, Delos and Naxos; hiking through Crete's Samaria Gorge; finding enlightenment at the monasteries of Meteora, perched high on their rocky pinnacles; catching that first breathtaking glimpse of Santorini's cliffs and whitewashed buildings; living it up in the lively resort of Faliraki on the island of Rhodes.

In a few words

Greece is - Lots of Islands with sun-soaked beaches; the Parthenon; Olympic Games; Ouzo; plate smashing in restaurants; the birthplace of philosophy; Greek Gods; island hopping; boozy Brits with lobster pink skin; kebabs; boat trips; Zorba the Greek; Demis Roussos; Shirley Valentine and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

Fascinating facts

Greeks wear blue trinkets to ward off the evil eye and gum mastic from the local lentisk bush has been used since ancient times to cure ailments from stomach aches to snake bites.