Greece A–Z Travel Dictionary
A plain-English dictionary of the regions, islands, sights, dishes, drinks and travel words you will meet across Greece. Tap a letter to jump:
A
Acropolis
SightThe ancient citadel of Athens crowned by the Parthenon — Greece's most famous monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Apokries
FestivalThe pre-Lenten carnival across Greece (Patra hosts the biggest parade), ending on Clean Monday. Dates move with Orthodox Easter — check local listings.
Avgolemono
FoodThe egg-and-lemon sauce or soup found on tables all over Greece, silky and tangy.
B
Baklava
FoodLayers of filo, chopped nuts and syrup or honey — a sweet shared across the eastern Mediterranean.
Bougatsa
FoodA Thessaloniki breakfast pastry of filo filled with semolina custard or cheese, cut and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
C
Caldera
NatureThe flooded volcanic crater that gives Santorini its dramatic cliffs and sunset views.
Corfu
RegionThe green, Venetian-flavoured jewel of the Ionian islands, off the northwest coast.
Crete
RegionGreece's largest island, with its own dialect, cuisine and landscapes from the Samaria Gorge to Elafonissi's pink sand.
Cyclades
RegionThe whitewashed Aegean island group — Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos and more — the postcard image of Greece.
D
Delphi
SightThe ancient sanctuary of Apollo on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, once revered as the centre ('navel') of the world.
Dodecanese
RegionThe southeastern island group including Rhodes and Kos, closest to the Turkish coast.
Dolmades
FoodVine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, served warm or cold with lemon.
E
Elafonissi
BeachA pink-tinged sandy lagoon on Crete's southwest tip, one of Greece's most striking beaches.
Epidaurus
SightThe 4th-century-BC theatre in the Peloponnese, famous for near-perfect acoustics and summer festival performances.
F
Feta
FoodGreece's protected brined sheep's-and-goat's-milk cheese, crumbled over salads and baked in filo.
Filoxenia
PracticalThe deep-rooted Greek ideal of hospitality to strangers — literally 'friend to the foreigner'.
Frappe
DrinkThe frothy iced instant coffee invented in Thessaloniki in 1957, a Greek summer institution.
G
Galaktoboureko
FoodA syrup-soaked semolina custard pie baked in filo, a favourite Greek dessert.
Gemista
FoodTomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice and herbs and baked in olive oil, a summer classic.
Gyros
FoodSpit-roasted meat shaved into pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips — Greece's everyday street food.
H
Horiatiki
FoodThe 'village salad' of tomato, cucumber, onion, peppers, olives and feta with oregano and olive oil.
Horta
FoodBoiled wild greens dressed with olive oil and lemon, a staple side across the country.
I
Ionian Islands
RegionThe greener, wetter western island group — Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos — with a strong Venetian legacy.
K
Kafeneio
PracticalThe traditional coffee house at the heart of every Greek village, for coffee, backgammon and conversation.
Kalimera
Practical'Good morning' or 'good day' — the everyday Greek greeting; 'kalispera' is 'good evening'.
KTEL
PracticalThe intercity coach network that links towns across the mainland affordably.
L
Loukoumades
FoodHoney-drenched fried dough puffs dusted with cinnamon, one of the oldest Greek sweets.
Loukoumi
Food'Greek delight' — soft, fragrant jellied squares dusted with sugar, a speciality of the island of Syros.
M
Mastiha
DrinkThe sweet liqueur (and resin) from the mastic trees of Chios, used in drinks and desserts.
Meltemi
PracticalThe strong dry north wind of the Aegean summer that cools the islands but can cancel ferries.
Meteora
SightMonasteries perched on towering rock pillars in central Greece — six of an original twenty-four remain active. A UNESCO site.
Meze (mezedes)
FoodSmall sharing plates eaten slowly with ouzo, tsipouro or wine — the social heart of a Greek meal.
Moussaka
FoodThe layered bake of aubergine, spiced mince and béchamel, a lunchtime classic.
Mykonos
RegionThe cosmopolitan Cycladic island of beaches, nightlife, Little Venice and hilltop windmills.
N
Nafplio
SightAn elegant Peloponnesian port town, Greece's first modern capital, watched over by the Palamidi fortress.
O
Olympia
SightThe sanctuary in the western Peloponnese where the ancient Olympic Games were held from 776 BC.
Ouzo
DrinkThe anise spirit that clouds with water, sipped slowly with meze, especially on the island of Lesvos.
P
Parthenon
SightThe 5th-century-BC temple to Athena atop the Acropolis, the defining monument of classical Greece.
Pastitsio
FoodBaked pasta tubes layered with spiced meat and béchamel, a cousin of moussaka.
Peloponnese
RegionThe southern mainland peninsula rich in ancient sites — Mycenae, Olympia, Epidaurus — with mountain and coastal scenery.
Philotimo
PracticalAn almost untranslatable Greek value — roughly honour, dignity and doing right by others.
Plateia
PracticalThe village or town square, the social hub where cafes gather and the evening volta unfolds.
R
Retsina
DrinkThe resin-flavoured white wine of central Greece, characterful alongside meze.
Rhodes
RegionThe largest Dodecanese island, with a walled medieval Old Town and long beaches.
S
Santorini
RegionThe crescent-shaped volcanic island of caldera cliffs, blue domes and world-famous sunsets at Oia.
Souvlaki
FoodSkewered grilled meat with pita and trimmings, Greece's beloved fast food (a bare skewer is a 'kalamaki').
Spanakopita
FoodSpinach-and-feta pie in crisp filo; the cheese-only version is tiropita.
T
Taverna
PracticalThe classic family-run Greek eatery of grilled meats, meze and house wine — the backbone of eating out.
Thessaloniki
RegionGreece's food-obsessed second city, with Byzantine churches, a curving waterfront and lively nightlife.
Tsipouro
DrinkA strong pomace spirit from the mainland (raki on Crete), drunk with meze at a tsipouradiko.
Tzatziki
FoodThe yoghurt, cucumber and garlic dip that partners grilled meats.
V
Volta
PracticalThe evening stroll along the seafront or square — an unhurried Greek social ritual.
Y
Yamas
Practical'Cheers!' — the toast raised over ouzo or wine, literally 'to our health'.
Z
Zagori (Zagorochoria)
RegionA cluster of stone mountain villages in Epirus above the dramatic Vikos Gorge, linked by old arched bridges.
Zakynthos
RegionAn Ionian island known for Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach and its loggerhead turtle nesting bays.
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Sources and notes: Compiled from the official Discover Greece platform, Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guides, Greeka, Rick Steves, JayWay Travel and Kathimerini / Gastronomos, with regional food detail cross-checked against local guides. Festival dates move with the Greek Orthodox calendar, so entries marked “check local listings” are approximate — confirm before you travel. Nothing here is invented; where a detail could not be fully verified it is described in general terms.