If you ever try to think of locations around the world that begin with the letter X, you will be hard pressed to think of many unless you are a real geography whiz or full-time seasoned traveler. Aside from several Chinese locations that I personally don’t classify as a Dream Destination, I recalled hearing about Xanthi, Greece which is located in the northeast region of the country.
Ok, so a little research on this place does not necessarily lead us to believe that Xanthi could be classified as a Dream Destination either but what it can do is open our opportunities to explore Greece in more detail which is of course falls into the category we are identifying here.
Here are a few reasons why Xanthi and Greece in general are such an attractive Dream Destination for travelers around the world.
Explore Xanthi
Ok so you decide that you want to at least check out the town of Xanthi before heading elsewhere. So what is there to see? Well, a few things that may spark your interest.Whether you are interested in exploring old Greek style architecture or one of the various museums that are available, Xanthi certainly offers visitors enough to keep them occupied for a while.
Xanthi Natural Beauty
![Image courtesy of Adamantios (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/xanthi-landscapes.jpg)
Image courtesy of Adamantios (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
One point worth noting is that even though you can drive from Xanthi to relative close proximity to the waterfall, you better be prepared to put on your hiking boots and walk almost a hour deep into the forest. But of course this is all part of the exploration and just adds to the beauty as you wander through the unknown until you reach the magnificent sight!
Thessaloniki
If you are willing to head further afield, located just around the Greek coast is the second largest city in Greece – Thessaloniki. There are plenty of historic landmarks here to keep you busy for a few days though the most famous is probably the White Tower of Thessaloniki.The Thessaloniki seaside walk is a definite must-do for visitors especially if you are visiting in summer when you can grab an ice-cream from a local cafe and wander along taking in the beautiful seaside views.
Exploring the Greek Islands
![Image courtesy of Takeaway at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Greek-Island.jpg)
Image courtesy of Takeaway at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons
If you plan on staying in the vicinity of Xanthi, your best island would be a beautiful gem called Thasos which is the northernmost of all the Greek islands and rarely covered by tourist guides. There are beautiful beaches all around Thasos which is one of the primary reasons for tourists to visit here but there are also many monasteries throughout the hills that are worth exploring.
Athens
![Image courtesy of Francisco Anzola (Parthenon) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Parthenon.jpg)
Image courtesy of Francisco Anzola (Parthenon) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Athens also gives a good point of entry to many of the Greek islands, unlike Thessaloniki which is a little too far north to capture the majority of the islands.
***This post is part of the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge (#DreamDestinations #AtoZChallenge)***
Michele
Sunday 18th of May 2014
Well done on getting an interesting place starting with X, it looks like a nice place and close enough to many of the other places you mention for a day trip
Chris
Monday 19th of May 2014
It was a tough one Michele for sure! I had to really delve into my geography to find this one but at least was able to expand beyond that particular town into other, more interesting parts of Greece!
Elena
Sunday 4th of May 2014
This reminded me of how much I want to go back to Greece to explore more of the islands. Beautiful photos!
Rachel
Friday 2nd of May 2014
I'd love to go to Greece. Of course, I'd love to go to a lot of places ;)
Chris
Wednesday 7th of May 2014
We are definitely in the same mind frame! All these dream destinations that we wrote about just adds to our desire to visit all of them along with many more. Our list is rapidly increasing by the second, way quicker than we can even dream of keeping up with. That's the beauty of travel though!!
Paul (@luxury__travel)
Wednesday 30th of April 2014
I don't know Xanthi but anywhere in Greece gets my vote... lovely people, wonderful climate and great food. What more could you want? :)
Hannah
Wednesday 30th of April 2014
Oh wow take me there now? Greece just gets higher and higher on the list thanks to posts like these. Thanks for making me drool? haha. Never heard of Xanthi before though but it looks beautiful!