Ten Biggest Cities in Greece

The ten biggest cities in Greece start with Athens and Thessaloniki, followed by Patras and several suburbs of Athens which are Greek cities in their own right.

Athens, the biggest city in GreeceAthens

The Ten Biggest Cities in Greece

Athens

Athens is the biggest city in Greece and also the country's capital city. Athens is in the Greek region of Attica. At the last census in 2011 it had a population of just over 660,000, although if you include the Greater Metropolitan Area then the population of Athens is closer to 3.8 million people. See our main Athens page, which has links to our many pages about Athens.

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second biggest city in GreeceThessaloniki

Thessaloniki is the second biggest city in Greece and capital of the Macedonia region. At the 2011 census the city had a population of 325,000 although the Greater Metropolitan Area has a population of just over 1 million people. See our main Thessaloniki page for more information about the city.

Patras

Patras is the third largest city in GreecePatras

Patras is Greece's third biggest city, and is the capital of the administrative region of Western Greece which extends into the northern Peloponnese where Patras is located. In 2011 Patras had a population of almost 680,000. See our main Patras page. 

Piraeus

Piraeus is the fourth largest city in GreecePiraeus

Piraeus is the port of Athens in the Attica region, but is a separate city even though the two run into each other. The city itself has a population of almost 165,000, though there are almost 450,000 in the greater urban area. See our Piraeus page for more information.

Larissa

Larissa is the fifth biggest city in GreeceLarissa

The fifth largest city in Greece is Larissa, which is also the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region. The population in 2011 was around 145,000. It's not a city which attracts too many overseas tourists, though it has several museums, archaeological sites, and other attractions.

Heraklion

Heraklion is the sixth biggest city in GreeceHeraklion

The capital of Crete is also the sixth largest city in Greece with a 2011 population of about 140,000. There's plenty to see and do here, including Crete's main Archaeological Museum. See our page on Heraklion for more information, although we've used the alternate Greek spelling of Irakleio.

Peristeri

Peristeri is the seventh biggest city in GreecePeristeri Cathedral

Peristeri is a city in the northwest of the greater Athens urban area in Attica. Its 2011 population was about 140,000, but it has few attractions which would persuade visitors to leave the centre of Athens and go there, although it has an impressive cathedral.

Our Pick of the Guides to Greece

Rough-Guide-Greece-2022.png

Kallithea

Kallithea is also part of the Athens urban area and at the 2011 census it had a population of just over 100,000, making it the eighth largest city in the country.

Acharnes

Acharnes is the ninth largest city in Greece with a population of just under 100,000 at the last census in 2011. It is also part of the Athens metropolitan area, to the north of the city centre.

Kalamaria

The tenth biggest city in Greece is Kalamaria, which is a suburb of Thessaloniki in Central Macedonia. Its population in 2011 was about 91,000.

Other general Greece pages

  • Weddings in Greece and the Greek islands can be luxury or cheap, are easy to arrange from the UK or USA in Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

    Weddings in Greece

    Weddings in Greece and the Greek islands can be luxury or cheap, are easy to arrange from the UK or USA in Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

  • Top Ten Things to Do in Greece include seeing the Acropolis and Parthenon, visiting the National Archaeological Museum and ancient sites like Knossos on Crete.

    Top Ten Things to Do in Greece

    Top Ten Things to Do in Greece include seeing the Acropolis and Parthenon, visiting the National Archaeological Museum and ancient sites like Knossos on Crete.

  • Greece Travel Secrets Greek Ferry Guide page uses an extract from the Aferry Greece website with advice on island-hopping, buying tickets online and timetables.

    Greek Ferry Guide

    Greece Travel Secrets Greek Ferry Guide page uses an extract from the Aferry Greece website with advice on island-hopping, buying tickets online and timetables.

  • How to choose which Greek island from six of the most popular, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

    Which Greek Island?

    How to choose which Greek island from six of the most popular, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

  • Greece at a glance is a potted guide to the Greek currency, language, weather, health requirements and other information to help you plan a trip to Greece.

    Greece At A Glance: Currency, Weather and Other Useful Information

    Greece at a glance is a potted guide to the Greek currency, language, weather, health requirements and other information to help you plan a trip to Greece.

  • Greece may be better known for its beautiful islands but it is also a country of dramatic mountain landscapes, and here are the ten highest mountains in Greece.

    Ten Highest Mountains in Greece

    Greece may be better known for its beautiful islands but it is also a country of dramatic mountain landscapes, and here are the ten highest mountains in Greece.

  • Greek music is the sound of the bouzouki and tunes like Zorba the Greek and Never on Sunday are heard everywhere, while rembetika is called the blues of Greece.

    Greek Music

    Greek music is the sound of the bouzouki and tunes like Zorba the Greek and Never on Sunday are heard everywhere, while rembetika is called the blues of Greece.

  • Practical information on travelling around Greece by plane, by ferry, by bus, by train and by driving, including car rental, parking and other driving advice.

    Travelling Around Greece

    Practical information on travelling around Greece by plane, by ferry, by bus, by train and by driving, including car rental, parking and other driving advice.

  • Greece for beginners is an introduction to Greece and the Greek islands by way of a memoir by travel writer Mike Gerrard about discovering Greek kindness.

    Greece for Beginners

    Greece for beginners is an introduction to Greece and the Greek islands by way of a memoir by travel writer Mike Gerrard about discovering Greek kindness.

  • The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

    The Greek Gods

    The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to tipping in Greece from two Greece travel experts, including when to tip, what to tip and when not to tip.

    Tipping in Greece

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to tipping in Greece from two Greece travel experts, including when to tip, what to tip and when not to tip.

  • Greece Travel Secrets chooses six of the best beaches in Greece including beaches on Corfu, Santorini, Crete, Lefkas, Kefalonia and on the Peloponnese.

    Six of the Best Beaches in Greece

    Greece Travel Secrets chooses six of the best beaches in Greece including beaches on Corfu, Santorini, Crete, Lefkas, Kefalonia and on the Peloponnese.

  • This quick guide to Greece gives advice on choosing the best Greek destination for your holiday, whether in the Greek islands or the mainland.

    Quick Guide to Greece: How to Choose the Best Destination for You

    This quick guide to Greece gives advice on choosing the best Greek destination for your holiday, whether in the Greek islands or the mainland.

  • Luxury Weddings in Greece, including venues such as a boutique hotel with deluxe spa on Santorini, can be booked through Ionian Weddings.

    Luxury Weddings in Greece

    Luxury Weddings in Greece, including venues such as a boutique hotel with deluxe spa on Santorini, can be booked through Ionian Weddings.

  • This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

    Greek Architecture

    This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

  • The Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands, the largest in size, are listed by Greece Travel Secrets and include Crete, Evia, Lesbos and Rhodes.

    Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands

    The Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands, the largest in size, are listed by Greece Travel Secrets and include Crete, Evia, Lesbos and Rhodes.

  • Greece Travel Secrets lists four of the best destinations if you want to go sailing in the Greek islands.

    Sailing in the Greek Islands

    Greece Travel Secrets lists four of the best destinations if you want to go sailing in the Greek islands.

  • The nomads of Greece are the Vlachs, nomadic shepherds whose capital is Metsovo in the Pindus Mountains, and the Sarakatsani, shepherds in Macedonia and Thrace.

    The Nomads of Greece

    The nomads of Greece are the Vlachs, nomadic shepherds whose capital is Metsovo in the Pindus Mountains, and the Sarakatsani, shepherds in Macedonia and Thrace.

  • The ten best places to visit in Greece include Athens, Thessaloniki, the Greek islands of Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, and sites like Epidavros and Delphi.

    Ten Best Places to Visit in Greece

    The ten best places to visit in Greece include Athens, Thessaloniki, the Greek islands of Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, and sites like Epidavros and Delphi.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

  1. Kerameikos Ancient Site in Athens Getting New Visitor Facilities

    Visitors to the Kerameikos archaeological site in central Athens will soon have new access through an entrance-exit point being developed on Agion Asomaton Street, directly across from Dipylou Street.

    Read More

  2. Central Greece Motorway E65 Adding More Kilometers

    A new section of the E65 motorway, often referred to as the “backbone road” of Central Greece, was opened to traffic in the second week of July, with 136 kilometers now operational. This road provides…

    Read More

  3. AirDNA: Greece’s 3 Cities with Affordable Airbnb Rates

    Iceland, Monaco, the UK, Greece, and Spain are Europe’s most expensive countries for short-term rentals, according to analytics experts AirDNA.

    Read More

  4. Seaplane Test Flights Connect Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros

    Greek seaplane company Hellenic Seaplanes on Friday laid the groundwork for some of the Greek islands that will welcome seaplanes and carried out its first flights between three islands of the Sporade…

    Read More

  5. Travel + Leisure: Four Greek Hotels Among Best in the World and Europe

    The World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure recently ranked four Greek hotels among the best in the world and Europe, honoring them for their luxurious atmosphere and top-notch hospitality.

    Read More

  6. Santorini Cannot Support Even One More Hotel or Airbnb Bed

    Santorini is now coping with the repercussions of overtourism generated by cruise ships and day-trippers from Crete and other adjacent islands.

    Read More

  7. 9 Tasty Stops in the Cyclades for Authentic Flavors

    Restaurants, tavernas, and grocery stores that highlight the local flavors of the Cyclades.

    Read More

  8. Where to Eat on Symi

    taverna-o-meraklis-symi-2.webp
    Greece Travel Secrets picks where to eat on Symi, down by the harbour or in the upper town, and whether you like fish, meat, vegetarian, traditional or modern.

    Read More

  9. Restaurants with Acropolis Views

    gb-roof-garden-restaurant-dusk.webp
    Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.

    Read More

  10. The Ilisian: Reimagining an Icon of Modern Athens

    The former Hilton Athens is being transformed into a multi-faceted destination that aspires to forge exciting new connections between the Greek capital and the rest of the world.

    Read More