Mainland · Αθήνα
Most people treat it as a stopover. Give it two nights and it becomes the best city break in the Mediterranean.
Acropolis, Athens Photo: Constantinos Kollias on Unsplash
01IntroductionΑθήνα
Athens is where most Greek honeymoons start and end, and too many spend only one jet-lagged night there. Give it two or three and you can see the Acropolis early, before the heat and the groups. Spend a slow afternoon in the Acropolis Museum, eat late in Koukaki or Pangrati, and finish with the sunset at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.
- How long
- 2–3 nights
- When to go
- March to June
- Ancient sites nearby
- 5
02Highlights
- 01 The Acropolis at opening time, then the Acropolis Museum
- 02 Walking the Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora
- 03 Neighbourhood dinners in Koukaki, Pangrati or Kypseli
- 04 Sunset at Sounion, about 70 km down the coast
- 05 A swim on the Athens Riviera on your last afternoon
03Practical
- When to go
- March to June, and September to November. Midsummer can be very hot.
- Getting there
- Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) is linked to the centre by metro, suburban rail and bus. Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio are the ferry ports.
- For couples
- On a hot day, book the earliest Acropolis entry slot. If you are taking an evening flight, a day room on the Riviera beats a café at the airport.
04Sites, food and stays
Ancient sites nearby
- Acropolis of AthensThe Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Propylaia. Book a timed entry slot, and go first thing in summer.
- Ancient Agora of AthensThe civic heart of ancient Athens, with the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos.
- Temple of Poseidon, SounionMarble columns on a headland above the Aegean. Come for the sunset, and look for Byron’s name carved in a column.
- Roman AthensHadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora with its Tower of the Winds, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which still hosts summer performances.
- Daphni MonasteryKnown for its gold mosaics, including a stern Christ Pantokrator in the dome. Check opening days before you go.
What to eat
- Souvlaki and gyrosThe Athenian late-night meal. Ask locals where their neighbourhood’s best is; everyone has an opinion.
- KoulouriA sesame bread ring sold from street carts in the morning. It is breakfast on the walk up to the Acropolis.
Mainland stays
- Petrino ZagoriPlaceholderMountain guesthouse · Papingo, Zagori
- Kastro RoomsPlaceholderRooms inside the walls · Monemvasia lower town
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