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
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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Acropolis, Athens