Day 01
Athens Riviera Drive to Cape Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon
Stop at: Lake Vouliagmeni, Vouliagmeni 166 71 Greece
- Vouliagmeni Lake, in the heart of the Athenian Riviera, is the hidden treasure of Attica's nature. Situated in an idyllic landscape, this rare geological phenomenon is waiting to be discovered.
- The lake's brackish waters, continuously replenished by the sea and underground thermal springs, offer a natural and unique thermal spa experience.
- Formed about 2,000 years ago, the lake is included in Greece's national NATURA 2000 network and is designated by the Ministry of Culture as a Site of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass by: Varkiza, Varkiza, East Attica Region, Attica
An Athenian beach town right on the water.
Pass by: Anavyssos, Anavyssos, East Attica Region, Attica
A constantly windy village right on the water, ideal for amateur windsurfing.
Stop at: Saronikos, Greece
- Visit Virgin Katafygiotissa at Ormos Katafigi for a different approach.
- Panagia Katafygiotissa is a modest chapel in Ormos Katafygi, in Palea Fokea, Attica, crafted on a non-profit basis by the late painter and Academician Dimitris Mytaras (1934-2017).
- Inside the white chapel by the sea, he painted the winds - the Maestro, Levante, and Garbis, among others. Flocks of birds, gulls, pigeons, flowers, the sea, trawls, and almost all of nature appear in this small chapel.
- Alternatively, you should know that this small village is considered one of the best scenic locations in the Attica region.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop at: Temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounio, Sounio 195 00 Greece
- Built between 444 and 440 BC, the temple was constructed of white marble quarried locally at Lavreotic Olympus mountain, about 20 km north of Cape Sounion.
- The architect is thought to be Iktinos, who also built the Temple of Hephaestus in the Ancient Agora in Athens. He designed the 38 columns - 16 still standing today - at the Temple of Poseidon in a way that ensured they would stand the test of time and resist the harsh environment, and he made the Doric columns extra slender at the top so they would look taller from a distance.
- In the Odyssey, Homer wrote that Sounion was the place where King Menelaus of Sparta buried his helmsman, who died at his post while rounding the cape.
- Alternatively, you should know that the sunset views from the temple are considered among the best sights in all of Greece.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass by: Palaia Fokaia, Palaia Fokaia, East Attica Region, Attica
A scenic village on the coast.
