Athens was literally never on my radar until I was researching how to do a bit of Greek island hopping and found it'd be easiest place to fly in and out of. But as soon as I started to do some reading up I became seriously excited about exploring this historic hotspot. And it did not disappoint. I fell in love with its history, crumbling architecture, city grit and atmosphere, so I thought I'd spread the love and give the low-down on what I got up to in 24 hours, in the hope that I can get more people to go check it out.
Accommodation
We used Booking.com for our whole trip - the ability to book without paying upfront hooks me in every time! We stayed in Athens twice - at the start of the trip then again right at the end, and stayed in two separate places (in the same neighbourhood - Koukaki). The first was Great Living Apartments and we loved it - they organised our airport transport, the lady who greeted us was lovely and helped us organise our transport down to the docks the next day, it was only a couple of minutes walk from the Athens Acropolis, and the apartment itself was modern and stylish. We paid £99 for one night, between us. Then we figured for our final couple of nights before flying back home we'd be ballers and splash out a bit for a stay in Coco-mat Athens BC - a super-stylish hotel which has a beaut rooftop pool with views of the Acropolis, and an indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room. I can't remember how much it cost us, but checking its September rates now it looks like it was around the £250 mark for 2 people over 2 nights (with free breakfast). The rooftop alone was worth it.
We could see the Acropolis basically as soon as we left our apartment on the first day, but we wanted to make sure we weren't hitting it at prime tourist time, so we headed out for a Gyros. We'd basically got to the apartment mid-afternoon, and I'd been dreaming about Greek food for about a week before we got there, so I was craving hard! For those that don't know what a Gyros is, it's basically meaty deliciousness in a pitta with yoghurt and salad - I actually didn't take note of where we ate our first Gyros (soz), but it was just around the corner from the apartment. I also think you'd be hard-pressed to find a terrible Gyros when you're in Greece... it's their thing!
It was about 4pm when we got to the Acropolis, and we were bang on the money... we didn't have to queue in the heat, and we got straight in (for about €20 each). It's worth noting the opening hours and last entry as it changes between the seasons - but I'd definitely recommend going outside the peak time. Plus, we were there for that gorgeous golden time before sunset, which was perfect for photos. The Acropolis is perched at the top of a rocky hill overlooking Athens, surrounded by other crumbling, historic remains - it's so well-preserved, and commands the most breathtaking views of the city below. There's something so poetic and alluring about all of the ancient ruins nestled among a vibrant, European city.
We watched the sunset for a bit from a huge set of rocks just outside of the main site before we started craving a rooftop view and a jug of Sangria (anyone else drink Sangria wherever you are in Europe, and not just Spain?). We'd heard Plaka - the oldest neighbourhood in the city - was one of the best places to spend the evening, so we headed there and that's when I really fell in love with the city.
This district is a labyrinth of charming side-streets, chic bars, family tavernas and live music - it's filled with so much life, soul and spirit that you can't help smiling as you wander the streets. We spent the evening drinking Sangria and beer on rooftops and down laneways, listening to the hubbub of chatter, music and the laughter of other people enjoying their evenings. If I could bottle up the feeling I felt that evening, I totally would.
On the way back to our apartment we stopped by this little wine bar called 'Wine o'clock', where we drank great wine, devoured a cheese board and people watched. If there's a better sounding evening, let me know! The guy who served us was so knowledgeable - we described what kind of wine we liked and he matched us with wines we'd never heard of before, plus, he gave us extra nibbles for free (and that always gets you a 5* rating in my books!).
So, that's my 24 hour itinerary of Athens. Obviously you could cram more into your time there - of which I'm known to do whenever I visit a place - but taking it slow is so enjoyable too. There's so much to do in Athens though, and I'm definitely going to go back and explore more - particularly more of the arts scene. This was the list of things of other things to do in Athens, that I created before I got out there:
Heading to Greece? Check out my Greece travel page, where I'll continue to add handy tips, blogs etc.
Comments