One of my favorite summer one-day excursions in Athens is a visit to Cape Sounio. Whenever I want to escape from city life, feel the energy of the earth and calm down, Sounio and the temple of Poseidon is the place to go. It is also the place for the best sunsets in Greece. Cape Sounio is a must see for everyone visiting Athens.
How to get there?
Cape Sounio is located at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula overlooking the Aegean Sea. There are several routes to reach Cape Sounio from Athens center (69 km from Athens) but the best way is to drive along the beautiful coastal road on the west side (from Glyfada to Cape Sounio is about one hour). There is also a public bus from XTEL leaving Athens center going to Sounio in case you do not have a (rental) car. And there are several taxi- and tour companies offering day excursions. If you are interested in such tour for your family, I would recommend the Guided Tour in the Temple of Poseidon. The tour picks you up from the center of Athens and drives your family by luxury bus to the ancient site. Here you will have a guided tour and time to explore the Temple of Poseidon. Click here for more information and booking.
Cape Sounio with kids
Capes Sounio hosts the world renowned archeological site of the ancient temple of Poseidon, the God of the sea. The temple is surrounded on three sides by the sea. History and Mythology are deeply connected at this site and the finds here date from as early as 700 BC. The Temple of Poseidon is also part of the so called ‘Sacred Triangle’ together with the Parthenon and the Temple of Aphaia in Aegina. If you decide to visit the archeological site in the middle of the summer, the best time would be the morning or the afternoon. Bring water, a sunhat and steady walking shoes.
Our Family Experience
Our excursion started on a May Sunday afternoon. After a sea side lunch in the Athens suburb Glyfada, we drove along the coast up to Sounio. We drove our car right outside of the archeological site and parked there. My little one had fallen asleep during our blissful ride overlooking the big blue so she stayed in the car with her dad. I took my 6 year old up to the entrance of the site. The walk was steep but exciting.
We first visited the bathrooms at the café/ restaurant right next to the entrance of the site. From this restaurant you have a beautiful view over the sea and the temple. We bought some water from the kiosk too.
The temple is stroller and wheelchair accessible via a ramp but the walk around the archaeological finds is unpaved so be careful where you walk. Cape Sounio with kids is nevertheless possible. The site is interesting for young children. The excavations are very close making you step right back into the history.
As it was too early to have dinner and watch the sunset, we decided to play at the beach. There are two family-friendly hotels with excellent beaches at Cape Sounion. One is Aegeon Beach Hotel, right underneath the temple and you can also visit the hotel for just the day. The beach is clean and the waters are shallow and calm. The hotel beach is well organized and there is private parking at the hotel. The other one is the five-star beach resort and luxury hotel Grecotel Cape Sounio. This hotel offers the best view over the bay and the Temple of Poseidon.
Click here for more information and to book your stay at Grecotel Cape Sounio.
After play we sat down at one of the two taverns in the bay. It was called Akrogiali, right on the beach. We choose this one because it was the safest for the children. From this very traditional blue painted tavern we were able to see the sun setting whilst our children were playing on the beach right in front of us. They much enjoyed feeding the fish and throwing bread to the birds. The food was of average quality but expensive, however the location and view made up for it.
When it was time to go home, the moon was out. We had such a relaxing and interesting day. We combined history and mythology with playtime at the beach and great food. Do you spot the moon?
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