Athens Holidays

Athens Holidays - Destination Profile

Athens is situated in the province of Attica and is bordered by the mountains Hymettos, Pendeli and Parnitha. This vibrant European and cosmopolitan capital is home to everything could want from a city break including great restaurants, charming hotels, wonderful boutiques and exciting nightlife.

As a result of the preparation of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Athens has inherited an extensive and modern infrastructure. Examples are a new airport, ring roads, underground & overground tram/train networks and generally the city had an extensive clean up and face lift. The Acropolis (with Parthenon as its main attraction) situated in the centre of Athens, is one of the many historical sites that brings visitors to the city. However, Athens is also a modern and vibrant city, and it offers a variety of night life entertainment to its visitors.

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Athens Holidays - Things to see

During your visit to the magical city of Athens you'll have no shortage of things to see. For those interested in history, a holiday to Athens is a must where you'll be inundated with historic sites to visit.

The Acropolis of Athens: A flat topped rock measuring 490ft above sea level with a surface area of 3 hectares. The Acropolis is a place surrounded by Myths and known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent man - the first Athenian king.

New Acropolis Museum: Opened on 21st June 2009 after 30 years of planning, construction and controversy. This ultra modern gallery sits in the shadow shadow of the Parthenon, for a small fee you can marvel at the unique treasures of ancient Greece. The state of the art museum building is itself a sight worth seeing, it was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Bernard Tschumi.

The Parthenon: This unique temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena, built of white marble, is one of the most magnificent masterpieces of the ancient world. It will leave a lasting impression on any of its visitors.

National Archaeological Museum: Renowned as being one of the world's best museums with a wonderful collection of sculptures, jewellery, pottery and the 2000 year old computer found in the shipwreck off the island of Antikythera.

Temple Of Poseidon at Sounion: The site was once used to worship the God of Sea, Poseidon. The idyllic spot overlooks the sea at the tip of the Attiki Peninsula offering amazing sunset views of Santorini.

Athens Sightseeing Bus: The Athens sightseeing public bus line 400 is perfect to see some of the attractions in Athens. The bus stops at the cities top sightseeing spots and runs from 7.30am to 9pm every 30 minutes from June to September. The duration of the trip is 90 minutes and tickets cost 6 Euros and can be purchased on the bus. The ticket is valid for 24 hours and can be used unlimited om the sightseeing bus line.

Piraeus: Take a trip to Piraeus which has the feel of the Greek Islands. It can be reached by the Metro and you can take dinner at one the charming tavernas of Microlimano. Allow some extra time and take a trip to the Piraeus Archaeological Museum and the Nautical Museum.

Syntagma Square: Also referred to as Constitution Square, this is the heart of Athens. The large open square is a popular place for holiday events and is the location of some Athens most luxurious hotels.

Agora: An attraction overlooked by many, mainly because visitors get it confused with Italy's Roman Agora. The Agora has an almost perfect temple of Haphaestus, a colonnade housing the museum and other monuments. If you purchase a multi-site combo ticket you can also visit the Acropolis and other sites relatively cheaply.

Things to do on a Holiday in Athens

Athens is a large city with a multitude of things to see and do, the activities available are varied catering for both adults and children. Below are just a few activities that you may want to discover whilst on holiday on Athens:-

Attica Zoological Park: The park is situated in the suburb of Spata and is a modern Zoo and the only of its kind in Greece. The park is home to to a range of wonderful creatures including lions, tigers, black pumas, monkeys and reptiles. A visit to the zoo is a great day out for the entire family with daily show featuring birds of prey and sea lions.

The National Gardens: The gardens are absolutely beautiful and even has a small zoo. The gardens are very child friendly wit its own playground.

Mount Likavitos: Ride to the top of Mount Likavitos on a cable car, once you reach the top there is a cafe selling refreshments.

Sports: The Olympic city of Athens offers a huge range of sports to tempt the outdoor types. Many of the sports in Athens are very much water based and many beaches provide the opportunity to participate in a huge range of activities including water-skiing, windsurfing and jet-skiing. The Astir Beach Club us a lovely area of beach and has great facilities including showers, changing rooms with lockers, sun loungers and a volleyball court.

Hiking: Those who enjoy walking take advantage of the green paths and the scenic views of Lycabettus and Philoppapou Hills in the heart of the city. Pernitha mountain is located in the north of the city and Hymettos Mountain to east, both offer many enchanting trails and are popular destinations for hikers.

Eating/Drinking During Athens Holidays

Athens is a city that seems to never sleeps, giving a new meaning to the word nightlife. Start with a late dinner and hit the clubs, the city will undoubtedly keep you entertained. Live music is on offer at the clubs in Syngrou and Poseidonos Avenues and are a great place to let your hair down. The area of Gazi is known for its many art cafes and trendy bars, and in the southern suburbs you can find a little but of everything, including of course a drink by the sea.

The renowned Greek gastronomy is renowned a being one of the most popular in the world. Based on simple ingredients like olive oil and fresh fish the cuisine is flavourful and healthy. Eating out in Athens is a wonderful blend of traditional Greek cuisine in relaxing surroundings. If you fancy a change from Greek cuisine there are huge range of restaurants catering for every possible cuisine.

Athens Holiday Weather

Athens has a pleasant and sunny climate. Between March and May the weather is pleasant and mild, rising between June and August, and resulting in a very hot August. September can sometimes be as hot as the summer months but with occasional light rain. Most rain in the city falls between November and February, when Athens can be cold, windy and dull. The winter can offer sunny days though and any rain is often followed by sunshine.

Max Temp C	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
Greece	17	21	24	26	27	24	22
London	13	16	20	22	21	19	13
Sunshine Hours	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
Greece	8	10	12	12	11	9	7
London	5	6	7	6	6	5	3

Athens Holidays - View 5 Day Forecast

Getting Around on Athens Holidays

Taxi: Getting around Athens is faster if you take a taxi which can be flagged down on most street corners. Taxi fares in Athens are quite cheap so if you are travelling in a group this is a cost effective way of getting around.

Train: Information and tickets can be obtained from the main headquarters near Omonia. Fares are reduced for people under 26 and foreign students (ID Required). Athens has 2 main train stations, Larissis Stat for trains travelling north and Peloponnese Stat for trips to southern Greece.

Proastiakos (Suburbas Rail): This new high speed rail system provides access to Iraleio and Neratziotiss which is next to the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. The line from Neratziotissa station to the airport and back to Nertziotissa station run 24 hours a day every 30 minutes.

Athens Metro: This is not just a means of transport, it doubles up as an underground museum since many stations display archaeological finds at the exact spot where they discovered. Other stations are decorated with work from well know Greek artists. Athens has 27 metro stations with 2 lines operating weekend services until 2am.

Blue Buses OASA: The blue bus network consists of more than 320 lines connecting the city centre with all the Athens suburbs and Piraeus. The buses run daily from 5am to 12:15am.

Thermal Buses (ETHEL): The ETHEL buses are the core lines connecting Athens and Piraeus city centre with the surrounding areas. There are several express bus routes to and from Athens International Airport. Thermal buses run from 5am to 11pm.

Trolley Buses: The old yellow trolleys of Athens past have now been replaced with cutting edge purple and yellow trolley buses with digital displays. Trolley buses run daily from 5am to 12.30am.

Athens Holidays Shopping

Athens holidays are hard to beat for those who enjoy shopping, the areas of Plaka and Monastiraki are a popular jaunt for visitors on holidays in Athens with a huge choice of tourist shops. Athen's busiest shopping street is the pedestrianised Ermou off Syntagma Square, here you'll find souvenirs, clothing and accessories. The upmarket shopping area in Athens is Konlonaki where you'll be tempted by the designer boutiques selling Versace and other well known brands. Strolling around the shops during your Athens holidays is wonderfully atmospheric, Athens has not adopted the culture of large shopping centres so you can still see and feel some of traditional Greece.

Athens Holidays - Beaches

The city of Athens is known for being the Mediterranean capital for blue flag beaches, the waters are calm so very popular for swimming. The best beaches in Athens are situated on the south-east coast, in Glyfada. Many of the beaches are private so you would have to pay to swim there. However, there are secluded rocky creeks which are less crowded that the main beaches.

The sandy beach at Varkiza is the furthest away from the town centre, so is one of the least crowded of the south-east coast. The beach also offers many activities such as volleyball, tennis etc. Vouliagmeni Beach offers everything needed to enjoy a day out at the coast, with tennis and volleyball courts, water slide and children's play area.