Things to do in Athens city (summer edition)
Planning on spending a few days in the city this summer before making your way to a gorgeous Greek island and looking for things to do in Athens? You have definitely made the right choice in devoting some time to the Greek capital. Athens is a wondrous place indeed, fully capable of offering a wide range of stimuli and experiences, depending on individual preferences. What makes Athens so special? Well, it combines three highly appealing attributes, among many others: a long coast, immense historical value and the potential to unleash its more adventurous side. Read on to discover how to make best use of these features, as part of the things to do in Athens city during the summer.
Athens by the sea: Not many capital cities can boast having such a phenomenally long coast. The Athenian shoreline, also known as the Athenian Riviera, spans a total of over 60 km, with the closest beach from the center being at a distance of just 7km. The coast of Athens offers both visitors and locals plenty of opportunities to seagaze as far as the eye can see; to saunter up and down the beach or its sidewalk; take some leisurely beach time to soak up the sun rays and work on your tan as you take refreshing dips in the sea; enjoy enchanting dinners and drinks at fancy, fine dining or more simplistic traditional restaurants, yet all the while being accompanied by striking sea and sunsets visuals, even be able to visit an ancient temple on the top of a cliff in the Athenian suburbs. Take an enchanting sunset tour of Cape Sounion to reach the Temple of Poseidon by way of a scenic, seaside drive along the coast.
Athens through the lens of history:
Few capital cities can carry the weight of such ancient history on their shoulders. Athens does so effortlessly. The center of Athens is built around the emblematic Acropolis rock, the city’s most imposing summit upon which the Parthenon and various other ancient temples were built, around 2500 years ago. No visit to Athens is complete without witnessing the Acropolis up close and personal, however, if you are planning to visit it during summer, then an afternoon walking tour of Acropolis is just the thing, in order to avoid the intense heat and most crowds. After that, you can choose to visit any other of the iconic ancient landmarks that lie in plain sight all around the city. Need some guidance? Check out all our Athens tours and find the ones that interests you the most.
Athens thrills & adventures:
How many cities can claim to have both beaches and mountains? Athens can! Athens has in fact 7 hills within the city center while the greater region is literally engulfed by four mountains: Mount Hymettus, Mount Parnitha, Mount Egaleo and Mount Pentelikon. The plateau they form in the middle is known as the Attica plateau (Attica being the prefecture to which Athens city belongs). The mountains of Attica are a playground for those who have a knack for a bit of adventure. Apart from walks around the woodland that have specific trails which you can follow, you can also discover these mountains with much less effort, especially during the summer when Athens experiences its highest temperatures. A jeep safari tour to Parnitha Mountain & National Park may be just the thing you’ve been looking for, as is a jeep safari tour of Marathon Lake & Lazaridis winery. So it would seem that you have plenty of things to do in Athens city during summer. Perhaps you will reconsider a longer stay to Athens on your next trip so that you have even more time to discover the vast and beauty of the Greek capital.