Why Visit Athens?

My husband and I were lucky enough to spend a month in Athens last year.  We stayed in Kypseli, a neighbourhood in Central Athens that is one of the oldest in the city.  Although densely populated and not the most picturesque area of Athens, Kypesli has a multi-cultural vibe with a mixture of African & Middle Eastern communities.  

The multi-cultural influences are seen in cafes & restaurants dappled along the streets of Kypseli.  It is only 10 minutes by bus into the city centre where you can visit many of the historical sites & museums.  Everyday we were spoilt for choice - there is so much to see in the city.  As Athens is very accessible to the Saronic Islands from the port of Piraeus, we took the opportunity to visit two of the many islands while there, choosing Hydra and Spetses.  As you can imagine, they were both  stunning with white-washed stone buildings, clear blues seas and bright pink Bougainvillea flowers draping over the narrow cobble-stoned streets.  Cats seem to be around every corner in Greece as they sit on walls and doorsteps curiously watching as tourists walk by.

When we left Athens, we took the ferry from Piraeus to Paros and Naxos, two islands in the Cyclades.  Both were nice but very touristy, particularly Paros.  I can imagine the Summers are hectic on these islands with ferries depositing hundreds of tourists to the ports every few hours. If you get a chance to visit Naxos island, I would recommend spending time on Agios Prokopius beach.  Only 6km by bus from the town centre, this well equipped beach has golden thick sand and sparkling turquoise waters - it is simply breathtaking!  We flew back to Ireland from Santorini island.  Although it offers stunning views of the Caldera (vast volcanic crater stretching for miles along the island’s west coast), this island has become too commercialised which was disappointing.  But we did still manage to enjoy our last night in Greece.

Here are some other recommendations when visiting Athens:

Bars

The Clumsies - nice modern bar, more for the younger generation. Worth a visit & is frequently voted among the best bars in Europe.

Bless Me Father - nice bar with outdoor seating in a relaxed square.  Good wine selection.

It's a Village - perfect for a coffee / drink day or night.

Six d.o.g.s. - great outdoor area with a large cocktail menu.  Very busy spot!

Restaurants / Cafes

Kyveli - nice restaurant in Agiou Georgiou Square near Kypseli.  Great service and good traditional food. Mostly frequented by locals and people living in the neighbourhood.

The Drunky Goat - good tapas but limited outdoor seating

Daphnes - old style restaurant with old style service & decent Greek food.  With a distant view of the Acropolis, it is lovely at night.

Stone Restaurant - great views of the Acropolis, nice food & cocktails. Recommend booking in advance.

Vegan Beats - alternative vegan dishes with outdoor seating only. Perfect for lunch.

O Kostas - best traditional souvlaki in Athens. Very cheap but often has long queues outside (takeaway only).

Grecos Project - a restaurant chain around the city - nice lunch menu.

Museums (here are just a few that we visited)

ART

National Art Gallery

Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

HISTORY

National Archaeological museum

Plato's Academy Digital museum

National History museum

Benaki museum

Byzantine museum 

Acropolis Museum - (would recommend visiting here before visiting the Acropolis site as it gives you a good historical background about the evolution of the site. The balcony on the upper level has great views of the Acropolis)

Historical sites (visit here for more information)

The Ancient Site of the Acropolis 

Kerameikos 

Greek Ancient Agora 

Panathenian Way

Panathenaic Stadium 

Hadrians library 

 Aristotle School 

Mount Lycabettus - (this is a tough climb to the top. There is a cable car available, especially if it is a hot sunny day)

Tip:  Buy a combo ticket for €30 approx. that gives you admission to many of the historical sites - great value.  American travel writer Rick Steves has good audio tours available online that you can listen as you walk around each of the sites.

It's also worth walking around Syntagma Square, the parliament building . Here you can see the traditional soldiers 'Changing of the Guard' performance every hour.

Seaside Locations/Islands

Sounion -  two hours bus journey along the coast. This is the location of the Temple of Poseidon with beautiful views by the Aegean sea. 

Hydra - this beautiful small island was home to Leonard Cohen for seven years of his life - I can see why.  It is one of the most picturesque islands that we visited.  There is a tradition that if you throw a  penny into the ocean as you leave the island, you will definitely make it back there some day.  I hope so! 

Spetes - this island is slightly larger than Hydra but still has the same Greek charm. We visited the Agios Mamas & Agia Marina beaches but there are many other beautiful beaches on the island.

Athenian Riviera - the southeast coastline of Athens with many nice beaches. We only had a chance to visit one - Kalamaki beach - but there are many others.

City Outdoor Areas

Fokionos Negri  - long street with cafes & restaurants. Nice vibe with live music, events and performances.  Bustling with locals meeting up to chat on park benches under the sun.

Areos Park - The largest urban park in Athens. Very nice to walk around but avoid at nights. 

Athens National Gardens - beautiful to walk around with winding paths and foliage. A nice retreat from the busy streets of Athens.

Psirri - area in the city with streets lined with lively bars & restaurants. Very colourful & vibrant.

Plaka - old part of the city at the base of the Acropolis. Tourist area with plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Technopolis - old industrial site.  Look out for exhibitions, performances & free events here.

Open Air Cinemas

Cine Paris - watch a movie here under the night sky with a perfect view of the Acropolis.  It re-opened in 2024 after being renovated by a non-profit organisation that belongs to the founder of Easyjet Airways.

Others we didn't visit:

Cinema Stella (Open Air) 

Thision Open Air Cinema