Cape Sounion & Temple of Poseidon
Σούνιο
The 5th-century BC Temple of Poseidon on a 60 m sea cliff at the southern tip of Attica, where Byron carved his name. The Aegean sunset gilds the white marble columns, making it Athens' most classic half-day trip.
Cape Sounion lies at the tip of the Attica peninsula, about 70 km southeast of Athens. In ancient times it was the first or last landmark ships saw sailing to and from Athens. The Temple of Poseidon on the clifftop was built in 444–440 BC, contemporary with the Parthenon and likewise part of Pericles' building programme. It honours Poseidon, god of the sea. The temple is Doric in style and originally had 34 columns, of which 15 survive. It was built from local white marble, and its columns have only 16 flutes rather than the usual 20, to resist erosion by sea winds. It stands on a 60 m sea cliff, surrounded by the sea on three sides. Homer called it 'sacred Sounion'. Legend says King Aegeus of Athens watched from here for the ship of his son Theseus returning from Crete. Believing Theseus dead, he threw himself into the sea, and the Aegean is named after him. In 1810 the poet Lord Byron visited and carved his name on one of the columns. It is still legible, but please don't copy him. The sunset is the highlight. The sun sinking into the Aegean turns the marble columns gold, and in the distance the outlines of Kea and Kythnos can be seen, making it one of the most famous sunsets on mainland Greece. Admission is about €20 (€10 in winter), and tickets can be bought in advance at hhticket.gr. The site also has remains of an ancient fortress wall and a temple of Athena. Getting there: take the coastal bus from the KTEL bus station beside Pedion Areos Park in Athens. The journey takes about 1.5–2 hours and costs about €7; the last return bus is around 21:00, so confirm in advance. The route passes beaches along the 'Athens Riviera' such as Glyfada and Vouliagmeni. A half-day sunset tour (about €40–60) or driving the coastal road (about 1.5 hours) is most convenient. It is windy on the cliff, so bring a jacket. The bay below the temple has a beach and fish taverns, so you can swim in the afternoon before climbing up for the sunset.
Opening hours
09:30 until sunset (approx. 20:30 in summer, 17:30 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Lake Vouliagmeni
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Museum of Cycladic Art
- Benaki Museum
- Temple of Olympian Zeus & Hadrian's Arch
- National Garden & Zappeion
- Mount Lycabettus
- Acropolis Museum