What is Greece without her ruins? The majestic remnants of the architectural gems of Ancient Greece are iconic and fascinating and must-sees for anyone who has found a vacation rental in Greece. In particular, if you find yourself in the capital, you'll be within reach of some of the most characteristic and important ruins in the country. Among them, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion is especially famous and beloved and something that anyone who has found a vacation rental in Athens should set aside some time to go and visit.
Located a couple of hours down the coast from Athens, at the end of the Sounio Peninsula on the southernmost point of Attica, the Temple of Poseidon can be reached easily if you have a car but also by taking the half day trips organised by many different travel agencies or by taking one of the buses that run every hour on the half hour from the bottom of Pedion Areos (Green Park) at the intersection of Pattision Street and Alexandras Ave or on Fileninon Street. The route itself is quite pretty, passing along towns and resorts by the sea, before arriving at the perfectly located temple that famously made many fall in love, including Lord Byron.
Made from gleaming white marble, it is quite the looker, dating back to the middle of the 5th century BC and built in honour of Poseidon, god of the sea. It is perched on a mountain that juts out over the water, just above a pretty beach, and is the last and first thing that Athenians saw throughout the millennia as they sailed away on journeys and expeditions and then returned home. It is hard to imagine a more perfect spot for a temple honouring the god of the sea. The surrounding views are truly astounding. While it is now sadly roped off to the public and it is hard to spot the exact column where Byron is said to have graffitied his name, the magnificence of the building in its setting and the vista out over the coast, particularly at sunset, is still more than enough to warrant a visit to this incredible site in Greece.
Made from gleaming white marble, it is quite the looker, dating back to the middle of the 5th century BC and built in honour of Poseidon, god of the sea. It is perched on a mountain that juts out over the water, just above a pretty beach, and is the last and first thing that Athenians saw throughout the millennia as they sailed away on journeys and expeditions and then returned home. It is hard to imagine a more perfect spot for a temple honouring the god of the sea. The surrounding views are truly astounding. While it is now sadly roped off to the public and it is hard to spot the exact column where Byron is said to have graffitied his name, the magnificence of the building in its setting and the vista out over the coast, particularly at sunset, is still more than enough to warrant a visit to this incredible site in Greece.
Photo credit: G Da / CC BY-SA 3.0
