Sounio

Sounio is a national park in Attica, the historic region of Athens city-state. It is a popular day trip from Athens because of its splendid Temple of Poseidon.

Temple of Poseidon, Sounio

A bus from Athens costs a little over €5. The buses drive from a terminal near the southeast corner of the Areos Park a few blocks east of Victoria Metro station (there are more bus terminals in the area - for more information ask in the KTEL kiosk). Buses arrive every hour, but they make a few other stops in Athens. The bus terminal in Sounio is just below the temple. The last bus back to Athens starts at 21:00 in Sounio, late enough for the famous sunset over the temple. A one-way drive takes about two hours.

• 🌍 Temple of Poseidon. A Doric temple built during 444–440 BC, is one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Athens. It overlooks the sea at the end of Cape Sounion, at a height of almost 60 metres (200 ft). The sunset over the temple is very famous and absolutely gorgeous. The temple area closes just after the sunset. 
• The temple of Athena, 300 m northeast of the temple of Poseidon, is built on a low hill. It was built in 470 BC. The temple of Athena was demolished in the 1st century AD, and little remains.
• Fortress: In 413 BC, during the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans, the Athenians fortified the site with a wall and towers to prevent it from falling into Spartan hands.

There is a taverna just below the temple, next to the bus stop. It is rather expensive and not very impressive.

• Grecotel Cape Sounio. On Cape Sounion near the Temple of Poseidon. It is a little far (~69 km) from the centre of Athens but the location is excellent. Bungalows with private pools.