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Everywhere in Greece there seems to be an ancient site, dedicated to praying to the Gods. Most people arrive first into Athens and almost immediately see the Acropolis, known as the sacred rock of Athens. I was on a Fall vacation with a friend and, knowing it would be a lot to take in, we wanted to save it for when we recovered from our overnight flight.
Unable to check into the hotel, we spent midday at the Archaeology Museum. It was a great introduction into what we would be seeing over the coming days. It’s also a great lesson in Greek Mythology.
Agamemnon is the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and Queen Aerobe and brother of Menelaus. His father was murdered and he eventually recovered his father’s kingdom with the help of his brother. He was commander in chief of the Greeks during the Trojan war.
The high horns are made of gold and its core is wood. A gold rosette is attached to the forehead, indicating that he is dressed for sacrifice. It is dated to the 16th century BC.
Still unable to check in, we searched for the cable car that would take us to the top of Lycabettus Hill for great views over the city. We ended up hiking to the top, found the cable car there and rode it back down the hill.
The hill was also a great place to watch the sunset.
We stayed at Central Athens Hotel, which ended up being the perfect little hotel in a great location. We loved our view of the Acropolis.
While extremely crowded, the Acropolis is something you cannot miss. It was originally a religious site, so only people who were ritually cleaned could gain access. As a result, entrance was controlled by the Propylaea. This was essentially the gatehouse before entering the sacred area dedicated to Athena, patron goddess of Athens.
Upon entry, you see the Erechtheion which was built for religious rituals. Its primary function was to house a wooden statue of Athena, although there are also shrines to other gods. The caryatids are the most famous feature of the structure. A caryatid is a figure that acts like a column to hold something (like a roof) up. The caryatids on the Erechtheion are replicas. Five of the originals are in the Acropolis museum and the sixth is now in the British Museum. It was originally taken by Lord Elgin, a British Diplomat, to decorate his Scottish mansion. Legend says that at night, the original five Caryatids can be heard wailing for their lost sister.
The Parthenon is a temple on top of the Acropolis. It was built as a shrine to Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. The Parthenon was damaged in 1687 when the Ottomans dumped ammunition inside the building that were then bombed by the Venetians. The Greek government has made a commitment to restore the buildings on the Acropolis.
Ancient Agora lies on the northwest slope of the Acropolis and is at the center of Athens. It was the focus of all activity in ancient Athens and has been continuously inhabited since it was built. The Church of the Holy Apostles was built there in the 11th century to commemorate St. Paul’s teaching there.
The Temple of Hephaistos is at the northwest side of the Agora. From the 7th Century until 1834 it was a Greek Orthodox Church. Since there were a number of utter shops and metal working factories in the area, it makes sense that it was named after Hephaestus, the patron god of metal working.
A statue of Hadrian can also be found in Ancient Agora, begging the question of why a Roman Emperor would be honored in Greece. Hadrian loved Greek culture. He gave the Greeks equal representation in Rome and made Athens a cultural center of his empire. Athenians worshipped him in return.
There are two theaters on the South slope of the Acropolis. The Theatre of Dionysus was built in the 4th century BC as an open air theater at the bottom of the Acropolis and was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of plays and wine. It is also known ads the birthplace of Greek tragedy.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in the 2nd century AD as a music hall. It has been reconstructed and is still in use today. The seats are marble so if you plan to sit there you will need a good cushion!
There are temples all around Athens, but Olympieion and Hadrians Arch are particularly notable. Olympieion (aka Temple of Olympian Zeus) is the largest temple in Greece, even larger than the Parthenon. Work began by the King of Syria, but it was Hadrian that completed it. After the construction was complete, Athenians honored Hadrian by building an arched gateway at the entrance to the sanctuary. The side facing the Acropolis says “This is Athens, formerly the city of Theseus” and the other side, facing the sanctuary says “This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus”.
Theseus is another important person both in Greek history and in Mythology. Legend says that his mother slept with both Poseidon, god of the sea, and Aegeus (the King of Athens) on the night he was conceived. He grew to become an Athenian legend for unifying Attica. He was one of the fourteen volunteers to be sacrificed to the Minotaur on the island of Crete, but he outsmarted and then slayed it, ultimately returning to Athens.
Day Trips from Athens
Delphi is an easy day trip from Athens. It was the center of the Ancient world, determined by two eagles that were sent by Zeus from the ends of the universe to find the center and ultimately meeting at this spot. It is known for the oracle at the sanctuary the was dedicated to Apollo. Standing at Delphi definitely feels like you are in the center of the universe.
We combined it with a stop at Monastery Osios Lucas, built in the 11th Century and surrounded by a valley filled with olive trees. Supposedly, Osios Lucas had prophetic ability and made many miracles. The monastery also produces fantastic olive oil from the olives grown on the property.
Greek Islands
Crete
We wanted to see some islands and chose to save money by taking an overnight ferry to Heraklion, on the island of Crete. The overnight cabins provided a safe and clean night of sleep. Once in Crete, it’s easy to rent a car and explore. The island was the center of the Minoan Civilization, the most ancient in Europe. The ruins of Knossos are nearby and are a very worthwhile day trip. These ruins were likely the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. It is still an active archaeological site.
The Legend of the Minotaur
Minos struggled with his brothers to rule Crete, so he prayed to Poseidon to send him a white bull as a sign of approval that he would the sacrifice as a symbol of subservience. A beautiful white bull rose from the sea, but Minos wanted it for himself so he sacrificed a bull from his own heard instead. When Poseidon found out, he made Minos’ wife fall in love with the bull. Their offspring was a monster called the Minotaur. It had the head and tail of a bull on the body of a man. Minos built an inescapable labyrinth and had the Minotaur locked inside. He demanded that 14 youths be sacrificed to the Minotaur every year. When Theseus reached Athens, he heard of this and wanted to end it. He volunteer to be sacrificed and went to Crete. There he met Minos’ daughter and fell in love. she gave him a ball of thread that he tied close to the entrance of the maze. When he found the Minotaur, he beat it to death and then led the others back to the entrance.
If you drive further south, you can see the Libyan Sea at the most Southern city in all of Europe (and the only city on the South coast of Crete), Ierapetra. While pretty, I would not go out of my way for this again because it made the day too long.
Another worthwhile day trip from Heraklion is the town of Chania (pronounced Hania) on the north coast of Crete. In fact, this is where the cruise ships usually stop. It is a cute town that was built by the Turks in 1645 and maintains its Venetian Renaissance and Turkish heritage.
On the drive between Chania and Heraklion, make sure to stop at the Fortezza of Rethymno, the largest Venetian Fortress in the world.
The Lato Botique Hotel was a great base for our visit to Crete. It had a pretty view of the Venetian fortress at the old city harbor of Heraklion, built before the Ottoman Empire.
Santorini
A high speed ferry from Crete to Santorini takes two hours. Everyone says Santorini is beautiful, but you cannot possibly understand what that means until you can feel its beauty in person. It is mystical and ethereal. The island is what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that lead to the current geological caldera.
The cruise ships arrive in the port of Skala. You can take a cable car in either direction, but I have little patience for lines so I walked. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I even did the walk since I wasn’t cruising. Perhaps I wanted the exercise or maybe I just wanted to say I did it.
I had an interesting experience taking a donkey ride back to the top. While the donkeys appeared to be well cared for at the time (in 2007), I have since learned that donkey rides may not be the best choice due to their conditions deteriorating over the years. Taking into account the well-being of animals and opting for activities that prioritize their care is a responsible choice. Further, the ride was a bit scary, so I would not be inclined to do it again anyway.
We stayed at the Volcano View Villas, a short drive from the famous town of Oia. It was a much more affordable area and was easy to get around from there. And the sunset was no less spectacular!
It’s easy to rent a car for a day and drive around the island – all 28 miles! There are quant villages, red sand beaches, black sand beaches and small wineries.
We spent our 2nd evening in Oia (pronounced Ia). It is a must see, but mostly because it is the most photographed place in Greece. It’s also quite crowded, even in early October when the biggest crowds have left.
Mykonos
Our last island was Mykonos. Since it was October, all of the well known summer revelers were gone and the island was much more calm, bordering on boring. Many shops and restaurants were closed for the season, which was so unfortunate considering how amazing the weather was. We enjoyed staying in the town off Agios Stefanos, which provided a nice view of Mykonos Town.
Delos
Delos is a short boat ride, but a full day trip from Mykonos. My friend did not join me because after all of the ruins viewing, they begin to blend into each other and she was just thinking of them as rubble – something to keep in mind when trip planning. Also, this island has very little shade so take a hat, especially if you are going in the summer. I didn’t have one and regretted it.
The island of Delos is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in all of Greece. According to Greek mythology, it was the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo.
It’s an easy boat trip back to Athens for a return flight home. I hope you enjoy your trip!
