Cape Sounion and dinner with a view

The summer is now a memory. Back from Kefalonia to Athens, it's a full circle. I was here back in June and here I am once again. It is 27th of September, a sunny day, ideal for a road trip.

It is Sunday and it's World Heritage Weekend so I decided to drive to Cape Sounion and visit the Temple of Poseidon. 

Approximately 70km from Athens lies this perfect blend between a man-made wonder and nature. The road is wonderful, beautiful beaches on the right side and hills and mountains on the left. It takes us almost an hour and a half to get there. The Athenian Riviera offers a bit for everyone, restaurants and bars, long, sandy beaches, amazing sea views and wonderful marinas.

I have first visited the Temple 5 years ago. It is a wonderful sight with an extraordinary 360 view. It is part of the Sacred Triangle in Greece. 

"These temples are the Parthenon, Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, and the Temple of Aphaia in Aegina. When seen on a map, these three temples seem to form an isosceles triangle. Even more interestingly, all 3 temples were built within a few years of each other, adding to the theory their positioning formed part of a grander design. 

Some suggest that the temples were positioned on points of natural energy. Others, that they perhaps mapped the stars above. If they were built according to a grander design, it’s possible we will never know their true purpose." (greekmythologytours.com)

"The earliest literary reference to Sounion is in Homer's Odyssey (III. 278–285). The story recounts that as the various Greek commanders sailed back from Troy, the helmsman of the ship of King Menelaus of Sparta died at his post while rounding "Holy Sounion, Cape of Athens". Menelaus landed at Sounion to give his companion full funeral honours (i.e., cremation on a funeral pyre on the beach). Archaeological finds on the site date from as early as 700 BC. Herodotus (VI.87) mentions that in sixth century BC, the Athenians celebrated a quinquennial festival at Sounion, which involved Athens' leaders sailing to the cape in a sacred boat.

The Temple of Poseidon is perched above the sea at a height of almost 60 meters. Only some columns of the Sounion temple stand today, but when intact it would have closely resembled the contemporary and well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which may have been designed by the same architect. The columns are of the Doric Order. They were made of locally quarried white marble.

Cape Sounino is a popular day-excursion for tourists from Athens, with the sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after sight since the first development of modern tourism in the early 19th century. Cape Sounion itself is located between the villages of Kato Sounio and Legrena. 

Forming the southeastern endpoint of the Athens Riviera, Sounio is now an upscale summer home location for Athenians. Construction of villas across the bay northwest of Cape Sounio flourished in the 1960s to 1970s. The Grecotel Cape Sounio luxury resort was built in 1973. The project Arrangement of the Archaeological Site of Sounion (2011–2013) was co-financed by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and the European Union (ERDF)." (Wikipedia)

After wondering around the ruins we went down to Sounion beach. It is the first time I experience such an amazing feeling to swim next to the ancient ruins of such a beautiful temple.

On the way back we passed Lake Vouliagmeni and we decided to have dinner by the sea side. We chose Γαλήνη Restaurant, in Palaia Fokaia. A well deserved dinner by the sea side and admiring a wonderful sunset are all I need after such a long yet exciting day.

You want to discover more amazing places to visit in Athens? Look no further: HERE they are!

Otherwise delight your eyes with some of the most breath taking beaches in Kefalonia: Petani and Agia Eleni. 

'till next time, take care.

Beldi

Fiskardo, Kefalonia - an ideal blend of colorful houses, yachts and ruins

Fiskardo is what some call Kefalonia's venetian coastal village. Part of the municipal unit of Erisos it is the northernmost port of Kefalonia, a short distance from Ithaca.

Fiskardo is well known for its colorful houses, busy harbor and romantic views. The coast around Fiskardo is mainly rocky with numerous pebble-beached coves. The port serves ferry routes to the ports of Ithaca and Lefkada. Kefalonia International Airport is located 61 km away from Fiskardo, approximately 1 hour 30 min by car.

Fiskardo and the dense forest in the surrounding area have been declared areas of great natural beauty and are protected under Greek law. In recent years a small tourist industry has developed, centered on luxury villas in the area around the village.

Fiskardo has been identified with the ancient town Panormos, mentioned by the 5th-century BC Greek historian Herodotus. Unlike most of Kefalonia, Fiskardo escaped from destruction by the 1953 Ionian earthquake and it has kept its original architecture. This makes it an understandably popular spot for tourists.

And it’s not just an excursion highlight for package tourists, but Fiskardo is one of the most popular places in the Ionian for visiting yachts thanks to its natural harbor. Its winding waterfront is lined with luxury boats, upmarket seafood restaurants and it is home to some of the priciest real estate in all of Greece thanks to the patronage of the rich and the famous who drop by on the megayachts.

Fiskardo is not a quiet village, maybe only in the winter time, otherwise the streets are busy in the summer days with tourists that spend their holiday there or come to visit from all over the island and Lefkada or Ithaka. The village has numerous colorful houses, restaurants and bars by the sea side, a bit pricey compared to the rest of the island.

Also you can visit small hidden gems such as the Roman Cemetery, the ruins of some old houses or the square with the frog statue in its center. There are also few small beaches at the end of Fiskardo, more appropriate for a quick dip at the end of a hot day. But you don’t have to travel far along the coast in either direction to hit some beautiful pebble coves with crystal clear water for swimming. The most famous are Emplisi, Foki, Kimilia and Dafnoudi.

I've personally been to Fiskardo many times during my 7 summers on Kefalonia. This summer I wanted to show to some of my friends the village and few easy hike trails around it. For sure the village was not as busy as it used to be the previous summers, due to the pandemic. We've been around the bay all around 'till we reached the ruins of an early Christian basilica (6th century). From that point we tried to hid from the summer heat under the cypress and olive trees.

Only 2-3 hundred meters away we visited the Lighthouse, which actually you can admire only from outside, and then the ruins of the Venetian Lighthouse. Beautiful boats were anchored in the bay of Fiskardo as we returned to the village.

We've continued our 1 day trip to the beautiful Emplisi beach, which in August was absolutely crowded. So instead we've decided to explore a small beach that I've told you all about in a prevoius post, Kimilia. Afterwards we've spend the late afternoon getting to and exploring the charming Dafnoudi.

'till next time, take care.

Beldi