HOW TO EXPLORE ATHENS IN A DAY
The Grecian city that takes you back in time. Though Athens was pit stop to our main destination, I think it is a must when visiting Greece. Covered in tourists, but immersed in rich history, it is full of things to see/do. If you only have a short amount of time here, like we did, this blog will be perfect for you! Here are some of my recommendations to get the most out of your day-
1. The Acropolis & Parthenon
I would recommend hitting this spot first thing in the morning, right when it opens at 8AM, to beat the huge crowd of tourists that gather around later on!
It is truly mind blowing to stand on the same stone as the ancient Greeks that began building this phenomenal structure, designed for the Greek Goddess, Athena, all the way back in 447 BC.
2. The Plaka District
The Plaka District is right near the Parthenon, and it is an area filled with cute shops, and authentic (local) restaurants. Spend a few hours here getting lost, people watch, and soak up as much of the culture as you can, and walk in the way of the locals in these streets.
There are stray cats & dogs ALL over Greece! I wanted to take them all home with me. If you're like me, and go buy food for them - be prepared for hundreds of others alike to start coming out of nowhere, as soon as you set that food down!
3. Syntagma
The city that has smells, and tastes that change your life! The authenticity of the Greek delights, that you will find here are out of this world! While here, you must try some Loukoumades (fried donuts)! We walked to this town solely to go to this Loukoumades shop we had read about, and man was it worth the walk. I seriously paused mid-bite because this treat tasted too good to be real. I would have really loved to spend more time in this city. It was much larger, and Americanized, than I realized it would be- it is also where the University of Athens is located!
ALSO - If you follow me on Instagram, you know I just wrapped up an AMAZING giveaway with JORD Watches! These JORD Watches were perfect while traveling, and literally matched everything I wore (helllo less packing!). They have a great selection of both men's and women's watches and I highly encourage y'all to take a look! If you get one, please be sure to let me know - I'd LOVE to see how you rock yours :)! AND - if you click on the picture below, it will take you directly to the watch I'm wearing!
Here's how we did it:
Flight - Athens (ATH) from Atlanta (ATL)
Metro - Blue Line to Syntagma then Red Line to Acropolis
Acropolis is right where the Parthenon is. One thing I learned this summer is that you always want your AirBnB/Hotel to be right in the heart of where you want to explore! We opted for the cheaper AirBnB this summer, that was 20 minutes away from everything, and found ourselves instantly regretting it. Ubering and spending a lot of time walking back and forth is not worth it!
AirBnB with Acropolis Tia Roses 4 Styles - this AirBnB is in the most ideal location for exploring Athens. We could walking anywhere we needed to, and it was right by the metro.
Personally I love staying in AirBnBs more than hotels because it feels more like home and it's as if you're experiencing the culture of where you're visiting on a deeper level. In Athens, our host Alex was so sweet and even showed us all of the best local hidden gems, and restaurants.
Side note - I am fascinated by other languages, and always feel a little guilty going into another country without at least attempting to master the basics. It feels good, and the locals get a kick out of it, too :)
Some Greek Basics:
Hello - Χαίρετε (pronounced like Cha-írete)
Good Morning - Καλημέρα (pronounced like Kal-i-méra)
Thank You - ευχαριστώ (pronounced like ef-char-istó)
Do you speak English? - μιλάς αγγλικά (pronounced like milás ang-liká)
Hope this is helpful if you ever plan to travel to Athens! I would LOVE to hear your stories if you have ever been!
xx
P.S. On our last day in Greece, we were able to go back into Athens to fly out, so we are going to add one more thing to our to-do list, because what is a trip without some spontaneous plans :)
Mare Nostrum Hotel Club Thalasso
City of Vravranos - which is 25 minutes away from the airport. I booked this hotel on our last day, mainly because the price of all the other hotels surrounding the airport were around 200 Euros, and I got this hotel for 90 Euros (score!!). I was beyond surprised at the view our room had! As you remember, our first day in Athens was consumed with the city-life, so I had no idea that Athens had these magical spots of tropical paradise! If you're not a huge city person I would definitely recommend this place as a cheaper option, and a must-see on your list :) The priceless view is SO worth it!
