By Sara Hardy, The Handmade Holiday Company
Athens has an image problem. Many people treat it as a place to land, catch a glimpse of the Acropolis and head for a ferry. I’ve sent plenty of clients that way myself.
We enjoyed the weekend as a family, exploring the heart of Athens on foot. The morning we spent at the Acropolis was moving in a way I hadn’t expected: the light, the history, and how much of it still feels relevant to modern life. Plaka was the opposite, a maze of streets that felt like the islands. We couldn’t resist a glass of rosé at a street side taverna in the glorious late summer sunshine.
Then I went to work, with site visits and meetings at three hotels I had specifically wanted to experience: The DOLLI, 91 Athens Riviera and Aesthesis. Clients had been asking about them, and the feel of a hotel is something you only get by going. They could not be more different from each other.
One is for the those who want to be in the middle of it all, where history surrounds you in the most charming and luxurious way. One is for families who want beach days and the city in the same trip, tennis on tap and chic luxury glamping. One is for when the brief is all out luxury. I’ve experienced all three, and I’ll tell you which is which, and who each one suits in the full story.
Worth Knowing
Athens and the Riviera make an excellent twin centre
I planned our itinerary the way I would for a client. My general rule is one big sight a day, then something slower. We started with the National Garden, Syntagma and the Panathenaic Stadium. The Acropolis got a morning to itself, followed by an afternoon wandering through Plaka with a few rosé stops. On the third day we headed to the riviera, a 35 minute transfer, for lunch and an afternoon by the sea.
It felt like a completely different side of Athens. We enjoyed grilled octopus and a glass of Assyrtiko, my favourite Greek white and exactly what you want in the heat, then swam in the sea, which was still warm in October, and finished with our toes in the sand. Ancient history one day, a day at the beach the next. This balance would suit pretty much everyone.
Book the Acropolis in advance. Entry is by timed slot, and the busiest hours fill up. Go first thing, when it is cooler, and wear shoes with proper grip because the marble is slippery. We had a fantastic guide who I would recommend to all of my clients, she brought every detail to life both at the Acropolis and in the museum. The boys absolutely loved it!
Plan the airport transfer. Athens is sprawling and predominantly low rise, so it takes longer to cross than the skyline suggests. We landed at midnight and it took 45 minutes to reach the centre. In daytime traffic it can easily be an hour.
A final thought
I came home ready to recommend Athens as the start of a Greek holiday. Give it three or four nights in the city, then head to the coast and on to the islands. Go outside July and August if you can.
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