I first visited Athens a few years ago and being honest, I was not a fan. Hectic, noisy, filthy. It shouldn’t have been able to function yet somehow it did. I will say my visit last time was very brief and I didn’t have the opportunity to explore a great deal. But this city isn’t the image of Greece that people romanticise, this isnt the picture perfect islands. This is a crowded city of 4 million.
With the benefit of knowing what to expect, I headed there again for another go. Some things had changed yet many things had stayed the same. At least the ATMs had money this time!
I arrived in Athens early in the day, around 9am, after a 12 hour night time flight from Singapore. Lines for passport control were not great, but I’ve had worse. The bus into the city leaves from right outside the arrivals hall, couldn’t be easier to find. Route number X95 and it costs about $10 AUD each way. The morning I caught the bus in, it was virtually empty.
My accommodation in Athens was around $40 AUD a night for a private room, the highest price im paying for a nights accommodation on this trip. Private room with bathroom, close to the airport bus stop at Syntagma Square. After a long flight, being able to reach the hotel easily was an attractive selling point. This place was basic but clean, good Wi-Fi and aircon, plus a great view of the Parthenon. They let me check in an hour early, greatly appreciated after the flight. The building also had the smallest lift ive ever come across in all my travels, and you come across some tiny lifts in Europe!
Now the heat here is insane! As hot as you can imagine, then add a few degrees. I was looking forward to escaping winter but wow, what a shock to the system. You do just have to roll with these things though. You can always have another shower!
Athens is fairly easy to explore, a map is essential though. Streets go every which way and it’s easy to get off track. The majority of the attraction are walkable however, and there’s public transport for those which aren’t. Its predominantely a flat city, there are a few noteworthy hills though. In the summer months, you need water bottles, multiple.
The main attraction is definitely the Acropolis and other Ancient Greek ruins. Starting from Monastriaki Square, it’s easy to cover this is a day, with a few much needed food and drink (and aircon!) breaks. Crowds are a constant, lines are never ending. I started early, hit the acropolis first thing before the crowds really turned up. Arrived there for the sunrise, with only a handful of people around. Magic.
A few hours spent wandering through Plaka was a refreshing change to the Athens I’d experienced a few years ago. Some how I’d missed this area! Cute little shops, cafes and bakeries, it’s easy for the time to fly by without even noticing it.
I decided on a walk up Mount Lycabettus on my last day in Athens, far higher than the Acropolis, the view is quite incredible. Slow going though! I’m not sure how I thought walking up a mountain in 34 degrees celcius was a good idea! Survived though.
You quickly become a desensitised to poverty in a place like this, it’s ever present, on every street corner. The need is great. The refugee crisis has improved considerably since 2016 when I last visited Athens, but they are still arriving in large numbers. It’s not to say I don’t feel compassion, I do. It’s very challenging to be surrounded by this level of desperation, but this is not my town and its not my country, I need to do as the locals do. I became familiar with a few beggars in the area I was staying and gave the coins in my pocket on my last day here, I was leaving the Eurozone so had little need for them.
Highlight- Definitely that sunrise over Mount Licabettus from the Acropolis. 10/10.
Runner up – the street art. Between all the generic graffiti and tagging, there’s some really good stuff!
Mat On The Map 