Athens is the Perfect Spring Break Destination
A Unique Blend of History, Food, Culture, and Walkable Cityscape, Minus the Heatwaves and the Summer Hordes
The three of us, along with my parents, spent spring break in Greece this year, and I was utterly charmed. I had always been curious about Greece, although for some reason or another it had never risen to the top of my list. However, it was at the top of my parents’ list, and since we are now only a 4-ish hour flight away, it seemed like the perfect destination for a family vacation. We spent a couple of days in Athens and then headed to the island of Naxos. I’ll post about Naxos too, but first I have to gush about Athens!
Athens is perfection in the spring—mild weather, plenty of sights and great food, and less tourists than in the crush of the summer vacation months. The city has a reputation for being a bit gritty, and sure, outside of the tourist center you can find a bit of urban grime, and I can see how in the sweltering heat of summer the crowds and city smells would be a bit much, but I was really impressed with Athens. The city spreads out among hills topped with beautiful parks all around, has an abundance of pedestrianized streets, and is very walkable. I am not sure why I didn’t expect the hilly geography given that I knew the Acropolis was on a hill, but it had a very different feel than I expected. Head up to one of the many rooftop bars and take in the juxtaposition of ancient ruins, gently undulating sprawl of mid-rise apartment buildings, hills, groves of trees, and the sea on the horizon, and I defy you not to be charmed.
Our must-sees in Athens:
1. One of our absolute favorite spots was Filopappou Hill, right next to the Acropolis. It’s definitely worth your time to walk up to the top. The whole hill (actually a series of a couple of hills) is a park dotted with monuments and trails, and it takes less than 20 minutes to get to the top even with plenty of photo breaks. The views of the Acropolis along with the rest of Athens are stunning. This was also the first place we stumbled across some of Athens’ many tortoises. The street cats I knew about of course, but I had no idea we’d spot so many tortoises moseying across Athens’ parks and archaeological sites. The pedestrian street (Dionysiou Areopagitou) between the Acropolis and Filopappou hill also makes for a lovely evening stroll when the ancient monuments are lit up.
2. The Acropolis. This is probably why you came to Athens in the first place. The Acropolis refers to a complex of temples and other archaeological sites scattered over this imposing hill in the city center, the Parthenon on top of the hill being the most famous. The site is not huge, and even at a leisurely pace you can see everything in 60-90 minutes. However, I was still impressed, and our Greek mythology-loving kiddo was in heaven. Note that even at the end of March it was pretty crowded with tour groups once you got to the top of the hill by the Parthenon, so try to get an early start. Or maybe aim for the end of the day and try to catch golden hour. We entered through the south slope gate and exited out the main gate, which worked well as right across from the main gate is a rocky outcrop you can climb up to get some final pics.
Also, one big plus of going in the spring is it’s still off-season and tickets to this and all the other archaeological sites are half-off! Though, in the summer you can take advantage of the multi-site ticket, which is I believe 30 Euros and good for 5 days. With the off-season discounts though it didn’t pencil out—the Acropolis was just 10 Euros and all the other sites we visited were less than 5 Euros each.
3. The Plaka (and nearby Monastiraki and Syntagma). Even in spring the touristy center where you’ll likely spend much of your time was thrumming with people. But, despite being touristy, this area still has it’s charms and is one you’ll want to check out for the bars, restaurants, and shops. The whole Plaka, along with the surrounding areas of Monastiraki and Syntagma squares, is very compact and easy to wander on foot. For the quintessential Plaka feel, i.e. the narrow alleys with traditional housing hugging the hillside and cafes spilling onto sidewalks and stairways, head for the pocket neighborhood of Anafiotika (you can put ‘Medusa mural Athens’ into your google maps if you want to find a good entry point). But, do keep in mind that despite being super touristy, much like the Alfama in Lisbon, people actually live here so try to be respectful.
Also in the Plaka, you’ll find the Ancient Agora and Roman Agora archaeological sites. Monastiraki and Syntagma squares are also close by, so I am lumping them into this category. Monastiraki offers a plethora of rooftop bars for when your feet get tired. We visited the rooftops at both A for Athens and Coleur Locale, and the latter was definitely the more chill of the two. Pop into the little church in Monastiraki square, thought to date from the 9th century. If you’re used to visiting Catholic cathedrals in Europe, it’s interesting to compare the different layout and style of the Orthodox churches. And take a quick detour to watch the uniquely choreographed changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in front of parliament in Syntagma square, which happens every hour on the hour 24 hours a day.
4. The Ancient Agora. Of the two ancient agora sites (agora denotes a ‘marketplace’ or ‘gathering place’) I’d suggest visiting the Ancient Agora. Among a variety of structures spread across the site, you’ll find a very intact temple, the temple of Hephaestus, god of the forge (and our son’s absolute favorite Greek god). There’s also the Stoa of Attalos, the columned portico of which makes for a popular photo spot, and the interior of which includes a small museum of artifacts from various eras of the agora’s use. Off season entry was 5 Euros. The Roman Agora is also nearby but less substantial, and honestly I think you can see everything, including Hadrian’s library, by walking around the perimeter fence.
5. National Archaeological Museum and/or Acropolis Museum. The National Archaeological Museum (https://www.namuseum.gr/en/) houses an extensive, well-preserved, and informative collection of archaeological artifacts from around Greece, and if you only have the time or inclination to visit one museum, this is probably your best bet. It is a little further from the center though, so the Acropolis museum (right across the pedestrian boulevard from the south slope Acropolis entrance) is also a good bet. We were able to visit the Acropolis museum for free on Greek Independence day when it was one of the only sites open. It’s collection, housed in a new, airy, modern building, offers some great context for what you’ll see at the Acropolis as all the artifacts are from the Acropolis site specifically (except for the ones still in the British museum, hmmmm). (https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en)
6. Kerameikos. A little outside of the center, we really enjoyed this peaceful and picturesque archaeological site in the residential Thiseio neighborhood. This site was used as a burial ground as far back as the Early Bronze Age (2700-2000 BC)! You’ll find excavated remnants of ancient walls, tombs, and a small museum. But perhaps even better you’ll also find a respite from the crowds with lots of space to amble around, peppered with abundant wildflowers in the spring. And, as a bonus, we saw so many tortoises here! I really was unprepared for how many cute little tortoises we would see in Athens.
7. Varvakios Market. If you are a fan of traditional food markets, this one does not disappoint. The whole area around it is also teeming with all kinds of amazing shopfronts and wafting smells of spices not just from Greece but from Athens’ many immigrant communities. Traditional foods, small mom and pop shops, and walkable streetscapes are what make cities so vibrant and rewarding for me as a traveler, so I always make out a point to check out the local market on my travels when time allows. We walked over here easily from Kerameikos.
8. Psyrri/Street art. Near the market, the Psyrri neighborhood is a must-visit if, like me, you can’t resist street art. There are of course street art (and street food tours) you can book for in-depth exploration, but you can also find plenty of information about street art online these days as well. Pop ‘Graffiti Loukanikos’ into your google map to navigate to one of the most famous street murals in Athens, of a dog who was memorialized for protecting protestors during anti-austerity protests/riots in 2011. The whole surrounding area is filled with graffiti and full-scale murals and art. Though the vibe is a bit grungier, I had no qualms poking around this area in the daytime with our nine-year-old in tow.
A couple of our favorite eats in Athens:
If I ever make it back to Athens I definitely want to venture further out beyond the center and focus on eating (and ok maybe check out some more museums). But even if you are staying in the center, there is still plenty of delicious food to be found. A couple of our favorites in the center (which seemed to cater to both tourists and locals) were:
Kostas – This little souvlaki shop not far from Monastiraki square pops up in many Athens food lists and it’s not hard to see why. I think I ate a souvlaki pita almost every day while I was in Greece, and this one was my favorite! The freshness of the pita, the simple ingredients, equal a sum that is somehow better than its parts. Note that gyro and souvlaki refer to the way the meat is cooked, and either one can be put in a pita (versus on a plate). Gyro is shaved meat off a spit and souvlaki is meat cooked on a skewer.
Opos Palia – This was another recommendation I kept running across, and as it was only a couple of blocks from our Airbnb, we went for dinner one evening and ordered a huge variety of plates to share. Lots of simply prepared, flavorful food, but our favorite dish was the grilled mushrooms of all things.
Of course don’t forget the snacks:
Every food culture seems to have its own version of fried dough, and Greece is no exception. So make sure to grab some lukamades, round balls of fried dough traditionally topped with honey and cinnamon.
I also got hooked on freddo espressos and koulouri for breakfast. Koulouri are large rings of bread generously rolled in sesame seeds, and sometimes get referred to as Greek ‘bagels’ due to the shape, though unlike bagels my understanding is they are baked and not boiled. I definitely plan to play around in the kitchen at home and try to recreate these.
Also, quick shout out to tomatoes(!). The tomatoes in Greece put every other tomato I’ve eaten in my life to shame (sorry Italy). I mean seriously, between that and the local feta, if you think you’ve had a Greek salad before in your life, you really haven’t. The food in Greece is just operating on a different level. It’s so good!
Where did we stay?
So, we originally booked an Airbnb in the Thiseio neighborhood, a nice, quiet, local neighborhood adjacent to the tourist center and Filopappou hill. We needed something to accommodate 5 people and we booked it intentionally for its balcony and Acropolis view. But, the owner unceremoniously canceled on us without warning five days before our trip. Thankfully we were able to find something else on short notice, in Makrygianni right near the Acropolis, but of course without the view. Location-wise it worked well, but honestly if I had it to over again, I would have just booked a hotel.
Final tips:
http://odysseus.culture.gr/index_en.html Be sure to bookmark this website as it’s the official Greek ministry website and ticket vendor for all the archaeological sites and monuments across Greece. You’ll find helpful summaries of each site along with all the pertinent logistical information and the ability to buy tickets. In the off-season it was easy to buy tickets on-site, but I imagine in the summer you’d want to buy ahead online to save time.
Daytrips from Athens: Because our brief time in Athens overlapped with Greek Independence day, meaning just about everything was closed, we didn’t try to squeeze in a daytrip, but there are a number you can do ranging from a half-day trip to Delphi to longer (10-12 hour) trips to the Temple of Poseidon or Nafplion. In lieu of a daytrip, we had a good time walking the parade route among the flag-waving celebratory throngs and seeing all the tanks and the military planes flying overhead.
A note about plumbing: In case you are unaware, you cannot flush toilet paper anywhere in Greece. Despite this, oddly neither place we stayed at had a bidet, so, well, you end up with some gross trash. This was no big deal for me, as there were always dumpsters nearby to take the trash to, but if you’re a more squeamish traveler just a heads up.
Getting around: The sights in Athens are easily accessible and near one another on foot. We never even used the metro because of this. We did take an uber* once or twice due to a certain nine-year-old being crabby and it was easy and reasonably priced. *As in Italy, uber is actually just a middle-man that calls you a taxi, and it will give you a price range rather than a specific fare as the ultimate fare is controlled by the meter, but unlike in Italy I found it to otherwise work seamlessly to quickly hail a cab. It appeared you could also hail cabs directly from the street (as opposed to at designated taxi stands, but we didn’t try this).
All in all, we had a great time in Athens, and I found it far exceeded its reputation as a quick stopover destination on the way to the islands. Let me know if you have any questions!