Athens & Attica
Photo: Leandro Paes Leme / Pexels
The Verdict
Almost every Greece trip starts here, and Athens deserves more than a rush to the ferry port.
Why go
For the Acropolis, world-class museums, contemporary neighborhoods, and the easiest access to the Saronic Islands.
Understand the place
Athens and its surrounding region — the Acropolis, contemporary city life, and the Saronic gateway.
What to eat & drink here
Food & drink
Souvlaki
Grilled meat on a skewer wrapped in pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips. Athens' standing-up, cheap, everyday meal, and what you'll miss first after leaving.
“Essential Athens eating — the city's great cheap meal, and the thing you'll miss when you leave.”
Athens Central Market (Varvakios)
Working hall of butchers and fishmongers at the center of Athens, loud and unglamorous by design. Cheap eateries ring the edges where the market workers themselves eat.
“Recommended — the raw, working meat-and-fish market at the heart of Athens. Not picturesque; real.”
To Mavro Provato
Located in the Pangrati district, this modern taverna serves reliable Greek staples to a packed local crowd. It offers a straightforward approach to regional classics, avoiding the overpriced gimmicks found in the nearby tourist traps of the city centre.
“This remains the most honest choice for a dinner in Athens when you want actual food without any performative nonsense.”
The old world
History & archaeology
Places within
Piraeus
Athens's enormous port and the departure point for most Aegean ferries, with a working harbor, a naval museum, and a revived strip of seafood tavernas at Mikrolimano.
“Necessary for almost every island trip; worth an extra hour or two, not a destination to linger in.”
Athens
Greece's capital — the Acropolis, world-class museums, and a contemporary city that deserves more than a stopover.
“Don't treat Athens as the airport before the islands — two or three days here genuinely improves most Greece trips.”
Keep reading
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