I-Heart-Mykonos-tank-top.jpg
Greek-flag-socks.jpg
Santorini-luggage-tag.jpg
save-water-drink-ouzo-t-shirt.jpg

Attica

Attica is the region of Greece which surrounds and includes Athens, with attractions like Marathon, Vravrona, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.

Temple of Poseidon at Cape SounionTemple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion

We don't think of Athens as being on a peninsula, but it is, and the peninsula is the region of Attica. Greece sometimes seems to be made up of peninsulas, like Halkidiki, which has three peninsulas at the end of what is already a peninsula. Then there's the Pelion Peninsula, and of course the three peninsulas at the south of the Peloponnese.

Like the rest of Greece, Attica has a long history. Prehistoric remains have been found in several places, and over the centuries it has been ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians, and the Ottomans, before finally returning to Greek rule. 

Some of Attica's attractions are actually in the suburbs of Athens, and can easily be reached on public transport. Others require longer bus journeys, and a few can only be reached by car. If you want to combine several Attica attractions that are all east of Athens then see our Drive around Attica page.

Attica MapAttica Map

Out from Athens into Attica

Most visitors to Athens only see the centre of the city, which is where most of the main reasons for visiting are located. In fact Athens is a city easily explored on foot, with perhaps the occasional metro or taxi ride. Yet it's easy to get a fuller Greek experience simply by travelling a few miles out of the centre to explore the areas immediately around the city. 

In some cases you'll first have to pass through the sometimes industrial suburbs, but the reward is the chance to have some classical sites all to yourself, particularly if travelling out of high season.

Driving in Athens

It can be unnerving to drive in central Athens since, despite attempts to cut vehicle numbers and increased pedestrian areas, the volume of traffic is still high and signage is poor, if you don't know your way around. Greeks also tend to be aggressive drivers, with little tolerance for people who are nervous and make mistakes. 

Rhamnous Archaeological Site, GreeceRhamnous, with Evia in the Background

Exploring Attica

If you wish to see Attica, it's best to rent a car at the airport, to the east of the city, and explore from there. If you're mainly based in Athens, you can easily store your main luggage at your hotel, pack a small bag, take the metro to the airport, and pick up and return your car there after a day or two exploring Attica. Alternatively, tick off the places that can be reached on public transport - there are hourly buses to Cape Sounion, for example - and it can be surprisingly inexpensive to rent a taxi for a day.

Vravrona Archaeological Site in GreeceVravrona in Attica

The Best of Attica

  • See a sunset over the Temple of Poseidon: go to our Cape Sounion page.
  • See the burial mound at Marathon: visit our Marathon page.
  • Eat seafood at a waterside restaurant in Rafina: see our Drive around Attica page.
  • Relax on the Athens Riviera in beach resorts like Glyfada, Voula or Vouliagmeni.
  • Visit the remote archaeological site at Rhamnous, for which you'll need to rent a car.
  • See the site and Archaeological Museum at Vravrona, by renting a car or taking a taxi from the airport.

Other Attica pages

  • This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

    A Drive around Attica

    This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

  • The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.

    Cape Sounion and the East Coast

    The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.

  • The archaeological site of Vravrona or Brauron is in Attica near Athens Airport and has a Sanctuary of Artemis, the Sacred House and an Archaeological Museum.

    Vravrona or Brauron

    The archaeological site of Vravrona or Brauron is in Attica near Athens Airport and has a Sanctuary of Artemis, the Sacred House and an Archaeological Museum.

  • The classical archaeological site of Ancient Rhamnous or Rhamnus is in a remote part of Attica and best reached from Athens by renting a car.

    Rhamnous

    The classical archaeological site of Ancient Rhamnous or Rhamnus is in a remote part of Attica and best reached from Athens by renting a car.

  • The ancient site of Marathon and the site of the Battle of Marathon are in Attica and naturally about 26 miles or 42 kilometres from the centre of Athens.

    Marathon

    The ancient site of Marathon and the site of the Battle of Marathon are in Attica and naturally about 26 miles or 42 kilometres from the centre of Athens.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

  1. Greece Welcomes Parthenon Fragments Returned by the Vatican

    Greece welcomed three sculpture fragments from the Parthenon, which were returned following an intervention by Pope Francis by the Vatican Museums, during a reunification ceremony in Athens. The fragm…

    Read More

  2. PM: Greece to Hold General Elections on May 21

    Greeks will be going to the polls on May 21 after the country’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced the news on Tuesday.

    Read More

  3. Transavia to Fly Direct to Kefalonia from Paris in Summer 2023

    Low-cost Dutch airline Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM group, this summer will operate direct flights between Paris and the Greek island of Kefalonia two times per week, according to the Greek N…

    Read More

  4. Greece Among Europe’s Top 10 Most Desired Destinations for Easter

    Greece is among the 10 most searched for destinations in Europe, according to travel intelligence provider ForwardKeys, as intra-European air seat capacity is set to recoup pre-pandemic levels this Ea…

    Read More

  5. Elefsina’s Archaeological Museum Reopens After Refurbishment

    The Archaeological Museum of Elefsina, one of the first archaeological museums in Greece, has reopened its doors to the public after completing maintenance and improvement works. The upgrade focused o…

    Read More

  6. Athens’ Iconic Lykavittos Theater to Reopen in Fall

    The historic Lykavittos open-air theater atop Lycabettus Hill in central Athens, will be reopening to the public following a complete revamp, announced Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis this week. The po…

    Read More

  7. Passengers Rank Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport Among Best in Europe

    Thessaloniki “Makedonia” Airport has been named one of the top in Europe at the 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards by the Airports Council International (ACI) World and travel technology compan…

    Read More

  8. Greece on Top 20 List of Best Countries for Entrepreneurs and Startups

    Greece is among the top 20 countries for entrepreneurs and startups, according to a recent study conducted by Compare the Market, a UK-based insurance comparison website.

    Read More

  9. Travelers from Poland Already Booking Greek Summer Holidays

    Demand from Poland is growing with 30 percent of Polish travelers having already booked their holidays to Greece, according to feedback collected by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) duri…

    Read More

  10. Europe’s Highest Growth in February Airbnb Demand was in Greece

    Demand for Airbnb-style rentals in Greece was the strongest in Europe last month despite historically being the least busy period of the year, marking a 60 percent increase compared to 2022, said anal…

    Read More