Half-day afternoon tour to the most exciting summer Sunset of Saronic Gulf at the far end of the Attica peninsula.
Highlights
Drive along the coastal road, pass by the southern suburbs with the beautiful view of the Saronic gulf
Arrive at Cape Sounion at the end of Attica peninsula
Entrance to the Temple of Poseidon
Watch the amazing sunset into the Aegean sea
Cape Sounio – Temple of Poseidon
Cape Sounio is at the Southern part of Attica peninsula, on top of a very steep rocky cliff. The Athenians, second to Athina (which she is the main godess and protector of the city), worshipped Poseidon, the god of the sea and it was there where all the sailors offered a last sacrifice before leaving the safety of the Saronic Gulf.
Built during the times of Pericles, the architecture and dimensions of the building are identical to those of the Hephaisteion in the Agora of Athens. The beauty of the surviving Doric columns has inspired many poets, including Lord Byron who carved his name on one of the columns.
Our sightseeing tour includes a visit to the archaeological site where you can admire the remains of the Temple. The site is surrounded by sea on its three sides and offers spectacular view of the Aegean Sea.
A magical time to visit Cape Sounio would be in a summer afternoon in order to really enjoy the spectacular sunset.
The Legend of Aegeus – The Mistake of a Son and the Death of a King
King Minos of Crete declared war on Athens but he offered peace to the Athenians under the condition that Athens would send seven young men and seven young women every nine years to Crete to be fed to the Minotaur, a vicious monster half man half bull. This continued until Theseus son of Aegeus King of Athens, killed the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, King Minos’ daughter.
Aegeus asked his son Theseus to hoist white sails instead of black on his return from Crete in case he was successful in killing the Minotaur. However, when Theseus returned, he forgot these instructions. Aegeus standing up on the edge of Cape Sounion staring at the sea, waiting for the arrival of his beloved son, saw the black sails approaching and mistakenly believing that his son had been slain by the beast, jumped into the sea and drowned. Eversince, this sea is named after him and called the Aegean Sea.
Theseus & the Minotaur
Temple of Poseidon Opening Hours
- Monday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m.
- Last admission: 7:30 p.m
- The site is open every day until sunset.
Entrance fee required :
4 Euros for The temple of Poseidon
- Free entrance : For students from E.U (student id is required)
- Free entrance : For children under 19 years old
- Reduced entrance fee for students outside the E.U
- Reduced entrance fee for citizens over 65 years old from E.U Countries
Note: Please note that on this tour, your driver is not licensed to accompany you on your walk up the top of the Temple of Poseidon. If you want a licensed guide to tour the site with you, you can hire one at extra cost.
