Half Day Tours Shore excursions Cape Sounion Tour

We start our Cape Sounion tour driving along the coastal road passing by the Athenian Riviera. During the half-day tour, you will have a splendid view of the Saronic gulf. Arriving at Cape Sounion will live up to your expectations.

 History of Sounio

Cape Sounio played a strategic role in ancient Athens as silver was found in an area called Lavrion. With these huge silver amounts, they made the second money of Europe-drachma and started to fund the defensive walls of Athens, water supply, the temple of Zeus, etc.

Thousands of slaves worked in these mines, and in the 5th century, they founded a larger area of silver. During the Persian wars, Themistocles convinced his citizens to give their share in order to make ships and become a naval superpower of that time. That decision was crucial to win the Persians at Salamis.

After Themistocles was exiled from the city, Pericles started his construction program of the Acropolis, the temple of Hephaistos, and the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. According to mythology, Goddess Athena was the winner of the competition against Poseidon who was the god of the sea. A temple was built in order to honor him and express his significance. To avoid antagonism between the two gods, a small temple of Athena was built at Sounio close to the temple of Poseidon.

Another mythological story related to that area is King Aegeas of Athens, who committed suicide as he was waiting for his son Theseus to return from the island of Crete. After that incident, the sea was named to remember him.

We will see the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the Aegean Sea, with one of the most breathtaking panoramic views in Greece. In the evening time, the sunset is gorgeous, it was voted in 2000 by CNN as one of the best in the World.

Visit Cape Sounio – Tours from Athens

After visiting the Temple of Poseidon, located on the edge of the Saronic peninsula, you will have time to walk at leisure on the rocky promontory of Sounion, you can also have your drink and enjoy the view in the cafe-restaurant. Returning back from the Cape Sounion tour we will make a short stop at Vouliagmeni Lake, a natural spa from ancient times.

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