Temple of Poseidon

According to mythology, the temple of Poseidon was the place where Aegeus committed suicide when he saw the black sails of the ship and believed that his son Theseus – who had gone to Knossos to to fight the Minotaur – was dead. For this reason the sea was called Aegean Sea. To tell you the truth, he couldn’t find a nicer place to commit suicide…

The temple was dedicated to Poseidon, the god of the sea and was built twice. Initially it was built in the Doric order and was quite innovative for its time. It lacked an inner colonnade in the inner chamber, giving it greater spaciousness. Next to the temple of Poseidon, you can find the lesser known temple of Athena.

Do not miss the sunset from the temple overlooking the sea. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Families should know

• As there is no shade, it is better to visit the temple either early in the morning or ideally before sunset
• Take proper shoes instead of flip flops for both you and your children as you need to do a bit of climbing
• Pack water, juice and sandwiches. There is a cafe selling snacks just beneath the temple but it is quite touristy and a bit overpriced
• The temple of Poseidon is 1.5 hours away from the centre of Athens but is worth the visit
• You cannot get inside the temple but you can get close enough so that with binoculars you can even distinguish details of the pediment as well as the name of Lord Byron
• The best way to reach the temple is to hire a car. There is also regular public transport and KTEL (Attica KTEL 7:30 – 17:30) from the centre