When my friend, Jenny, invited me to go on a short holiday to Athens I jumped at the chance. I’ve known Jenny for a long time, and she was going to Athens to do some research for her next book, so I tagged along as her travel companion (which felt a bit like something out of a Jane Austen novel). We spent three nights in the centre of the city and had an incredible time, despite the intensity of the heatwave.
Jet2 Holiday Package
Having never been to Greece I wasn’t sure what to expect or where to start. We booked our holiday as a Jet2 package, which included the flights (from Manchester) and the hotel.
Note that the package didn’t include transfers from the airport to the hotel, so Jenny booked those separately through the Welcome Pickups app. This is a service I now highly recommend; the price was reasonable (agreed and paid in advance) and the drivers kept in good contact so we knew where to find them etc. Our first driver was SO enthusiastic about EVERYTHING, and he gave us plenty of recommendations about where to eat in Athens. We ended up visiting two of the restaurants he suggested and both of them were amazing.
We stayed in the Royal Olympic Hotel, which was centrally located and beautiful. The rooms were air conditioned (a little too well – I turned it off at night as I was freezing), and it had a refreshing outdoor pool, and a rooftop terrace. The rooftop terrace had a bar and a restaurant, which provided the perfect place to eat and drink whilst staring at an amazing view of the Acropolis.
The Acropolis
Jenny and I visited the Acropolis on the evening that we arrived, and thank god we did as the temperatures rocketed even higher the next day. It was insanely hot up there (48 degrees) so they had to close it for the following two afternoons, and the British Red Cross was there each morning, providing tents and stacks of water bottles.
We went at about 6.30pm, and whilst it was hot and in full sun, it was definitely manageable and relatively quiet. What a sight it is to behold. The scale of it is immense and the panoramic views across the city are wonderful.
The Parthenon is the largest and most stunning structure, and it’s this that’s so visible across the city. However, I absolutely loved the Caryatids, which are the female sculptures that support the Erechtheion temple.
These women are utterly stunning. They’re graceful, relaxed, strong and proud as they gaze serenely over at the Parthenon. These figures are actually replicas, as the originals are now held in the Acropolis Museum to preserve them and protect them from the elements (well, five of them are – the sixth is held hostage in the British Museum).
Another favourite part of the Acropolis for me is what remains of the Theatre of Dionysus. It was really interesting to see a small replica of this in the Acropolis Museum as it gave us an idea of the size and scale of the original theatre.
The food
We did a lot of walking during our holiday in Athens, and we visited some fantastic food and drink venues, such as Ella, Hoocut, To Kafeneio and the Hitchcocktales Bar. This were all based on recommendations and they were amazing; authentic Greek food made with amazing ingredients that were bursting with flavour.
Lake Vouliagmeni
After a couple of days visiting the ancient sites of Athens, we were ready for something more relaxing to help us cope with the relentless heat. Many people kept telling us to escape the city and head to Lake Vouliagmeni. We followed their advice and had the most amazing and healing day under the swaying oak trees and in the beautiful, sparkling green water of the lake. A perfect antidote to the hot, dusty city.
If you visit Athens in hot weather, Lake Vouliagmeni is an absolute MUST visit. Every time I think of it now, I feel more relaxed… I’m sure it’s a place with magical properties.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
On our final night we went to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to see the Athens State Orchestra performing works by Grieg and Tchaikovsky.
The beautiful music, combined with the historic surroundings and the stunning views is something I’ll never forget.
Our whole holiday in Athens was truly unforgettable. The ancient sites, the food, the drink, the lake and the views… it was a complete treat, and well worth the travel to get there and back. I can’t wait to return as there’s much so much more to discover, and lots more food to try.