How to see the sunset at Cape Sounion (Greece) next to the Temple of Poseidon

The excursion to watch the sunset next to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion It is one of the most interesting things to do from Athens.

Located about 75 kilometers from the center of the Greek capital, it is a very attractive place and is a good option to spend an afternoon in our sightseeing trip to Athens.

La image of the temple on top of a great rock that emerges from the sea while the sun sets over the horizon, is one of the best known of all the tourist destinations in Greece.

I can admit that I had never had much interest in visiting it, and in different travel to greece I had opted for other destinations, but in the most recent one I couldn't resist the temptation and now I can say that I am very satisfied with having done so.

It is true that everything was in my favor to enjoy the moment.

On the one hand, it was a splendid afternoon despite it being very late in the fall, and what prompted me to go was undoubtedly a detail that I had never thought of before.

It turns out that The international airport is located halfway between Athens and Cape Sounion, so if you rent a car, we are almost next door.

Now I can say that, if the flight arrival time is convenient, the Cape Sounion sunset tour It is one of the best ways to start a trip to Greece.

Curiosities History of the Cape Sounion temple

The place, which is now almost a tourist pilgrimage destination, it was a sacred space at least since the 8th century BC, and so testifies Homer in the Odisea.

In the 480th and XNUMXth centuries it was a flourishing sanctuary although there was probably no monumental building at first. In any case, the Persians destroyed it in XNUMX BC

Around the year 440 BC a new one was built, the remains of which we know now, in the Classic.

This temple is contemporary with the Parthenon for the Acropolis of Athens.

For several centuries it was a popular place and was the site of a festival held every four years, but the place was progressively abandoned as the ancient Greek religion declined.

The center of this sanctuary was the temple dedicated to Poseidon, which is perfectly located on a promontory about 60 meters high that rises directly from the sea.

From this place it has always been possible to control all the ships heading to the port of Athens.

This entire area of ​​the Attica region is full of myths and, also, historical facts of great importance.

Among the first, it is worth remembering that he committed suicide from the top of this rock Aegean, the king of Athens, because he mistakenly believed that his son Teseo, who had traveled to Crete to end him Minotaur, had died on that expedition.

For this reason it was given the name Aegean Sea.

Regarding history, it should be noted that in this region the Laurion silver mines, the basis of Athens' wealth. The remains of these farms are included in the tentative list of the Unesco World Heritage.

What to see when visiting Cape Sounion

Protests over the terrible working conditions in these mines were frequent and during the revolts the slaves took refuge in the mines. Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.

This temple was the most important building in an area that can almost be defined as a stronghold, of which part of the exterior walls are still preserved.

The complex was accessed through a large entrance built of limestone and marble. Two series of columns and pillars formed three corridors.

The sides were narrower and were prepared for pedestrians while the central one, much wider, was intended for vehicles.

Although now all visitors head directly towards the temple, it should be noted that to the right are the two porches where pilgrims found merchants' stalls and shelter in case of bad weather.

El north porch It measures no less than 38 meters long and was built with the materials of the original temple destroyed by the Persians.

El west porch It is much smaller. There are enough remains to get an idea of ​​its dimensions.

What the Temple of Poseidon is like in Cape Sounion

In any case, the Poseidon's temple It is the one that attracts all eyes, and is accessed by a ramp.

The large Temple of Poseidon at Sounion It measured 31,12 meters long by 13,47 meters wide and was built with marble on the limestone platform of the previous temple.

The temple was surrounded by a doric colonnade.

There were six columns on the short sides and 13 on the long sides, and it did not have an interior colonnade.

Now we can only see 16 columns and two pillars standing, which measure just over six meters.

A curious detail, although it is difficult to notice, is that the shaft of the columns has only 16 grooves instead of the usual 20.

It is assumed that in this way they would resist erosion better as the temple was so exposed to the humid wind.

At some point you may think that where are the missing columns. There is some in the British Museum of London, but the rest was looted in the Antiquity.

Perhaps those that are missing are at the bottom of the sea, as a voluntary or involuntary offering to Poseidon.

Within the space defined by the columns there would be the ship, the worship room, with a gigantic statue of Poseidon.

In the remains that are preserved there is hardly any decoration. In archaeological excavations, they have been discovered remains of sculptures, and the most important ones can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Yes, you can see, everywhere, in the remains scattered on the ground, inscriptions made by visitors over the centuries.

On the north pillar that stands in the temple is the most famous, the one that remembers the passage of Lord Byron in 1810.

It can be safely stated that the poet did not carry out this act of vandalism but rather someone with the supposed desire to please him. Currently you cannot enter the temple itself, so we cannot see it up close.

Watch the sunset at Cape Sounion

A few meters from the temple you reach the precipice that sinks into the sea. It's one of the favorite places to see the sunset over the sea.

Although, logically, if you look at the sunset from there you cannot see the temple, whose columns at that moment change tone every moment, now a color like light honey and a moment later a pale gray.

In that moment you understand the evocative power of this place, which centuries ago was called the Cape of the Columns.

Cape Sounion schedules and ticket prices

El Visiting hours of the archaeological site of Cape Sounion It is, every day of the week, from 9,30:XNUMX a.m. until half an hour before sunset, when the security guards begin to ask visitors to leave.

The ticket prices It is 10 euros, from April to October, and 5 euros, from November to March.

There is always time afterwards to look for somewhere in the surrounding area from which to see the temple and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view.