Week 603 · Greece · August 2025
Return to
Return to
Athens
Thirty-one years later — the Acropolis, Monastiraki, Lycabettus Hill & a night in Plaka
Thirty-one years later — the Acropolis, Monastiraki, Lycabettus Hill & a night in Plaka
We had originally visited Athens in 1994 and I always wanted to return — it was one of the drivers for selecting this cruise itinerary. The cruise stop was only six effective hours, so we swung back through Athens on the way home from Istanbul to DC for another full day. Logistically we had to layover somewhere anyway, and with a direct flight to DC from Athens, it was easy.
Athens is pretty compact, so in our six hours during the shore excursion we had a solid visit to the Acropolis and wandered down the hill to the Roman and Greek Agoras and through the central Athens neighbourhoods of Plaka and Monastiraki at a fast pace before returning to the ship. The shore excursion was well-timed — it got us to the Acropolis early, avoiding the worst of the heat and the biggest crowds. Although it was still very crowded. Sharon and I were able to recreate a photo from 1994 in front of the Parthenon. Only a little embarrassing.
After the Acropolis we wandered down through the central Athens neighbourhood of Monastiraki, weaving through the Roman Agora and the old market. It's a great area — dense, textured, very alive. We caught about a two-hour thunderstorm midway through, which was memorable because our bus was not particularly waterproof.
Athens is pretty compact — the Acropolis, the Agoras, Monastiraki, and Plaka are all within easy walking distance of each other. The real discovery is how much there is once you slow down and look.
On our return from Turkey we started at Lycabettus Hill — the taller mountain overlooking the Acropolis — and wandered back toward the centre, walking past the 1896 Olympic Stadium and through the National Garden to the Acropolis Museum. The museum is relatively new — it wasn't there in 1994 — and it was excellent. Ideally you would go to the museum before visiting the actual Acropolis, not after. Lesson learned for next time.
The Panathenaic Stadium (1896 Olympic Stadium) was originally built in 329 BC and reconstructed entirely in white Pentelic marble for the first modern Olympic Games. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble, and seats 50,000. The 1896 games were the first of the modern era, revived by Pierre de Coubertin after a 1,500-year absence.
The 1896 Olympic Stadium — entirely rebuilt in white Pentelic marble for the first modern Olympic Games. Walking past it on the way to the museum puts a lot of history into perspective very quickly.
View from Monastiraki Square toward the Roman Agora · Athens evening
We spent the rest of the day in Monastiraki and Plaka, realising that during the shore excursion we had only grazed the surface of both neighbourhoods. We originally thought about signing up for a bar crawl, but most of them featured "free admission and the best club music" — so we decided to hit four or five restaurants for appetisers and the local beer instead. Much better decision.
Plaka is a great area and one of the consistent downsides of cruise ships is that you generally miss the evening vibe of places. The ship has already sailed by the time the neighbourhood comes alive. Getting to return for a full night in Athens made the whole detour worthwhile. Four stops across the neighbourhood — apps, wine, good company.
Overall a great trip and adding more time in Athens was absolutely worth it. One of the consistent lessons of travel: if you have been somewhere before and liked it, go back with more time. It is almost always better the second time, and we had 31 years of reasons to appreciate it more.