35 Best Sights in Attica and Delphi, Greece

Sounion Beach

If you are spending the morning visiting the Temple of Poseidon, you might also want to take a swim on the free public beach just below it. Of course, this sandy strip—known locally as Kavokolones—becomes uncomfortably crowded in summer. Amenities: none. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Tatoi Royal Estate

What was once a beautiful summer retreat for the Greek royal family is slowly being reclaimed by the wild. It's an unusual tale, even by Greek standards, and a setting that makes for a remarkable walk on the southeast slopes of Mt. Parnitha. The first piece of the estate was bought by King George I in 1871, who slowly built up the land around it and commissioned a mansion in the style of Russia's Peterhof Palace. Over the next century the estate grew and grew as vineyards, a cemetery, stables, a pool, a hotel, and various buildings were added to its 10,000 acres. Then it all came to a halt. The abolition of the monarchy in 1974 preceded a long-running dispute over the estate's ownership and saw its buildings fall sadly into neglect. Since then, clumsy attempts at restoration and plans to turn it into a museum have come to little, and today its buildings, now mostly boarded up, are off-limits to visitors. The grounds are free to roam by the public until sunset and have parking nearby to allow access. That is the extent of its facilities, however; there are no cafés, toilets, or running water inside the park. Yet the estate's fall from grace doesn't diminish what is an astonishing walk, as you wander through pine-scented forest and contemplate the fleeting nature of wealth in this "ghost palace."

Varnavas Beach

This fine-pebbled beach is reached from Varnavas village, north of Marathon. There is a lifeguard here during the summer months and a few tavernas nearby where you can enjoy a post-swim snack. It's a popular spearfishing spot. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free). Best for: swimming; snorkeling.

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Vouliagmeni Lake

The part-salt, part spring-fed warm waters of Vouliagmeni Lake make for a peaceful retreat. The lake is actually a subterranean cavern that collapsed and filled with water some 2,000 of years ago. Its tunnels burrow deep into the mountain, stretching for thousands of kilometers and are yet to be fully explored. Its waters are also reputed to have curative powers, and as you bathe, small fish nibble at your dead skin. As such, it's especially popular with older Greeks, though locals still bitterly recall a time when you didn't have to pay for the privilege. At the lakeshore beach, a dramatic, rocky backdrop provides one of the more exotic settings in Attica. You can rent umbrellas and sun beds, and even pay extra to recline in the absurd VIP "Prive" area, but we advise you don't. There are showers as well as a decent (if overpriced) café-restaurant. Most of the lake has a gradual slope and sandy bottom. Caution is recommended, however, as it deepens suddenly in parts.

Head to the northern corner of the car park and you'll find a marked route (look for the red dots). This leads to a series of interconnecting dirt roads at the top that wrap the mountains around the lake and beyond.

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Yabanaki Beach Varkiza

Beach-club amenities—umbrellas and sun beds for rent, water sports, bars, restaurants (including a popular souvlaki eatery), a children's water park, and cabins where you can change—spread across 25 acres behind a long stretch of sand. Varkiza is popular with windsurfers and waterskiers. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: walking; windsurfing.