Cape Sounion - The Temple of Poseidon

Culture and History tour in Athens

Tour Price : available upon request Duration : 5 hours Languages: English, Spanish, Italian

If you have an impression that you have seen Athens completely and you don’t want to have any other guided tour in Athens, we may explore its surrounding areas. Not far from Athens there is a lovely place which is definitely worth seeing. I am referring to the Cape Sounion, which is well-known for its ancient Temple of the God of the See Poseidon. This place is entwined with mythology.

According to the legend, it was the Cape Sounion where the king of Athens, Aegeus jumped off the cliff and died. Because of that the sea was called the Aegean Sea. The temple of Poseidon is a popular tourist attraction. As you know, Poseidon was second only to Zeus, who was the supreme god himself. That’s why the ancient Greeks considered the temple to be very important and made animal sacrifices for the God of the Sea, or left gifts there. The Temple was erected in the 5th century BC over the ruins of another more ancient temple.

Unfortunately only several columns are left of the whole temple, but the Temple of Poseidon has strong resemblance with another well-preserved temple – the Temple of Hephaestus. Some historians consider that these temples might have one and the same architect. As a professional private guide in Athens I would definitely advice you to visit this place. Out of all the private tours of Athens this one is the most popular. 

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