Greece is a land of sunsets. It is one of those countries where every sunset is breathtaking and it is celebrated like an event in most tourist places. Sounion is one such place - it is gorgeous and visitors can get easily captivated by its beauty. The impressive temple of Poseidon, the stunning sunset having as a background the endlessness of the Aegean Sea and the special natural environment, make it a unique destination that one should definitely visit. Perched on cliffs above Cape Sounio, the temple ruins, surrounded on three sides by sea, have stunning views out over the Aegean.
It is a 90 minute journey from Athens - the buses depart almost every hour from a place called Pedion Areos (Mavrommateon street & Alexandras avenue - close to Victoria station on the green line) and they pass through the centre of Athens. As you leave the coastal suburbs of Athens, you pass towns and settlements around one beautiful beach after the other. It follows an amazing route by the sea passing through places such as Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonisi, Saronida, Anavyssos and Legrena (full of beach resorts and places to swim - you need to sit on the right hand side window seats to get the view). The closer you get to Sounion on the tip of the Attiki peninsula the less houses there are until finally you come to a few hotels and a nice little beach.
The Ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, built during 444–440 BC, is one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Athens. It is perched above the sea at a height of almost 60 metres.
In ancient times the temple was the last sign of civilization the Athenians saw as they sailed away from home and the first as they returned. It is hard to imagine a more perfect setting for an ancient temple, in particular one dedicated to the god of the sea. The sunset from the mountain is like an occasion and people start finding good vantage points from 7pm for the 8pm sunset (in August).
There are a lot of yachts idling along the sea shore that add to the view. I was lost for words and all I could do was soak in the surroundings in absolute silence. It's like a reverse countdown as you wait for the sun to be gobbled up by the sea.
The crowds start cheering and whistling at the end of this marvelous nature show - one of the best sunsets I have ever seen !
The temple of Poseidon at night - we roamed around the place for some time before we made our way back to the bus stop.
The last bus to Athens was at 9pm and we had to wait for a little while - we did not mind it one bit, as we were still basking in the after glow of the sunset.
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