From the city centre, the tram and the express bus run all the way down the coast to Glyfáda, Vouliagméni and Cape Soúnion. Here are the beaches worth the trip and the ones to skip.
Read articleAnafiótika is a sliver of whitewashed island village glued to the north slope of the Acropolis. Built by 19th-century stonemasons from Anáfi, it is the strangest, most photogenic corner of Athens.
Read articleKypséli is where Athens cooks Senegalese stew next to Filipino karinderya next to a hundred-year-old Greek bakery. Fokíonos Négri is its leafy, spirited spine. Here's the honest visitor walk.
Read articlePetrálona sits below the Acropolis on the side most tourists never see. Old tavernas, no-fuss mezedes, an astonishing ancient cave and a working-class soul that hasn't been polished off.
Read articleTucked between the Panathenaic Stadium and the First Cemetery, Mets is one of the prettiest, most underrated walks in Athens. Pre-war villas, narrow stairs, and a bird's-eye view back at the Acropolis.
Read articlePangráti sits behind the Panathenaic Stadium and feels like a different city. Real bakeries, real tavernas, the city's best modern bookshop and the National Garden a block away.
Read articleThe old gasworks (Technopolis) and the ancient cemetery share a postcode and a personality. This is where Athens dances until 4am — and it is also home to one of the best ancient sites in town.
Read articleExarchia is famous for political graffiti, anarchist cafés, the Polytechnic uprising and one of the best food scenes in Athens. Here is the honest, no-stereotype visitor guide.
Read articleKolonaki is where Athenians shop when they're feeling rich and brunch when they're feeling unhurried. Designer boutiques, the Cycladic Art Museum and the funicular up Lycabettus all live here.
Read articleFor five years running, Koukaki has been on every 'best neighbourhood in Europe' list. Two-storey houses, walking distance to the Acropolis, a real local life — but is the hype warranted?
Read articleThe pedestrian street of Apostle Paul's runs along the foot of the Acropolis. At sunset every café table fills, and tickets cost exactly the price of a freddo espresso.
Read articlePsyrrí is Athens' most stubborn neighbourhood — half artisan workshop, half late-night taverna district. Here's the day-and-night guide, with the streets where the locals actually drink.
Read articleMonastiraki Square is where the metro, the Acropolis, the flea market and the Roman Agora meet. Here's how to navigate the noise — and which alleys reward a slower second look.
Read articlePlaka is the oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhood in Europe — and yes, parts of it are a tourist machine. Here's the honest map: the streets to wander, the tavernas to skip, the corner most people miss.
Read article