Central Greece with Euboea
The area surrounding Athens, known as Attica, is characterised by calm beaches, and the pinewoods and thyme-covered slopes of Mount Parnes, Hymettus and Pentelico. As one travels northwest, towards the interior, the landscape combines fertile plains planted with tobacco and cotton, and rugged mountains with unspoilt villages and winter ski resorts.
CAPE SOUNIO: Sixty-nine kilometres (43 miles) east of Athens, crowning Cape Sounio is a towering promontory which dominates the landscape for miles around. Here stand the superb ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, built in the fourth century BC, commanding spectacular views over the sea and islands. The Apollo Coast, a highly developed tourist area stretching from Piraeus to Cape Sounio, is dotted with exclusive resorts such as Glifada (17km/11 miles from Athens) and Vouliagmeni (24km/15 miles from Athens), offering marinas, well-kept beaches, modern hotel complexes, seafood tavernas and luxury-class restaurants and nightclubs. North of Cape Sounio lies Rafina, Athens’ second port, with ferry connections to Euboea and some of the Greek Islands.
OSSIOS LOUKAS: Northwest of Athens, close to the town of Livadia, stands the magnificent monastery of Ossios Loukas. Within the monastery complex one can visit the eleventh-century Church of St Luke, noted for its marvellous Byzantine mosaics, and the thirteenth-century Church of the Virgin, built by Cistercian monks who occupied the monastery during the Middle Ages. Livadia, built into the foothills of Mount Helikon, was famous in ancient times for the Oracle of Trophonios Zeus and the Springs of Forgetfulness (Lethe) and Memory (Mnemosyne) to the north of the town.
DELPHI: Lying 176km (109 miles) northwest of Athens, Delphi can be reached by road via Livadia and Arahova. This is the site of the famous Oracle, where rulers of ancient Greece came for many centuries for political and moral guidance. The complex of treasury buildings, plinths and the foundations for the fourth-century BC Temple of Apollo are set on the steep rocky hillside, overlooking olive groves and the Sanctuary of Athena, known as the Marmaria (marbles). A steep uphill climb from the Temple brings one to the theatre, offering stunning views over the entire site, and further uphill still lies the ancient stadium. The Delphi Museum contains a superb collection of finds from the site.
Many visitors to Delphi stay overnight in nearby Arahova, a pretty hillside town renowned for its cheese, formaela. Alternatively, a short distance southwest of Delfi, on the northern coast of the Gulf of Corinthia, lie the seaside towns of Itea and Galaxidi, offering hotels, restaurants and beaches. A regular bus connects Athens and Itea, passing through Arahova and Delphi en-route.
MOUNT PARNASSUS: Close to Arahova, on the main road from Athens to Delphi, lie the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, which towers 2457m (8061ft) over the Gulf of Corinth. Through winter (December to April) the mountain hosts a number of well-equipped ski resorts, and the area is popular with hikers during spring and autumn.
EUBOEA: The island of Euboea is the second largest in Greece after Crete. A major bridge (road and rail) spans the narrow Evripos Strait that separates the island from the mainland, to arrive in the main town, Halkida, a well-developed tourist resort. Euboea is an island of great natural beauty and scenic variety, with sandy beaches and secluded coves, wooded mountainsides ideal for climbing, and many peaceful and unspoilt villages. Regular train and bus services run between Halkida and Athens, and there is a ferry from Rafina.
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