Local Expert Shares Favorite Hiking Spots in Athens
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Loading... - Aria Scavo
- 15 Sep 2022
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Hiking is not something typically associated with Athens (or with Greece in general), however, with an impressive 80% of its terrain being mountainous, extraordinary landscapes, and hundreds of well-mapped out hiking trails, Greece is truly a hiker’s paradise.
Athens and the surrounding region of Attica are no exception. Athens is surrounded by five mountains, each offering a variety of different fauna and flora, beautiful trails, phenomenal views and archaeological sites.
When I moved to Athens, I had no idea about the diversity of landscape and nature that this city offered. I keep exploring, and I keep finding more and more hiking options.
Athens is full of hidden gems: hiking trails, invigorating mountainous paths, lush forest trails smattered with wildflowers, byzantine churches, wild asparagus in spring, mushrooms in autumn and so much more, all within an hour of the Acropolis.
Here are three of my favourite places to hike in Athens:
1. Mount Hymettus or Ymittos
Mount Hymettus, famed for its thyme-scented honey, boasts a beautiful pine forest, a number of impressive caves, historic monasteries and a network of marked hiking and mountain biking trails. It offers unparalleled views of the city and the sea and is a very short drive from the centre of town (roughly 15-20 minutes).
Even longtime residents of Athens are surprised by what this mountain has to offer – a total escape, merely minutes from the hustle bustle of town.
The easiest hiking routes are found in the areas around Kaissariani Monastery. Farther up, dirt roads carve across the mountain. For the less energetic, an asphalt road leads all the way up to the summit. Read More...
