Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
Athens, Greece
A marble Doric temple erected around 444 BC on the rocky promontory of Cape Sounion, 65 meters above the waves of the Aegean Sea. The sanctuary of the sea god Poseidon served sailors leaving Attica as the last landmark before a long voyage. Of the original 38 columns made of local white marble from the quarries in Agrileza, 16 columns remain. On one of them, the English poet Lord Byron carved his signature during his journey in 1810. The cape is located 70 kilometers south of central Athens along the Athenian Riviera.
- Visit time: 2 h
- Local name: Ναός του Ποσειδώνα στο Σούνιο
What to look for
- Sixteen Doric columns rising above the sea cliff
- The autograph of poet Lord Byron carved on the marble base of a column
- Sunset over the Saronic Gulf from the extreme tip of the cape
Before you go
- Best time: Two hours before sunset
- Crowds: Heavy traffic at sunset
- Note: Windy area on the exposed sea cape
Good to know
- According to myth, it was from this cliff that King Aegeus threw himself into the sea, seeing black sails on Theseus' ship.
Sources: odysseus.culture.gr, visitgreece.gr
How long does it take to visit Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion?
Plan about 2 h.
Things to do in Athens — all places with visit times
Athens — 1 day · Athens — 2 days · Athens — 3 days
Add this place to a trip notebook in RouteMarket — see it on the map with the rest of your plan and open the route in Google Maps.
Ready-made notebooks for this city
- Athens active — 2 days
- Athens solo and photography — 2 days
- Athens with friends — 2 days
- Athens business trip — 1 day
- Athens as a couple — 2 days
- Athens with kids — 2 days
Other languages: Polski · Deutsch · Français · Español · Italiano · Português · Nederlands · 日本語 · 中文 · 한국어 · العربية