According to legend Cape Sounion is the spot where Aegeas, King of Athens, believing that his only son Prince Theseas was dead leapt to his death off the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea.
The wind-swept Cape Sounio was an obvious choice for a sanctuary of Poseidon, where the sailors might offer a last sacrifice to appease the mighty God of the Sea before leaving the comparative safety of the Saronic Gulf for the perils of the open Aegean Sea. The archaic temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C. and a new one was built in its place in 440 B.C. by Pericles. The contrast between the 12 white remaining Doric columns and the deep blue of the sea is still as dazzling as in the days of Lord Byron who carved his name on the marble.
Byron spent several months in Athens in 1810 and 1811 and there are two documented visits by him to Sounion. Byron mentions the Cape in his poem Don Juan:
Place me on Sunium’s marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep…
The site is the most popular half day excursion from Athens, not only for its great archaeological interest but for the scenic drive along the coastal road of the Saronic Gulf as well.
Passing on the way though some of Athens’s most expensive and beautiful suburbs and resorts (Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Lagonisi) areas that offer you a variety of choices either for a coffee brake or for lunch on the waterfront.
Duration approximately 4 hours
All my tours are private (vehicle reserved exclusively for you) and flexible. It is always up to you to modify the suggested itinerary according to your personal preferences, even during the tour, if feasible.
