Temple of Athena Sounia

Most people who drive out to Sounion come for the Temple of Poseidon on the very tip of the cape, but the headland also holds a second, smaller sanctuary. The Temple of Athena Sounia stands on a lower hill a short walk from the main temple. It is thought to date from the fifth century BCE, and like much in Greek sanctuaries it was built to be seen from the sea. In ancient Athens, Athena and Poseidon were the two great patrons of the city, and it made sense that the southern gateway to Attica, where ships rounded the cape on their way to the harbour of Piraeus, should honour both.

In Greece, the sanctuary of Athena is thought to be older than the Poseidon temple that dominates the skyline, and it was a place of worship for sailors and for the residents of the surrounding district of Sounion. Today the remains are modest. Foundations, column bases and traces of the rectangular precinct outline the layout, and the stone blocks rest low in the dry grass. It takes some imagination to reconstruct the building, and informative signs help.

The pleasure of the visit is as much about the setting as the stones. From the hill there is a wide view over the Aegean Sea, with islands like Makronisos and Kea on the horizon on a clear day, and the white columns of the Temple of Poseidon rising on the cliff to one side. Visitors who walk the extra few minutes to this part of the site tend to find it quieter than the main temple, particularly in the late afternoon when tour groups gather for the sunset.

Practically, the site lies about 70 kilometres southeast of Athens, and the coastal road from the city is part of the experience, passing beaches and bays along the Saronic Gulf. Bring water, sun protection and shoes with grip, because the ground is dry, stony and exposed to strong winds. The ruins reward anyone interested in the layered religious landscape of ancient Attica, and the combination of the two temples tells a fuller story than either alone. Afterward, it is worth continuing to the fortifications of the headland and to the beaches near the village of Sounion for a swim.