Kea island Jewel so close to athens

Town Beach.

The new airport at Athens makes Kea much more accessible and it really is a get away from it all island, I went there for a weekend for my daughters wedding , it was a delight and somewhere that seemed a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Athens.

Hotel Karthea.


Hotel Karthea.

Only an hours ferry ride from the port of Lavrio which is 50 mins taxi ride from the airport. it's so easy, I stayed at the Hotel Karthea, an inexpensive central hotel that was really stylish and really good value for money http://www.hotelkarthea.gr/en


Kea Harbour.

Once you are in Kea you can go further afield by ferry to Syros which is a hub for ferries to the Agean as well as being a good jumping off point for the Western Cyclades

Athens Ports and Landmark highlights.

Athens 3 ports

Piraeus port - Southwest of downtown Athens. It is the busiest port near Athens and the largest port in Greece. Most ferries, all cruise ships, nearly all ships for Crete and all ferries and dolphins to the Argosaronic islands use this port. 
The Port of Piraeus is a major employer in the region, with more than 2,500 employees who provide services to more than 40,000 ships and 20.000.000 passengers.

Rafina Port -  It is located on the coast Northeast of Athens. It’s the second busiest port of Athens. An excellent choice if travelling to the northern Cycladic islands. Choose this one: If you are going to Andros and maybe Tinos, Mykonos, it’s a better option providing shorter ferry times and is closer to the Athens airport, so it’s great if you are landing in Athens and leaving for the islands on the same day.

Lavrion Port - Southeast of Athens. Most remote, serving routes to Kea and Kythnos, as well as a once a week itinerary to Limnos and Ai-Stratis.

Landmarks and highlights in Athens

Agia Triada Cathedral
Neo-Byzantine cathedral located in a center of Pireaus. Dating from the 18th century.

Acropolis
156 meters high table mountain in the center of Athens with the most famous monument - Parthenon.

Dionysus Theatre
Dionysus Theatre is the oldest theater building in Europe. It's built in nine different construction phases and dates from the 6th century.

Agora
Agora was the center of Athenian democracy. There were the main buildings for administration and justice.

Temple of Olympian Zeus
Temple of Olympian Zeus is the largest temple in Greece. It's dedicated to Zeus and situated between the Acropolis and the river Ilissos.

National Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum is designed by architect Ludwig Lange. It has a lot of different collections of ancient Greek art.

Facts about Athens

Facts about Athens

1. The origins of Athens date back to 3000BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It has been continuously habited for at least 3,000 years

2. Athens is considered the cradle of Western civilisation, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy and literature, the Olympic Games, political science, major mathematical principles and theatre

3. Perhaps Athens’ most famous landmark, the Acropolis refers to the sacred hill where Greeks built many temples; the most important is the Parthenon, in honour of the goddess Athena, from where Athens gets its name

4. The very first Olympic Games may have been held in 776BC in Olympia (hence the name), but the first modern version of the games as we know them were held in Athens in 1896 – and they returned again to the city in 2004

5. Athens is the most populated region of Greece, with a population of around 4,591,568 people in 2011. However, it is also one of the smallest regions in the country, being less than 1% of the total area of Greece

6. According to Greek mythology, the olive tree was given to Athens by the goddess Athena, and Greece is now the world’s third leading producer of olives. It is thought that some trees planted in the 1200s are still producing olives

7. Approximately 17.5 million people visit Greece each year – more than the country’s population. To accommodate the influx, Greece has one of the highest numbers of international airports for any country, the largest being in Athens

8. Adjacent to the Greek parliament and a number of significant hotels, Syntagma is the central square of Athens. It is the city’s hub, with the museums of Vasilissis Sofias to the east and the shopping district of Ermou to the west

9. In around 550BC, the Athenians ruled an area named Attica, which contained a rich reservoir of resources: valuable elements such as silver, marble and lead. Attica is now the name of the biggest department store in Athens (if not Greece), where you will find international designer and luxury items

10. The height of the tallest of Athens’ seven hills. Brave visitors can climb to the top of Lykavittos via the seemingly endless stairway. The not so brave can take the funicular railway for a spectacular view of the city from the Acropolis to the Aegean

Food in Athens

There are 3040 restaurants in Athens. 

The top restaurant is called Dinner in the Sky Greece, and you eat your dinner while hanging in the sky!

You get strapped in and get to enjoy amazing food while seeing breathtaking views 

— THE MENU —

Octopus with olives, peppers, caper, beetroot & mizouna salad

Dolmadakia from Kassos (stuffed vine leaves with rice, minced meat & herbs)
served with aromatic yogurt sauce.

Steamed shrimp with avocado & cherry tomatoes on a Sancristain & basil panacotta crust.

Veal fillet ‘rotti’ with ginger & orange sauce,
served with potatoes puree, eggplant stuffed with vegetables, feta cheese & thyme.

Dessert Trilogy
Crispy biscuit with creme lemon & lemon sauce.
Chocolate mousse 
Ekmek kataifi.

The meal is accompanied by delicious greek wines.

The table can fit up to 22 people on, and the table slowly rotates.

The dinner in the sky website

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