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[title]Some personal lore: I was lucky enough to live in the Mediterranean for a good chunk of my twenties. It was all dry heat, golden light and weekends at the beach. Whenever London would get particularly wet and miserable, I’d yearn for that life where I felt like I was on holiday all the time.
Over a decade later, I moved to Athens hoping to recapture some of that carefree, sun-drenched magic. Greece, after all, is the land synonymous with holidays. I imagined Aegean breezes, street-corner souvlaki, long afternoons gorging on baked feta with honey, ouzo and raki, living siga siga – slowly, slowly, the national motto – under the constant vigil of the magical Acropolis. A life of never ending summer. Except global warming means that peak summer actually is pretty unbearable in a city like Athens – this summer even saw temperatures of up to 43C throughout Greece. So I ended up going for the autumn and winter instead. And I’m mighty glad I did.
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Top tips for visiting Athens in winter
The first thing to point out is that Athenian ‘winter’ is somewhat of a different experience to back home, and the city never goes into full hibernation mode. On a good winter day you might get up to the high teens, or even low‑20s on rare extra sunny occasions. So if you’re planning a winter visit, then sitting and eating and out in the squares should absolutely be on your list – even on sunny days in January and February, the buzzing tourist neighbourhoods like Psirri, Plaka and Exarchia will all be fair game to eat outside, thanks to awnings and gas heaters.
Oh, and a word on heating: if you’re in an Airbnb, it’s worth enquiring about the central heating situation – lots of buildings either don’t have it or just don’t really use it. They’re built for hot weather, not cold, so you might find yourself chillier inside than out. It’s definitely worth packing some thick socks and a jumper to use at home.
And if you do decide to wear shorts outside even on a warm day, you will immediately identify yourself as a tourist. Locals remain resolutely swaddled in hats, scarves and coats until at least May, when the mercury hits 30C and they finally concede that spring might have arrived.
What is Athens like without the heat?
Athens is ‘happening’ right now in ways that have nothing to do with either good weather or ancient ruins. Maybe you’ve even heard the phrase ‘Athens is the new Berlin’ being bandied around, which actually annoys lots of the cool young Athenians, to the point where there is a huge bit of street art in the central neighbourhood of Psirri declaring the opposite. It is true that over the past decade, the cheap living, warm lifestyle, and gritty-glamorous vibe has made it a haven for digital nomads and international creatives, so if anything it has come for Lisbon’s crown.
This grassroots creativity has now bloomed, with massive gentrification and multimillion euro investments into ultra modern cultural spaces. I found myself mixing in new arts galleries, discovering achingly cool retail and dining concepts, and clubbing to experimental techno in disused warehouses as part of an exciting queer scene. As you’ll discover below, winter is the perfect time to discover all this when you’re not wasting hours getting burnt to a crisp.
The best things to do in Athens in winter
Drink rakomelo
The Greek answer to a hot toddy? Meet rakomelo, a digestive spirit that was traditionally used as a boozy home remedy for a cough or sore throat by lots of Greeks. It’s a mix of spices, honey and tsipouro – a kind of extra-fruity grappa – warmed with cloves, cinnamon and sometimes orange peel. In the winter, you’ll find it everywhere across the city: in bars, cafés and Christmas markets, served in small glasses or ceramic cups. The best way to enjoy it is after a winter stroll around the city centre, sitting outside next to an outdoor heater for a bit of sipping and people-watching.
See the Acropolis without the crowds
As the cradle of civilisation, it would be remiss not to mention this undeniably big advantage of visiting Athens in winter. The season really is the definition of dodging the crowds – from the Acropolis Museum to the Ancient Agora, all those big-ticket sites that are usually heaving in the heat are suddenly yours to wander through with no jostling for selfie space. Even better, from November until March, admission to the major monuments is free on the first Sunday of every month (but do check each venue as there are exceptions).
From September onwards it’s also theatre season, so keep an eye out for what’s on at the National Theatre, with some productions featuring English subtitles. Athenians have the sense that they’ve reclaimed their city in winter. So just keep your head down, don’t give yourself away by wearing shorts, and enjoy having it all to yourself.
Swim in a thermal lake
Situated on the ‘Athens riviera’, about a half-hour taxi from the city centre, Vouliagmeni is a seaside suburb that was where the aristocrats holidayed in the 1950s and ‘60s. The lake here was once an underground cave which collapsed in 320BC, and today is continuously replenished by both the sea and underground thermal springs meaning the temperature remains between 21 and 29 degrees. Cosseted by a sweep of glam decking and gently swaying pine trees, the glittering turquoise waters look every inch like something out of a St Tropez marina. With an incredibly reasonable entry price (€16 on weekdays and €19 on weekends and national holidays), it’s a steal, plus you can get a free pedicure from the millions of grey garra rufa fish.
Get out to an island
Get this: the islands don’t magically disappear in winter, like a Mediterranean version of Brigadoon. Day trips from Athens to its closest islands, including Aegina, Agistri and Hydra, are even worth it in the colder months. Hydra feels especially atmospheric and dreamy, which is why someone has probably made you go there for their wedding. Once home to Leonard Cohen, it has been a magnet for poets, artists and writers for decades as well as the boho jet, frequented by everyone from Sophia Loren to Jackie Kennedy in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
It now sparkles with Jeff Koons’ famous giant rotating sun sculpture, which greets you from the edge of the island as you speed in on the boat. It’s true that lots of places close from late October to early April, but many restaurant, hotel and guesthouse owners live on Hydra year-round. The handful that remain always assemble for mid-morning coffee on the harbour and mingle with the daily visitors, who come to enjoy some lovely hiking or just exploring its cobbled streets and neoclassical mansions. The island is also car-free, with donkeys serving as the only mode of transport instead. The sight of them gathered by the harbor, tails swishing under the Christmas lights, is like a beautiful little maritime nativity scene.
Eat patsas
Every country has its own dubious-sounding hangover cure; in Greece its patsas, a kind of tripe soup, made from lamb, beef or pork stomach and feet specifically. Curiously, it is meant to relax your stomach because it contains stomach. If you’re reading this in horror, please know that it’s actually incredibly delicious and really comes into its own in the winter. If a visit to Diporto is high on your list (as one of the city’s most iconic old tavernas then it is likely to be) then patsas will almost certainly be on the menu, and you’ll find it in the central food market Varvakeios too. Such are its universally acknowledged powers that most restaurants doing home-style cooking will be serving it.
But also check out the new stuff
Several massive new openings have helped reposition Athens as a more contemporary cultural destination, one being the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) – an ultra modern sustainable complex devoted to arts and education that was gifted to the Greek people in 2017. Home to the National Library and National Opera and adjacent to a tree-lined sea water canal, the building is an architectural masterpiece, and an amazing way to see modern Athens at its best.
SNFCC lays on a whole Christmas World every year, when the whole place lights up with decorated trees, dancing fountains, music and a free ice rink – the city’s answer to a winter wonderland. There’s a busy free events calendar, choirs and orchestras perform, and later there’s New Year's Eve celebrations with fireworks and dancing.
Get into the Greek version of Christmas spirit
Actually, Christmas is something that Athens does pretty well generally: the centre of the capital goes properly Yuletide, and you’re more than likely to pass through heavily decorated Syntagma Square with its massive illuminated tree and twinkling sailboat (decorating boats is a Greek festive tradition). My hot tip though is Mona’s Marché, an alternative Christmas market held at the ludicrously chic and beautiful hotel Mona in Psirri, a former textiles factory now a hub for the city’s creatives. Here you get a real up close look at the contemporary Greek creative community, with interesting artisanal takes on classical culture. Previously they’ve had rare art books, deco objets and festive baked treats, so it’s the perfect place to do some really unique gift shopping and enjoy some natural wines and local DJs too.
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