Let’s be honest, Athens is not a pretty city. I was actually quite shocked when arriving and expecting to find a historical city that would compare to other European capitals like Paris or Rome, but Athens turned out to be quite different in many ways. Not only was Athens unique in terms of its ancient history with seemingly endless ruins laying scattered around town, but also because the entire city looked as if it had been built in the 1950s and 60s. The exceptions to this rule and the only places with historical architecture were the areas of Plaka and Anafiotika.
While the once residential area of Plaka had been turned into a neighborhood of restaurants and souvenir shops, the more remote location of Anafiotika had apparently helped to preserve the authentic village feel, right in the middle of otherwise hectic Athens. Having been built in typical Cycladic architectural style by construction workers who came from the islands of Anafi and Naxos to erect the palace for the German King Otto in 1843, picturesque Anafiotika easily became my favorite neighborhood after discovering how to actually get there.
“I lived three years in Athens before even realizing that Anafiotika existed” told me a Greek girl who had moved to Athens a few years back. And as it turned out, Anafiotika really was an easy-to-miss neighborhood that many people failed to explore when visiting Athens. But it was well worth the effort of climbing the steps beyond Plaka and finding the little access paths that lead to the remaining 45 cubic houses and two churches that escaped the wrecking ball. Today, this once illegally erected neighborhood in the shadows of the mighty Acropolis really did feel like a Greek island in the midst of modern-day Athens.
The Cycladic Village of Anafiotika
The cubic Houses of Anafiotika below the Acropolis in Athens
A paved Alley along white Houses of Anafiotika in Athens
Entrances to the Single-Storey Buildings in Afafiotika
Small Alleyway between whitewashed Houses in Anafiotika, Athens
Typical Cycladic Stairs and Architecture of Anafiotika in Athens, Greece
It was really interesting to see that Anafiotika looked exactly like all the images I had ever seen of the Greek islands. The only difference here was that this Cycladic Island was situated in the middle of a big noisy city, instead of being surrounded by the waters of the blue sea.
Anafiotika Gardens and Public Spaces
Pink and Red Flowers contrasting the White Houses of Anafiotika
Green open Garden in Front of a Cycladic Home in Anafiotika, Athens
Anafiotika Roof Terrace with Seating and shady Plants in Athens
Open Terrace in Anafiotika with a View over Athens in Greece
Trees in Front of an Unrestored Cycladic House in Anafiotika, Athens
Interestingly enough, but only a few houses within Anafiotika did not appear with a fresh coat of white paint. This unrestored building for example illustrated beautifully that the color schemes of the cubic houses had changed over the years. Besides white, 10 shades of yellow and 3 of light blue could be found, leaving it to our imagination how the entire village must have looked like in previous times.
The simple Colors of Anafiotika
Beautifully maintained Anafiotika Home in White and Grey only
Narrow Courtyard with Roof access of a Cycladic House in Anafiotika
Green Plant complementing the Grey and White of an Anafiotika Home
Red Flowers with Blue Window Shutters in Anafiotika, Athens
Cat with typical pink Bougainvillea Flowers in Anafiotika
If you are visiting Athens and would like to look beyond the modern façade of this once ancient city, definitely make sure to stop by Anafiotika. This area of whitewashed houses with their tiny alleyways, narrow stairs, enclosed courtyards, dead end passages, colorful Bougainvillea and many stray cats, is nowadays a protected landmark. The lack of tourist facilities not only provides an authentic neighborhood feel, but also a not-to-miss experience when visiting Athens.
Getting There
Google Maps doesn’t locate Anafiotika correctly, but:
- Coming from Monasteraki Square, walk straight through Plaka until you actually reach to the Acropolis Hill, then keep to your left to find Anafiotika.
- When coming from the Acropolis metro stop, walk as close as possible along the Acropolis hill (the hill is on your left), towards Plaka and Monasteraki. You will reach Anafiotika automatically.
TIP: Visit Anafiotika early in the morning. On the one hand this is the only time of the day when the sun actually bypasses the Acropolis Hill and lights up the little white houses and on the other hand, the morning is the perfect time to enjoy the tranquil island atmosphere.
Is Anafiotika “Island” and it’s architecture something you would enjoy visiting?
Hidden Church of Saint George in Anafiotika, Athens
What a great little neighborhood you found in Athens! I was very sad not to be able to make it to Athens for TBEX. When we get to Greece someday, we will be sure to visit Anafiotika. All the tiny stairways remind me of Cinque Terra and Dubrovnik.
Katherine Belarmino | Travel the World recently posted…Tikal Guatemala: A Long Time Ago, in a Mayan Civilization Far, Far Away
It’s a shame that you couldn’t make to Athens, Katherine! But when you do get the chance to go, definitely remember to visit Anafiotika. It’s actually a lot smaller than the villages of Cinque Terre and a lot less sophisticated than Dubrovnic, but maybe because of that it has a really unique feel to it…
Dennis, I too was shocked when I visited Athens – not at all the gleaming city I’d invisioned but like you, I did wander and found much that was pretty… then I traveled north to Thessaloniki and Alexandropoli 😀
Maria Falvey recently posted…Autumn beneath Ursa Major
It’s great to hear that you had a similar experience in Athens, Maria! Luckily there was still a lot to explore in the city, but I never managed to travel that far north. Well, there will definitely be another visit to Greece at some point, especially to see the real Greek islands…
Is it possible to actually stay in the area of Anafiotika while visiting Athens? It seems to be quite a residential place, but are there any small, family-run guest houses one could look for?
Mayra, as far as I know it is not possible to stay in Anafiotika and I am tempted to say that it is luckily not possible. The surrounding area of Plaka, which too used to be a residential area, is nowadays full of bars, restaurants and hotels. Anafiotika is thus the only remaining part of Athens, from the times when the city became the capital and the residents are still the descendants of the people from the island of Anafi…
What an amazing find! While Athens might not meet the expectations of many people, travel is often about finding the best side of places, and this neighborhood definitely counts as that…!
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Thanks a lot James! You are right, travel is all about getting out there, exploring places and discovering the interesting things. Stumbling across Anafiotika in this case was almost like finding a little pearl in the shell of the big city… 😉
Wow, this island is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3
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Thank you Agness, I thought so too! Especially for an island in the middle of the city, Anafiotika really is a beautiful place…
Wow, I didn’t realize that Athens wasn’t that great.. I haven’t as of yet been to Greece, but when I do, I’ll take a little excursion out to Anafiotika!
JP recently posted…13 Surreal Places You Won’t Believe Exist
Definitely do that JP! Yeah, Athens was quite a surprise for me as well, but luckily you can find little neighborhoods like Anafiotika, that make up for the lack of charm elsewhere…
What a great find!! When we were in Jakarta, we stayed in a little neighborhood that really gave us a great feel for the country and local life. It was a much better experience than if we had stayed in the shinier part of the city! It pays off to find these kinds of places. I love all of your pictures!!
Thanks a lot Katie, It’s great to hear that you enjoyed the photos of Anafiotika! I totally agree with you, it’s always better to find those local neighborhoods and Athens was certainly no exception to that…
Hey Dennis. I missed seeing this area of Athens. Someone had recommended it to me though. Looks pretty as compared to the rest of ‘Concrete Athens’
You are so right Gaurav! Anafiotia was definitely a great place to visit in the concrete jungle, almost like a little oasis. It’s a shame that you missed this urban Greek island, but maybe you will have the chance to go back at some point and remember to look for it. It’s easy to miss, but well worth finding…
What a fabulous find! I also heard that Athens is not the prettiest, but Anafiotika looks like a Greek fairytale! I visited Thessaloniki in September and thought that was a great city, great atmospere. And you can discover Northern Greece from there.
thanks for the tips, I will go look for Anafiotika once I’m in Athens.
What about the people? Are they friendly to non-Greek speaking tourists?
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